"One hour? I... I can't?—"
"You can and you will." His voice hardened. "This match is a great honor, one that benefits the entire colony. Think of allthe orphans like yourself who will eat better because of your contribution."
He was manipulating me, but knowing that didn't make his words less effective. What choice did I have?
Two women I didn't recognize led me to a preparation room. They stripped me of my fishing clothes, scrubbed my skin until it was raw, and washed my hair with sweet-smelling soap I'd never been able to afford.
"What's happening?" I asked as they worked. "Where am I going?"
"The Sacrarium," one woman said, applying cream to my hands to soften the calluses. "It's where the elite of the East reside."
"What will happen to me there?"
The women exchanged glances.
"You'll be a mate," the second woman said finally. "Your blood is compatible with one of them. That's all we know."
Mate. The word hung in the air between us.
They dressed me in clothes finer than any I'd ever worn, a soft blue dress that flowed to my ankles, delicate shoes instead of my worn boots. The fabric felt strange against my skin, too smooth, too perfect.
"The transport is here," someone called from outside.
The women hurried to finish, one placing a silver necklace around my throat while the other tucked my brown hair behind my ears.
"For what it's worth," one whispered, "your match must be very important. They've never sent a transport this quickly before."
They led me outside where a sleek vehicle hummed quietly, nothing like the rusted transporters we used in the colony. A tall figure stood beside it, dressed in a uniform I didn't recognize.
"This is her?" he asked, examining me with clinical detachment.
"Yes," Voss said, suddenly appearing at my side. "The blood work is confirmed. She's the one."
The uniformed man nodded. "Good. We leave immediately."
As the transport door opened, revealing a luxurious interior that contrasted with my entire life's experience, terror and a strange hope battled within me. I was leaving the only home I'd ever known, heading to become the mate of some unknown creature from the mountains.
But perhaps, just perhaps, there would be warmth there. Perhaps there would be arms to hold me through the night. Perhaps there would be more than the endless struggle that had defined my existence in Tankor Colony.
I stepped toward the transport, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might break through my chest.
"Wait," I said, turning back to Voss. "What exactly am I matched to?"
His smile didn't reach his eyes. "You'll find out soon enough."
The transport door closed behind me with a soft but final click.
CHAPTER 2
Varkolak
I sat cross-legged at the edge of the cliff, letting the mountain winds whip around my bare torso. The shadows from the setting sun stretched across the Navi Mountains like dark fingers reaching for me. My sanctuary. My prison.
With a flick of my wrist, I pulled the shadows closer, weaving them between my fingers. They danced like liquid silk, responding to my will. The darkness had always been my closest companion.
Until now.
The thought of my pledge burned through me again. To mate with a human. The idea was both thrilling and terrifying. Our Shadow Tribe had been dying for generations. Fewer children were born each year. Our essence, the very thing that gave us control over darkness, growing weaker with each passing generation.
