Kiara searched for the pups. She went to check their room, but they weren’t there. Princess had set up a mini door for them to crawl through, so it might be that they had finally decided to sleep and crawled into their room... but they weren’t there.

She was already getting frustrated, thinking of a way to buy the next available plane ticket and make a run for it. It didn’t matter where, anywhere but Oakland. She gripped the edge of the doorway, her breathing coming in short, panicked gasps as she imagined herself hiding out in some distant country under a fake name.

What was the point? Their moms were going to track her down and bury her alive. Princess had connections with her, and Faye’s tracking instincts would smell her pups out before she could even clear airport security.

She wished there was a way to make four pups that looked exactly like the Alpha Kings’ quads before their mothers returned. She closed her eyes for a second, rubbing her temples as her mind raced with ridiculous, impossible ideas.

Kiara’s head was spiraling. She even wondered how the kids had managed to climb over the fence.

Then she thought maybe they had been kidnapped, but the doors were locked, and if the kids were outside the building, there would have been a red alert around the clubhouse, and Princess’s tracking tablet would have alerted her. The perimeter sensors were completely quiet, and the main security board was glowing a steady, peaceful green.

So Kiara calmed down. The pups were still in the building, but where exactly? She let out a long breath, forcing her muscles to relax as she stood perfectly still in the center of the Club room.

Then she told herself to calm down and listen, trying to find any noise.

Then she heard giggling. A faint, muffled sound echoed from the far corner of the massive main room.

It was coming from the ball pit.

Kiara walked toward the ball pit and carefully looked inside to see where the giggling was coming from. She leaned over the soft padded edge, her eyes scanning the sea of bright plastic spheres.

She spotted one of the pups swimming inside the ball pit. A tiny hand poked up through the colorful plastic, followed by a flash of wild hair.

It was Minny.

"Oh, you little boy..."

Kiara entered the pit, trying her best to catch him, but he kept burying himself beneath the balls and popping out somewhere else. The plastic clicked and rattled loudly as she lunged forward, her knees sinking deep into the pile while he slid away effortlessly like a little fish.

Kiara dragged herself around, trying her best to capture him, but he was just using her to play hide-and-seek. Sweat started to bead on her forehead as she scooped armfuls of balls aside, only to find empty space every single time.

It was like Whac-A-Mole.

Kiara would think he was about to come out from one spot, but he’d reveal his little head somewhere else, giggling as though he was making fun of her. He popped up near the slide, let out a loud squeal, and immediately dunked back under before she could even reach out a hand.

"Come out, you little runt," Kiara said, looking annoyed by the mockery. She wiped a strand of hair out of her eyes, her chest heaving from the effort.

Then she decided to play along.

She pretended she was heading toward one spot, turning her shoulders completely toward the left side of the pit and splashing the balls around to make noise. The moment he popped his head out elsewhere on the right, she lunged and grabbed his leg. Her fingers locked tight around his tiny ankle before he could pull back down.

Kiara dragged the boy out of the pit and tied him to the fence. She used a thick fabric scarf from the nearby rack, looping it gently around his waist and securing him to the plastic railing so he couldn’t slide away again.

"One down, three to go." She muttered, dusting off her jeans.

She then saw Ronny climbing up the wall. Her jaw dropped as she looked up toward the indoor climbing section, where the toddler was gripping the colorful handholds several feet above the ground.

That was surprisingly weird.

"How on earth are you climbing the wall? What are you, Spider-Man or Gecko? Come down this instant, you... Alphaman!" Kiara said in frustration. She rushed over, standing directly beneath the wall with her arms stretched out.

"I’m supposed to be having my beauty sleep right now. Thanks to your moms, I’m going to have wrinkles before old age. Now I’m beginning to regret ever planning that one-night stand..."

Her voice sounded like she was about to cry. The stress was completely wearing her down, her shoulders sagging as she stared at the reckless toddler. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Then Ronny started crying from up above. His small fingers trembled against the plastic hold, his little legs shaking violently as the reality of his situation set in.

