I had finally begun to doze off, my body only now relaxing after the chaos of the last few days. Hazel had been sleeping for hours, curled up in her room just down the hall. The house was quiet-almost too quiet.
Then, I heard it-an unmistakable sound, a soft creak from downstairs. In an instant, my heart slammed in my chest, and I was frozen in place. Next to me, Jaxon stirred, sensing that something was wrong before I could even react.
"Isabel?" His voice was low, groggy, but laced with that edge. "Did you hear that?"
I nodded, catching my breath. "Yeah… I don't know. I thought it was nothing."
But then, the other sound was louder this time. A slow, deliberate, heavy step-that was unmistakable. There was someone in the house. My heart leaped, and I bolted upright.
"Stay here," I whis
