Chapter 176

176 The Quiet Before The Storm

Mara

When I came back upstairs to wake Tiffany, I found her cradling Emma, breastfeeding in the soft morning light. The scene stopped me cold.

There was a quiet stillness between them-an intimate, sacred calm that made the storm waiting outside feel even more vicious. For a moment, I wished I didn’t have to break it.

“Tiffany,” I said gently.

She looked up at me, eyes still soft from sleep and motherhood. I kept my voice even, steady-because panic was a luxury we couldn’t afford.

“We have to go. Now. To the Nighthorn Mansion.”