Chasing His Betrayed Luna by KiKi Jones

36. Out Of Trouble

AURELIA

My daughter wailed out loud, failing to hide her feelings like she would have done on any other day. Seeing Katie

like that brokeeven more. My heart tightened as | forgot how to breathe and soon enough, Kyle broke into

tears as well.

"Shush, babies. Shush." | said amidst tears. | crouched to the level, pulling Kyle and a muddy Katie into my arms.

"Enough of the tears, babies."

Kyle spoke up, his voice shaky and muffled, "Yo-you and Katie s-st-tarted it."

Katie countered, pulling away from my hug and wiping her muddy face, "Mom s-started it. | cin and s-saw

her c-crying in Auntie Hazel's a-arms."

My heart tightened even more as | watched them both argue aboutinstead of tellingwhat the hell

happened to Katie. Her lower lip was busted for crying out loud. | cried bitterly, realizing how bad of a mother

I've been these past few days. What has gotten into me!

Hazel cto my rescue when she asked, sniffing back her own share of tears, "What happened to you, Katie?

You don't look good, baby."

"Nothing happened, Auntie Hazel-" Katie began, clearly lying.

"Do not lie to me, Katie Anne," | yelled, cutting my daughter off, wiping my face clean with the he of my shirt.

"You'll tellwhat happened without holding a single detail back. Do | make myself clear?"

Katie looked into my eyes, her lips quavering while her nose flared in anger. She was angry? Sweet heavens!

"It's all because of the stupid mask, mom!" She revealed, her voice tight with anger.

My brows furrowed, "What do you mean? Did you swim through a muddy lake to get the mask?" | shifted my

gaze to Kyle's mask to figure out how it had anything to do with Katie's state but there was nothing different

about the mask. It wasn't wet, or muddy. "C'mon, mom. The mask isn't even the problem." Katie voiced,

contradicting herself as tears trickled down her muddy cheeks.

Perhaps | should have let her freshen up before having this discussion but that didn't occur toas my

daughter shifted the blfrom the mask to me.

"Katie-" | was this close to pleading with her.

But Kyle announced, "Katie got into a fight with a bigger kid because he tried to take off my mask, Mama. Please

don't be mad at her. She just didn't wantto take the mask off like you instructed."

"Oh, goddess." | cried, falling on my butt as my legs gave out.

It was a good thing that | was already crouching before this happened but that fact didn't lessen the painful

pressure on my heart when realization hit me.

| told Kyle to keep the mask on at all times and to make sure he doesn't take it off, my little girl had to fight

someone who had to be not just bigger but stronger than her. It was clear from her busted lip and the scratches

on her arm. That was why Katie blamedinstead of the mask.

After all, the mask wouldn't have been an issue if | didn't make Kyle wear it around.

"Those kids have been picking on Kyle because of the mask, Mom. They call him a freak as well as many other

names and earlier, one of them tried to snatch the mask off his face. I couldn't let them do that. | couldn't let

anyone harm my brother." Katie's face was stoic as she said those words, voicing her emotion.

She was pissed, | could tell.

| was pissed too but at myself.

My son was being bullied

underneath my nose while | let myself rot away. | didn't even

perceive what had been going on el

with them nor have | been paying attention to them. | glanced at Hazel who had gone quiet behindand she

shook her head, silently tellingthis wasn't my fault.

But it was my fault.

| shouldn't have let Raiden bringhere with his sick games.

"Beating yourself won't help any of us, Relia. What you should be doing is picking yourself up." Inara's words

were etched in my mind.

Kyle touched my shoulder at that moment, saying, "Can | stop using the mask, Mama? | don't want to be called a

freak and | don't want Katie fighting the bigger kids for me. She could get hurt."

The lovely bond my babies share made my heart flutter and | smiled even though I couldn't let Kyle walk around

without a mask. If he does that, everyone in the pack will know that Raiden has heirs withand my babies will

be taken away from me.

"Baby, you and your sister are banned from wandering off alone. | can't let you take the mask off now but make

sure you don't roam around the pack without adult supervision and by that | mean, Hazel and I. Okay?" |

explained to the duo but they didn't seem pleased. Kyle appeared to be mad about the mask but he didn't

disagree with me. He simply pouted but Katie expressed her displeasure instantly.

"But | have friends, Mom. | want to see them without you and Auntie Hazel." Katie muttered.

"You don't have any friends here, Katie. Please don't argue with me." | begged her.

However she etched, "I do have friends, mom and | want to play with them while we are still here."

"Katie Anne!" | snapped at her but soon regretted it. | inhaled deeply, calming myself before uttering another

word to her. "Three more days, Katie, and we'll leave this pack. Please obeyfor three more days."

"I'll consider that if you stop callingKatie Anne." She wrapped her small arms around her equally small body.

| smiled sadly and pulled both her and Kyle into my arms again. "Alright, Katie. As long as you stay out of

trouble."

Katie promised to stay out of trouble and Kyle agreed to keep the mask on for three more days. Hazel

volunteered to wash Katie up but | insisted on cleaning her up myself as a way of spending twith her.

But that wasn't enough to make up

for lost time. should have known Katie wouldn't be herself if she stayed out of trouble after what those bullies did

to her and Kyle. By the t| discovered what she and her brother had really been up to, it was too late to keep

them out of trouble.