53. Pit Of Hell
AURELIA
My heart skipped and a part of me sort of died when I saw my daughter's terrified face. Beads of tears escaped her eyes as she blinked rapidly. I could hear the murmurs from the small crowd behind Katie and I completely avoided Hazel's gaze for obvious reasons. "Dad?" I asked with disbelief loud in my voice. How could she call him dad?
Why would she call him-
"I know he's my dad, mom." Katie cried, sniffling as she added, "Kyle told me everything, Mom."
Her heart plummeted to the bottom of my soul. Two of my fears were manifesting before my eyes. One is Katie's reaction when she finds out the truth and the second is Black Fur members finding out the truth about my past.
However, my focus remained on my wailing child. "Baby-"
Katie muttered an objection, "Can you stop hurting him? He didn't take Kyle."
Although I had many other questions, I settled for one to avoid overwhelming Katie. "Where is your brother?"
Katie wiped her wet face as she began to explain, revealing some shocking facts. "While you were in the bathroom, Kyle told me about the argument at the hospital. He has also told me that he knows you make him wear the mask because he looks like Raiden just like how I look like you. Kyle said I resemble you because you're our mom and he resembles Raiden because he is our dad-"
"Where is your brother, Katie!" I snapped at her as I failed to contain my emotions.
Inara's rage was still dominant in my mind and hearing Katie's explanation wasn't helping.
"Be gentle with her, Lia. Please." Alpha Tristan interfered, pulling Katie close to him and rubbing her back as she cried.
I inhaled deeply, grateful for Tristan's calmness and understanding. I still owed him an explanation even though he didn't seem like he needed one anymore. I crouched in front of Katie, holding her hands, and asked as gently as my racing heart allowed, "If Raiden didn't keep your brother, where is he? Tell me everything Katie."
I was tempted to make use of her middle name but doing that would only spook her.
Katie sniffed back tears, her lips parting as she started explaining, "Please don't be mad at Kyle, Mom. I made him do it." My daughter's shaky voice loosened the messy weave of fury within me and as she continued speaking, I only listened. "He was about to get into the car after he told Aunt Hazel that he would be riding with us but I brought up an idea because we didn't want to leave, Mom."
"You don't want to go back home to your friends? No one has ever bullied you at home, Katie but you'd rather stay here?" I queried a bit harshly.
Katie sucked in a breath. Perhaps I shouldn't have used the word bullied because Katie broke into tears again and I could sense that last night's incident still horrified her.
"We just wanted to stay with our mom and dad. We don't want to be separated." Katie sobbed.
My soul cried with her. I pitied my kids not just because I knew what it's like to grow up without a complete family but also because they assumed Raiden was a good person just because he was their biological father but that was far from right and I detested seeing Katie in pain because of the messy relationship between Raiden and me.
I should never have returned to this pack... I should have stayed tucked away in Tristan's pack, keeping my kids from Raiden and his hellhole of a pack.
I sighed, "You still haven't told me where and how to find your brother."
"Can we please stay and get to know Dad if I tell you-"
"You're in no position to bargain with me, Katie." I cut her off. "Where is Kyle?"
With obvious displeasure, Katie announced, "We agreed that he would hide in Dad's office. I didn't know there would be pain—"
Will she stop calling him dad like he
has been a part of her life? Heck, Raiden doesn't deserve that title! didn't even bother to ask how the two little brats of mine knew where Raiden's office was and how to access it.
I faced Raiden whose face was bruised from my attacks but I didn't feel sorry for him nor was I planning to apologize to him. This was what he deserved.
"Your office, Raiden," I uttered.
Raiden looked past me, staring at Katie when he asked, "Home office or the one in the middle of the pack? I've been standing here since you left but I didn't get a whiff of his scent."
I also couldn't perceive Kyle's presence in the vicinity-
Inara interrupted my thoughts, saying, "He can't perceive the twins' natural scent because I masked them from his sense of smell the day we arrived in his pack."
"And you didn't tell me?" I scoffed at my wolf.
"You didn't ask why Raiden had not perceived them as his, Relia." My wolf defended herself.
I chimed to her, "Thank you."
Inara did her best to protect the kids' identity but I messed it up. I
abandoned that line of thought as it drew on me that if I couldn't
perceive Kyle here, he must be
hiding in Raiden's pack officeel
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was about to ask Tristan to take us there when Katie dropped another bomb.
"He was supposed to be hiding in Dad's home office. In this mansion." Katie said.
That's strange but I didn't question her. Raiden dashed into his home, leaving the door open but I couldn't bring myself to step into the same building where my life crashed Six years ago. Memories of how was treated like a prisoner flashed
through my mind, momentarily
affecting my senses.
I shook that feeling off, saying to myself, "This is for Kyle. You never have to do this again as soon as you get Kyle="
"Are you alright, Lia?" Tristan asked, his hand settling on my shoulder when he arrived at the entrance of the mansion, standing beside me.
"I just hate it here," I answered before I could filter my words.
Tristan murmured, "I'm here with you. Whereas, we just need to get Kyle and we would be home in no time."
How did I get so lucky with this one? I asked myself as Tristan guided my steps, helping me break free from my dark memories. Together we ran after Raiden and we arrived in his office in no time. However, Kyle wasn't there even though his scent was still fresh in the space. All we found was Kyle's mask and a letter.
Sadly, the letter wasn't written by Kyle and its content made it known that my son had been kidnapped... for real this time.
My legs gave out under my weight as my eyes scanned the note. Tristan tried to help me up but no one... absolutely no one could rescue me from this pit of hell.