My mother knelt behind me and hugged me from that angle, and I shifted until I was able to hug them both while I closed my eyes and tears started to stream down my face.

"I've missed you guys," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I am sorry that I had never contacted you after I had left. I-"

"Hush, Katie," my father said and chuckled while he shook his head, interrupting me. He cleared his throat and licked his lips. "Don't apologize for that. It is ok. We understand and are happy that you are alive and well."

I nodded and bit the inside of my lip before I gulped, trying but failing to keep myself crying some more. I took a deep breath and released it with a small whoosh before I cleared my throat again.

My father placed a kiss on my forehead and tapped my arm. "Now, come, let me take a better look at you and see what a beautiful woman you have become, Love."

My cheeks turned red when he said that, and I glanced away from him, not sure if what he said was true or not.

"You have, though," Mom said and squeezed my side before she placed another kiss to the side of my head, and I closed my eyes while I bit my lip hard enough for it to hurt. "You and Sky have both turned out to be beautiful and strong females."

But it hadn't been enough to make my mate want me in the beginning...

I set my jaw and pressed my lips into a thin line while I glanced away from them, and my cheeks turned. I didn't say a word when my heart broke and became clenched with pain and sadness.

My father pulled further away from me and studied me. There was a hard look in his eyes, and I couldn't help but look down, not able to meet his gaze. "What is it, Katie?" he asked, and I could hear the protectiveness in his voice. "What is that look for?"

"Ummmm..." I licked my lips and shook my head, and my cheeks turned another shade of red. "Don't worry about it," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted on the ground. "It's nothing. It's in the past."

I pulled away from my parents and wiped my eyes, and they released me. I licked my lips before I cleared my throat again while I blinked back the tears.

"But it is affecting you now, Katie," he said and tucked his head closer to his chest while he looked at me with a stern look on his face, and I looked down. "It might have happened in the past, but you are still feeling the effects of it."

I hesitated and shrugged, pressing my lips into a thin line. I didn't say a word about it, especially since I didn't feel comfortable talking about it in the open.

"Can you tell us later, Dear?" Mom asked as if she knew what I was thinking. She squeezed my arm reassuringly and offered me a tight smile. "We want to help and want to learn about everything that has happened to you over these past thirteen, fourteen years ago." She shot her mate a look when he opened his mouth to object and said something through their mate bond.

My father grumbled and held back an eye roll while he pursed his lips in annoyance. "Fine," he said, "we can talk about it later if that is ok with you. We can talk at Sky's house at a later date so that no one here can hear us talking about it."

I hesitated before I slowly nodded, biting back a small sigh of relief. "That would be wonderful, thank you," I said and shifted on the ground before I cleared my throat. "I will be staying for a while."

Even though I am not happy about it, I thought, pressing my lips into a thin line.

My mother and father looked at each other before they looked at me as if they knew what I was thinking.

"How long are you staying, Dear?" Mom asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She cocked her head to the side while she furrowed her brows and bit back a small frown. "Are you going to stay with your old pack now that you are here, or are you going to go back with your new pack?"

I hesitated before I shrugged, and a small grimace appeared on my face while the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention. "I don't know," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted on the ground. "I became the Beta Female of the pack that I am residing at now, and I have been working with them for two years." I hesitated before I shook my head. "So, ya, I don't know if I will be staying or not."

My mother and father looked at each other before they looked at me with something in their eyes that I did not understand or liked. They had mentally talked to each other; I could tell, and I knew that they were waiting for me to expand on what I had said.

I hesitated before I shifted on the ground, and my cheeks turned red while I looked away from them with my heart breaking and becoming filled with pain and guilt. "I know that this wasn't the answer that you were hoping for, and I am sorry, b-"

"Don't," Mom said and shook her head, interrupting me. "Don't apologize because we understand, even though we are not happy with it." She cleared her throat and pulled me closer to her, and I hesitated before I closed my eyes while I leaned my head on her shoulder, with my father placing his hand on my back. "I don't want you to feel bad about it if that is what you want to do. You are an adult, Katie."

"She's right," my father said and nodded. "However, we were just going to miss you if you decided to leave," he added, and I opened my eyes and looked at him with wide eyes filled with tears. He bit back a small smile while he tucked his head closer to his chest. Worry and sadness filled his eyes while he looked at me. "We also wanted to make sure that you would be fine if we kept in contact with you if you did leave."

"But we would understand if you didn't want to keep in contact with us," Mom said, and I looked at her from the corner of my eye. She offered me a small smile and placed a small kiss on my head while she squeezed my arm reassuringly. "We want to make sure that you are happy and stay safe and healthy."

I hesitated before I slowly nodded and pressed my lips into a thin line, even though my heart grew warm. "I'd like to keep in contact with you both if I leave or if I stay here. I would like my parents back and would be very grateful for having you back in my life."

I promise...