Silvertip Mountain Severed souls

FitzDutiful hadn't known what to do with the paw in his direction. He was so confused by what was going on that it made no sense to him why Mason had reached out like that. That had been part of the reason he had ignored it, they didn't need that sort of contact surely? It made it seem as though they were merely acquaintances; in fact this whole conversation felt like they didn't know each other. Mason told him that it was his feelings about Zaria but that just confused him all the more and his nose wrinkled up in confusion. He wanted to just yell at his son to spit it out, instead he felt like he was dancing to a tune that he didn't know. How could things have got so confusing; where had this gulf come from?

"I don't understand." he said simply, his voice trying to betray that he was trying to understand but failing; "You get on so well, I thought you liked her and would be happy that she was part of our family and in our lives. I was so scared that you'd think I was replacing your mother, that I betrayed you by finding someone to love — is that why you hate her?" For it must be that. He must hate Zaria and had secretly been hiding it, what else made sense?