Chapter 3 Quadruplets

PRESENTLY

I thought he loved me, but I was wrong. Mates were known to love each other and are unable to live without each other. Why was my case different?

With a broken heart and a child growing inside of me, I ran hopelessly. I was sprinting down the path that would take me directly into the human realm.

I vowed to myself that I would take care of myself and be a good mother, all the while keeping Caiden in the dark about the existence of our child.

I was at a loss over what to do the next day. How do I get help, and who should I ask? The pain in my chest made me feel miserable and I was hungry.

Everything in the human realm appeared to be different. I felt chilly and powerless as the light rain soaked my clothes. I sought cover under an old building structure, but she was unable to fall asleep. My inner wolf, awake and restless. I believed that humans were more cunning and dangerous than werewolves.

Few days later, I was sharing space with gigantic rats. I was looking for food in a garbage when I felt a soft hand on my arm and heard a woman's voice.

"Are you hungry miss?" she said with a twinkle in her eyes, yet there was sadness in her gaze.

I shrank back. Although the woman didn't look dangerous, I had lost all faith in people. I responded to her by nodding my head.

"Come with me. I'll get you something to eat. You shouldn't be searching the trash can, you can get sick."

The woman persisted, and eventually I gave in to her persistence and trusted her. She treated me with so much respect and I got to know that Catherine was her name. I felt secure next to someone for the first time.

Catherine insisted that we visit the doctor right away after noticing that my tummy continued to swell as the months passed.

Although I was aware that I was pregnant, I had no idea how many children I would be carrying.

"Quadruplets?" I fell back into the chair.

The doctor was talking about how blessed I was to have four lovely babies at once, and I was buried in my own thoughts.

The torment I'd experienced since leaving the pack made having quads seem like a minor thing. I was afraid, though, and I couldn't hide it. I was afraid of how I would care for four infants on my own, so I sobbed while my wolf howled at the full moon.

"You're no longer alone Kamara, you have me now." Catherine said.

The hardest times I had to face in order to adjust to life as a person were the one thing I would never forget. Catherine took me into her home. At the same restaurant where she worked, she got me a job. I was eager to start over somewhere new, somewhere no one would find out about my secret and away from the humiliation of rejection.

However, I could recall a lot of things from my fresh start. I preserved those memories in my heart so I would never forget my past or present. However, I was aware that all changes left their mark.

It had been seven years since I buried the past in the depths of my memory.

I was able to start again, far from the brutality and enslavement I had been subjected to for years because of Caiden's rejection. However, I came dangerously close to failing; for a while, I lost all desire to live. My wolf slept until I could no longer sense it. I stopped eating and sleeping. I began to feel more human as I adjusted to my new life. And I had much more motivation to survive and fight for the quads after they were born.

They gave me a reason live and fight again.

The surrounds were lit by the first rays of daylight. The quads were running around my bed in a frenzy the moment I had opened my eyes. I practically sprung out of bed as Noah yelled from across the room.

"What did I say, Sterling, about not biting your brothers?" The kid grinned and seemed proud of himself when I stared directly into his eyes.

"Mom, I always wanted to be a wolf," he said and growled playfully. Although it was definitely a growl.

I rolled my eyes without saying anything. It was obvious that the quads were unaware of their wolf identity.

Telling them was something I resisted doing. I knew it was going to happen eventually, but whether it was too early or not, I didn't feel ready for it. Disregarding such notion, I thought about getting up to seperate the kids and they were all over each other. My cell vibrated on the other side of the bed. I extended my arm across the bed to grab it.

"I'll be ten minutes late."

It was Catherine's message. How could I doubt Catherine's devotion to the kids when she had taken on the role of their protector? It made my heart feel warm.

The kids had left a trail of toys that nearly kept me from getting to the door, messing everywhere up. I finally made it to the door and Catherine grinned broadly as she stood there and gave me a hug.

"I apologize for the mess, these kids are driving me crazy," I said, feeling down because I was never able to keep the house clean.

"Everything will be in order when you return."

Catherine stooped to gather the toys that were strewn all over the house's entryway.

"You know that's not necessary, Cat," I told her. "The kids are a handful already"

She chuckled, "Don't overthink it, Kamara. You know i enjoy spending time with the boys."

As they spoke, the kids hurried towards her like they did every time Catherine arrived, and gave her hugs that nearly suffocated her.

"Are you sure that spending the night here won't be a problem?" I asked.

With her arms still around the kids, she said, "That question is getting annoying, Kamara. You can leave peacefully for work. I'm good with the kids.

I couldn't help but smile despite my worry. It wasn't the first time Catherine was spending the night with the kids, but I felt uneasy about something, as though it were a warning that something negative might occur.

In order to avoid embarrassing Catherine or giving her the impression that she couldn't care for the kids, I made the decision to keep it to myself.

I hugged them all before I left.

"I'll look after my siblings mom, I promise" Sterling hugged me tightly. He always felt responsible and protective of everyone around him including me. The instinct to protect.

It was impossible to look at Sterling and not remember Caiden. His father's bravery was even more like his own.

Running my hand through the boy's hair, I said, "You're my Alpha, and because you're strong and fearless, you'll guard the entire pack.

The boy laughed at my words.

After giving him another embrace, I walked out of the house to go to work. The kids always carried the werewolf myths with them, even if I never revealed their true identity.

I told them the stories I had personally experienced like legends, so that they wouldn't have a hard time grasping the concept, when the time came for them to learn the truth.

Catherine felt as if she had been the defeated warrior in a battle as night fell in the city of Manhattan. Noah, Sterling, Kyler, and Lucas were all fast asleep on the couch. They didn't look like they have been shouting and running about the house all day. When she got them in bed, she tried to relax. She was sitting in an armchair, a book in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, when there was a knock on the door. Catherine frowned, looking at the time and wondering if anyone would be there at that hour. She set down the cup, thought about responding as the knocks grew louder.

Her heart was beating as she paused halfway, hoping the person would give up and go away. With four children, Catherine felt helpless and refused to open the door. She heard footsteps fade away after a while, and then the knocking stopped. After her heart stopped racing, she quickly went to bed when the front door was ripped off and violently hurled, barely missing her.