Page 65 of His Treasured Mate

“What?” his father questioned. “Oscar, that's great news.”

Maddie remained quiet watching her son closely and bracing for the impact of the words she already knew were coming.

“I'm not a wolf, dad,” he said softly.

Shock registered on Liam's face before he could school it.

Maddie's head kept bobbing up and down. I think a part of her already knew it, but I could imagine that hearing it was a whole lot different.

“Did you hear me? I'm a tiger shifter.”

“Yeah, we heard,” Liam confirmed. “Just give me a moment to process it.”

“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.”

“Hey now. You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. This is genetics or God's hand at work, or however you choose to digest it. It's nothing you did and there's no need for you to be apologizing. Tigers are cool too.”

Not as cool as wolves, but probably cooler than say a goose.

A goose? You're insane.

It was the first thing that came to mind.

“Say something, please,” he all but begged.

“A tiger?” Liam asked.

“Yeah.”

“Okay. My son's a tiger.”

“I mean we always knew it was a possibility. I've suspected as much for a while,” Maddie said.

She hugged him and Oscar started to relax some.

“When did you shift?” Liam asked. “This weekend?”

Oscar went quiet.

“It's okay. Just get it all out in the open.”

“What does that mean, Lil? And you knew about this?” Liam asked, sounding hurt.

“I cornered him for an interrogation yesterday,” she admitted. “But he's known for a while guys.”

“What's a while?” Liam demanded.

“I shifted for the first time when I was sixteen,” Oscar said so softly that I almost couldn't make out his words.

“Sixteen? Did you say sixteen?”

“Oscar, that was two years ago,” Maddie said.

“I know.”

“You've been keeping this from us all this time?” she asked.

“You've got to be shitting me. Are you serious right now? Why would you lie to us about something like this?” his father asked.

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