HIDDEN (FIGHT OR FLIGHT)

Chapter 13

FELIX'S P.O.V.

The cabin was always quiet, a refuge from the chaos that Damon and I had lived through for so many years. But this morning, that peacefulness shattered as soon as Vincent sneered, "Dogers." A chill crawled down my spine as the front door creaked open, the sound so slow and eerie, it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Everyone went on high alert instantly.

The tension in the room was thick, one could almost touch it, as Damon, Bear, Vincent, and I stood in silence, processing the gravity of the situation. Damon was the first to act, his movements sharp and deliberate as he got up from the bed and called us closer over to him, interrupting his cuddling with Bear. His voice which was usually so composed when he spoke to me, now held a frantic edge that made my heart race.

"Link hands," Damon commanded, his intense gaze shifting from me to Vincent. His bright blue eyes were dark with determination. “I can teleport us out of here.”

“Teleport?” Vincent’s voice cut through the moment like a blade, sharp with disbelief. His glossy brown eyes, which had always seemed impenetrable, flickered with something unfamiliar—something that hinted at disbelief and maybe...fear. "You can do that?" he asked, his shock evident, though something in his tone told me he wasn’t just surprised. There was a hint of... dread.

Before I could even understand why Vincent looked so rattled, he stepped between Damon and me, his hand outstretched, effectively stopping me from reaching for my brother. His expression had hardened, eyes narrowing as if he knew something we didn’t. "No. You can’t," he said firmly, his voice low, almost growling. "They’ll track the teleportation energy."

Damon’s brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Vincent let out a slow, deliberate breath, like he was revealing a dangerous secret. “Dogers are exceptional trackers," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "They can sense teleportation trails... that's how I tracked Bear here."

The revelation dropped like a bombshell, the air between us thickening as if the room itself had drawn a breath and held it. Damon's eyes widened, and I could see the flicker of doubt in his face. The silence was overwhelming, broken only by the steady thump of my heartbeat in my ears. Vincent’s confession changed everything.

Damon stood straighter, his fists clenched at his sides. “You knew they were coming this way the whole time?" There was no accusation in his voice, just a tense, brittle edge as if the knowledge hadn’t fully settled yet. “And you didn’t say anything?”

Vincent’s jaw tightened. "I was waiting for the right time," he said. "But there’s no time to argue about this now. If we teleport, they’ll follow us—exactly like they followed the last trail of energy to Bear. And if they keep follow us and we keep running, they'll never stop."

My gut twisted, a knot forming as Damon and Bear shared a glance, their silent debate unspoken but clear. Damon was always the one to run, not because he was scared but because he had me. He was always the one to take on the burden of protecting us. But I couldn’t stand it anymore. The weight of all the times he’d sacrificed for me hung heavy in the air between us.

“No,” I said, my voice stronger than I felt inside. Damon’s head snapped toward me, his eyes widening slightly. I stepped forward, refusing to back down. “We’re not running anymore.” I locked eyes with my brother, feeling the connection between us flare to life. “We stand and fight.”

“Felix—" Damon began, his voice softer, pleading, but I cut him off.

“No more running, Damon,” I repeated, my tone firmer. “I know you’ve always protected me, always kept us safe. But I’m not a helpless, powerless kid anymore, and neither are you. We’ve built something here Dame, and I won’t let them take it from us. Not again. You deserve stability for once in your life. We both do.”