I didn’t sleep that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I could hear the steady beat of Martin’s heart beside me, warm and strong. I could feel his hand resting gently across my stomach, as if protecting something he didn’t yet fully understand but somehow already loved. The fire was gone, the storms had passed, and for the first time in a long time, there was quiet. When I finally slipped out of bed, dawn hadn’t broken yet. The house was dark, the kind of darkness that was neither frightening nor lonely just still. I pulled on my robe and stepped out to the balcony, letting the cold air fill my lungs. The world below looked clean, washed by rain and renewal. I placed a hand over my belly, uncertain, afraid even, but the thought of life of new life within me felt unreal. Could the same body that had been trained to kill, to destroy Alphas, truly be capable of creating life? It felt like a cruel joke from the creator — or maybe, her redemption. “Couldn’t sleep?” Martin’s voice br
Last Updated : 2025-10-10 Read more