Stormfast and Terra were in their cave. A full moon was in the sky. Stormfast was sitting at the mouth of the cave, staring at the brightest thing outside. Terra was getting a bit worried about him. He had been acting strange since they met Sparks. In Stormfast's mind, something else was going on. Terra was onto him, he thought. She's in love with somebody; he just knew it. The moon just watched him. He couldn't help it. He tilted his head back and howled although he was agitated about the subject. Terra noticed it.
"Stormfast? Is something wrong?"
"Uhh, no."
He is hiding something, thought Terra. What could it be? It could have something to do with Sparky. She walked up to him to find more information. Stormfast was becoming paranoid.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing. Just wondering if you want to talk about something."
"Heh, heh... There's nothing to talk about," he said with a sluggish smile. Terra was not amused.
"Are you sure?!" She held an ear close to his mouth. Stormfast just backed away.
"Yes. I'm positive," he assured her. Terra couldn't hold it any longer.
"Come on, Stormfast! I know what you're thinking!"
"You do?"
"Yes, I do!" Her voice scared him.
"I didn't think you knew."
"Do you think I'm stupid? Sluggish words. Eyes rolling. Sweaty paws." He smelled his paws and they stunk. "So spill!" she demanded. Stormfast stayed quiet. "SPILL!" she barked. A kind-hearted wolf suddenly turned into Stormfast's worst nightmare. He was so scared to death that he blurted it out.
"Okay, I thought you were in love with Sparky! There! I said it!"
"What?!" She was astonished. "You thought I was in love with Sparky?!"
"There! You happy now?!" Stormfast continued. "You think the world will be better?! You think all the rest of your life will be better?! You think the truth will set you free?! Well, it doesn't! I learned that the hard way!" All of that made Terra cry. She ran outside. Stormfast now knew he made a mistake. What had he done? He ran after her. "Terra, wait!"
She looked at her reflection in the river.
"You know," she spoke quietly, "I'm having a rough time. My friend had died. I lost my sister. I just hoped that someone would understand and care about me without keeping secrets." Stormfast was about to head back to the cave to sleep when Terra added: "Oh, and, by the way, I wasn't in love with Sparky. I was in love with you." Those words made Stormfast feel deeply sorry for her.
There was a time when Stormfast did learn the costs of being secretive. It was back when he was still a Beta. Stormfast had kept a secret that Stone had howled with an Omega. Tony eventually got his nephew to spill by threatening to feed him to the Westerns. He punished Stone by forbidding him from howling outside of Moonlight Howl Rock forever, and he punished Stormfast by forbidding him from howling anywhere for two moons. But the rules only applied if they lived in their pack where Tony had jurisdiction. Stormfast figured Stone was probably way out of Jasper to follow the rules. "How could he think that?"
Terra was talking to herself. "I guess he could. I mean, I did kiss Sparky on the cheek. Still, how did he see a spark between Sparky and me?" Terra really did love Stormfast. He was sweet, brave, not agressive, and usually optimistic. Though, after the recent scene, she was not sure if she loved him now. She did not like wolves who kept secrets. She liked someone who wasn't afraid to say something personal. In the event that someone would do that, she would automatically thank him or her for their bravery in facing their fears.