Isla

“Ella,” I whisper. I’m in shock. My entire body hums with adrenaline as I try to step deeper into what remains of my living room. Everything is ash and embers. The ceiling is gone, revealing the glare of the midmorning sun. 

And there she is, kneeling in the center of the room, covered in her mate’s blood. 

Maddox lurches forward, but I grab him around the waist and haul him back. “Wait!”

Ella pants, her chest heaving with each ragged breath she takes. In the distance, I hear sirens. Smoke funnels toward the sky. It’s only a matter of minutes until people start descending on our property, and they...