HIDDEN (FIGHT OR FLIGHT)

Chapter 5

DAMON'S P. O. V.

As soon as we appeared in front of our new hideout, a rare smile crept onto my face. I couldn’t help it—there was something peaceful about the sight. The small, wooden structure of a cabin stood quietly amid the thick, towering trees, its presence almost blending into the forest around us. The cool, crisp air brushed against my skin, filling my lungs with a sense of calm that had been missing for so long. It felt surreal, like I had stumbled into a different world, one far away from the chaos of my mind.

It was hard to believe that just a week ago, this place didn’t even exist in my reality. I hadn’t been searching for anything; I had just been flying, trying to escape the weight of my nightmares that always seemed to linger in the back of my thoughts. I remembered the moment vividly—one second I was lost in the air, and the next, there it was. A perfectly preserved cabin, hidden deep within the woods, untouched and secluded from the rest of the world. It felt too good to be true, but it was there, and we needed a place to call our own. Maybe it was fate, maybe it was pure luck. Either way, I found it, and it was ours for the time being.

Beside me, Felix stood on the porch, his eyes wide with awe as he took in the view. I could see the wonder in his expression, his usual carefree demeanor softened by the beauty of the moment. “How’d you even find this place?” he asked, his voice low, almost reverent.

I shrugged, playing it off like it was nothing. “I was out late, flying around. Saw it, looked empty, so I checked it out. The previous owners look like they have been long gone. Power’s still on, basics are here. Beats all the places we’ve stayed in.”

Felix raised an eyebrow, the skepticism evident in his gaze. “You just… stumbled on it?”

I met his look, smirking a little. “Yeah. What, you don’t believe me?”

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “No, I believe you. It’s just... far from work. You know I’ve got the night shift sometimes.”

His words hung in the air between us, the practicalities of life creeping into the moment of peace. I knew what he was getting at, but I wasn’t going to let distance be a problem. Not for him.

“Don’t worry about the distance,” I said quickly, my tone firm. “I can teleport you whenever you need. No big deal.”

Felix shot me a look, the kind that told me he didn’t need or want my help. I hated that look. It reminded me that he didn’t always rely on me the way I wanted him to. “I can handle it, Damon. I’m capable.”

I held his gaze for a long moment, trying to swallow the urge to argue. He was capable—more than capable. But I couldn’t shake the protective instinct that had been drilled into me since we were kids. Even now, with him standing in front of me, full of life and energy, I couldn’t help but want to shield him from the world. It was my job, whether he liked it or not.

Before the tension between us could grow, Bear let out a low whistle, breaking the moment. “So, are we just going to stand here, or are we going in?”

I glanced over at him, feeling that familiar, unsettling pull in my chest. Bear was still a mystery to me—an enigma I couldn’t quite figure out. He was quiet, almost too quiet, but there was something about him that drew me in, something I didn’t fully understand. His presence kept me on edge, always wondering what he was thinking, what he was hiding. And yet, I couldn’t deny the strange comfort I felt when he was around, like he fit into our lives in a way I wasn’t prepared to admit.

“Let’s unpack,” I muttered, pushing open the door and stepping inside.

As I walked through the threshold, the warm, wooden interior of the cabin greeted me. The place felt untouched, yet welcoming, as if it had been waiting for us all along. The quiet creaks of the floorboards beneath my feet, the soft light filtering through the windows—it was all so different from the cold, harsh world I was used to. But here, in this space, I allowed myself to hope for something better. Maybe, just maybe, we had finally found a place where we could breathe, where we could be safe.