“It’s not your fault.” My voice came out flat. Empty. “You got everyone else out. That’s what matters.” “Still.” Hunter looked at Lilith’s body. “She was brave.” “Yeah.” We stood there for a moment in silence. I couldn’t look away from her as the medics carefully began to tend to her body. Couldn’t process the fact that she was gone. Just yesterday, Ella had been so desperate to save her. And now… Now Ella was going to wake up and find out her mother was dead. She was going to be devastated. As if she weren’t already going through enough. noveldramaAs if on cue, my phone rang. I pulled it out and saw Tony’s name on the screen. My heart jumped into my throat, and I answered immediately. “Is Ella okay?” I asked without preamble. “She’s alive,” Tony said. Relief flooded through me so fast that my hand went slack and I almost dropped the phone. “She woke up about an hour ago. But she collapsed shortly after and we had to take her to the hospital. She’s stable now, but she needs medication to help her recover from the procedure.” “What about the mate bond?” I asked. “Did it work?” There was a pause. “No,” Tony said quietly after a long moment. “We weren’t able to complete the procedure properly. The bond wasn’t restored.” All I felt was relief. Relief that they hadn’t hurt her. That she was alive. That she would be okay. “I don’t give a shit about the bond,” I said. “As long as she’s alive.” “She is. She’s going to be fine, Alexander. She just needs rest.” “Which hospital?” I asked. “Ashclaw General. Room 304. We made sure to take her to the one closest to you.” “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” With that, I hung up and turned to Hunter. “I need you to stay here. Deal with the fire department, the insurance, all of it. And don’t let Lucien out of your sight. Can you do that?” “Of course, Alpha.” Hunter nodded. “Go. Be with your mate.” I started toward my car, then stopped. I looked back at Lilith’s body one more time. The paramedics were covering her with a white sheet now, preparing to load her onto a stretcher. “I’ll tell Ella,” I said to no one in particular. “I’ll tell her what you did.” Then, I turned and ran. But I didn’t make it to my car. “Alpha Alexander,” a voice called out. “We need to talk.” I stopped and turned. A group of people was approaching. There were five of them, three men and two women. They were dressed in plain clothes with no identifying features, and they didn’t appear to be with the emergency services. But their scents were of Stormhollow. +25 Bonus I froze, heart pounding. My mind immediately went to the evidence bags in my pocket. I took a step back, lifting my chin. “Who are you?” I asked coldly. “What are you doing on my property?” The group stopped a few paces away from me. I could see their gazes flicking up to the burning house behind me, then to the ambulances and firetrucks, and finally… To the body currently being loaded on a stretcher into one of the ambulances. One of the women let out a single, harsh sob that she covered with her mouth before looking away. I narrowed my eyes. One of the men stepped forward. He was my age. His face was vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on where I had seen him before. Perhaps at some kind of Stormhollow event. He had the look of a warrior. “I said, who are you?” I repeated, snarling now. The man pressed his hand over his heart and bowed his head, dropping to one knee in front of me. “We have come from Stormhollow,” he said. “We would like to offer our support to our rightful Alpha.” Support Share adminSara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.