Changed [Watty Awards 2013]

19. Trust

16. Trust

DELILAH

The house turned into a sudden uproar between Nick, Jared and Eric. All three of them were yelling at Matt.

"What are you even doing here?" Nick screamed.

"You're nothing but a filthy Mutt!" Jared seethed.

"You're a spy for Noah, aren't you?" Eric growled.

All the commotion made my head spin and my ears ring. I wasn't accustomed to this amount of loud noise. I winced after every scream and looked over at Matt. His head was down and his hand was clenched against mine.

I ripped it out of his hand and stood up, slamming my hands down onto the table. "SHUT UP!"

The shouting finally stopped and my ears were still left ringing. My chest heaved and my nostrils flared as I tried to calm down. "Look, just because Noah is Matt's uncle does not necessarily mean that Matt's working for Noah. Besides," I sighed, "if he was, I would've saw him when I was there. I met all the rogues affiliated with Noah and Matt was not in that house."

"Delilah," Nick murmured, "I know Matt's your mate, but how do we know he can be trusted? His uncle is the most wanted rogue on numerous Packs lists. He has to be involved somehow."

Matt looked up at Nick, his eyes clouded. "Let's look at it from my point of view, shall we? I would tell Delilah if I was still talking to Noah, but I'm not. In fact, I am disgusted with his actions to be completely honest with you."

Eric's upper lip curled. "When'd you stop talking to him?"

"When I was sixteen."

"So it hasn't been that long then, huh?"

What were they trying to get at? Matt said that he hasn't talked to his uncle since he was sixteen and I believed him. It's been six years since Matt's talked to him and why would he bother lying?

"Six years."

"What stopped?" I asked.

He looked at me and licked his dry lips nervously. "You disappeared. I told him about it and he told me that it wouldn't have worked out with you anyways and to just give up. He said some rude and ignorant things about you, too. So I stopped talking to him. He wasn't going to make derogatory comments about my best friend."

Nick's face was red with anger. If he were a cartoon, steam would be coming out of his nose and ears. "Take him home, Delilah. Now."

* * *

Matt and I walked over to Peyton's house in silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, it was normal. Nothing had to be said.

I opened the door to the house and grabbed Matt's hand, leading him upstairs into our temporary bedroom. I laid down on the bed and he laid beside me on his side, looking at me with curious eyes. Curious to see what was going on inside my thick skull.

I turned on my side and ran a hand through Matt's hair. I sighed. How could we be in this mess? Why would he be accused of being a spy for Noah? I know Matt better than that and he would never do such a thing. I did, however, have an idea as to what Eric was getting at. And now was my chance to ask.

"Did you ask Noah to find me?"

Matt shook his head. "I just told him that you went missing. Besides, he never met you when we were younger so how would he know what you look like?"

Fair point.

"I'm just trying to see it from the Pack's point of view."

"It seems like everyone is trying to see if from the Pack's point of view."

I sighed again. "Could you really blame them, Matt? I mean, it just seems fishy why you just happened to show up now. Especially when Noah's trying to steal the Pack away from us and have an heir. He wants Emily-the ex-Alpha's mate-to have his heir and you just randomly want to join the Pack?" I looked at him and sucked in a deep breath. "I'm trying to see it from your vision, and I just can't picture you like that."

"That's because I'm not like that and the Pack doesn't understand." Matt chuckled. "No offence, but Nick's really scary."

I laughed and moved closer to him and flipped on my back, signalling that I wanted my back either scratched or massaged. He started to scratch it gently.

We always used to do this when we were younger. Matt, Peyton and I would all lay on a bed at whoever's house we were at and talk, watch TV, or even play games until Peyton fell asleep. Then Matt would start to massage or scratch my back until I'd fall asleep. This time though, I didn't want to fall asleep. By tomorrow, Emily and I would put our lives in danger to manipulate Noah.

Matt leaned up on his left elbow and continued the soft scratching with his right hand. I turned my head to the left to look at him. How was I lucky to have him as my mate?

Once upon a time, I said that about Nick. I was so sure of myself that I was his mate until Matt came along. I felt pulled to Matt and at the time, I was sure it was just because Nick hit me. But I realize now that it wouldn't have mattered if Nick hit me or not, I still would've met Matt and my whole future with Nick would crumble. Nick was a genuine guy, but perhaps that's why I thought he was my mate.

This world was still new to me. I didn't know half the things I should know. But the pull I felt with Nick wasn't like the one I experienced with Noah or Nick-this one felt like it meant forever.

And perhaps Nick thought I was his mate because he's never been around another female werewolf except his mother. I don't even know if he has ever had a girlfriend before. He most likely did-he knew what he was doing-but what made me so different?

All of this made my brain fuzzy.

"What are you thinking about, babe?" Matt leaned down and kissed my cheek. He switched to rubbing my back, lifting up my shirt to increase friction.

