Mag-log inSERA'S POVThe next morning, we went to the doctor.Not just any doctor. I had searched online since the night before, reading reviews, looking for the closest one with a good reputation. Gabriel was hesitant at first. "Too risky," he said. But I didn't care. This was about our baby. About the small life growing inside me. I wouldn't take any chances just because we were afraid of being caught.The doctor practiced at a small clinic downtown. Her name was Dr. Evelyn Marsh, a middle-aged woman with light brown hair and a calming smile. I made the appointment under a fake name, of course. "Sarah Johnson." Gabriel waited in the car, afraid to come inside. But I told him, "If anything happens, I'll call."The clinic's waiting room was small and warm. I sat in a plastic chair, holding a small bag containing the pregnancy test I hadn't touched since last night. My stomach still felt strange, maybe it was just nerves, or maybe there really was something growing inside me."Sarah Johnson?"I
SERA'S POVOne month had passed since we arrived at that old cabin in the middle of the forest.The cabin was never truly comfortable. The roof leaked in three places, so every time it rained, we had to place old buckets in the corners of the room. The fireplace needed firewood every few hours, and Gabriel often went out in the middle of the night just to make sure the fire didn't go out. The bed was too small for two people, so we slept crammed together, his body wrapping around mine like a shield.But I had never been this happy.Every morning, I woke up first. I'd heat water on the kerosene stove, make instant coffee that never tasted good, then sit on the porch and enjoy the sunrise through the trees. Gabriel would come out later, with messy hair and half-closed eyes, then sit next to me without saying a word.Sometimes, in the afternoon, we'd walk through the forest. Gabriel taught me the names of the trees, animal tracks, how to read directions without a compass.Sometimes, at n
SERA'S POVThe sun was starting to lean west as we crossed into Idaho. The drive felt long, exhausting, but I didn't dare sleep. Gabriel drove with intense focus, his eyes constantly scanning the road, occasionally checking the rearview mirror. No one was following.We stopped in a small town called Coeur d'Alene. Not too small, but quiet enough. A blue lake stretched out in the distance, surrounded by towering pine trees."We need supplies—food, water, blankets. Maybe thick jackets. The cabin in the mountains is definitely cold," I said.Gabriel nodded and parked the car by the lake."I'll wait here. You do the shopping.""You don't want to go in?""My face is too recognizable. It's safer if you go alone."I sighed but didn't argue. He was right. His wanted posters might already be spread around small towns like this. I couldn't take the risk.I got out and walked to the mini-mart across the street. Inside, it was quiet. An elderly cashier smiled warmly, a few housewives were buying
The car drove away from Seattle at a steady speed. I sat in the driver’s seat, my hands still shaking even though I tried to stay calm. Gabriel sat beside me in silence, his eyes occasionally checking the rearview mirror to make sure no one was following.Two hours into the drive, then three, the city got farther and farther away, replaced by green stretches of trees and an ever-widening sky. We didn’t talk much. I was too focused on the road, and Gabriel was too lost in his own thoughts.Until finally, I pulled over at a small rest area by the side of the road.“Let’s rest for a bit,” I said, turning off the engine.Gabriel nodded. He opened the door, got out, and walked over to a wooden bench under a big tree. I followed him and sat down next to him.“Where are we actually going?” I asked.He sighed. “I don’t know.”“Isn’t there any other hiding place? Besides your grandfather’s old cabin?” I asked.“That’s the only one, and they already know about it. If I go back there, I’d just m
SERA'S POVI didn't let Gabriel come downstairs."You wait in the room," I said, pushing him back toward the stairs. "Don't come out. Don't appear at the window. Don't make any noise."He looked at me with a furrowed brow."Why?""Please. Do this for me," I said.He nodded, went back up the stairs, and closed the apartment door behind him.I let out a sigh of relief, then went back to the front of the shop. I opened the metal shutters, arranged the flowers as usual, smiled at Mrs. Harrison who arrived with her bright smile.But my hands were trembling as I held the flower shears.I waited until Mrs. Harrison was busy in the back, then I picked up my phone.I opened the news app, and there, on the front page, the headline made me freeze."OFFICIAL PACK ANNOUNCEMENT: BOUNTY FOR THE CAPTURE OF GABRIEL BLOODFANG."I read it once more."The Council of Elders of the Bloodfang Pack has officially announced a bounty for the capture of the former Alpha, Gabriel Bloodfang. With a reward of one
SERA'S POVThe next day.Gabriel was still fast asleep. His large body was folded on the single bed that was too narrow, one leg dangling off the edge, his arm stretched out to the side where I had been lying. His face was slightly furrowed in sleep, as if he was dreaming of something unpleasant.I didn't wake him.I got up quietly, grabbed my jacket, and went down the creaky wooden stairs. In the small bathroom behind the shop, I splashed cold water on my face, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were a little puffy, my hair still messy, but not too bad. I took a deep breath, tied my hair back, and walked to the front to open the shop.I opened the metal shutters, arranged the flowers in front of the display case, changed the water in the vases that had started to cloud. This routine had been my solace for months. The scent of flowers, the quiet of the morning, the occasional sound of birds or passing cars.But this morning was different.The small TV in the corner of the
I close my eyes tighter, trying to drown the incessant ringing sound into the darkness behind my eyelids.Punishment.The ringing stops again. The brief silence feels more suffocating than the sound itself, followed by the vibration of message notifications. One, two, three times.I do not move. My
As lunch neared its end, the atmosphere in the room grew quiet. Gabriel had not spoken much. He only ate slowly, occasionally observing my face as if making sure every detail of my expression was recorded in his memory.After swallowing his last bite, he placed his fork and knife down with movement
Gabriel pulled out a chair for me, a simple gesture that felt incredibly personal when it came from him. I sat down slowly, feeling the satin dress that wrapped my body as if it was recording every bit of my nervousness. Gabriel sat across from me, watching without blinking, as if he was studying e
I did not know how I was still able to walk toward the elevator. My legs felt as if they were not touching the floor, my chest tight. My mind was filled with the image of David leaving with a pale face, and Gabriel’s sharp gaze like a blade.The elevator chimed and the doors opened. We stepped insi







