---- Michael's eyes cleared sometimes-just for a moment. His breathing evened out as he drifted into sleep, his fingers still loosely curled around his stuffed toy. I stayed awake a little longer, watching him, my heart aching with emotions I didn't fully understand. Eventually, exhaustion won, and I let sleep take me. At midnight, I stirred awake, feeling the space beside me empty. Confused, I rubbed my eyes and sat up, blinking in the darkness. Where was Alpha Michael? A faint sound came from the bathroom. Half-asleep, I pushed the covers back and walked ---- toward the door, opening it slowly. And then- I froze. The room was filled with the faint glow of the moon. I hadn't drawn the curtains completely. Alpha Michael was standing. Not sitting. Not crawling. Standing, tall and motionless, his body outlined by moonlight. He stood in front of the restroom, his posture straight, his back to me. My heart slammed against my ribs. He wasn't supposed to be able to do that. "Alpha Michael?" My voice barely came out as a ---- whisper. He turned his head slightly, glancing at me over his shoulder. His eyes gleamed gold. Not dull. Not empty. Alert. "Oh shit!" he muttered under his breath. My eyes widened in shock and at that moment I realized something. The Alpha Michael I thought I knew-the one they said was broken-wasn't broken at all. He'd just been hiding.