"How Nick and I could've thought we were mates." I reach my hand out and trace my finger around his jawline. Then my finger traced his upper lip. "Did you know we were mates when we were younger?"

Matt nodded. "I've known it since I hit puberty."

I let my hand drop.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What was I supposed to say? 'Hey, Delilah. I am a werewolf. Oh! By the way, you're my mate and we have to be together forever?'"

I laughed. "Yeah, that would've been alarming."

"I think you would've called the looney bin and have them put me in there." He smiled and then put on a straight face. "When I first walked into Peyton's house after that phone call, your scent hit me and I couldn't believe it. I could smell Nick all over you and all I could think was 'my God. She's gone,' that's why I was so nervous when I talked to you. I didn't want to bring it up in case it struck a sore spot and I didn't not want to know."

"That's why you blamed Nick."

"Exactly." His eyes fell. "Now that I know that Noah bit you and made your life a living hell-"

"Living hell isn't exactly how I'd put. Try scooping your eyeballs out with a spoon while being burned alive. That sums it up."

He laughed once. "Seriously, Delilah. I feel bad that Noah was the one to do it. I told him you went missing. If I hadn't, you'd still be human."

I squeezed my eyes shut. "It's fine, Matt. Well, it's not fine, but I wouldn't have found you again otherwise. I'd still be on the streets. No way was I going to stay in that household with Doug. No way. Besides, I would not have found out the truth about my past if Noah hadn't found me. My life would be hell if it didn't turn out this way."

"But you'd still be human and-"

"I'd much rather be a werewolf than a human if it meant that I would've lived on the streets."

Matt's hand fell off my back as he collapsed back onto the mattress, his left arm underneath the pillow. "I feel like all this is my fault."

I pulled my shirt back down and sat up. "Do you know what Doug told me?"

"Speaking of Doug, I'm glad you scared the old man. He deserved it after everything he's put you through."

"Just...listen to me for a second. He told me that when I was a baby, my mother and I were locked in a room to insure our safety. The Pack Alpha died-I think anyways-and they had the necessary fight to see how the next Alpha would be. My father competed against Doug. Doug won and my dad-my real dad-died. After he was crowned Alpha, he went in the locked room and raped my mother and then killed her. Leaving me.

"I was sent to foster care and that's where Lucy and Brandon adopted me. After the car accident though...Doug somehow managed to get me into his care. He told me about how my hearing would increase and sight would get better-"

"But you aren't hereditary."

"That's what really confused me."

"Maybe Noah wanted you because you are hereditary."

"But that's not possible."

Matt reached over for my cellphone. "I have an idea."

* * *

We all sat in Cliffhold's living room. Again. Marcus left sometime after we had left. Something about Elijah having a girl over. Nick sat in the recliner-like always. Eric and Emily sat in the loveseat. Kyle, Jared, and I sat on the couch. Matt stood in front of everyone with his arms crossed.

"I know you all still think I'm partnered with Noah, but I can swear to you on my life that I am not a part of his Rogue Pack. I wouldn't be here trying to help you if I was, would I?"

Everyone was silent.

"I think I know why Noah wants Delilah."

"This isn't helping your case, Matthew." Eric growled.

"Just hear me out." No one spoke. "Doug said to Delilah that he killed her real parents. Her father was a powerful Beta. So why would Doug kill her father and mother but not Delilah?"

"Maybe he just found it morally wrong to kill a newborn." Jared said.

"Perhaps. But the only real way to find out is if I go there myself and find out the answer."

"Really not helping you." Eric snarled. "How do we know that you're not going to blab your mouth over to Noah and tell him our plans?"

"Because you trust me."

"But we don't." Nick grumbled.

"You damn well should. I'm trying to help you guys and you guys are rejecting me."

"So, you're just reliving your high school life?" Nick said.

I glared at him.

"Actually," Matt said patiently, "I was the one to reject them."

"Guys," I whined. "We're getting off topic. If it'll make you feel better, I'll go with him."

"Absolutely not." Nick and Matt said in sync.

"Why not?"

"Because it's stupid." Nick growled.

"You might think so," Eric said softly, "but I think it's a great idea."

Everyone looked over at him in shock. Out of all people, Eric was not at the top of my list to agree with me. Especially to go to see Noah. He wasn't happy about Emily and I-more so Emily-being bait for Noah. So for him say that he agrees is a huge shock.

"I mean, it shows that he's willing to prove himself so we can trust him. And having Delilah with him will look less suspicious if she plays along well."

"Trust me, I can act." I laughed.

"And I can look after Delilah." Matt said, looking over at Nick. "She's my mate."

Nick sighed and then nodded. "Fine."

"And while I'm there, I'll tell Noah I lost the baby."



"Fine." Nick stood up and left the living room, slamming his bedroom door shut behind him.





A/N: Ahhh!!! I actually love this chapter. Do you want the next chapter in Matt's POV? I was thinking it would be nice. But it'd be in TPO (third person omniscient)


You know the drill! Comment/vote/fan? :D WOOT!