Kids from One Alpha

Chapter 53: Hide and Seek

When Serena and Logan got back to Logan’s house, Serena was ready to get the kids and head home. She was happy to have a home again, and happy to get some space from the Alpha. Knowing he was her kids’ father, knowing that another female was pregnant with his child, it made everything too complicated. She went to the room they’d been staying in. Flo followed her, wanting to say goodbye. When Serena opened the door, she found the carved wooden wolf toys on the floor, but the twins weren’t there. “I didn’t hear them come downstairs,” Flo muttered. Serena sighed. “They are just playing a hiding game,” she assured. Flo and Serena went around the whole house, looking for the kids. They weren’t anywhere! Panic began to rise in Serena’s chest. “I know they couldn’t have gotten outside,” Flo assured. Serena nodded, but she couldn’t help worry that the kids had gotten into one of their hiding places and were hurt or trapped! “Olivia, Oliver, where are you?” Serena called. There was no answer.

“What’s happening?” Logan asked, joining Flo and Serena in the living room. “The twins have done a vanishing act,” Flo said. Serena winced. “I hope they’re okay,” she said, going to a wall and pressing her ear to it. There wasn’t any sound coming from inside.

“I’m sure they are fine,” Logan assured. “I know all the hiding places in this house. Trust me, I used to use them too.” Flo chuckled and tousled her son’s hair, even though he was taller than her. “Yes, you were good at giving your father and I scares,” she said. “Something the twins are good at too!” Serena stared at Flo for a moment. She worried Flo was implying something she shouldn’t know! Serena had made sure no one else would see the lab results confirming Logan’s paternity. “Come on, I’ve got a few ideas of where to look,” Logan said. “Olivia, Oliver,” Serena called as she followed Logan back upstairs. “It is time to go back to our house!” “We don’t want to go!” Olivia screamed from inside the walls. Logan chuckled, pointing to the closet in his room. Serena nodded. “Sounds like they’ve gotten quite comfortable here,” he muttered. “I think they like the hiding places, where they can cause trouble without me seeing.” Hide and Seek she said. Logan smiled at her and opened his closet door. “I’m probably not going to fit through here, but you are slender enough to get in there enough to talk to them,” Logan said, pushing a panel aside in the wall. It revealed an old crawl space.

space was narrow and dark. It smelled musty. Serena

out if you

dropped down on her hands and knees. She lowered onto her stomach and used her elbows to crawl into the space

to leave, Mommy.” Olivia said. “Yea, it is fun here,” Oliver said. “Don’t you want to go back home?” Serena asked. “Our real home where you have all your toys and you each have your own room?” “No!” Olivia snapped. “We like it here.” Serena sighed. “I know, baby,” she said. “This is an old house with lots of fun places to hide and lots of fun toys to play with.” “Yea, so, can we stay?” Olivia asked. “This isn’t our home,” Serena said. “We are just guests here. We‘ve got to go to our real home.” “But Uncle Logan likes us,” Oliver said. “Yea, we could stay here with him, and you can go home,” Oliver said. Serena chuckled, though her heart hurt thinking her kids wanted to stay with Logan instead of her. “As much fun as that sounds,” she said with a note of sarcasm, “Logan has his own life and his own family.” “It’s not fair!” Olivia wailed. “I want to stay here!” “Just because we are going home doesn’t mean we won’t ever come back,” Serena assured them, “Logan will come visit you at our home, and I’m sure he’d love to have you visit here. And, I’m sure there will be times when Flo will take care of you when I can’t or when Dana can’t.”  Hide and Seek “Do you promise?” Olivia asked. Serena was hesitant to promise the kids anything that she couldn’t make complete good on. This was a promise that involved other people, but knowing Logan and Flo, she didn’t think they would mind. “I promise,” she said. “This won’t be the last time you see them, and it won’t be the last time you get to play in this house.” “Okay,” the twins said together. They started crawling towards her. Serena used her elbows to push herself back out of the crawl space. It was slower for her than the twins, and they were getting antsy. When she made it all the way out, Serena sighed and flopped down on the closet floor on her back. The twins émerged next, sneezing and stamping their feet to get rid of the dust on their clothes. “Nice work,” Logan said, reaching a hand out for Serena. She accepted it, and he pulled her to her feet. They stood facing each other for a moment, and then he brushed his fingers through her hair. Serena cheeks reddened, and she stepped away. Logan held up his hand, showing her the clump of dust she’d pulled from her hair. “You’ll come visit us, right, Uncle Logan?” Olivia asked, stealing his attention. “I’ll come visit,” he assured. “We always have so much fun together, that’s not going to stop because you aren’t living here anymore.” “Okay!” Olivia said. “I should get them home and in the tub,” Serena said, grabbing Olivia’s hand before she ran off. “Good idea,” Logan said. He walked with them down to the front door. “I have to say, I think I will miss having the kids here.” Serena raised an eyebrow at him. “Well, you’ll have one of your own soon enough,” she reminded him. Logan said, glancing back up the stairs at the door of his bedroom. “Won’t that be something,” he muttered. “As you said, you’ll come visit and play,” she said. Logan smiled. “Absolutely,” he said with a nod. Serena held one twin in each hand and headed out of Logan’s

had a feeling Oliver would be a little nervous in the bathroom since that was where they were when the tree fell on their house. She wanted to make sure that he was safe and comfortable, though. That he had a positive experience in the bathtub. “Go pick out your jammies,” Serena said. “I’ll

bath and added some of their favorite bath toys. The twins ran in the bathroom naked, tossing their pajamas at Serena. “Get in, get in,” she said. Olivia fearlessly plopped into the tub. Oliver was more hesitant, but he climbed in after his sister. Serena hummed softly, sitting on the toilet as she folded the kids’ pajamas and