82

CHAPTER EIGHTY-YWO.

AUTHOR'S POV.

In the wolf's world...

The battle with the Phoenix king was over. The Phoenix King and his army lay slain, their flames extinguished, their threat vanquished, and they lay rotten on the floor and were vanishing into thin air.

Jacqueline returned to the pack house in victory, leaving Carl and the guards in the territory to clear everywhere.

His body was aching, and his mind was acting up. That was why he left the territory to the castle to see Rosalie. He didn't know what he was feeling until he saw the guards he had appointed to watch over Rosalie.

Their nervous expressions immediately set him on edge.

He narrowed his eyes at them. "What happened? Where is Rosalie?" His voice was sharp, demanding immediate answers.

One of the guards swallowed hard before speaking. "She ran off to the human world, Alpha. She… she found out her pups were in danger. She left without waiting for further words."

Jacqueline's heart stopped for a moment before it picked back to life. Her pups? Danger?

Raw fear gripped him immediately when he understood that his pups were in danger, and the only name on his mind was, Scott.

Without another word, he turned and dashed off, ignoring his guards who were calling after him, "Alpha!"

He ran into the woods, shifting to his wolf mid-stride as he followed Rosalie's scent. He didn't care about the branches that scraped against him, nor the exhaustion weighing on his limbs a minute ago. The only thing that mattered was reaching her and the pups before it was too late.

The journey to the human world was a blur, very quick for his wolf pushed him to run faster than ever before.

In the human world, he did everything in his power to run in the narrow pathway, away from human sight, and he continued to trace Rosalie's sweet scent, which was solemnly guiding him to her, and he didn't let it escape him, for a second.

When he finally arrived at the place she stayed in the human world, he shifted to human and barged the door open.

He found her, standing with her human boyfriend and a boy who made his breath catch in his throat. The child looked so much like his younger self that Jacqueline had to force himself to stay focused.

He ran to Rosalie and called, "Rosalie," He pulled her into his embrace. "What's going on? Where are the pups?"

Rosalie disengaged from the hug to stare at him, her eyes were filled with distress and fear with tears, which Jacqueline hated so much. She took a breath, and then, with a trembling voice, she told him, "They were taken away. I don't know who, but I know it might be Scott."

Jacqueline placed a firm hand on Rosalie's shoulder, he made his voice calm despite the turmoil inside him. "I will find them," He assured her. "But you need to go back to the pack house where it's safer. The human world is no longer safe for any of us. Go with the pup while I go to find the others."

Rosalie hesitated, fear evident in her eyes, but Jacqueline's gaze left no room for argument.

She nodded reluctantly, knowing she had no choice but to trust him. "Okay, but what about him?" She pointed at Michael.

Jacqueline turned to him, "Sorry man, I'll have to take my family with me. We'll come back for an explanation later."

Michael nodded like he was being possessed, "No problem." He accepted.

Jacqueline carried Rowland who was looking dumbly at the man who looked like older him and his brothers, then he walked out with Rosalie.

Two cars arrived, and Jacqueline's guards stepped out and lined up before them, "We were worried, alpha, so we followed." They explained themselves.

Jacqueline was grateful that they did, for with that, he would be sure that Rosalie would get back safely to the castle with the pup.

"Take the future Luna, and the prince back to the castle. Make sure they're safe."

"Okay, alpha." They all bowed to him and one of them carried Rowland from him and into the car while Rosalie waited to hug Jacqueline.

"Be careful." She reminded him and he nodded. Then she entered the car where Rowland was placed, and the cars zoned off.

Once they were out of sight, Jacqueline wasted no time. He set to locate the pups. Though he didn't trace them directly, he traced Scott. If they were anywhere, they'd be wherever that monster was. He knew.

His instincts led him to an abandoned building on the outskirts of the city where Scott had been with the pups.

The moment he stepped inside to the base where everything unfolded, his stomach twisted at the sight before him.

Blood was smeared across the floor and walls. Scott lay there, disfigured, barely recognisable, his body cut from many parts beyond repair. Some of his parts of the body were even everywhere.

He was dead and was fading.

But Jacqueline's eyes weren't on Scott for long. His heart clenched at the sight of his pups. One of them was lying motionless on the floor, covered in blood and he was still in his wolf form. Ricardo. While the other stood over him, shaking, crying. Raymond.

The anguish in the air was suffocating.

Jacqueline rushed to them, his mind struggling to piece together what had happened. 'Who had done this? How had his pup defended himself against Scott?' But there was no time for answers, only action and how to get his pups to the castle in a snap.

"Hey." He called Raymond, not knowing his name and he made to lift him in his arms.

