4. It Would Behoove You Not to Act Like Animals

CHAPTER 4

It Would Behoove You Not to Act Like Animals

C aptain Ryker Elias Waterborn, Head of the Army's Fae Division, wrapped a black silk tie around his neck with the smooth precision of someone who had attended dozens of lavish parties where younglings were to be seen and not heard.

His light brown hair, streaked with red, was still damp from the shower. The ends tickled his pointed ears. He raked a hand through his locks, letting them settle where they wanted before he pulled on the black suit jacket slung over the back of the only chair in his room. The space was much smaller than his apartment, but he hadn't come into the Choosing expecting the accommodations to be luxurious.

Striding over to the desk, he picked up the red rose that had been delivered this morning and pinned it to his lapel. Even though they wouldn't see the women today at the Opening Ceremony, they had to look their best. After all, the cameras were always watching.

That would be… odd. Difficult to get used to.

Many Representatives, including Ryker's parents, kept their families shielded from the public eye. He had been raised in private, and after the Incident six years ago, he'd allowed that same privacy to wrap around him like a shroud, hiding him from the world. Now, he was stepping out of isolation and letting the world watch him find a bride .

All because of a promise.

Once he was happy with the placement of the rose, he slid his feet into the black shoes matching his silk shirt. He meticulously tied the laces, taking care to work with precision.

When other children played tag and chased each other through parks, Ryker was learning how to tie a tie, ride a horse, and never speak to an adult if they weren't directly addressing him. By his tenth birthday, he already had a decent amount of control over his birthright water magic. By his eleventh, he accompanied his mother to the monthly meetings of the Representatives in Golden City. Always under guard and hidden from the press, of course. By his fifteenth, he was already training to join the army.

When he Matured and came into his full fae strength, Ryker was the youngest captain the army had ever seen. One did not rise in the ranks as quickly as he had without having an innate understanding that laws were the reason order existed in the world. Rules and regulations were the backbone of his life.

Through all that, Ryker had always known that one day, he would participate in this event.

Two thousand years ago, when the Founders of the Republic of Balance first established the Choosing, they decreed that each Representative's oldest eligible offspring would participate in the Choosing when they came of age. It was a way to keep the peace among the many people who made up the Republic.

It wasn't a completely choice-less process, though. Children of Representatives decided when they would participate in the once-a-decade event. Ryker had planned to wait another two or three decades before seeking a wife, content to live in his bachelorhood for a little while longer, but when his father fell ill…

Cyrus Waterborn had begged Ryker to enter the Choosing now and find a wife. He wanted to see his son married before it was too late. Ryker's father was many things, including a provider, and he loved his children deeply. He refused to Fade without knowing that his son was settled. It was an old-fashioned idea, but Ryker didn't have it in him to fight with his father. Not after everything else that had happened.

Reluctantly, Ryker had agreed. He hated that this meant he'd have to come out of hiding, but he would do anything for his family, including this.

With that thought in mind, Ryker rose and gave himself a once-over in the mirror. He adjusted his suit jacket one last time before slipping out the door to join the other eleven men in the Ruby Lounge.

Their group was a good mix, or so he thought. It was symbolic of the current mosaic of citizens that called the Republic of Balance their home. The merfolk were the only ones who didn't participate in the Choosing. They preferred to remain in the sea and govern themselves as they always had.

Ryker was the last to enter the Ruby Lounge. The men stood in clusters of two and three, murmuring amongst themselves as they glanced at the door. Nervous energy thickened the air as they waited for the Matron to arrive with instructions on how today would go.

Ryker went to the bar, where a Light Elf with spiked hair was serving drinks. "Coffee, sir?"

"Yes, thank you." Caffeine was part of Ryker's everyday routine. He needed it to function. His younger sister River teased him about his addiction to the drink, but she was only twenty-one and didn't yet understand how much he needed it. One day, she would.

The Light Elf passed Ryker a red mug filled with steaming brown liquid. Ryker's nose twitched at the decadent smell of freshly ground beans, and a smile spread across his face.

"Thank you." Ryker ceded his place at the bar as a blond shifter approached him and asked for the same drink.

When Ryker had first arrived at the Hall of Choice, the shifter had introduced himself as Therian Firebreath. If his name hadn't been enough of a tell, his size was proof of the dragon living beneath his skin. Even in this form, Therian made Ryker look lean.

Coffee in hand, the shifter turned. "Morning, Captain."

"Morning." Ryker shook Therian's hand.

Both men were in the military, although they were in different divisions. Ryker had heard of Therian before, but he'd never met him. The shifter was a skilled fighter, known for the size of his black dragon. Therian had a reputation for never starting fights but always finishing them. He could either be a good friend or a formidable foe.

Ryker had a rule that it was always better to befriend those who could possibly cause him problems in the future. That was how he acquired his two best friends, Atlas and Nikhail.

"Those interviews yesterday were something else, weren't they?" Therian asked as Philippe, an Earth Elf, came over to join them.

"They were long," Ryker confirmed.

Philippe asked, "How did your quad do?"

"Good. The questions were run of the mill," Ryker said.

He'd known all the answers. Ryker always knew the answers. It was his job. He'd long since memorized the right things to say, knowing that something as simple as a slip of the tongue could endanger him and his family. No matter what, Ryker would never let anything happen to them.

Especially River.

It was rare for fae to have children so close in age—Ryker was only seventeen years older than his sister. As such, he and River had an affectionate sibling relationship that many fae lacked. The day his little sister was born, Ryker had sworn he would do anything and everything to protect her.

