She was not the same...

She was not the Tempest he fell in love with.

Sweet, gentle, and kind. What stood before him was a woman that lacked reason.

He realized it the moment that he went to check on her, and he was met with the cold tip of her flintlock pressed to his nose.

"Move, and you die, " she whispered slowly, pushing him back.

"Tempest?"

"Don't speak either, " she warned, pulling the hammer back carefully.

The sharp click echoed in the cabin as everything went silent.

"Put that away, Tempest, " he said.

"I said don't speak, " she pressed it closer.

The cocked pistol was pressed against his chest. He dared not move.

"You are going to tell me where is my son, and don't you dare tell me he is dead, " her lips thinned, and she held his gaze.

"Tempest, I don't have him." He said, carefully looking down at the pistol.

"Then who does?" She whispered angrily.

Tension rose, the longer he stood there in silence. How could he tell her of his suspicions that her mother took their son?

"Answer me! " she pressed the pistol harder into his chest.

Cerulean blue eyes clashed with aquamarine. His jaw clenched as he contemplated what to say, but she was impatient, and he could see it. He didn't have time to think. Just react. Before the hammer went down on the pistol, he grabbed her wrist and forced the pistol aside. They tussled as the pistol went off and he wrestled her to the floor.

He pinned her wrist down at her side, crushing her with his weight into the wood floor, trying to subdue her as she bucked wildly beneath him.

It was a struggle both physically and mentally for him. He did not want to hurt her. But she gave him no choice as she screamed, savagely fighting him.

"Stop this!" He yelled as he freed the pistol from her hand, shoving it further away. She cried out in frustration and continued to buck and fight.

Her effort to free herself from him with no apparent sign of giving up was chilling. She was determined.

And...so was he.

"Your mother has our son!" He said aloud. His voice gruff with emotion was enough for her to hear above their struggles and she stopped.

Breathless and tired they lay there, staring at each other. Above her, he could see the conflict in her eyes. If she believed him or not, she gave nothing away as she shoved him off of her and quickly stood.

"Why do you play these games, " she stepped away, leaning on the bunk for support.

"I am not playing any games, " he murmured gruffly behind her. "What I say is true. She has our son."

"She told me you took him, " she whirled around to face him.

He immediately stood up in anger and approached her.

"Aye, and why would I do that?"

"Out of spite, for marrying Haines." Tempest stared back at him, angry herself. He grew tense with her stance. His jaw tightened.

"So with the help of your husband, you decided to go after me and hunt me down?" He growled.

She bravely stood her ground, chin tilted defiantly, eyes flashing as he closed in on her.

"I don't need the help of one dog to search for another, " she said coldly. "You were easy enough to hunt down on my own," she taunted, wanting to hurt him.

Justin's eyes darkened furiously as he stepped forward and grabbed her.

His big hand came around her arm squeezing the soft flesh just enough so that she could feel his strength as he pulled her closer.

"I was no dog when you laid in my bed, " he murmured angrily.

Her hand raised but not fast enough, and his hand flew up to capture it, tightening around her wrists.

"I should have left you tied to that mast, " she angrily cried out as she tried to pull away from him.

"Aye, but you didn't. Was all of this worth it. Did you find our son?"

Hot tears of rage rolled down her cheeks, clogging her throat that she couldn't speak or give a retort.

A second passed before she finally spoke.

"I wouldn't have had to go looking for my son if you had not turned me back over to Haines, " she managed bitterly between a breathless sob.

"I did not have a choice, " he muttered gruffly looking away from her heated gaze.

"You had a choice, " she argued.

"I did not," he yelled.

" You did, but you chose your damnable revenge over me and your child. And now you want to blame my mother, " she shoved his chest furiously.

"She is not your mother," He shouted then cursed underbreath as she gasped.

She froze to the spot in shock. "Why..would you say that? Of course she is, " Tempest looked up at him with confusion.

He paused tightening his eyes shut, regret filled his heart for telling her the truth like this. He shook his head. "No, she is not. She is your mother's twin sister."

His words were shocking.

Tempest shook her head, and her tears tumbled down her cheeks. "No, that is not true," she cried quietly.

The grim look on his face saddened as he noticed her turning pale. She searched his eyes for the truth. She trembled in his hold and pulled away from him. On shaky legs, she made her way slowly towards the bunk before sinking to her knees.

"My mother did not have a twin, " she whispered.

"She did." He moved closer and stood behind her. "She took your mother's place."

Tempest looked up at him in disbelief.

"How can that be possible. How do you know this?" She sniffled.

His throat became tight with emotion. He couldn't seem to go on. But he had to because the weight of this secret had been dragging him down for months, and it was finally too much to bear. He needed to tell her everything. The truth... He needed to get it out of his system.

He took a deep breath. "Because the same woman that was your mother or who took her place, " he paused. "She was my stepmother."

"Lady Charlotte Winstead."