I moved a hand across my arm while I walked across a worn path with no destination in mind, biting the inside of my lip while I went "exploring." I could feel Jerecho and Miza close by but knew that they wouldn't appear unless I asked them to appear.

However, for a moment, I needed to be alone...

No one bothered me like I had suspected, but I had earned a few curious looks from some of the people that lived here, and I had a feeling that some of them were from my old old pack because they narrowed their eyes and looked at me with such intensity that it seemed like they were looking right into my soul.

Oh, Goddess, save me...

My heart skipped a beat before it started to pound faster and harder in my chest while I continued down the path, not knowing where I was going to end up but trusting that my feet were going to lead me someplace new and exciting.

"Kaitlen?" someone asked as soon as I passed them, and I paused mid step but didn't turn to look in their direction. "Er... Kaitlen Valsta? Is that you? Is it really you?" Nervousness and fear filled their voice when they said that, and I couldn't help but wonder why they sounded so scared, so afraid of a single question they asked.

Oh, Goddess...

I took a deep breath before I released it with a small whoosh. I didn't say a word or turn in their direction, silently debating with myself if I wanted to see who had called for me and why. I could tell that they were female, but I had no idea if they were friend or foe, especially since I hadn't looked at who had called for me.

Did they know who I was, even though I hadn't gone by Kaitlen Valsta in years? If so, why were they calling for me now?

"Please?" the female begged, and her voice shook ever so slightly and cracked with pain and sadness. She cleared her throat and shifted on her feet before she took a step toward me. "Is your name Kaitlen Valsta?"

I licked my lips and hesitated, praying that I wasn't making a big mistake in answering the name she called me by. "I go by Katie," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, but I didn't turn to look at them with a shake of my head. I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. "I haven't gone by Kaitlen in years."

The female hesitated before she took another step toward me, and I could hear her heartbeat picking up speed while anxiety and nervousness filled the air around us.

My heart raced to match it while I silently prayed that I wasn't making a mistake in standing here with nowhere to go or anywhere to hide.

Oh Goddess, save me...

I could feel Jerecho and Miza closer to me, even though I couldn't see them, and I knew that they would make sure that I wasn't going to get hurt by this "strange" female who had called me by a name that I hadn't heard in a while.

"But you are she, yes?" the person asked, and their voice started to shake for some reason. "Please," she said. "Can you answer that question? Was that who you were born as before you left and went to live on your own?"

I hesitated before I slowly nodded. "Yes," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I was born as Kaitlen Evangeline Valsta, even though I only go by Katie now." My whole body was shaking when I said that, and I couldn't help but wonder who was there and how they knew my first and last name.

"Oh, sweet, Goddess," the female said while her voice shook and was filled with pain and sadness, and she took a step toward me, her whole body shaking. She didn't reach out to touch me like I thought she would, and for a moment, I couldn't help but feel alone and betrayed because all I wanted to do was be in this person's arms and let her love me in a way that only she could.

But why..?

"Oh, my sweet baby girl," the female behind me said with a small sob in her voice that I could pick up on. Her voice was muffled as if she covered her mouth with her hands and sank to the ground with the weight of the world resting on her shoulders. "Mt sweet, sweet baby girl."

Oh, oh no...

A shiver went down my spine, and the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention while my heart skipped a beat. I took a deep shuddering breath while I shuddered as if cold when a thought crossed my mind.

Oh, Goddess, please no, not her. Please not her, not yet.

An owl landed on a tree near us, and I looked at it with wide eyes while my face turned pale, not knowing if I should call for him to actually appear or not to save me from this "mess" that I found myself in.

Please, don't let it be her.

The owl seemed to smile sadly and shook his head while he ruffled his feathers, silently indicating for me to not call for him yet, and my heart dropped into the pit of my stomach.

Oh...

The owl scowled and narrowed his eyes as if he knew what I was thinking before he slowly blinked, silently saying that he would come if I needed him, but I was safe and nothing dangerous was going to happen to me.

At least, for now...

"It's me, Dear. It's your m- It's Kathy, Kathy Valsta," she said, and her voice cracked with pain and grief that she didn't try to hide. She cleared her throat and shifted on her knees. "I am so happy that you are alive and well, and I am so, so sorry that I wasn't there to protect you and couldn't protect you from him."

She didn't reach out for me like I knew she wanted to, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was because she was scared of me, regretted having me as her child, or whatever other thought crossed her mind.

Was that why she didn't say that she was my mom but only introduced her to me as herself? Did she not want to be my mom anymore?

My throat closed when that thought crossed my mind, and my heart skipped a beat before it started to pound hard and fast in my chest. I didn't say a word while I looked at the owl, still wondering if he didn't want to be with us as himself and not just this.

The owl seemed to smile and bowed its head, not saying a word. It didn't look like he wanted to be called, and I couldn't help but purse my lips in annoyance and tuck my head closer to my chest.

The female, my mom, cleared her throat and shifted on her knees. "I don't know if you are comfortable with me saying that I was your mom, Katie," she said, her voice barely above a whisper while her voice cracked.

She sniffled and wiped her eyes, clearing her throat as if she was trying to get herself composed. "I want to be your mother, and I will always want to be your mother, but I do not know if you want me to be your mother because I failed to protect you when you needed me the most." She bowed her head and tried to compose herself but couldn't, and she took a deep shuddering breath before she released it with a small whoosh. "Your father and I failed to protect you and Skylar."

But they helped you be able to learn new stuff while you and Skyler left the pack...

Go ahead and give her a second chance...

I bit the inside of my lip and blinked back some more tears, wanting to give her a chance but not knowing if it would hurt me in the end.

"Katie?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper while she moved closer to me. She tucked her head closer to her chest while she stared at me, and her whole boo]dy shook from the tears and sadness that washed over her. The weight of the world appeared on her shoulder, and she sank lower in on herself with a small sniffle. "Please."

Please, say something and look at me.

I bit my lip and tucked my head closer to my chest while I closed my eyes. I took a deep, shuddering breath and released it with a small whoosh before I opened my eyes and silently praying that I wasn't going to hurt myself in the future by doing this and letting my mother be in my life again.

Oh, Goddess protect me and make sure that I am not making a huge mistake...

I took another deep breath before I released it with another small whoosh before I looked at her with a tight smile while I tucked my head closer to my chest. My heart skipped a beat and continued to pound hard and fast in my chest while I looked at her with wide eyes that were filled with tears and nervousness.

"Hi, Mom," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, dipping my head closer to my chest. "How are you?"