Page 25 of Monster. Me.

Maybe I can make it there and back. The decision comes quickly. I text Gabriel that I'll come by, get changed, and leave the facility.

Surprisingly, it's incredibly easy.

I walk to the elevator, ride it to the ground level, and pass through reception without saying a word to the beta sitting behind the desk. The first people who actually stop me are the older alpha guards at the security booth near the exit.

They don't make a fuss either.

I don't even tell them where I'm going. I just mention that I'll be back in about two hours.

They log my departure in their electronic records, and that's the end of it.

Since the rental company still hasn't picked up my car, I'm free to use it. I get behind the wheel and head toward Rainbow Spring along a beautiful forest road.

The drive winds through endless woods, climbing gentle hills and dipping into shallow lowlands. Eventually the road rises to a higher ridge, and from the top I catch sight of a small picturesque valley surrounded by forests, patches of farmland, and colorful houses tucked among gardens.

It looks gorgeous.

The town itself isn't very large. I doubt more than a few hundred people live there, but everything looks carefully maintained and thoughtfully designed.

I drive down a cobblestone road lined with decorative cast-iron streetlamps and enter the tiny town center.

Around the small central square sit a café, the mayor's office, grocery stores, clothing shops, all clustered together in one convenient spot, probably for the benefit of tourists.

A beautiful plaza surrounds a lit fountain, and elegant flowerbeds fill every corner. Everything here is neat, vibrant, and inviting.

I find myself looking around with genuine appreciation before a sigh slips out.

I could live somewhere like this, raise kids here. Far away from the noise and pressure of a big city, surrounded by forests, fresh air, and nature.

As far as I know, the town is famous for its huge number of rental cabins scattered throughout the surrounding woods, each offering views of the rolling green hills stretching across the landscape.

Blue owns a sizeable piece of forest here himself and built a vacation home beside a small woodland lake.

I reach it by following a road that curves dramatically along a hillside.

It opens onto a wide forest clearing with a log house standing at its center.

Anyone expecting a rustic cabin would be mistaken, though.

The timber is combined with steel and massive walls of glass, making it obvious that the place is ultramodern.

A tall fence surrounds the property.

And they have guards here too.

Two bored-looking local alphas sit inside a small wooden guardhouse by the gate.

When they see me, neither says a word. One simply waves me through.

Apparently, Blue and Gabriel already told them to expect a visitor.

I park on the wide stone driveway and step out.

For a moment I just stand there studying the house before quietly sighing again. I really like it.

Circling around the left side, I walk far enough to get a better view of the small lake about twenty yards down the slope. Not bad at all.

Following a white stone path, I approach the front entrance. Before I even reach the large glass doors, I spot Gabriel inside, already heading toward me with a bright smile.