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  No! she thought wildly as every embarrassing or awful incident in her life was taken out and examined with cold, dispassionate eyes. No, you can’t look at that—it’s private!

  She wanted to fight, wanted to struggle especially when the rape was revealed but the Priestess held her until absolutely every awful thing that had ever been done to her was completely looked over. Only then did she release Emily from her heartless grip.

  “So…” She said drawing back and giving Emily a look that was half pity, half disgust. “This is why your Tenrah was so late in coming to you.”

  “No…no, please—don’t say it,” Emily begged, her throat tight. Admitting what had been done to her to Tragar had been hard enough and he had been understanding and supportive. She didn’t want a whole roomful of strangers to know her pain and shame as well. It was too much—too awful!

  “I am sorry, Khalla-to-be,” the High Priestess said loftily. “But I must inform the candidates of your past—they have a right to know you are damaged before choosing to tie themselves to you.” She sniffed. “You could have avoided all this if you had allowed the lisix to do its work. Now, I fear it is too late and you must suffer the consequences.”

  “Please—” Emily began again but the High Priestess raised her voice and began speaking to the assembled candidates.

  “Candidates, be aware that the Khalla-to-be has not undergone the required cleansing before the ceremony as she should have. There is pain and hurt in her past that might hinder bonding. She—”

  “No!” Tragar roared angrily, glaring at Mother Chundra. Emily thought he would have jumped on her but he was still being held by the Temple Guards who were struggling to drag him out of the room. He wasn’t making it easy for them, however, and they still hadn’t managed to remove him.

  “She was taken against her will and violated by an alien male the first time her Tenrah came upon her,” the High Priestess continued dispassionately. “This wrongful and premature breeding delayed her Tenrah for some years and it has left a scar upon her that cannot be healed. So…” She looked around at all the candidates, still standing in a semi-circle in front of her. “If you still wish to be considered to be the chosen mate to this Khalla-to-be, stay where you are. All others, take a step backwards.”

  All but one of the males stepped backwards, most of them giving Emily side-long looks of pity, disgust, and horror.

  Emily wished she could sink through the floor. God, to have her secret shame revealed to so many people at once was awful. And the looks on their faces said they didn’t want to have anything to do with her now that they knew. Damaged Goods might as well have been stamped on her forehead in blood-red ink.

  Mother Chundra crooked her finger at the one male who hadn’t stepped backwards.

  “Daro,” she called, raising an eyebrow at him. “You are willing to be chosen mate to this Khalla-to-be despite her soiled past?”

  He nodded grimly. “I am willing to take this challenge, Mother Chundra.”

  “Very well, your bravery is noted. And as no one else wants this Khalla-to-be, is decided.” She looked at Emily who was fighting not to cry, holding the tears of shame back grimly. “Meet your chosen mate, my dear. You will have one night to prepare and tomorrow your bonding ceremony will take place before the Visage of the Goddess.”

  “No!” Emily cried, curling her hands into fists. “No, you said my wishes would be considered and I don’t wish for—want—anyone but Tragar! I mean, I’m sorry,” she said to Daro who was standing there watching her with an uncertain look on his handsome face. “You seem like a really nice guy and all but you’re not my guy. Tragar is and he’s the only one I want!”

  “You cannot have a blasphemer and assassin for your chosen mate,” Mother Chundra said sternly. “The candidates who are called to the Temple study and strive all of their lives to remain pure of heart, mind, and body—to be worthy of a Khalla’s affection.” She nodded at the Temple Guards who were still barely holding Tragar back. “What’s wrong with the two of you? Get help if you need to but take him away!”

  “No—Tragar!” Emily sidestepped around Daro and the High Priestess and went running to throw her arms around his neck. The two guards on either side of him had his arms so he couldn’t hug her back, but she felt his big body trembling against hers.

  “Emily,” he whispered hoarsely. “My Khalla…”

  “Don’t hurt yourself,” she begged him, seeing the hopelessness in his eyes. “Don’t leave me. Give me a chance and I’ll get away and come to you. Just wait for me.”

  “I cannot.” He looked sad now—a terrible pain filling his golden eyes. “You heard the High Priestess. Though I do not agree with all of her reasons, I do agree with her assessment—I am not worthy of you. I never have been.”

  “Who cares what she says?” Emily demanded. “We just met her today—she doesn’t know us!”

  “It was not just her judgment that let me know I was unworthy,” Tragar murmured. “You know of my past, Emily. You know how I failed Landra and Jalex. I could not even fulfill a Kindred’s most sacred task—to protect the ones I loved. I do not deserve a second chance. Especially with a female as beautiful and rare as you.”

  “So what?” Emily couldn’t help herself—she had started to cry. “So you’re just going to give up on me? On us?”

  “I cannot do otherwise. Try to understand, I am stepping aside for your own good.”

  “No, you’re being pushed aside. And you’re letting it happen!” Emily stepped back, her eyes hot as fire as the other stirred within her. “Don’t do this, Tragar! Don’t just give in. You said you loved me—now fight for me!”

  “My Khalla—” There was a stricken look in his eyes but before he could finish his sentence, two more burly Temple Guards came to help the first two. Between them, they were finally able to haul the big Kindred away.

  Emily watched him go, her eyes burning so fiercely the tears that she would have shed dried in the heat before they reached her cheeks. The other was restless inside her, pushing forward, demanding that Tragar was theirs and should not be separated from them.

  Emily wanted to push the other back down but she seemed to lack the strength. All the pain and rage and sorrow inside her seemed to feed the other, making her stronger, readying her to come out.

  Soon she’ll take over, Emily thought dully. She’ll come forward and won’t go back again. I’ll be gone. And I won’t even have Tragar to help me. He’s gone…gone and he’s never coming back.

  * * * * *

  “You saw what happened.” Y nodded at the monitor where the scene at the Temple was being played out before them. Truly, his Master was a wizard at knowing where to place his small, scuttling, furry spies. They had come with Tragar and Emily aboard the Kindred assassin’s ship and then into the Temple. They were so silent and stealthy that no one had noticed so much as a whisker twitching while their red eyes recorded everything and relayed it back to Master Two.

  “I saw.” Master Two did not sound pleased, which confused Y.

  “What is the matter, Master?” he asked, frowning. “The matter appears to be resolved. The girl is forever separated from her Kindred lover and given to another—so the matter should be resolved.”

  “No, you fool—it is not resolved,” Two snapped. “The Seeing foretold she would bear the mother of a new race—it never said who the father of her child would be. If she is allowed to live, she may breed with another and still propagate the new race of Kindred.”

  “Master…” Y could keep silent no longer. “May I point out that this whole scenario could have been avoided if you had simply let me kill the girl when we had her in our power? But no, instead you wanted to play games—wanted to toy with your prey’s emotions like a sadistic predator. So you had the witch give her those star-silver devices to wear which were supposed to kill her painfully and slowly—but the Kindred male removed them and cured her of her affliction. And now the girl is healthy and fertile and gone beyond re