LOGINSERA'S POVWeek after week passed.At first, controlling my werewolf instincts felt like hell.The first time the full moon came, ten days after I woke up from the coma, my body felt like it was burning from the inside. My bones felt like they were being stretched, my muscles contracted uncontrollably, and I screamed in the bathroom while gripping the cold marble sink. Gabriel ran in, hugged me from behind, calming me with a low, trembling voice."You're strong, Sera. Your body is just adapting. It's normal.""NOT NORMAL!" I nearly snapped."It's only temporary. You'll get used to it."Two weeks later, I started to be able to control it. I learned to feel when the instinct came—when I was angry, when I was scared, when I felt threatened. I learned to take deep breaths, count to ten, and let the anger subside on its own. I learned that my fangs only came out if I wanted them to. I learned that I could be an ordinary human during the day, and something else at night.And I learned that
SERA'S POVI stood in the middle of the living room, still messy with half-packed suitcases. Lucas, Ethan, and Noah were already on the sofa, asleep again after crying for a bit. This house felt foreign now. The walls we'd plastered with memories now felt like a cage."We need to leave tonight," I said."Where to?""I don't know. Somewhere they won't find us."He walked closer, his face tired. Not just physically tired, but soul-tired. I could see it in his eyes."We've tried running—to the cabin, to this town, to this house. They always find us.""Then we need to run farther—overseas, to Europe, somewhere the pack has no influence.""We don't have the money for that.""We can find work there. I can open another flower shop. You can...""Sera." He cut me off, his voice soft but firm. "You just got out of the hospital. Your body is still weak. Your surgery scar hasn't healed, and you want to run overseas with three babies?"I was quiet. He was right. I was just panicking. I just wanted
SERA'S POVThree weeks later, we went home.The small house on the edge of Sandpoint was still standing. The grass in the front yard had grown a little taller, dry leaves scattered across the porch.Gabriel helped me out of the old car. My body was still weak, the C-section scar still stung if I moved too much, but I didn't want to wait any longer.Lucas, Ethan, and Noah were asleep in three car seats that barely fit in the back. Gabriel had to order them specially online—three car seats that could line up in that small car. It took two weeks for them to arrive, but finally we could pick the babies up from the hospital.I looked at the house. The windows were dark. The front door was shut tight, but something felt wrong."Gabriel," I whispered."Yeah?""Do you feel something strange?"He didn't answer. I turned to look at his tense face. His eyes narrowed toward the house, his nose twitching slightly."We're not alone," he said quietly."Marcus?""Or his men. I smell at least four dif
SERA'S POVI fell silent.Gabriel's words were still echoing in my ears, like thunder in broad daylight."What?" I whispered.He sighed, his hand still stroking little Lucas's cheek."After this, I'm going to turn myself in to Marcus. I'll ask him not to come after you, not to bother you, not to bother our children.""No.""Sera...""NO!" I nearly shouted. Lucas squirmed, startled by my voice. I lowered my volume, but my anger didn't subside. "You're not doing that. I won't let you."He looked at me with soft eyes, but that softness only made me angrier. "It's the only way.""Liar! There's always another way!""There's no other way.""I don't care! I won't let you go!"Gabriel carefully placed Lucas back into the incubator, then did the same with Ethan and Noah. One by one, with gentle and loving movements, he separated them from my embrace. I wanted to scream, wanted to reach for them again, but my hands were still weak."Listen. As long as I'm free, Marcus won't stop. They'll keep s
SERA'S POVThe first sound I heard was the sound of machines.The second sound was the sound of breathing. Heavy breathing, sometimes broken, like someone trying to hold back tears.I tried to open my eyes. My eyelids felt heavy, as if weighed down by a thousand tons. White light pierced my retina, making me blink several times before finally getting used to it.White ceiling, fluorescent lights, the smell of antiseptic.I was in a hospital.I tried to remember what happened. The black cars that surrounded us, then the pain in my stomach. Seizures, panic, then Gabriel carrying me to the car.I turned my head slowly. My neck hurt. There was a stinging sensation on its left side, like a fresh wound, but I didn't care.Next to the bed sat Gabriel.He was crying.Gabriel Bloodfang, the man who never showed weakness, who always stood strong in front of anyone, who used to destroy enemies without blinking, he was crying. Tears streamed down his face, wetting his cheeks that had started to s
GABRIEL'S POVTwo weeks later.Her condition didn't improve. It got worse.At first, it was just small declines. Her heartbeat weakened a little. Her blood pressure dropped. The doctor said that was normal for a coma patient. But then her fever spiked and wouldn't go down. An infection spread through her body. The antibiotics weren't working as effectively as hoped.Dr. Chen called me into her office that afternoon. Her face was serious, more serious than usual."We need to talk."I sat in the chair across from her, my heart pounding erratically."Sera's condition is weakening. The infection is spreading, and her body isn't responding to treatment the way we hoped.""What do you mean?""It means that if there's no significant change in the next few days, we could lose her."I gripped the armrest of the chair tightly. "No. Is there anything I can do? Anything."Dr. Chen looked at me for a long moment, then sighed."There is one way, but it's outside conventional medical practice. I can
The next day, the decision to go with Gabriel to his workplace felt like the only logical choice. The alternative was to spend the day alone in his luxurious apartment that felt like a marble-clad prison, obsessing over David, my uncle, and all the threats out there. At least, amidst the bustle of
Sweat still dampened my skin as I stepped out onto the balcony. The cool night air touched my body, which had just been shaken by pleasure, making me shiver slightly. There, standing with his back to me, was Gabriel. His sharp silhouette was perfectly carved in the moonlight, his cigarette smoke da
The door slammed open. Gabriel’s breath was heavy as he entered, his strides long and decisive like a storm that left no room for words.“I told you not to touch anything.”I stood in the corner of the room, my fingers still gripping my phone. “I did not touch it. I only read the card that was tuck
Night fell quickly. The streetlights outside seeped through the gaps in the curtains. I was sitting on the living room floor when the sound of a turning key was heard. The door opened, and Gabriel entered alone, without his guards.He carried a large paper bag."Dinner," he said shortly, placing it







