Chapter 53


    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 deted. His shoulders


    slumped and he drew in a deep breath; Jewel ced the tea sses 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.”


    “I know and I’ve always known that, but damn it. Scott, you both should have told me the truth. You


    guys knew about Charity and 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 m shut as she made her way outside. Scott and Jewel looked like


    they had both been hurt, but I couldn’t really me 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 t on the table and his body tense like he might spring


    up after her.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    “Outside?” Scott asked, dragging a hand over his face. “Yeah, Tillie knows which paths are safe. Even


    if she’s pissed at me, she”


    “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 ce 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. Thetch 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 thend for tonight.


    It wasn’tte 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 im her, we would work together to make sure that happened. So much had been forced


    onto my matetely 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?