He had no idea he was that high until he looked down. The moment his eyes met the ground, fear trapped him in place. He let out a loud, pathetic wail, his lower lip quivering as he frozen completely.

"This is why you don’t climb. Now you don’t know how to come down." Kiara scolded, though her heart gave a nervous thump against her ribs as she watched him wobble.

Kiara looked around, thinking of a way to bring the boy down. She couldn’t reach him normally, and trying to pull herself up might scare him into letting go.

Then she used food as bait.

Ronny loved food so much that he wouldn’t miss an opportunity for it. His stomach always ruled his head, and she knew exactly how to use that to her advantage.

Kiara stood beneath him. She grabbed one of the warm milk bottles she had brought from the kitchen.

"Okay, Ronny the Climber, jump and take your bottle."

She kept shaking the bottle, hoping he would jump. The warm white liquid swirled inside the plastic, the bright cap catching the dim light of the room.

"Come on, jump and get it."

Unbelievably, he let go of the wall and fell. He dropped like a stone, completely abandoning his grip for the sake of the milk.

Kiara caught him. The impact pushed her back a step, her arms wrapping securely around his small body as she absorbed the weight.

"There you go."

She handed him his bottle and placed him beside Minny. She also tied him up, using another strap to anchor him to the play fence next to his brother.

"Two to go." She sighed, checking the time on her phone again.

Kiara found Donny inside a claw machine, sleeping peacefully among the stuffed toys. The bright pink neon lights of the arcade game illuminated her little face through the thick glass panel.

"How did you get inside there?"

Kiara studied the machine, wondering how the pup had managed to crawl into it. She walked around the side, looking at the narrow prize chute at the bottom.

Donny had apparently been looking for a peaceful and quiet place to sleep, and the claw machine had been her best option. She had wiggled her way up through the flap, finding a perfect nest between a giant plush bear and a soft velvet pillow.

Kiara turned on the machine and tried to grab Donny with the claw. She dropped a coin in, moving the metal joystick back and forth until the iron grip hovered right over the sleeping baby.

Her first attempt was weak. The claw couldn’t hold the baby. The metal prongs simply slid off the soft fabric, opening back up as the crane retracted to the starting position.

Then she remembered she wasn’t actually playing a game. She shook her head at her own stupidity, letting out a sharp chuckle.

She brought out the key, opened the machine, and picked the sleeping pup up. She unlocked the back service panel, reaching into the pile of stuffed animals to lift Donny gently into her arms without waking her.

Since Donny was already asleep, Kiara decided to carry her to her room.

After placing her in her crib, she returned and put Ronny and Minny in their beds, still tied up so they wouldn’t run off. She untied them from the play fence, carrying them one by one into the nursery and tucking them under their heavy blankets, making sure the safety restraints were snug.

She was now inside the girls’ room.

Kiara entered the closet, looking for one of the jerseys she had left behind during the time she was dating Princess. She pushed the hangers aside, the soft fabrics rustling in the space.

This was her opportunity.

No one was around, and Princess had said she couldn’t find it, Faye didn’t want her in. Kiara needed it because it meant something to her.

Opportunity only comes once. She dug deeper into the back shelves, moving a stack of old winter coats out of the way.

As she searched through the closet, she spotted the last missing pup.

Leonny was sleeping soundly. He was tucked away in the very back corner, his small body hidden beneath a pile of laundry.

Curled up inside his Mommy’s hoodie.

Kiara couldn’t help but stare for a moment. The large yellow fabric completely engulfed him, the heavy scent keeping him perfectly peaceful.

She carried both Leonny and the hoodie to his crib, placing him down gently. She smoothed the soft fabric over his shoulders, watching his chest rise and fall in a slow, steady rhythm.

Finally, she was able to breathe. She leaned against the railing of the crib, letting out a massive sigh of relief as her shoulders finally dropped.

She was safe.

No one was going to kill her.

The Alpha Kings’ quads were now asleep.