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endured an endless view of blue ocean waves before finally stepping once again on firm ground. This time, in the United States of America. She was immediately whisked to Maine, to an exquisite white Victorian home with olive-green shutters. A home owned by a female she knew only by the name of Mati Smith.
    Mati was, according to Monique, the founder of Vampira . She’d not only escaped life as a blood-slave to vampires who preferred vampire blood over human, she’d also escaped life as a concubine to three ancient vamps, as well as survived brutal punishments the blood-slave traders inflicted upon her every time they recaptured her. Her final escape from the traders had almost been the death of her but she’d been saved by two male vamps who she’d fallen in love with. In order to protect her newfound lovers from those who hunted her, she’d run away from them too.
    Changing her identity, Mati had tried to lose herself among the humans. Pretending to be human hadn’t been easy. She could only work at night, for sunshine and daylight would set her body on fire. Literally.
    She had to move constantly to avoid vampires who tracked her by the blood mind. Blood mind sensing enabled males to home in on females they had drunk from, and vice versa. But there were always several hours time lag and many females could sense it when they were being pursued. The slavers were constantly tracking her, which made life difficult.
    Eventually they grew tired of pursuing her. She went about purchasing old yachts, had them repaired by handymen and resold them for huge prices, leaving her with enormous profits. In due course she purchased a lucrative shipyard and docks on the coast of Maine and was now in the import and export business.
    With her money, she created Vampira , building it to the most powerful clique for females who wished to escape the clutches of the Traditionalists and other suppressing regimes.
    To ensure the Sisterhood of Vampira would always come first, Mati had created the Number One rule. No sex with a male—human or vampire. No male lovers. Ever. This rule, it was hoped, would help prevent a female from taking a male love into her confidence, inadvertently revealing she was a member of Vampira .
    Juliette now knew she would have to agree to the Number One rule as well as other rules for Vampira to give her sanctuary. If she did not, her memory would be erased. She would have no recollection of Vampira , and they would return her to her Traditionalist family and the arranged marriage would be carried out.
    Now as she stood in Mati’s home, the females of Vampira remained silent as they surveyed her with cool, emotionless stares.
    They looked gorgeous though. All of them did. So beautiful, dressed in long hobble skirts and flawless makeup that cleverly concealed the white vampire skin glow.
    Overwhelming envy slashed Juliette. Oh how she wished to be like them. Independent, powerful and beautiful in the human world where she could choose her own destiny.
    All the females stiffened to attention when Mati walked into the room and Juliette’s tummy hollowed out with sick dread at the other females’ gloomy expression. She could see the answer in Mati’s eyes.
    No. They did not want her.
    “You have told us you ran from an arranged marriage,” Mati began. Her voice was cool and controlled and it sent shivers of dread along Juliette’s spine. “From the research to confirm your story, I received a report and shared it among the females before the vote was cast. I will divulge that report with you so you understand why the answer is what it is.”
    Juliette found herself nodding in numbness. They did not want her. She bit back the swell of tears and forced herself to remain at attention, her gaze wavering over the females as she looked for some reassurance that her instincts were wrong. Even a smile from any one of them would give her encouragement. But no smiles came.
    The females said nothing. They had sealed her