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Chapter Fifty-Three: Betrayal
“And you knew he was a shifter and you didn’t tell me. So when he cheated on me and I caught him, it hurt.” The tops of Tillie’s
cheeks grew red and I could feel the hurt spilling out of her. “It hurt and if you had told me, I would have known. I wouldn’t be hurt
because I would have known about shifters, so it wouldn’t have felt like I was the problem.”
“Kiddo, you were never the problem. I’m sorry.” Scott said and it was like he deflated. His shoulders slumped and he drew in a
deep breath; Jewel placed the tea glasses in front of us before moving to stand over by her mate.
“Baby, we talked about this,” Jewel said, restring a hand on his shoulder. “We didn’t.”
“It was my choice, keeping it from you.” He said, resting his hand over Jewel’s much smaller one. Looking up at Tillie, I would
see the hurt in his eyes. I could see how much he cared for Tillie. “Your ma wanted to tell you. I was worried,” Scott started to say
before shaking his head. “I was worried you wouldn’t want me as your dad if you knew what I was. I’m not human; I never have
been. When I met you, you were just a teenager. I didn’t want to flip your world upside down and make you hate me.”
“Scott. I couldn’t hate you. You’re my dad. Even if it’s not by blood, you are still my dad.”
“You might have.” He said, gripping Jewel’s hand tighter. “I knew that I couldn’t stay away from your mom. Just like I knew you
were my daughter the moment I met you. You’re a part of her and there was no way that I couldn’t love a part of her.”
when I found out what she was, I thought nothing would ever hurt that bad as her lying to me.” She took a shuddering breath and
I leaned over. Wrapping my arm around her shoulders like I could shield her from the hurt she was feeling. I wished that I could
take it all away from her and feel it myself so she wouldn’t have to. But this... What you guys did, it’s so much worse. I feel so
betrayed.”
“Tillie, 1
“No.” she said shaking her head as she shook my hand off her shoulder and pulled her hand from Jason’s. The chair scraped
loudly over the hardwood floor and she stood up, moving towards the door that led to the kitchen. “I need a minute alone. I’m
going outside.”
Scott started to stand up and his mate pressed down on his shoulder, shaking her head. Tillie left the room and it took everything
in me not to follow after her. “No, honey. Give her time.”
I heard the front door open and slam shut as she made her way outside. Scott and Jewel looked like they had both been hurt,
but I couldn’t really blame Tillie. My mate was human and she was learning that so many people that were close to her were
more than they seemed. My heart hurt for her. I looked over at Jason and Travis, knowing that they felt the same way I did.
Travis’ eyes flicked towards the door and I knew that he wanted to follow her just as badly as I did. To wrap his body around her
and protect her as best as we could.
“Is she safe out there?” Jason asked, his hands flat on the table and his body tense like he might spring up after her.
“Us,” Jewel said, moving her hand from his shoulder to wrap it around him. She’s mad at us, but Tillie knows it’s dangerous in the
woods. She wouldn’t go out there off the paths.”
Travis stood up, walking over to the door. Shaking his head as he dragged his fingers through his hair, slicking it back into place
as best as he could without brushing it. Jason tensed up beside me, but I knew where Travis was going.
“You’ve got to be kidding me if you think Matilda isn’t going to go into those woods and find that wolf? You guys know how
stubborn she is.” He huffed as he all but-stormed out of the room.
“Travis.” Jason said and I shook my head, moving to follow my mates.
“I’ve got them,” I said, moving past Jason to catch up with Ryan. “You talk to her parents. Maybe her dad is right and he can call
Branson, and I don’t know, arrange some kind of agreement?” I knew it was unlikely even as I said it, but I still had hope.
Jason nodded, and I left the room as Travis slipped out the front door. The latch didn’t even make a sound as it clicked shut, and
I was reminded again that his wolf was on edge. He wanted to hunt Tillie down, but at this moment, I think he would have settled
for just about any hunt to get it out of his system.
A quick run around the forest was what he needed. Hell, it would help him map out the land for tonight. It wasn’t late in the day,
and I knew that Jason needed to call Branson so that we could go into those woods. We wouldn’t be going into the hunt blind
and we wouldn’t be letting Tillie go far. If she wanted Gideon to claim her, we would work together to make sure that happened.
So much had been forced onto my mate lately and I wanted her to be sure about this, even if I wasn’t.
Chapter Fifty-Three: Betrayal
I stepped outside, scanning the yard for both Travis and Tillie. Not seeing either of them, I let out a frustrated growl before letting
the bond I shared with the two of them guide me into the woods.
Maybe the hunt was starting sooner than I thought?
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