My mother sobbed as soon as I called her my mother, and her whole body seemed to sink lower as if the weight of the world was lifted from her shoulders. She stayed in her kneeling position and didn't even care about anything else. "Oh, my baby," she said, and her voice cracked before she cleared her throat and licked her lips. "Oh, my sweet baby girl."

I stayed silent and shifted on my feet, biting the inside of my lip. I stared at her with wide eyes, and my heart pounded hard and fast in my chest, and my hands started to shake ever so slightly with each passing second.

"Oh, my love," she said, and her voice barely above a whisper. She hesitated before she stood and took a hesitant step toward me. Her mouth was covered with her hands, and she looked at me up and down, making me feel a little nervous. "Oh, look at you. You have grown to be a very beautiful young lady."

I didn't say a word, and my cheeks turned red. I licked my lips and cleared my throat before I shifted on my feet, and I couldn't help but look at my feet because I didn't know what to say or do.

My mother cleared her throat and shifted on her feet. She looked around before she looked at me, moving her hands from her mouth. "Can I give you a hug?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Or do you think it is too soon?" She cocked her head while she stared at me with a small smile on her face, and pain and guilt flashed through her eyes while she stared at me. Her eyes turned a darker gray while she looked at me than what I was normally used to growing up.

I hesitated before I slowly nodded, not saying a word. My heart skipped a beat before it started to pound hard and fast in my chest, and my hands started to shake. I took a deep shuddering breath and released it with a small whoosh before I took a step toward her before I paused, biting the inside of my lip.

Oh Goddess protect me...

My mother stopped in front of me, and she took a deep, shuddering breath before she released it with a small whoosh. Her whole body was tense, and she hesitated before she reached out to touch me but stopped half way, scared of me running away from her if she did so.

Her heart pounded hard and fast in her chest while she stared at me, and she bit the inside of her lip. Pain and sadness filled her eyes while she studied me, and I had a feeling that she wanted to touch my cheek, but she still didn't do it in fear that I would run away and disappear.

I hesitated before I took another step toward her and touched her hand with mine, and my mom took a deep, shuddering breath and released it with a small and painful whoosh. I took another step toward her, and I grabbed her hand tighter, biting the inside of my lip.

My mother pulled me into a hug, and I grew still with my heart stopping before it started to pound hard and fast in my chest. Her whole body shook with another round of sobs while she hugged me, and I hesitated before I hugged her back and squeezed her tight.

"Mom," I said, my voice barely above a whisper with a small quiver in it. I closed my eyes and buried my face into her neck, hiding a small sob because I didn't want to cry while she cried and hugged me tighter.

"Oh, my poor baby," she said with a small sob in her voice. She cleared her throat and licked her lips while she patted my back, reassuringly. "My poor, poor baby, please forgive me." Her voice cracked before she cleared her throat and licked her lips while she rubbed my back before she grabbed me tighter. "Please. I'm so, so sorry."

"I know," I said, my voice barely above a whisper before I cleared my throat and licked my lips. I closed my eyes tighter and gulped, taking a deep breath before I released it with a small whoosh, and my heart ached. "I know, and I am sorry too."

My mother chuckled and shook her head. She moved a hand through my hair and gave me the comfort that I didn't know that I needed or craved from someone like her, especially since she was my mother. "Oh, my Baby Girl, there is nothing for you to be sorry about, Love. You did everything that you could do and everything that you needed to do and live."

"But I left, Mom," I said, my voice barely above a whisper with a shake of my head. I took a deep breath and released it with a small whoosh before I shook my head and cleared my throat, licking my lips. "I-I-"

"Hush," she softly scolded and narrowed her eyes, shaking her head while she pulled away from me and kept her hands on my arm. "You left because you and Skylar were being abused by the old Alpha, and we didn't do anything to stop it. You both found a way out and took it, and you both survived on your own at such a young age."

"We... had help," I said and licked my lips, hesitating because I had no idea how much Sky had told them about what had happened to us after we had left the pack. "We had a lot of help, which is why we were able to survive and do what we needed to do."

My mother slowly nodded and bit back a small chuckle. "But you and your best friend survived even with help. You didn't have a pack, but you had people that cared about you." She hesitated and looked at the owl that was still in the tree beside us before she looked at me. "I take it that some are close, yes?" She raised an eyebrow in question, and I hesitated before I slowly nodded.

"Yes, Ma'am," I said, my voice barely above a whisper before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. "Two of them are close."

She slowly nodded and furrowed her brows, pressing her lips into a thin line. "May I ask who?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question while she studied me, silently wondering if I would answer her question.

My mother knew one of them; I could tell, but she didn't want to say who was near us and why they were near, watching my back when she wasn't going to do anything to hurt me even if I wasn't still sure about it at all.

"Miza and Jerecho," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, and my mother slowly nodded and pressed her lips into a thin line. "They are nearby if I need help."

Again, she slowly nodded, and a look of pain and guilt flashed through her eyes while she looked at me. "And Jerecho's namesake, or whatever you call it, is an owl, correct?" She raised that eyebrow higher before she lowered it.

I nodded in confirmation, mildly impressed that she remembered. "And Miza's namesakes are lions." My voice was still barely above a whisper when I talked to her; and I couldn't help but look around before I looked at her when the thought of my father crossed my mind.

Oh, no...

Instantly, my cheeks turned red, and I couldn't help but look down at my feet, not able to meet my mother's gaze any longer. "Ummmm..." I trailed off and cleared my throat, shifting on my feet while my cheeks turned red.

"Ummm what?" my mother asked and raised an eyebrow in question. She cocked her head to the side while she studied me, and a look of amusement and worry flashed through her eyes. "What is wrong, Dear? What is it? What are you thinking about?"

"Is Dad here?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper before I looked at her, studying her face to see her reaction about talking about my father. Instantly my cheeks turned another shade of red when I called him my father, and I couldn't help but look down again. "Or does he want to be called Dad by me, o-"

"Hush," she said with a small laugh in her voice, interrupting me. She shook her head before she cleared her throat and licked her lips, hiding back another chuckle. "Joel will be pleased that you still want to call him "Dad" just like I am happy that you call me "Mom."" She hesitated before she placed her hand on my cheek, and I closed my eyes and placed my hand on hers, burying my face into her hand and taking in her comforting scent.

I hesitated before I slowly nodded and opened my eyes, not saying a word.

My mother chuckled softly and tapped my cheek with her thumb while she grew serious. "Now, your father is here and is alive. Did you want to go see him? Is that why you are asking about him?" She raised an eyebrow in question before she cocked her head while she studied me further, and her eyes grew soft.

I hesitated before I slowly nodded, and my cheeks instantly turned redder. "Please," I said, my voice barely above a whisper before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. "If he wants to see me."

My mother smiled and slowly nodded, and she took her hand off of my cheek, leaving me feeling cold for some reason. "He will always want to see you, no matter what happens between the two of you. Ok?" She hesitated and held her out for me to take, and I looked at her hand before I looked at her. "Do you want me to take you to him?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question, silently praying that I would say yes.

I hesitated and slowly nodded, silently praying that I wasn't making a huge mistake in going to see my father after such a long time apart from each other. "Please," I said, my voice barely above a whisper while I placed my hands in hers. "I want to go see him."

My mother nodded and squeezed my hand reassuringly before she started to lead me to my father. "He'll be just as proud as me if not more about the young lady that you have become and are becoming, Katie," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, dipping her head ever so slightly. "You have my word."

And with that, we walked toward my father in silence, and I couldn't help but pray that my mother's words rang true and that he would be proud of me for the woman that I was becoming and have become when we weren't together.

Oh, Goddess, please...