Pregnant With Four Alphas' Babies: A Reverse Harem Romance Chapter 210: They're Gone

*Rose*

It’s almost dark outside when I open my eyes. I vaguely remember falling asleep, but it seems like it was much earlier in the day when I did that, so I’m astonished that none of the babies have woken me up.

Yawning, I sit up and note that the sounds coming from outside are not nearly as loud now as they were before either, and I have to wonder if the battle is over.

It seems crazy that I could fall asleep with a war raging on outside of my window and four babies sleeping in my room, but giving birth and then taking care of four babies, even with help, is exhausting. I’m so lucky to have help, like the healers and nurses from Mark’s pack.

And Retta. She’s been unexpectedly helpful.

Sitting up, I look at the closest bassinet, Trisha’s, and see that my baby isn’t in there. I think that’s strange, and a little alarm goes off in my head, but I remind myself that someone probably just took her to change her diaper or rock her.

But then my eyes go to the next bassinet, which belongs to Reeva… and my other daughter isn’t here either.

The alarm bells in the back of my head are frantic now as I look to see neither of my sons is here. I throw the blankets off of my legs and practically leap out of bed. “Retta?” I call, both with my mouth and in my head, using the mind-link. “Where are the babies?”

“Oh, are you awake?” she says back in my head quickly enough. “Don’t worry! I just moved them to another room in the castle so that you could rest. I’ll bring them back in just a minute.”

“Where are they?” I’m already walking out into the hallway to the room where the babies were kept before. I notice there are no guards in the hallway now like there have been since the war started. I know that Mark told some guards to stay there and not move until he came back. I spin around a few times and see no one.

Walking into the old nursery, I see that there’s no one here either.

And Retta isn’t answering me very quickly.

“Retta? Where are you? Where are my kids? And do you know where the guards are?”

Again, the mind-link is silent. I continue to walk down the hallway, opening the doors that are unlocked and wishing I had a key for the ones that weren’t, but when I knock, no one answers.

Then, I come to a door a few down from mine and notice something red on the floor, just a tinge of it, red liquid that seems to be coming from inside this room.

The hair on the back of my neck stands up as I recognize it as blood. All of the horrible possibilities flash through my mind, like, what if this is the blood of one of my babies currently flowing toward my bare toes?

As Retta says, “Stop panicking, Rose. We’re on the second floor in one of the spare bedrooms.”

I try the handle of the door. It’s locked, but I refuse to stand here knowing blood is flowing out of this room and do nothing. I pull a bobby pin from my hair and twist it into the lock. Luckily for me, it opens.

What I see is possibly the most revolting sight I’ve ever had my eyes settle upon.

Bodies. Six of them. All male, all but one of them wearing the uniforms from Mark’s guards.

All of them have had their throats ripped out, and their eyes are open in wide, horrified, terrifying looks.

I cover my mouth with both of my hands, to keep from screaming but also to keep from puking.

Are these the guards that were stationed outside of my door?

“Retta! Tell me where the fuck you are right now!” I demand, backing up against the wall behind me.

She is silent, and I know why.

I never should have trusted that bitch! I should have known that she was here to hurt me and my babies.

“Retta!” I scream in my head and with my mouth, as I spin around and run back to my room. I get dressed as quickly as I can, putting on shoes so that if I step in anything, at least it won’t get on me.

Rushing back into the hallway, I yell, “Help! Everyone, help! The babies are missing and the guards are dead!”

I run down the hallway, still shouting, and Retta still has said nothing.

One of the nurses practically runs into me. “What did you say?” she asks, her eyes wide. She momentarily realizes how she’s addressed me and starts to apologize, but I wave that off.

“No, there’s no time! Start looking for my babies, now.”

She nods and starts looking, but I don’t think they are still in the castle.

I see one of Mark’s higher-ups coming toward me in a rush. “The guards are in a room down by mine. You’ll see–” Before I can finish the sentence, a shrill scream hits my ears. “Follow that noise.”

I rush off, heading for the stairs, thinking I at least need to check to see if what Retta said was true, even though I’m certain it’s not. Every person I run into wants to know how they can help, so I tell them to start looking for the babies.

But even before I reach the rooms on the second floor and start checking them, along with a maid who has a master key, I know in my heart my children aren’t here, and it’s taking every ounce of my energy to keep from losing my fucking mind!

When we reach the very last room and there are no babies, I want to crumple on the floor and cry.

But that’s not the kind of mother I am. I will find my children. I will bring them back, and when I do… Retta and whoever the fuck she is working for will pay.

In my head, I call out to the Alphas, all four of them, even Eli, who is probably almost out of my range. “Guys, I don’t care what you’re doing or where you are, but you need to get back here right now!”

It’s Mark who answers first. “What’s wrong?”

I don’t even know if I can form the words without breaking down. I had one job… and I failed. I failed my Alphas, I failed my babies, and I failed myself.

All I can say is, “She took them.”