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Nadya watched as the crowd shuffled and shifted in response to the older vampire’s command. One by one, several girls separated themselves from the rest of the citizens. Sobs echoed through the meeting area, and most of the girls were in various states of emotional distress. A few remained stoic, but the majority huddled together, crying and wailing. Several of those remaining in the crowd were also sniffling and wiping tears. Many of the men seemed poised on the edge of violence. Her stomach twisted with fear and confusion when the older vampire dismounted his horse to walk by the line of girls. Two vampire guards shadowed him. Nadya couldn’t hold in a gasp of shock when the man stopped to grab a girl’s breast. A cry of outrage from the crowd drowned out Nadya’s small vocalization when the vampire ripped the bodice to display the girl’s bosom. He nodded to one of his guards standing around the younger vampire, still on his horse. That soldier came forward to grab the arm of the girl, ignoring her screams and attempts to struggle. He dragged her back to the horses, and another guard bound her hands and feet before tossing her into a wagon Nadya hadn’t seen before, because the crowd had obscured it. Next, he selected one of the two sisters Nadya had seen earlier. They clung to each other, sobbing and begging not to be separated, but the soldier paid no attention to their pleas. He lifted the younger one over his shoulder, took her to be tied up, and dropped her into the wagon. In shock, numb from what she was witnessing, Nadya watched the lecherous old vampire select two more girls. When they were in the wagon, all the girls huddled together, their cries mingled into a disharmonious cacophony. The leader of the vampire clan seemed to thrive on their sounds of terror and anguish. He returned to his horse, mounting in a lithe leap, before poking his son. “Pick a tribute, Jalen.” Nadya watched with mingled fascination and apprehension as the younger man got down from his horse. He seemed to emanate reluctance as he walked among the assembled women. Finally, he picked a dark-haired girl, seemingly at random. She broke down in sobs, clinging to the girls around her as the guards pried her from them. Jalen’s expression softened, and for a moment, he seemed on the brink of rescinding his choice. Then he straightened his shoulders and turned his back on the girl he had chosen, along with the assembled crowd. Once back on his horse, he fell in place beside his father, and the guards circled them. “Send your men to the gates of the wall tomorrow night to collect food, medicine, and essentials,” shouted Jalen’s father. A chill crept up Nadya’s spine. With an understanding beyond her years, she intuited the people of the Q had just traded the lives of the young women for supplies. It sickened her, and she ran forward without thought, wanting to somehow stop what was happening. She drew up short as Jalen looked over his shoulder, his gaze meeting hers. Icy darts in her stomach made her bend forward, breaking the brief exchange, though she could still feel the weight of his stare on her for half a second longer. Nadya didn’t look up until the horses broke into a run, their hooves clomping on the broken street. She watched the young vampire master moving farther away from her, confused by her response. She was hot and cold at the same time, and anxiety tightened her nerves. She should have been afraid, and she was a little, but her primary emotion was anticipation. Whatever had occurred in the brief moment they locked gazes had been just a prelude to whatever would come next.
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of Vampire Union 1: Subjugated