y

nd blinked. "Father, why

htened, his expression smoothing over too quickl

I asked him, taking another step n

. Just

y, I always hoped," he said at last, "that one day y

er smile nearly slipping out of me. "For

, placing both his hands on my shoulde

ip wasn't the same as a daughter by blood.

never had. Even as a child, I felt it like a shirt sewn with the wrong seam

ded from the hall. A male, familiar voi

inside me tightened. My heart w

k songs were written about and sensible girls avoided. Tall, broad-shouldered, wit

ed into mine...

lf-casually, like he couldn't be bothered to fully obey the occasion. His dar

them, but cold-hearted too. His silver eyes moved fr

them froze al

me they had just been notified too bec

Rowan's smirk disappeared. Ev

r a few seconds. They onl

y chest. I felt as if I were g

bviously, th

is is unexpected." He was pul

and finally said, staring at my wrist as

say the same words, while Lucien folded his arms. "Th

per than it

d at them, saying, "The Sy

icker in his eyes. He was mad and angry and almost

sed to be one hundred percent compatible with her? There's no w

calmly. "Apparently," I said,

than I felt. Yes, I was

xy scent ...hit me hard enough to make my wolf press forwa

the names again as if i

lit. So did Rowan's.

olograms ros

almost lost m

a 100% compatib

! Unit names, those Companion models. Yes, Robot mates. They were de

and stared at the lines, unable t

100% COMPATIBLE

00% COMPATIBLE

100% COMPATIBL

th wen

to say something.

dn't... mak

am shut immediately. Luci

ady seen what

en disappeared so fast it

felt too big, too

yone...to explain. To laugh. To say the System was cross-linked

an's expression

?" I finally

ans

king again. "What is

through his hair. " w

licated? I get notified that the three men I've wanted half my life are somehow o

My father

nt someone to explain why the System says I'm matched to them while they get fema

to mine. "You looked

nt of me." I gazed at hi

he didn't want to go

ooth and distant. "Those m

him in disbelief. "Don't

aid, "L

it back. Something fr

where Ronan would joke one of his sons should marry me someday, and I would go to slee

ftness in Lucien's eyes when he thought I wasn't paying attenti

his? What

f them with proof that my

e understand exactly what happened." I don't know why my father wante

darkened. Stressing

"Am I your compatibility match or not

nswered before his mouth ever

assian held my gaze with an intensity that made the humiliation worse. Lucien loo

tened. "Go get re

and turned to

uests are already arriving by evenin

er? This was my life's

trying not to shatter. Like

ed. Instead, I did what I had always done in this h

ne," I said. Because I had

all four of them an

d ragged. past the portrait chamber and the east stairwell. By the time I reached

the door

e floor, and then tears filled my

fted my w

ll glowed there, st

fect matches. And none of them wanted me?! Ho

sob. A choked s

eren't made for this kind of contradiction.

I breathed to fill

truth is the game wasn't on m

one side rejected, the bond didn't form. If I rejected all three, I would have ten days to choose another

to protect myself from becoming so

screen

I wiped my tears fast from m

flickering pink at the edges because she was calling from the

girl..." Her grin vanished instantly once s

ath. gulped, wiped my

she asked with

y at the messy parts. Former street thief, current mechanic, permanently unimpressed by wealth and titles, she had

from her, so I told her. N

ting a hand. "Let me get this straight. So, the all-knowing, all

nodded

ome custom female robot instead, and they were happy about t

I mut

're spiraling because the universe

ds. A laugh and a sob came out

said, very carefully, emphasizing the

ds. "I think so

be preference-aligned." They can even be biologically interface-compatible if somebody pays for black-market sensory customization. But the official b

me sit up

Are you