He'd never broken that promise.

Sipping his coffee, Ryker took quick stock of the room. Besides Therian and Philippe, there was another fae, two werewolves, three elves, a witch, and a duo of vampires. All the men wore black suits and red roses on their lapels, like Ryker.

The clock struck the hour, and the door opened. Matron Cassandra entered, her scarlet ballgown swishing around her. Her white hair was elaborately braided away from her face, and she held herself with authority. Each Choosing, the Matrons were selected from the population to help the participants navigate the Choosing. It was an honor to serve the Republic in such a manner.

Cassandra smiled warmly, reminding Ryker of his grandmother, Fannie. She'd Faded when Ryker was six, but before then, she'd always showered him with love.

"Good morning, gentlemen. It's time for the Opening Ceremony." She raised a brow, meeting each of their gazes in turn. "Remember, your future wife will be attending as well. Even though you won't be able to see the women, it would behoove you not to act like animals."

Staring across the grand ballroom, Ryker gripped the railing of the elevated box where he and the other men waited for the ceremony to begin. Two elevated opera-style boxes spanned the length of the ballroom, one on each side. The men were in one, and the women were in the other. An unnatural wall of shadows that must have been created by a vampire stretched across the ballroom. Even with his elevated senses, Ryker couldn't see through it.

He tried. No one could blame him for that. After all, one of the women veiled in darkness would be his bride. Ryker would find a match in the Choosing. He'd accept no other outcome.

Shuffling came from the floor below as a crowd filled the seats. There were at least a hundred people, judging by their shadowy forms. Hushed murmurs and quiet conversations rose from the crowd beneath them Several bright lights illuminated the stage, and camera crews stood by, waiting for the Chancellor to take her place.

Minutes ticked by, and anticipation thickened the air. The hairs on Ryker's neck prickled, and his magic thrummed in his veins. This was unusual, and unusual things were never good.

"Do you think something is wrong?" Therian strode next to Ryker, his large hands gripping the railing. "It should've begun by now."

"I don't know," Ryker said honestly.

He reached for his back pocket, where he usually kept his phone, before recalling that it had been confiscated upon arrival two days ago. Damn.

"It's strange." The dragon shifter crossed his arms and frowned.

Ryker agreed. All his military training had taught him to be suspicious of anything that didn't go exactly as planned. He had a bad feeling about this, and his stomach was in tight knots. The last time he felt like this, he had to deal with a family crisis six years ago.

Peeling his gaze away from the empty platform, Ryker methodically searched for trouble. Even though he couldn't see anything wrong, that sense of unease remained within him.

Another ten minutes passed.

Ryker's fists were furled at his sides. He gnawed on the inside of his lip. This was a public event, and the tardiness was most unbecoming. Like most aspects of the Choosing, it was broadcast to the citizens of the Republic. People all over the continent would be waiting for the live stream to begin.

Eventually, he could wait no longer. He released the railing. "I'm going to find someone in charge and demand some answers."

"Alright," Therian grunted from his position at the railing.

Ryker was halfway to the door when the click-click-click of heels on wood came from below. His shoulders incrementally relaxed as he returned to his position at the railing.

Chancellor Ignatia Rose strode into view. Her blue-black hair was pulled back from her face, silver earrings dangled from her pointed fae ears, and she wore a tailored white pantsuit that looked like it cost thousands of dollars. A small microphone was clipped to her lapel, and she looked directly at the cameras, exuding confidence.

It wasn't the Chancellor herself that caught Ryker's attention, but the four soldiers, dressed head-to-toe in black, fanned out behind her. The Republic's sigil—a scale surrounded by four red roses—was on their chests, and each guard held a massive black gun. Their stern expressions gave nothing away as they coolly looked over the attendees.

Tension thickened, and the air practically crackled. The chatter from earlier was gone, and no one dared speak.

The door behind them clicked, and two guards entered the men's box.

Ryker walked over, his brows furrowed. "What's going on?"

The guards exchanged a look that set warning bells off in Ryker's mind.

The taller one said, "Nothing, sir. This is standard protocol."

Standard protocol, his ass. Ryker knew something was wrong. He could feel it.

Probing for answers would have to wait because the Chancellor cleared her throat. The microphone screeched. Ryker winced .

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Republic, I apologize for the delay." The Chancellor's smooth, melodic voice rang through the space. Like Ryker, Ignatia Rose was a fae, but her element was fire. "There was a slight incident."

That would explain the guards.

"Fortunately, the situation has been dealt with, and we can now begin." The Chancellor smiled, but nothing but ice came from the fire fae.

Ryker didn't believe the Chancellor. If everything was resolved, why were there so many guards present? The problem, whatever it was, still existed. He'd bet on it.

He remained alert as Ignatia continued speaking. As was tradition, she regaled the attendees about the history of the Choosing, and of the Founders' desire that the Choosing would bring strength to all and unite the continent. The Chancellor reminded them that the Choosing wasn't just for the Representatives and their families. Six participants were Selected from the general population to join the competition. It was an honor that would elevate their status and lift them into the echelons of high society in the Republic of Balance.

The Chancellor was in the middle of explaining the timeline of the next three months when suddenly, a scream ripped through the air from the back of the ballroom. It was so sudden, so unexpected, that for a moment, no one moved.

Then, that sense of dread exploded in Ryker. He released the railing and spun around as all hell broke loose.