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CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE.

AUTHOR'S POV.

In the human world...

It was the weekend, and Michael, Rosalie's boyfriend, had woken up in the morning and had decided to take the children, Ricardo, Raymond, and Rowland, to the park for some fun.

"Who will love to crush the weekend in the park?" He questioned the children cheerfully, and he had everything planned out.

He had booked their tickets to enter, write down some fun places to visit, some new games to try, and another ticket for karaoke that would take place in the park at night.

He had the day fully packaged with fun.

"Me!"

"Me!"

"Me!" The three children answered him joyfully, jumping gracefully returning his enthusiasm.

"Then, let's get our butts down there. There's one which just opened by the downtown, we should get there quickly if I step on the acceleration." He joked.

"Yay! I can't wait!" They chorused and hopped happily.

The boys were at their happiest peak, and when Michael was leading them to where his car was parked, they were holding each other's hands and laughing at their silent jokes.

Michael opened the door of the car for them with a smile on his face, "Get in."

"Thank you, Uncle Michael." They appreciated him.

Michael nodded and helped them in, and they went all the way to the park, which was their destination.

Michael had been a good guide to the children. He had put it upon himself to help Rosalie even after when she had been gone for a lot of months to God knows where.

He had no idea of where Rosalie had gone, but he was ready to protect her children as his. He would always say to himself, 'She saw a lot of people available, but she chose me to do the job,' and that always gave him a special sense of pride and passion to keep on going.

Also, he had been doing his work best, giving them only a little reason to miss their mother.

"We're here!" He echoed to the children, and they returned the vibe, shouting, "Yay!"

They all got out of the car and got into the park. "The horse first," Raymond suggested.

"Yes, I've been dreaming of riding the horse for a minute." Rowland agreed with his brother, but Ricardo was just staring at them, looking nonchalant.

He didn't care about which one they should ride first. He was ready for any ride, for as much as his brothers were okay with it, he had no problem.

"Alright, horse it is." Michael accepted and the children were jubilant.

"Thank you, Uncle Michael." Raymond was grateful.

"We better run over there before the people get the horse all occupied." Ricardo finally spoke up, getting tired of their words without action.

He took the first step forward, and Michael nodded, "Right," He muttered before taking the lead and leading them to the toy horses for rides.

When they were riding, they all had smiles on their faces, even Ricardo, who, most of the time, loved neutrality.

After the horse ride, they went for another ride, and another, then bought ice cream to cool off before going into the ghost house in the park where Rowland and Raymond were scared to death. They cried.

"Come on, guys, it's not even real." Michael tried to calm them down while Ricardo laughed at them, mocking them for their hot zeal to enter in the first place, and now, they came out crying and clenching to Michael like the ghosts would come after them if they didn't.

"No, that one just popped out, and I was..... argh! I don't want to see it again." Raymond cried.

Michael sighed. "Fine, sorry for showing that to you, next time, I will be mindful. Now, come on, I'll show you a game that would take your mind off the ghost."

"Which game?" They chorused, getting all happy again.

Michael led them away to games, most of which he didn't play, he only kept a watchful eye on them, making sure they remained within his sight.

He was always protective, but today, seeing them so carefree, he let himself relax just a little.

Then, Rowland ran back to him in the middle of one of their games, he tugged at Michael's sleeve, his face scrunched up in discomfort.

"Uncle Michael, I need to go to the restroom, I'm pressed." He said, shifting uncomfortably on his spot.

"Alright, Rowland, let's go."

Michael nodded and took his hand before turning to the two boys who were engrossed with their game.

"Ricardo, Raymond, stay right here. I'll be back in a minute." The boys barely acknowledged him, they were too engrossed in their game.

Trusting they would listen, Michael quickly led Rowland to one of the restrooms nearby.

Inside, he helped Rowland with his business, making sure the little boy was fine. But in those few minutes, everything outside had changed, unknown to Michael.

When Michael stepped out of the restroom, his heart dropped. Ricardo and Raymond were nowhere to be seen.

He scanned the park frantically, his pulse racing and his heart clenching. "Ricardo! Raymond!" He called out, his voice rising with panic.

Nothing. No answer came from aside. They had been kidnapped away from the park.

Michael failed to realise what was happening. His feet moved on their own as he rushed around the play area with his hand clutched to Rowland's own, and his eyes were darting around, searching nonstop.

"Ricardo! Raymond!" He called them, thinking they might have wandered off when they were not wanderers.

The once vibrant park now felt vast and overwhelming for Michael. He had almost become a lunatic, muttering, 'The boys had been right here. Where could they have gone?'

His gut twisted with dread as he gesticulated how they were standing and he questioned the people around.

