Chapter 1
Dimitri P.O.V
I walked into the room and heard all the gasps and exclamations. The room was full of girls and young woman who were sick of being mistreated by men. And I was here to help. But all they knew was that I was a man, and I could ruin all of them by telling people about what they were doing here. "I'm not here to harm you or ruin you in anyway. Believe or not I want to help you in your cause." Where I come from, women are nearly equal to the men. They are definitely treated a lot better where I live. "I figured that if you have support or ideas from a man, it might help you in your cause." There were about fifteen females here, and here was a barn. There was hay all over the floor and chairs set up in three rows. There was a large, flat box where the speaker would stand. Currently there was a young woman, maybe in her early twenties. Everyone was staring at me in silence, but then a woman stood up.
"Anyone fighting for our cause is welcome here, of course." I smiled. "Please take a seat anywhere." There were a few open seats but then I noticed a girl. And my heart froze. She was the reason that I left the island that I live on. Not her specifically, but my mate. My soul has instantly recognized her as mine. She was beautiful; she had gorgeous, long brown hair, big chocolate–brown eyes, and full lips. She was perfect. I realized that I'd been standing here, staring at her for a few moments, and I snapped out of it. I walked over to the seat beside her and sat gingerly. I was aware of her every movement but I wasn't staring at her. I needed her to fall for me not be creeped out. But I didn't want to let her out of my sight. I knew that I had to get to know her.
I couldn't really concentrate on the meeting, but I got the gist of it. It was more of a support group, than an activist group. They weren't really trying to plan anything to fight against the way things were. They were telling each other their experiences and how to fight and get through them. Which is fine and all, but all their doing is talking, no action. And the weirdest thing was that my girl didn't go up. Well, maybe she went up before I came.
The meeting is over now and everyone was getting up and moving the chairs into the back of the barn. I grabbed mine and my girl's before she could get ahold of it. "I'll get it." She nodded thanks. I walked them to the back of the barn, when I turned around she was just leaving through the door with a girl with short brown hair. I jogged after them to catch up. "Mind if I walk with you, I think we're heading in the same direction," I lied when I was walking side by side with my girl. They both nodded. "My name's Dimitri."
"I'm Mia and this is Rose," the skinny girl answered. Rose, what a beautiful name, it was perfect. "We live right next to each other, so that's why we walk together. I just moved there a couple of months ago, and my family and I have had dinner with her and her father a few times. I heard about this meeting and was super surprised to see Rose here," what she said next was in a quieter voice, as if Rose wasn't standing right there, "What with her condition and all."
"You have a condition?" I asked Rose directly, hoping the skinny girl wouldn't answer, she probably go another rant. This was probably way out of line to ask, but I ignored that. I wanted to know everything about her.
"Yes, she does. Well, I'm not sure if it's exactly a condition, so much as a … disability. She can't talk, apparently hasn't said a word in two years. And no one knows why, well maybe except her friend, Lissa, but she's never said anything. No matter how many times I've asked." She whitened. "I mean no matter how many times others have asked." Rose had been staring intently at the ground, but now she shook her head in disdain.
"Well, I'm sure that she has her reasons. And they're probably good reasons."
"Don't you just wish that you knew those reasons, though?" She asked.
"Why don't we stop talking about Rose as if she wasn't standing right between us," this Mia-girl was really starting to piss me off. She was rude and inconsiderate.
"Why? It's not like she can get mad and yell at us for doing it."
"She can get mad, and she won't be able to yell at you. Which is worse in my opinion, because then it bottles up inside of her. The anger will grow and grow with each new thing that you do and one day she'll snap. And because you don't know her, you don't know what her snap entails. Whether she'll play a harmless prank on you, or stab you with a kitchen knife. The quiet ones are always the most dangerous." That shut her up, thank God. And it made Rose smirk, which is always a plus.
A few moments later we reached their houses. Mia's was first in line. "Here's my stop. I guess I'll see you … later." She left.
I continued to walk Rose the last few steps to her house, glad that Mia was finally gone. We stopped in front of her little walkway before the door. "God, she's annoying," I complained loudly, which made her smile and that, of course, sent my heart fluttering, like a butterflies wings. I took a breath. "It's been great meeting you. Well, not really meeting you. But I'd like to get to know you. I don't care if you can't talk. Would you like to, maybe, go for a walk through the park on Wednesday?" She wouldn't meet my gaze; she quickly shook her head no, and jogged inside. "I'm not going to stop trying to get to know you?" I called out before she went inside.
I turned around and started walking the way we came. Tonight was more than I could've asked for. Tonight was everything. I had finally found my girl, my mate, my love. She was the whole reason I left home. I had been so lonely, and my sister suggested that I just go. Abandon my duties of leader and take a chance. I had been so doubtful at first, but she forced me to leave and now I am so grateful that she did. All I had to do was to make Rose fall in love with me, and that she should abandon everything she knows and believes in to come and live with me on an island that nobodies heard of. Piece of cake, I think not.
"Dimitri?" a voice snapped me out of my thoughts. My eyes shot to the figure standing a few yards away.
"Christian? Is that really you? Everyone thought you were dead." It couldn't be… but it is! I strode through the space separating us and embraced him. "It's been two years."
"I know I said I'd only be gone for one, but, I found my mate!" He exclaimed.
"I think we need to sit down and talk." I gestured to the park bench only a few feet away. "Tell me all about her." I demanded.
"She is like a beautiful angel. All pale features and a laugh … oh, I can't even describe her laugh or smile; you'll just have to see it for yourself. She is magnificent. Her name is
Vasilisa, but she goes by Lissa."
"Lissa… that's Rose's friend, isn't it?" I asked, remembering her name being mentioned before.
"Yes, they're best friends. Lissa's even stuck with her through the deal….Oops, that's supposed to be a secret. Forget I said anything."
"Christian, tell me everything that you know. I found out tonight that Rose is my mate, and I need to know everything I can about her."
He sighed. "She is? Well, ok, but Lissa wasn't supposed to tell me this. No one is supposed to know, technically not even Lissa. So I'll tell you but you can't say anything to anyone about it, ok?" I nodded. "Rose made a deal with her father, two years ago. Rose's father hates her, because she reminds him of his wife, her mother, who passed away. Abe wanted to get rid of Rose by marrying her off to someone, anyone who would bite. But Rose hated that idea, so she came up with a deal. She knew that her father hated the sound of her voice. So the deal was: Rose wouldn't speak again, and as long as she didn't speak her father wouldn't marry her off. He took it as a joke; he apparently didn't think she would be able to do it. But she did and she's been silent ever since."
"Well, this is going to be harder than I thought."
"How do you think I feel? I've been here for nearly two years. I said I'd wait for her to be eighteen before we got married to make her more comfortable, but this really sucks. I hate being here, hiding who I am, especially from her."
"I hope I don't have to be here for two years. I mean, I will gladly do it to be with her but still, the island is where I need to be."
"By the way, where are you staying?" He asked as an after-thought.
"I don't know. I was just going to pass through, but then I heard of the meeting. I just got here this morning."
"You can stay with me. I've got this small little place a couple streets away." He stood up and I copied.
"If you don't mind, I'm going to find something to eat."
"No problem, that's where I was coming from," He gave me his address and we parted ways. It's been a couple days since I last ate and immediately went in search for a meal. I didn't stop thinking about Rose, until I went to sleep. And even then, I dreamt of her.
