Chapter 37

Lori woke up in the middle of the night, still a bit sore but overall she felt better. Gabriel had fussed over her all night. She had told him everything about Asher and Jared. Everything he needed to know and with the look on his face, Lori just knew that they would never bother her again.

She went to the nursery. She had not seen Emilia since she left and when she got back Gabriel made her lie in bed and eat then sleep. Promising her that the baby was doing fine without her.

In the nursery Emilia was sleeping peacefully. Lori smiled as she realized that Jenny had swaddled her with the wrong blanket.

She felt tired. And sore too. Her boobs felt heavy. She had not pumped all day, she thought as she left the nursery.

If she didn't pump before daybreak they would be sore and hard and she wasn't about to deal with all of that.

In the kitchen she pulled out the breast pumps and milk storage bags and got to work, rubbing her sleepy eyes in the process as she put on her phone.

She switched to Instagram. She had harmlessly created an account a few days ago. With a fake name though and she found the app quite addicting. She loved scrolling through the explore page and finding different things.

She was aimlessly scrolling through her photos when she heard someone's footsteps. She looked behind her and saw Gabriel. He must have got up when he noticed she wasn’t in bed.

"Can't sleep?"

He asked and she shook her head.

"Sort of. I just need to pump."

She said as she pointed at the storage bags on the counter. Gabriel nodded.

"Did I wake you?"

She asked quietly and he shook his head.

They were silent again.

With only the two of them awake and everybody else sleeping, the only constant noise was the silent hum of the refrigerator.

"I'm sorry for what happened..."

Gabriel shook his head.

"It wasn't your fault. You don't have to keep apologizing."

"I mean you had no idea they were going to come and see you."

He reassured and Lori nodded.

He walked to the fridge to get a glass of water. Lori removed the pump, transferring the milk into a bottle first.

Gabriel turned to watch. It was fascinating to him, the human body, the way it produced the milk.

"What?"

Lori asked as she caught him staring.

"Nothing. I just wonder how it tastes like."

He said and Lori chuckled. She had tasted it before, it didn't taste like much. It tasted sweet, that was what she remembered.

"Do you want to taste it?"

She asked him and he shook his head.

"Wouldn't that be weird?"

He asked and she shrugged.

"I don't see why it would be weird. It's just milk."

She said and Gabriel shrugged.

"Okay."

"Get a cup."

She asked him and he did, hastily in fact.

He passed her a cup and she poured him some milk from the bottle.

She didn't put much, just enough to be considered a mouthful.

"Okay. Here it is. Taste it."

She said as she passed him the cup.

Gabriel stared at it for a while before taking the cup and having a sip.

He swished the liquid in his mouth for a while before swallowing.

"So? How does it taste?"

She asked and he shrugged.

"Very sweet..."

"I'm not sure I was expecting it to be so sweet."

Lori rolled her eyes. Grace did mention something about him not having a sweet tooth.

"Does it taste like actual milk to you?"

She asked and he tilted his head in thought.

"Hnmm. I don't think so. It does have a milky taste, but I think it's also very watery."

Lori nodded her head.

He was right. That was a close and accurate description of what it tasted like.

"Well! You're actually right."

"I see why babies like it."

He added.

That was when it hit him! He was foolish!

How did he completely miss it?!

Lori's breast milk. There was a strong possibility that it could be what was giving Emilia her growth spurts.

Lori wasn’t human, at least that was what Draco thought, and Draco was never really wrong about things like that, so it must mean that whatever Lori was could be causing Emilia to have growth spurts.

He didn't know why he didn't think of it before, especially when they had examined every other possibility.

Suzie's grandmother had mentioned that it wasn't hereditary and Gabriel himself had found out that it wasn't.

He had to test the theory, someway somehow.

"Can you pour me a little bit more of it?"

He asked and Lori raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

She asked and he shrugged.

"Just a bit."

He said and she poured him a little bit.

"Okay. Just a little. But you should know this is a one time thing. My milk supply isn't exactly great."

She said and he nodded.

Drinking it all in one gulp.

The only problem he had now was how he was going to test his new theory.

"I'll head to bed. See you later."

He said and Lori nodded.

You too.





"Well. The nurse gave us a lead. I did a thorough search online. Was able to find her driver's license."


Vara said as she dropped her laptop on the table for Sabine to see.

Sabine stared at the image before her. The woman in front of her looked young. With dark hair and her eyes looked darker. She was just twenty three. Sabine was at least twelve years older than her. That made her a bit uncomfortable. Gabriel didn’t normally go for women younger than him, at least from what she knew, but this woman, she was way younger.

"So the address, have you checked it out?"

Sabine asked snd Vara shrugged.

"I'm on my way there now."

"But, my instincts tell me she probably doesn't live there anymore. I'll ask around about her."

Vara added as she picked up her laptop.

Sabine sighed as she rubbed at her face.

"Ah that woman is such an enigma."

"I really can't wait to find out why Gabriel is hiding her."