It took him a while before he realised that someone had taken them.

His hands clenched into fists. He had let his guard down for just a moment, and now Ricardo and Raymond were gone. His breath came in shallow gasps as the realization set in.

"What will I tell Rosalie? Oh God! I have to find them."

____________

Ricardo and Raymond had been taken away from the park by a marked man, his face partially concealed beneath a hood. He had pretended to be Michael and nobody suspected him.

He moved swiftly, expertly avoiding the watchful eyes of bystanders, leading the unconscious boys away before anyone noticed their absence.

He had sedated them.

He got to the lonely road where his colleague was waiting for him in the car, and he dropped Ricardo and Raymond in.

"Are you sure they are the ones?" His colleague, who was waiting inside the car, questioned him.

"Yeah, they are the same pups as the ones in the picture. Also, they look so much like that alpha, I can't mistake them."

"Then, we move." He started the car and zoomed them off.

The journey was disorienting as the streets were stony and unfamiliar until they arrived at an uncompleted building on the outskirts of town.

The children were carried in by the two men.

The air inside was thick with dust and the scent of damp cement. "Remind me to not pick a location like this next time. I hate the smell of dust." One said to the other, trying to get the dust off.

"I will."

They both got to the base where their sender was waiting impatiently for them, and waiting for them, standing in the centre of the dimly lit room, was Scott.

He had his back turned to them when they walked in, but when he felt their presence, he turned to them, revealing his smirk smug face.

He moved closer to them and stared at the children one after the other, "Sweet." He muttered in contempt, "Tie them to the chairs and wake them up. Walk away after doing what I commanded."

"Okay, alpha." They did as they were told and left.

Scott stood by a side, chuckling.

How he had learned about the existence of the children and their whereabouts was a mystery, but not much of a mystery.

He had heard from one of his spies, who had been disguised as a guard in Jacqueline's castle, that he overheard Rosalie and Jacqueline's argument about their pups in the human world.

That information had quickly made its way to Scott. But what was even more unsettling was how he had miraculously fished them out of all the children in the human world.

He traced them with their blood.

Now, he had them in his grip for nothing, but revenge.

"Uncle Michael!" Those were the children's first calls when they woke up and were staring around cluelessly.

Scott's lips curled into a smirk as he stepped forward, his dark eyes gleaming with malice. "Well, well," He murmured, calling the children's attention to himself.

His voice was like a blade cutting through the silence, "Behold the mighty Alpha's pups. Who would've thought it would be this easy?"

Ricardo and Raymond exchanged nervous glances, their little minds struggling to comprehend the danger they were in.

Fear settled deep in their chests as they realized they were trapped away from Michael, with no idea of what to do.

They were not even thinking of escaping. They had no idea of what to think.

Scott was not interested in folklore or pleasantries with the children. He wanted to do away with them and leave.

Without hesitation, he made to attack them, starting with Raymond. He grabbed the boy roughly by the neck, not caring that he was only a little boy.

"Die first, then he'll die next."

He tightened his grip around Raymond's neck and Raymond let out a strangled cry of fear.

Ricardo couldn't stand it. His eyes popped out, "Let him go!" He shouted, his voice cracking with desperation and fear coupled with pain.

He struggled against his fear, his fists clenched at his sides. "Let go of my brother!"

Scott turned his cold gaze toward Ricardo, his expression unreadable. "Your parents hurt me," He said darkly. "Therefore, I am made to hurt them."

His voice was filled with venom, his grip on Raymond tightening harder, ready to snap his head off his neck, and Raymond whimpered, struggling in vain against the strength of Scott.

Ricardo's heart pounded as he watched his twin suffering, powerless to stop it. Tears blurred his vision and a deep, aching rage coiled in his chest.

The pain of watching his brother dying in his presence, the helplessness, was unbearable. His heart clenched with hot tears streaming down his face.

"No!" He screamed, his entire body shaking as he felt something deep within him snap.

"No! Let him go!"

His cry of anguish triggered the wolf inside him, his wolf that Rosalie had been suppressed by wolfsbane.

His inner wolf, long kept at bay, suddenly roared to life, taking over his body.

He painfully shifted, taking in the burning in his veins, which intensified. His muscles tensed, and before he could even register what was happening, instinct took over.

In a blur of motion, Ricardo lunged at Scott.

The older man barely had time to react before Ricardo's small but powerful wolf collided with him. Sharp fangs sank into Scott's arm, tearing through flesh with raw fury.

Scott let out a startled growl, staggering back and involuntarily letting go of Raymond.

His blood trickled from the fresh wound, but Ricardo was not done. He gave Scott no time to understand anything. He jumped on him, aiming for his neck with his claws, and he took it, tearing it apart.