As the weight of their situation settled over them, Avery and her four mates exchanged nervous glances, each grappling with the impossible decision that lay before them. According to the rules imposed upon them, Avery had to choose one of her mates as her sole partner, condemning the others to death. It was a choice none of them wanted to make, yet the consequences of refusing to choose were equally dire.

Silence hung heavy in the air as they sat in the dimly lit living room, the only ...