Vara arrived at Lori’s apartment complex a few hours later and she met quite the scene. She had been skeptical at first. Seeing as there were two grown men arguing in front of her door and one other man crouched in front of her door frame with a drill in his hand.

“Hello. Excuse me.”

She called and the two men looked at her, obviously annoyed that she had interrupted their conversation.

“Hello. My name is Lydia Hopkins. I’m a friend of Loretta. I’ve been trying her cell.”

“Is she home?”

She asked as she pointed to the door that had Lori’s apartment number on it.

She was lying. It wasa lie. And the younger man narrowed his eyes at her.

“Really?!”

He asked and Lydia nodded.

“I just want to know if she’s okay.”

The man scoffed.

“If you’re really her friend then you’d know she’s not home. And she hasn’t been home for weeks.”

Vara feigned surprise.

“Really?!”

She asked and the man rolled his eyes.

He turned to the older man in front of him.

“See! This is what Rick and I deal with! Like every week there’s always someone looking for her and she doesn’t even stay here anymore!!”

“And imagine the shooting that happened just yesterday!”

“Shooting?! Did someone get hurt?”

Vara asked eagerly and the man rolled his eyes.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“But what happened?”

She asked and the man shrugged.

“I don’t know. I really don’t. Rick was the one who gave me the details, he told me she came in yesterday and someone tried to break in her place or something. At least that’s what she told the cops…”

“Who knows?!”

Rick. Well, if Rick seemed to know more then maybe Rick was the one she needed to meet.

“Where’s Rick?“

She asked and the man shrugged.

“He’s out of town. God knows how long he’ll be gone.”

The other man said as he sighed.

“Anyways. You said you’re looking for Lori? Well I don’t think she lives here anymore.”

The other man said. He looked calmer, more relaxed.

“Yes. I’m just so worried.”

Vara sighed.

“We haven’t been in good terms lately and I’m worried she’s not doing so well.“

She added, injecting enough sympathy in her voice to make them pity her. The other old man didn’t seem to care, but the younger guy sighed and finally gave in.

“Have you tried her work? I know she works at Jay’s diner or something. That dump of a place. You should check there.”

The younger man said.

Vara nodded.

“Okay. Thank you.”

Jay’s diner. It wasn’t much. In fact it wasn’t anything at all because Vara was hundred percent sure she didn’t work there anymore. But it could probably help. It should help.



Gabriel woke up few hours later when it was daybreak feeling fine.

Weird. He had expected to feel different. To feel some kind of way.

Maybe it didn’t work that way?

Was his theory wrong?

Lori was still sleeping when he woke up and he let her sleep, dashing to the nursery where Emilia was already awake and being changed on the changing table by Jenny.

“Good morning Alpha.”

Jenny said as she bowed slightly. Gabriel nodded.

“How is she?”

Jenny smiled.

“She’s good.”

“No high temperature today?”

He asked out of curiosity and Jenny shook her head.

“No. None. She’s perfectly fine.”

“I didn’t even have to give her her medicine.”

Gabriel nodded. He would schedule another check up with Dr Calloway just to be safe.

“What did you feed her yesterday?”

Gabriel asked and Jenny paused.

“Excuse me?”

“Breast milk or formula? Which one did she have?”

He asked and Jenny gulped hard.

“Ahh.. well I gave her more of the formula. You see, Lori’s milk was in the deep freezer and when I checked it was already so frozen and I didn’t have time to defrost it and warm it up so I just made some formula for her.“

She explained and Gabriel nodded.

“Okay. I was just curious.”

He said as he left the room.

He was halfway back to his room when an idea popped in his head, so he turned and headed down the stairs. He had taken her milk, but so far he had no adverse reaction, at least none that he was aware of. Maybe, maybe just maybe it would affect him in a different way since he was older.

As he walked out of the main house and passed the pool, he thought about how stupid his idea and far fetched his idea was, but he was willing to try it.

“What? What are you doing here so early?!”

Elliot asked as he rubbed his eyes. He had been peacefully sleeping in his bed when Gabriel started knocking his door like a madman. He rushed to the door thinking there was some sort of problem.

“I need a favour.”

He asked and Elliot sighed.

“What is it?”

“Punch me.”

“What?!”

Elliot straightened.

Gabriel sighed. It sounded stupid to him too, but it was worth a shot. Emilia’s grandmother had mentioned that Emilia would have asthma and breathing problems since it was hereditary but Emilia didn’t have that.

What if Lori’s breast milk has some sort of healing properties?

“Just punch me!”

“Gabriel are you okay?!”

Elliot asked. Sounding concerned now.

“For god’s sake Elliot stop asking stupid questions and fucking punch me.”

“Hard!”

Elliot sighed. Then raised his fist, he mustered all the strength in him and connected his fist with Gabriel’s face.

Gabriel staggered for a second.

Then stood straight.

He felt the force of the punch. He definitely did, it was a strong punch.


But he didn’t feel any pain.