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The wall was coming up quick, so I launched myself at it and scrambled up the side. At the top, I stood and looked around. There were no guards in sight at the moment even though I knew they were around somewhere. They wouldn’t care that I was here. I could’ve walked in through the front gate, but it would’ve gotten back to my parents in a hurry. If that happened, I was certain to get a lecture about acting like the future queen I was.

But, I wanted to see them before they saw me. I wanted to look at my potential mates not just from the pictures and files I was given with stats and facts and anecdotes. I wanted toreallysee them. Before they knew they were on display, I wanted to get a sense of their true character. You could tell a lot about someone when they didn’t know they were being watched. How did they walk? How did they treat others? Were they revered or feared?

I tried my best to be “on” all the time. People were always watching me. Even now, I tilted my chin in the air before jumping from the top of the wall and landing smoothly on both feet. There were cameras all around The Fort. In case a guard had caught me on one of them, I didn’t want to trip or stumble or have anything less than elegant strength.

I peered up at the surrounding rooftops. There were several buildings that made up the Rajyvik Training Facility campus. Dorms. Offices. Training rooms. I would take up sentry on top of one of the smaller buildings roofs, hoping to catch the sons of clan leaders as they drove into The Fort.

We could have used our house to host the choosing ceremony, or we could have used the Ravana Estate, but I felt The Fort was better. It had access to everything I wanted to see. All the tools were at my disposal here that I wanted to learn from these potential vampire mates. We had training weapons, gyms, and ample room to spread out. I would need to see their warrior strength on top of everything else.

No one had publicly asked why I’d made this decree, and I wondered what that meant. We sent out invitations to all the ruling clans to send one vampire who would be willing to serve me, to honor me, and to unite our people, and no one had batted an eye. Yet. Time would only tell if that would hold true.

Streaking across the quad, I heaved myself at a smaller office building. I felt my claws extend and used them as hooks as I climbed my way up. My heart rate was slightly elevated when I reached the top, but nothing compared to if I’d been born with more human-like qualities. Instead of having to stop to catch my breath, I walked toward a small awning where I could hide in the shadows. This came in handy in two different ways. One, so I wouldn’t be spotted by my potential mates. Two, so that I could stay away from the sun. I sat next, staring at the front gate to The Fort, waiting for the cars to come.

There would be six. Six clans. Six vampires. Six choices.

I wasn’t sure how many I would take. I could have all six, or none.

To think that each clan was willing to play along with this was…surprising. I must have been more infamous than I thought. Though I was always on display, my abilities were largely kept secret to our people. There were whispers and rumors, but I’d yet to hear one that was exactly true. Most of them were well exaggerated, but those were always fun to hear too.

Whatever my abilities were, and we weren’t sure we’d seen them all yet, I would be needed. When I thought I was crazy for doing this, I reminded myself I was here to unite the clans as my mother had done before me. There would be more war. There would be more death. Together, we would win. Separate, we would die.

I saw it. Iforesawit. And that’s why I was here right now on top of this roof, waiting for them to come.

The world grew lighter around me as it was just waking up. The trees rustled in the wind. The birds began to chirp. My gaze flicked from one end of The Fort to the other. I looked right past the guard shack and then came back around. There was activity there. I leaned outside my hiding place, my stomach fluttering. Just then, the tiniest of noises met my expert ears. There was a car approaching. It was still far away, but it just might be the first clan’s arrival.

My skin pricked. To my right, a group of people exited the dormitory building. There were no students on campus right now, just staff. I recognized them as they walked to the middle of the quad and started erecting a large tent that had lain like a square parachute on the ground. Beyond them, the vehicle grew closer and closer. The staff talked and laughed. The guards in the shack straightened their shoulders. All of this was culminating into one thing. This was really happening. Everything I’d planned for months was falling into place.

The rest of the world fell away as the sleek black car came into view. It slowed, and my heart felt as if it was going to punch right through my rib cage. Though I tried telling myself to be calm, it was difficult. In that vehicle could be my mate. If I chose.

The car checked in with the guard station and was given instructions to pull around. Someone exited out a building to my left. I heard the groaning of the door and the telltale slam of it closing behind the person. I waited and waited. When the person approached the car, I slipped back into the shadows. Papa Christian. I should’ve guessed it would be him here to welcome everyone. As head of The Council, he would be the perfect choice.

I lay down on the roof, making myself as invisible as possible. The driver got out of the car and went around to open the back door. I held my breath. A crop of dark hair emerged. That only narrowed the mates down some. But judging on the vehicle they drove, I narrowed it down to only two in my mind.

The full body emerged. He looked up and around, taking in his surroundings and I slunk back even further. It would be humiliating to get caught sneaking around by any of my future mates.

Papa Christian shook the vampire’s hand.

The man smiled and the tension in my stomach eased. He turned from Christian and reached back into the car and helped out a woman with long dark hair. She wore a flower in her hair and even though she didn’t look a day over thirty-five—as we all didn’t—she had the aura of age and wisdom. This was the Iona Clan from the Pacific. He—Kai Iona—had permanent tanned skin, deep and rich. He introduced his mother to Christian and stepped back, using his time to look around again. I flattened myself as low as I could, but I couldn’t move back enough to take my eyes off him.

He was beautiful. His grin gleefully pricked at my skin. His demeanor calm, jovial, pleasant though we asked him to come far for this…for me. And he had no idea of what was at stake…

The strength inside me steeled. I had to do this. I knew I had to, but with options like him, it would make it easier.

Christian gestured toward the main building. I inched closer to watch them for far longer than I should. Christian’s gaze rose, and I slipped back quickly, closing my eyes as if that would make me invisible from my father. I didn’t know if he’d seen me or not, but he probably had. Papa Christian always had a way of knowing stuff.

My phone pinged, and my stomach fell. I pulled it out warily and looked down at the screen.If you wanted to be here to welcome them, you should’ve just asked. And appeared like normal. And dressed for the occasion.

He didn’t understand and wouldn’t understand if I tried to explain it to him. It wasn’t about welcoming them, it was about seeing them without all the pretense, before we all put on airs and… This was just way too long of a text to send. Instead of answering, I just ignored it and put my phone back in my pocket.

Another vehicle approached. With no time to dwell on Papa Christian, I inched to the edge of the roof again, my heart once again in my throat. The SUV passed the guard station and pulled up just behind the other car. The door opened again and surprising me, it wasn’t Papa Christian who emerged this time. It was Papa Connor. He was smiling, as usual, waiting at a respectable distance with his hands behind his back.

The door opened and a large man with muscles barely contained by his attire stepped out. My mouth dropped when he came around the side of the SUV. I noticed his beard first, down to his collarbone and fiery red. His kilt next, showing off calf’s weightlifters would be jealous of. Clan MacDougall. The clan leader had driven himself.

Interesting.

The passenger side door swung open and a smaller, albeit still intimidating figure came into view. He closely resembled his father in looks though his copper hair was more subdued. Calen MacDougall. I bit my lip as the accents rose up to meet me. Papa Connor and MacDougall hugged and then Papa turned to my potential mate. They shared a healthy handshake, MacDougall laughing heartily in the background. I watched them walk away, my throat dry. Calen was more handsome than the picture in his file. They warned me about the cultural differences, and I admitted I smirked a little when I heard the word kilt, but if anything, it made his appearance that much more rugged. The man wore what was essentially a skirt and didn’t care. My face heated just thinking about it.

I flipped over on my back and stared at the sky. What if I wanted all of them? Surely that couldn’t be a bad thing…but six?