4

_ROSALIE_

I'd tried searching for Cage all morning, but I couldn't find him anywhere and I could swear I was going insane as different but horrible thoughts crossed my mind.

‘What if he was attacked?’ I thought to myself.

"Can you calm down, our pup is OK." Lexi groaned.

"How can you be so sure? For all we know, he could have been attacked by a rogue?" I paced around the found raking my red waist-length hair; it was a habit of mine whenever stressed or nervous.

"Because I can feel it, his OK but very upset." She said and I sighed. "Just give him what he wants."

"I can't do that Lexi, you know that." I hissed. “You think I just want to deprive my son of any form of social interaction with the outside world for fun or my own benefit?”

"Well, I don't care. Just let our pup have a normal life; we can't hide him in here forever!" She yelled.

"Yes, I can, and I will, I won't let anyone hurt my son the way they hurt me!" I yelled back before blocking her out of my head because instead of helping, she was adding to my stress.

I walked up to Cage's room and opened the door and sat on his bed as tears started running down my cheeks.

"I'm sorry baby." I sniffed hugging his pillow.

I never meant to deprive my son of having a normal life like most kids his age, but unlike them, the knowledge of his existence was not something that would be received well by the people.

I don't know how I fell asleep with all the anxiety I was feeling, but well, I did, and now it was 7 pm.

"Ugh." I groaned, getting out of bed and walking into the kitchen only to find Cage standing on a stool, trying to get something in the refrigerator.

"My baby!" I hugged him tightly, relief coursing through my veins. "Oh, my baby." I sighed with relief. "I was so worried about you." I checked him for any injuries, but he pushed me off.

"Baby." I sighed as tears started running down my cheeks again.

"I'm sorry mummy." He hugged me tightly clearly feeling guilty for his actions.

"I'm so sorry my love." I hugged him tight.

"Please don't cry mummy." He wiped away my tears. “I’m sorry.”

"I'm sorry." I chuckled sadly and forced a smile.

"I bet you are hungry. Let me make you something to eat, OK." I pecked his forehead.

"I want pizza and fries." He told me and I nodded.

"Anything you want." I gave him a quick hug and put a frozen pizza in the microwave and fries in the deep fryer.

After eating dinner, we lay cuddling in my bed.

"Promise me you won't ever run off again." I pecked his forehead and he nodded.

"Mummy?"

"Huh.”

"Why can I be like other kids?" He frowned.

"It’s complicated my love." I frowned.

"Why don't you want people to know I exist?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I sat up and looked at him.

"Every time someone comes here you tell me to hide till they are gone." He looked sad as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"It’s not like that my love." I felt my eyes become glossy with tears.

"It is mummy, you don’t like me." he cried.

"Don't say that ever, OK, my love." I pulled him into my arms. "I love you, you are my baby, my son, my everything." I hugged him tightly as he sobbed into my chest. "I love you a lot OK."

"I love you too." He said in between sobs.

Managing to calm him, we both fell asleep.

_DASH_

"OK, make a line, all of you." I sternly told the kids, and they did as told.

"Good, now I want each one of you to do 4 pushups start," I commanded.

"All of us?" Angelo's niece asked.

"Yes, all of you."

"But I'm a girl." She whined.

"It doesn't matter now start," I told them.

It’s the third week since we started our training and we are doing really well, even though these kids are difficult to train.

"Now I want you in pairs so we can start defence training," I told them and they paired up.

"So, the best way to defeat your enemy is by using their weaknesses to your advantage." I started.

"What if they don't have a weakness." One of the kids asked.

"Everyone has a weakness."

"So, you have one too alpha?” Another asked curiosity swimming in his orbs.

"No, I don't have a weakness," I said proudly. "At least not anymore," I muttered the last part to myself.

"But I thought you said everyone has a weakness" Angelo’s niece frowned confused.

"Let's try the defence moves I showed you last week," I ordered not wanting us to keep going back and forth on this topic.

If there was one thing I had learnt, it was that you never let them keep asking you questions, especially if they contradicted whatever you said.

As I was watching the pups fight each other, from the corner of my eye I saw something move in the woods.

"Keep training, I'll be right back," I instructed before walking off.

I reached where I saw movements and they seemed to increase as I drew closer and closer.

"Hey." I walked over there and saw a shadow running away. "Hey come back!" I yelled chasing it till it disappeared somewhere.

"Hey!" I searched for the person but didn't find him. "Fuck it." I groaned.

I walked back to the training ground only to find the kids arguing and the kids that were asking me questions at each other’s throats.

"What in hell's name is going on here?" I growled causing all of them to freeze. "Someone explain," I ordered but they just kept quiet. "I said someone better explain this shit or all of you are screwed!" I growled causing them to flinch. It was hard not to curse, but I held my bad words back; their parents didn’t need to hear them cursing or knowing they had learnt the bad words from me.

"Uncle-" Angelo’s niece started, but I glared at her, and she gulped. "I mean, your alpha; it all started because of him." She whined pointing at one of the boys.

"No, I didn't do anything you liar!" He yelled.

"Did to." She scoffed.

"Both of you keep quiet." I groaned knowing the argument was never going to end. "Now since y'all can't do something simple on your own, all of you are on punishment 15 laps around this ground 3 times a day, 10 pushups and sit-ups and lastly 2 hours nonstop training for 2 weeks."

"Alp-" They all gasped.

"You heard me." I gritted out, "Class dismissed; I'll see y'all tomorrow at 10 am sharp." And with that, I walked off.

                                                                           ◘

"Alpha Dash I'm tired.” One of the little ones groaned as they ran their 5th lap.

"Keep running!" I hissed.

"We are sorry, Uncle Alpha Dash." Angelo’s niece pouted. “We’re just kids.”

"I know you are now keep running." I glared and they sighed before continuing their laps.

I was busy looking at them when I felt something in the woods, again.

“You feel that?" I asked my wolf.

"Yeah, let's go check it out, it might be an intruder."

"Agreed."

"Keep running; I'll be back, and should I find you doing anything apart from what I have instructed, I will, without a doubt, double the punishment." I threatened then left.

When I went into the woods, I was met with a pair of grey orbs, and I don't know why but I felt attached to them.

"Hey," I said softly, even though I couldn't see his face clearly; I had established that the shadow was that of a small boy and was a very fast runner. "Hey, I won't hurt you!" I ran after him, but as always, he disappeared into thin air.

"Damn it, it’s the 3rd time his escaping me." I groaned kicking a tree out of frustration.

"And he is only a fucking child." My wolf hissed frustration evident.

"I'll get that kid soon. Just let him wait; I'll show him who the boss around here is." I gritted out going back to the training ground.