Azriel woke suddenly, the sound of one of his twins crying piercing the quiet night. The familiar wails, which had become part of his nightly routine over the past few weeks, usually calmed his heart. He knew that Lora, his ever-dedicated mate, would soon attend to the babies, feeding them and lulling them back to sleep. But tonight, something was different. The crying didn’t stop.
He blinked, trying to shake off the lingering fog of sleep. As the cries grew more insistent, Azriel reached out through their mind link to check on Lora.
“Lora, do you need help with the twins?” he asked, his voice laced with concern. But instead of the comforting warmth of her presence, he was met with an unsettling silence.
Azriel frowned, confusion settling in. Lora never closed their mind link, especi
