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 sound the soft hum of the ceiling fan overhead. Avery could feel the tension coiling in her chest, a knot of anxiety tightening with each passing moment. She knew they couldn't avoid the inevitable forever, but the thought of having to condemn three of her mates to death was unbearable.
Shane was the first
