A Necessary Return

**Angel**

The journey back to my former pack brought a wave of emotions I wasn’t prepared to face. Every tree, every rock, reminded me of a time when things were simpler, before all the pain and difficult decisions that had taken me away from Lowrence. Now, all I wanted was to hold my son again and feel the peace that only he could give me.

When I finally reached the village, the guards greeted me with respect, but the look of surprise was evident. I hadn’t been back here for a long time, and seeing familiar faces made me realize how much I missed all of this. I walked quickly through the courtyard, eager to find Lowrence among the children playing in the center. He was there, older than I remembered, playing alone with a wooden toy car I had made for him.

“Lowrence!” I called, my voice thick with emotion.

He looked up, and for a second, he stood still, as if he couldn’t believe it was really me. Then, he ran toward me, throwing himself into my arms with all the strength of his small body. Tears burned my eyes as I held him tight. This was my boy, and the crushing guilt of not being there for him weighed heavily on me.

“Mommy!” he exclaimed, the joy in his voice warming me inside. “You came back!”

I hugged him even tighter, breathing in his scent, hearing his laughter. “I’m back, my love. I missed you so much.”

He pulled away just enough to look into my eyes, his smile radiant, but there was a hint of worry in his gaze. “Are you staying, Mommy? Will you take me back to the mansion?”

The question hit me hard. I wanted to take him with me, to have him by my side every day, but I knew it wasn’t safe yet. The mansion was an emotional battlefield, and with Kael and his wolves present, danger still lingered in the air. “Soon, Lowrence. You’ll come back with me soon.”

He nodded, trying to hide his disappointment. I knew he wanted more than just words. He wanted concrete promises, a sense of security that I couldn’t give him just yet. “I want to go soon, Mommy. I miss you.”

I knelt down to his level and held his face in my hands. “I miss you too, my love. But I need to make sure everything is safe before I bring you back. I promise we’ll be together again soon.”

He nodded slowly, but the light in his eyes didn’t completely fade. I knew this promise wouldn’t be enough, but it was all I could give right now. As he returned to play, I felt another presence approaching. When I looked to the side, I saw my mother, her expression calm yet worried, watching me.

“Angel,” she said softly, coming closer. “You’ve come back.”

I stood up, trying to pull myself together despite the emotions still overflowing inside me. “Yes, Mom. I needed to see Lowrence. I needed to make sure he’s okay.”

She nodded, but her eyes spoke more than her words. There was a mix of relief and concern, as if she had been waiting for this moment, but knew it would be loaded with tensions. “He misses you a lot. We all do.”

The weight of her words forced me to face the reality I had been avoiding. I wasn’t just distant from Lowrence but also from my family, my roots. “I know,” I admitted, my voice faltering a bit. “I want to be here more, but... everything is so complicated.”

My mother pulled me into a hug, a gesture that made my heart tighten. Even without words, she understood my internal struggle. “You’re doing what you need to do, Angel. Protecting your family and your pack. But you also need to remember that it’s okay to be vulnerable, to let yourself rest.”

I pulled back slightly, looking into her eyes. “Sometimes, I feel like I’m failing everyone. Lowrence, Dimitri, the pack. It’s like the more I try, the more everything falls apart.”

She held my shoulders, her expression firm but full of warmth. “Angel, you are a leader, a mother, and a warrior. But you are also human, and there’s no shame in feeling overwhelmed.”

I nodded, but before I could respond, she continued, her voice growing a little more serious. “I know about Haizel.”

Her words caught me by surprise, and I suddenly felt tense. “What do you know?”

My mother looked at me with a mix of sadness and understanding. “I know she was expelled. And I know what she did shook everything around her. But I also know you’re carrying a weight that isn’t entirely yours. Haizel made her own decisions, and the guilt you feel over all this... it’s not fair.”

The truth in her words hit me hard. I knew Haizel had made terrible choices, but part of me still felt responsible, as if I had somehow failed to protect everyone. “I don’t know how to move past this, Mom. She was one of us.”

My mother nodded slowly. “Haizel made her mistakes, and now she’s facing the consequences. But you, Angel, need to move forward. You can’t fix what she broke, but you can rebuild what’s yours. You can protect your son, your pack, and your heart.”

I took a deep breath, absorbing her words. They were a reminder that despite everything, I still had choices to make, paths to follow. “I’ll try, Mom. For Lowrence, for Dimitri, for all of us.”

She smiled, a gentle smile that carried all the wisdom and love only a mother could offer. “That’s all you can do, Angel. Try, fight, and let yourself feel. We’re here to support you, always.”

As I watched Lowrence playing with the other children, I felt a new wave of hope. My mother was right—I still had so much to fight for, and I couldn’t let fear and guilt consume me. Dimitri, Lowrence, and everyone I loved needed me. But I also needed to learn to let myself be loved, even in my weaknesses.