Raymond stepped away from Jacqueline, "Stay away from us!"

Jacqueline cringed, he was hurt. His pup did not recognise him and his heart ached.

Nevertheless, he crouched to the boy's height, "I'm a friend of your mother, Rosalie. I'm here to save you and to carry you to her."

Raymond stood still to observe him, and when he didn't perceive any deceit, he returned to his previous position where he was all over Ricardo.

"Please, safe my brother." Raymond pleaded with tears in his eyes. His face was clothed with his tears.

"I will," Jacqueline muttered and bent over to touch Ricardo, who immediately shifted back to human, and he was healed, but unconscious.

He carefully lifted them and held both pups in his arms. He glanced at Scott's rotten self again before he began to walk away.

He carried them outside, where his guards were already waiting beside the cars.

These were different from the ones who left with Rosalie and Rowland. These were sent by Carl to bring home the alpha.

They had traced the alpha to protect him in the human world, knowing the dangers lurking for their kind in the world.

They ran to him, "Alpha." They bowed, and then some tried to help him with the pups, which Jacqueline declined.

"I'll carry them."

Without hesitation, Jacqueline placed the pups inside the cars, and they took them home, his heart pounding with both relief and dread for what happened and what might happen next.

Once they arrived at the pack house, they met Rosalie and Rowland.

"Mom!" Raymond called happily.

"My baby!"

"Raymond!" They all rushed to hug themselves, except for Ricardo who was still unconscious, and Jacqueline hugged all of them.

"I think they all should be admitted. They should be administered and treated." Jacqueline suggested and Rosalie agreed.

Jacqueline carried Raymond again while Rosalie carried Rowland. They entered the castle together ignoring the side glances and gossips around.

Jacqueline mind-linked Carl, *Get the healer in my chamber immediately.*

*She already is by the door.*

Jacqueline smiled and blocked him.

Raymond turned to Rosalie, "Mummy, where is this place?"

Rosalie smiled at him, "I'll tell you everything later when you're perfectly fine, but just have it in your mind that this is your new home, and the man who is carrying you right now is your father."

"No wonder he looks like me," Rowland muttered, but Raymond was not listening anymore, he had his eyes fixed on Jacqueline. He had a lot of questions to ask, but he trusted his Mom to explain later, as she said.

Jacqueline felt his gaze and smiled at him, but Raymond only stared on and on.

The pups were immediately taken to Jacqueline's chamber. The healer was waiting as Carl had said, and the kids were all laid on his bed.

"Let the doctor check on you, okay?" Rosalie spoke to them and pecked their foreheads.

"Okay, mummy."

Jacqueline and Rosalie gave the healer a room for the pups. They stood anxiously by the door as the healer with her subordinates worked, their hearts pounding in fear of what news they might receive, especially about Ricardo, whose eyes were tightly shut.

After a thorough examination, the healer finally turned to them with a reassuring smile. "Your pups are fine," She said gently. "The sleeping boy only fainted due to the shock of his sudden shift and the overwhelming fear he experienced. His body is strong, but the transformation took a toll on him."

Rosalie let out a shaky breath of relief, and Jacqueline felt the tension in his shoulders ease. "Are you certain?" He asked, still needing to hear it again.

The healer nodded. "Yes. Not only is he fine, but he is destined for greatness. His wolf is powerful, and his will to protect is strong. He will make a great Alpha one day."

Jacqueline and Rosalie exchanged glances, emotions flooding through them. They were relief, filled with pride and gratitude.

Their pup was safe, and his strength had been recognized.

"Thank you." Rosalie appreciated the healer and saw her off to the door.

When she returned, she met the three pups sleeping with Jacqueline's eyes on them.

She moved closer to him and smuggled herself into his arms, "What are you thinking?"

"I'm just thinking about everything. About the type of fool I had been. How can I not know that these pups are mine? I mean, I saw them once, and I was mad enough not to see the stricken recognition between me and them.

"Again, I'm mad at myself for I made you suffer unnecessarily, even when I realised that you're my mate, I foolishly wasted time before claiming you, and even til now, I haven't marked you. Anyone can still come and snatch you away from me.

"Also, I can't imagine the pain you went through when you were having them, and now, I realise that you suffered in the human world because of my foolishness. I lied, it was all me, not you. I caused all your pain, and each drop of your bitter tears slipped because of me.

"I'm sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you and our pups til my last breath. I'm so sorry."

Rosalie didn't know what to say, her eyes were glittering with tears as she was touched in the soul. She pulled him closer and hugged him which he immediately returned.

They took in each other's emotions til they were calm, and they remained in each other's arms, watching their pups sleeping.