C3 ... just Two Rules

Rosella

As fast as I could, I pushed the key into the ignition. I started the car, but it gave me a disappointing sound. I moved my eyes from the steering wheel to my side view mirror. F*ck! The men were already so close. I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. I exhaled when one of them knocked on the car window.

Furthermore, I opened my eyes and found someone I had thought I would never see again my worst nightmare! Vladimir, the bloody shape-shifter who I was supposed to umm oops! Never mind. At the time I lost my friend, he was present at the crime scene, he'd put a handcuff around my wrist and pronounced me a murderer.

As I stated earlier, I was powerful, and I still am. I loved the fact that I met that stranger, he made me strong and fearless! I was able to break the chains off my wrist and jump down from the moving van with my swollen belly.

For the sake of my kids, I tried to comport myself. I turned down my car glass, and he grinned in an evil manner.

“It's really nice meeting you again, your old woman was trying to restrain us, but I know how to smell a wolf when I sense one around.” Vladimir began.

“Can we not talk right here?” I pleaded as I turned to look at my kids.

“Of course, umm, there's an oak tree over there.” A nod accompanied his suggestion.

I walked in their midst toward the tree. Looking behind me, I met the worried faces of my children and felt like I would burst into tears.

“We know about how powerful and formidable you are, of course, what should we have expected after you spent a hot night with a powerful beast?”

“Can you cease the tales and be plain about what brought you guys to my home?” I hiked up a brow at them.

“Don't worry, we are not here for you, your case has been withdrawn from the court since there were no shreds of evidence to push it forward but…”

“But what?” I interrupted him with a deadly frown.

“We have come for a different purpose,” He fetched a card from his breast pocket and showed it to me.

“The FBI is concerned about your pups, they are not saved with you. To them, you are a death sentence.”

He paused and looked above my shoulder to the car and smiled. “They are all grown already.”

I stood with a frown still, “I need to be with them, they are my only life left. I can't harm my children, I can't.”

“Well, what you need now is not a deciding factor in what will be implemented soon, this discussion is now on our terms.”

“You act as though you care, I would rather not trust you.”

“I'm a Sheriff doing the job assigned to me,”

I eyed him.

“Well, as I stated earlier, we are taking your children from you, they will be nursed at the newly erected orphanage that belongs to a certain Hunter, Alpha of The Shadowfang Pack. You have only one day with your kids, and we will be back for them.”

“Are you listening to yourself? My kids can't go into the foster system, not when I have the capacity to protect and tend to them. Don't tempt me, Vladimir.” I said, pointing a finger at his face.

He ignored me and continued, “Over there, the pups will associate with others. Hunter makes sure that he only admits werewolves, so he can relate with them properly.”

“And who's this Hunter, Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack? A demigod? Why should I trust him with my kids?”

“They will have a good experience, we promise you. The Alpha is only deadly when he must face a rival like me, but just saw you know, I have acquired more powers of recent.” He smiled, a hurting smile.

“F*ck you!” I spat on his shoes, but he ignored me and continued.

I tried so hard to hold my peace for the sake of my children. “Let's talk properly inside,” I requested with awful intentions in mind, intentions to rip off his heart.

“You are risky, I have a family, and my wife asked me to drop off flour for her cake training, I want to go back to my family in peace.”

Again, he looked over my shoulder and smiled. Gundulf had stepped out of the car and was now leaning on the boot, that was why he was smiling.

A thought crossed my mind, what if they were deceiving me, what if they had evil intentions?

“Just a full day with your kids, and we'll return with a form containing details of the termination of parental rights, all we will need from you is your signature. We knew it wouldn't be nice to act without prior notice, that's why we came to pass this information today. Good day, Rosella.”

They turned around and started for their car.

“Mommy, is there a problem?”

I shook my head, “There's no need to go to school, let's go to Paula.”

“But why?”

“Let's go to Paula,” I repeated strongly.

I made sure that the children were in their rooms before we began to talk.

“Why didn't you drive the car? I told them that I have never known a lady named Rosella.”

“That faulty piece of shit out there? I have to sell it off and prepare to run away with my children as soon as I can. Within 24 hours, we got to be out of here.”

“Why?”

“They are coming back for the children,”

“Umm okay, I understand what this means. They don't want you to care for them anymore, right?”

I nodded sadly.

“Did you try to convince them about how dear they are to you, about how difficult it would be to survive without them?”

“They didn't allow me to express my feelings about what they said. They said it in a way that showed that their decision was final, and I had no right to disagree.”

“Good! Get the children ready, I'll call my assistant at work to drive you all out to a safe place, do you understand?”

I nodded at Paula as my arms went around her body. I went straightway to the children's room and pushed the door.

“Thanks to you for coming on time,” Gundulf said. “What's going on, Mommy?”

“Nothing serious, it's just an old friend from…”

“He wasn't acting friendly enough to convince me of this confession you are making.” Gundulf cut me halfway, and I stared with my mouth open. “He called you a wolf, why?”

“Oh, did he?” I feigned a chuckle. “It's an old pet name. You know, most animals in the jungle can't match the strength of a wolf, so…”

“I don't believe you,” He interrupted me.

“Alright, alright. I guess it's time I told you all something I should have said a long time ago.”

“Oh, okay.” He jumped off his bed and pushed the duvet aside, “Can I fetch my siblings?”

I looked around and found a seat, “You can sit on my bed, I want you to be comfortable, I'm eager to listen to your story.”

“It's not a story,”

“Let me call Acwulf and Accalia.”

He ran out of the room and slammed the door. Now, it appeared as though I was getting ready to face the court for a crime I committed. My heart was beating fast as sweat crawled out of my entire body.

Right before me was a painting of my triplets. I couldn't bring myself to think of the fact that I will no longer be their mother if we don't run away and run as far away as possible.

Gundulf held the door open for Acwulf and Accalia. “Get seated here,” He instructed them. He seemed very curious and determined at heart, probably because he had been noticing something unfathomable and unusual.

“We are ready now,” He said and sank into his bed with a leg over the other.

I heaved, “I want us to play a game and in this game, there are just two rules. Number one, you don't need to call me Mommy or let anyone know that I'm your mother. Rule two, the first two losers will be out of the game, and the story will be told to just one of you. Who will be the lucky one?”

“I,”

“I,”

“I,”

Accalia jumped to her feet, “So, what do we call you now?”

“Rosella, my name is Rosella.”

“Rosella,” They echoed.

“That same car again?” Gundulf exclaimed after standing up to cover the curtains.

“What car?” I queried with tension.

“I can spot the Toyota Tacoma which was here some hours ago from a distance.”

“What, why? They said twenty-four hours!” I cried.

Accalia pulled her baseball cap, “Twenty-four hours for what?”