“Is it expected that I … that I bond with one of them tonight?” Ryenne’s amusement dimmed just slightly. “I forget, sometimes, how new this all is for you. How you were not raised with the knowledge that this could be your life, as I was. You just take to it so well.” She paused, inhaling. “No, that is not expected of you. Not tonight. The idea of the bond is … daunting. You may take your time, get to know them first. Tonight, I want you to focus only on the now. On selecting these men who will become closer to you than anyone else on this earth.”

