The city had become a battlefield. Fires burned across broken streets, smoke twisting into the gray sky like black fingers reaching for something beyond our grasp. From the safe house rooftop, I could see the chaos in every direction: collapsed buildings, overturned vehicles, automated patrols moving in patterns, and distant shadows darting through alleys. Every instinct screamed danger, but we couldn’t stay hidden forever. Damian stood at the edge, muscles coiled, eyes scanning every street and alley. His presence was magnetic and terrifying at once, an alpha in his prime, tempered by grief, rage, and an unshakable will to protect. I stayed close, hands pressed to my stomach, feeling the twins shift. Their movements were sharp and insistent, a constant reminder of why survival was no long
