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Chapter 2

An angry howl sounded a quarter mile away, immediately ending their small celebration and Sasha grinned at her team, knowing Tiffany’s team had finally found the unicorn with its missing horn.

“Shall we go prove to everyone just how much better we are than they are?”

They all nodded, almost rolling with their palpable happiness. They walked smugly back into the dining hall and began to walk up to the table where the headmistress, the council of elders and her “mother” sat. Upon seeing her, her mother sat up straighter and narrowed her eyes. The tension rose dramatically in the large room as the five of them strolled confidently to the front. Sasha pulled the horn out of her bra as she knelt and held it up to the group of people. She lowered her head, taking great joy in the disappointment on her mother’s face.

“Councilman Slonsky, I have procured unicornis cornu as requested. I do humbly ask that my team and I be allowed to dry off and change, before the victoria caerimonia begins.”

He stood up and took the horn. He turned it over in his hands, inspecting it thoroughly, before giving them a curt nod. He held the horn up for everyone to see.

“Team Soma!”

The hundreds of people in the hall echoed his cry, before he dismissed them with orders to be back within half an hour. Sasha held her head high as she triumphantly marched past her steaming sister. As soon as the doors shut behind them, Sasha put her finger to her mouth and led them down the hell to the empty bathroom where she had previously stored 5 towels and an extra outfit for each of them. Sasha locked the door before passing everything out. She stepped into the handicap stall with Kalani to change. Once everyone was done, they stepped out of the bathroom, before Sasha glanced at them.

“Heads up, ladies. We did the damn thing! Be proud. I am proud of all of you.”

“But we didn’t do anything,” Kalani said

“You trusted me, that’s more than enough.”

She turned on her heel to go back to the hall. They were stopped at the door by two of the teachers. The manners teacher, Lady Marabell, lifted a walkie talkie to her mouth and spoke softly, like she always did, into it. The culinary teacher Sir Monatanez, pushed the door open for them.

“Presenting the winning team of the 4th Breeding Race, Team Soma, led by Sasha Soma, daughter to Anastasia Soma, father unknown, full human. Kalani Soma, daughter to Anastasia Soma, father unknown, full human. Raven Montgomery, daughter to Rosa and Ronald Montgomery, full human. Melissa Romanoff, daughter to Melinda and Kenneth Romanoff, fully human. And lastly, Sherri Coda, daughter to Lima, deceased, and Preston Coda, fully human.” He paused to breathe. “Welcome to the victoria caerimonia.”

He dropped to one knee, with his head bowed. Lady Marabell followed suit. Sasha led her team down the aisle in the middle of the room. People sank to their knees with their heads down as they moved past. She stopped in front of her mother and half bowed to her. Her mother reached out a hand to touch her shoulder.

“Sasha, well done.”

She rose back up and met her mother’s eyes. “Thank you, Madame Anastasia. It was my duty to bring honor to the House of Soma.” She smiled insincerely at her mother’s seething face. “I will always strive to uphold our name with the utmost grace and humility.”

“It would be our honor for you to sit with us at the head table. Your team is dismissed.”

She curtsied low to her mother. “With all due respect, ma’am, I am no better than my team and I wish to honor them as much as they have honored me today by sitting with them during dinner.”

“Sasha,” she hissed. “You dare to disrespect me like this and in public, too?”

Councilman Slonsky stood up behind her. “Of course, we will welcome your whole team to dine with us.”

She bowed her head to him. “We will accept your invitation with much gratitude, Councilman Slonsky.”

Chairs were brought for her team and they all took their seats nervously. Sasha waited for them to sit, before sitting on her mother’s right side. Councilman Slonsky remained standing. He spread his arms out and smiled at everyone.

“Welcome. Please, join me in showing our approval of Team Soma’s hardwork in achieving victory. Tomorrow we will gather again in the hall when Sasha has decided on the 12 other girls who will be sent as tributes to the nearby shifter clan.”

Sasha stood up. The entire hall erupted into hushed whispers. She was about to do something no one had done. She was not going to prolong this. She wanted them to know who she was dooming to an early death.

“I am ready to give my list,” she announced, clearly.

The councilman eyed her. “Are you sure, my dear?”

“Yes.”

He clapped his hands together. “Ladies, if you are in the pool to be picked, please, come to the front and line up.”

Several chairs scraped back as the 25 other girls hurried to comply with his orders. They all watched her nervously. Sasha eyed the girls, trying her hardest not to smirk at her older sister. She thought she was going to get away unscathed, but she was not in control this time. Sasha had won and she would be damned if Tiffany didn’t get punished for the years of systematic abuse that she had been so kind as to lavish on Kalani and herself. The councilman took her wrist and lifted her hand in the air.

“Tribute 1. Sasha Soma.”

What in the actual fuck? Did hell just freeze over? She was supposed to be safe. She was supposed to choose, not be chosen. She sent her mother a glare over her shoulder. This was her doing, she just knew it. She took a deep breath and put a smile on her face. She knew the whole population of their small town was waiting for her reaction, but what in the fuck was happening right now? This was so wrong.

“It will be my honor to uphold the reputation of Tursum.”

He smiled at her as he released her wrist. “You may commence with your selections.”

She slowly walked up and down the line of girls, strategically eyeing them. She knew how this went. She had to list the girls and state why she had picked them. Having been named as the first tribute, she had to quickly rethink her plan. She stopped in front of Kalani, avoiding her eyes. She knew her sister was upset and she had to hold it together long enough to make it through this evening. She stopped in front of the other five team captains. She smiled at them coldly.

“Louisa Sampson, Angenette Thompson, Carla Ruiz and Taylor Sampson, all for the same reason. They are the top of the top and I believe that will look favorably on us to be able to provide stronger children.” She could almost feel the relief in Tiffany when she walked away to stop in front of her team. “Raven Montgomery, Melissa Romanoff and Sherri Coda for their intelligence. It will be just as much of a blessing to their offspring as the brute strength of the others.”

She smirked at the annoyance on Tiffany’s face as she turned back to the councilman.

“That's 7. 5 more,” he reminded her.

“Ashley Nunez, Renee Smith and Lilah Corey. They are in the middle of both intelligence and skill, which will be good to produce offspring that's not the top of the top, but still decently good.” She took a deep breath, before turning to Kalani. “Kalani Soma, because she is the daughter of our leader and it will be a good move politically to offer the current youngest daughter.” She paused to look over each of the unchosen girls, her eyes lingering on Scarlett. “Lastly, this girl was chosen, because she has something to offer that very few else can.” She paused for dramatic effect. “She is a shifter, so that makes her offspring already infinitely stronger. Tiffany Soma will be the last breeding female.”

Tiffany’s face fell as there was a gasp from behind her. She curtsied to the councilman, before bowing to the rest of the council. She knew when she got home, her mother was going to beat both her and Kalani, but she was not leaving her little sister here to suffer alone. Death had to be better than that, right?

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