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“I think another coffee,” she said, looking up from her book.

“I’ll get the coffee. I won’t be long.”

She gave me a weak smile, and I strode out. Ebony was at the bottom of the stairs with Nia. “Ebs, I need you to go to my room and make sure Iris stays awake, okay? I’ll be right back.”

“Sure thing.” She and Nia ran upstairs, and I headed for the kitchen. No one was getting much sleep tonight.

“We’re under attack!” Asher yelled.

Fuck. “Kenric! Keep everyone locked inside!” I ran out.

The door locked behind me, and I shifted and tore into the demons running at the keep.

Charity could keep sending them, and we would keep tearing them to shreds. They weren’t getting near my mate.

The ground around the keep was soaked with demon blood and ash by the time we finished. Hours had passed. Thank fuck, we hadn’t lost anyone in the fighting, but we had injuries. The demons had just kept coming, wave after wave of the fuckers. It was like they had a death wish. Well, we’d given them what they wanted.

I hosed the blood from my skin in the yard, quickly dried off, yanked on some shorts, and rushed back inside. I ran up the stairs and was a couple yards away when I heard Ebony’s distressed cries and Nia barking.

I sprinted the rest of the way and flung the door open.

Fuck. Iris’s eyes were rolled back in her head, and Ebony was on the floor, arms wrapped around my mate’s legs. Tears ran down her face. “I’m sorry, alpha. I-I only fell asleep for a minute. I don’t know what’s happened to her…I didn’t know what to do.”

I rushed over and scooped Iris up in my arms. “It’s okay, Ebs. I’ve got her now. She can’t go anywhere.”

“T-there were demons outside, and she was trying to leave and she wouldn’t wake up…and her eyes…” She sobbed. “What happened to her eyes?”

“Go to your mom, Ebs. This isn’t your fault.” I just had to keep Iris here, right? If I kept her here and woke her the hell up, she’d be safe? She had to be.

Iris lifted her head suddenly and turned to me. She stared at me blindly with milky white irises, then smiled. “Say goodbye to your mate, wolf.” That wasn’t Iris’s voice, but it was one I’d never forgotten.

Charity.

Iris’s eyes cleared for a split second. For a moment, they were back to their beautiful deep brown. But fear filled them. “Draven. Oh goddess, help me.”

“I’ve got you. I won’t let them take you. Fight it. Fight it, baby.”

But her eyes rolled back, once again white—then she went limp in my arms. “Iris?” I shook her. “Petal? Fuck…Iris!”

She didn’t move.

Her breathing grew shallow.

Then I felt it.

I felt her soul leave her body. She was just…gone. Still breathing, slow and shallow, but there was nothing there. Iris wasn’t there. Even her face looked different. And somehow, I just knew that when Iris’s soul reached Charity and the evil witch did whatever twisted thing she had planned, my mate would stop breathing.

And I’d lose her forever.

I roared, standing there with my female limp in my arms, not sure what the fuck to do.

Asher rushed through the door. “What the hell’s going on?”

I shook my head, my mind buzzing, my heart racing. Iris’s soul was on its way to that cottage, and I wanted her body to be as close to it as possible, it was the only thing that made sense. I held Iris close and ran for the door.

Asher immediately followed, and I forced myself to stop as more of my warriors rushed up the stairs as well. “Where I’m going, there will be witches.” My gaze touched each of theirs. “Charity’s evil spirit will be there.”

Growls filled the small space.