For the first time in months, I woke up without fear.
Sunlight was streaming through the wooden slats of the cabin window. The air smelled of pine needles and... pancakes?
I sat up. Beside me, the bed was empty. Caleb was gone.
"Caleb?"
I jumped out of bed, grabbing my robe. Panic flared for a second. Did Vanguard find us?
I ran into the main living room.
And then I stopped. And I started laughing.
The "Alpha" at Work
Caleb was there. But he wasn't fighting bad guys.
He was sitting on a small wooden stool, holding a tiny screwdriver. He was trying to fix a broken toaster. He was wearing grey sweatpants and a tight t-shirt that strained against his bandaged ribs.
And he looked absolutely furious.
"Stupid machine," Caleb muttered, poking the toaster. "Work."
"It’s not
