eks we

through the glass, checking the front seats before moving the beam toward the back of the car. The li

id with clear exhaustion in his voice. His

n irritation. The man quickly lowered the flashlight to

very day for close to two weeks," he contin

d put together out of an old fruit crate. Then I lowe

e anywhere else to stay?

g across the nearly empty parking lot. "The c

by's father

shook m

about the pregnancy, he'd end the call the second he recognized my voice. I even tried showing him

im a proper home," he told me. "You'd

arents threw me away," I replied immediately. Eve

family takes him in, you could start over and get back on your feet. Think carefully ab

before rolling th

for a moment before laying him back inside the fruit crate beside me. Every night, the same fear s

us and shifted around, trying to

words kept repeating in my head. Th

he r

en away felt unbearable. He wa

t of my seat and searching through the trunk for my umbrella. After making sure Vennen was warm

g not to slip on the rain-soaked pavement. Inside the accessible stall, I balanced the bucket

e most. I never had anywh

up with one hand, cleaned myself as quic

had to carry Vennen, hold the umbrella steady, and keep the buck

e the car. I changed his diaper, cleaned him with a damp washcloth, and dressed h

ater to wipe myself do

g, I missed takin

operly, but getting there would've wasted gas. Right

nto the world, everything slowly collapsed around me. My savings disappeared on formula, bottled water, diapers, and baby cl

I only had a hun

tion soon, because I wa

urant no longer wanted me working there. My parents wanted nothing to do with me. And when I t

t me. He said there was no chance he'd ever willingly touch someone my age. But thin

hotel club never s

e private club while the meeting was taking place. Alpha Valentin had already been drunk, and hon

er planned for, and no matter how much t

stomach twisted in protest immediately. I missed real food so much. I missed t

my cheek while I l

he old photos saved inside it. Back then, I still had a

ways to earn money. The security guard's warning stayed stuck in my head th

arrived, darkness had already sta

tried lighting it, but the

tepped out into the rain and search

o you happen

isten. People kept walking past

give up, I spotted a yo

He always boarded the first train in the morning, and he

en eyes, and the kind of confiden

is expression turned cautious. Th

s one of the Betas who attended th

ke I hadn'

o almost nothing. I had never even completed my shift before. Part

I asked before he could

reached into his pocket, pulled out a sm

lit the candle resting on a

ound again, my c

follo

mped from t

kly while handing the

o walk away, but Vennen suddenly

" I whispered while r

he st

he Beta standing there, hol

baby inside

ds left his mouth, p

t me? Was he about to

chest. The man kept staring at me with an unreadable look before taking a slow b

nnen even

ease don't contact social serv

uspicious. Instead, he looked like he was try

ing around the parking lot. Then he lightly nud

morrow, I promise," I answered,

council somehow, but nothing about him matched th

ietly muttered, almost under his breath,