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“He won’t tell me.” She slammed her face into his neck and sobbed.

Fuck.

Cold ice slammed into his chest as fear began to take hold. No. No, this couldn’t be happening. Surely not yet. Not this fast.

“Fuck,” at least five warriors said at once, and chairs scraped along the floor as they stood abruptly, getting ready for battle.

Mack tossed his napkin, ready to do the same.

“Sit,” Craig ordered, his voice powerful and commanding. “This is as it should be. All of us together. The king’s warriors. With our mates. Proud and strong.”

The ice solidified in his chest as Mack glanced down at Ella. When her eyes lifted, he said the only three words that would ever matter.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” Tears slid down her face.

“Fuck that. We are not sitting on our asses.” Darnell stood and punched his fist against the wall, glaring at the commander.

Ben, Logan, Tristan, Oliver...they all stood.

Kissing Ella, Mack pushed his plate away. If they were going to war, he was going too.

Craig smiled.

The hell?

“Fuck, I love all of you cunts.” Craig's eyes glistened with emotion, which was probably the most terrifying thing any of them had ever seen.

“Jesus Christ,” Kurt muttered.

“There is nothing we can do. Sit down. Kiss your mates.” Craig’s smile vanished as he looked at the clock on the wall.“Now.” Then he turned and kissed Brianna as if it was the last thing he would ever do.

It occurred to them all that it might be, as they took two heartbeats to look at one another and then do what they’d always done.

They’d obeyed Craig Giordano, their commander.

Mack pulled Ella up and crushed her to his chest.

A blinding flash of light filled the room as someone yelled, “God save the king—”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

ARI

“Please tell me what’s happening, Ari.” Sage lifted her face.

Ari had never feared death.

Never.

He’d feared life—feared loneliness.

All of that vanished the night he met Sage. Sending Oliver away after they’d shared her, his possessiveness working overtime, and learning that she worked at BioZen had made it so confusing to acknowledge she was his mate.

But once he did, life went from black and white to multi-color, and now he’d been blessed with a few short years of utter joy.

Ari feared her death, but without him, Sage would not survive. None of that mattered now. They were all going to die.