“As will I.” Tears spring to my eyes as I gaze at each of my mates, my heart fracturing. “I’ll miss all of you. So, so fucking much.”

Lir sniffs, turning his head so I don’t see the tears streaming down his cheeks. “Goodbye, little one,” he says, letting his hands drop from my shoulders as he turns and stalks away, disappearing into the dark just like Malice.

The others follow one by one, leaving me alone in the center of the clearing with tearstained cheeks and a heart made of glass. I stand in place for a few minutes, trying to breathe past the burning ache in my lungs, wiping away the constant flood of tears coursing from my eyes.

They can’t be gone. I refuse to believe it. I can’t.

But no matter how long I wait or how hard I will it, they don’t return.

A small crunch pierces through the silence, and my heart jumps to my throat as I whip my head over my shoulder, expecting to see Malice’s signature smirk gleaming through the shadows, telling me he was wrong and that he figured out a way we can all stay together.

But the reality couldn’t be worse.

Two milky orbs peek out from the side of the welwig trunk at the far edge of the clearing, the pupils narrowing to serpentine slits as it scents the fear rolling off my skin. The corners of its eyes crinkle in a smile as it steps out from behind the tree, and my shock turns to horror as I take in the demon’s lipless smile, revealing an unmistakable row of cracked yellow teeth. Zairn.

I open my mouth to scream—to alert the others—but before I get the chance, a calloused palm claps over my mouth, silencing my cry. My eyes widen in shock as a muscular gray forearm curls around my throat, cutting off my air and rendering my body immobile. I blink, and I’m being dragged backward across the forest floor and into the shadows—where untold horrors await me.

Black dots line my vision, and the fog of terror parts, allowing me to think clearly for a single moment. Allowing me to remember I don’t need my voice to call my mates.

Help me! My scream shudders down the bond, powerful and desperate enough to alert all six to my impending doom. Please, someone! Anyone!

The dark spots consume my sight, blotting out the glistening canopy and the clouded sky above as a high-pitched ringing fills my ears. My muscles shudder and collapse, causing my body to go limp in my captor's arms as one last spike of adrenaline courses through my system, attempting to keep me conscious.