Aubree's POV
Later that night, I tried to be brave.
Tried to sleep with the twins in the room — Abel in a chair by the door, jaw locked, muscles tense beneath his shirt like coiled wire. Carter leaned against the wall, a book in his hand he clearly wasn’t reading, his eyes drifting toward me every few seconds like he was afraid I might disappear if he blinked.
The room was quiet. Too quiet.
No humming pipes. No hallway footsteps. Even the wind outside felt like it was holding its breath.
For a while, I almost fell asleep.
Almost.
My eyelids felt heavy, consciousness fading in and out like a dying light—
Until Carter stiffened.
His stillness was immediate. Absolute.
Abel’s eyes snapped open instantly, instincts razor-sharp.
“What is it?” he whispered.
Carter didn’t answer.
His
