Super thanks to meg and may, who withstood the constant swapping of chapters and did get them all read in order in the end. And this wouldn't exist without cece's monster obsession *kisses*

Eeeeep.

EPOV

A little over five weeks from the day I met my mate, I sit in a dark alcove on the balcony, high above the throne room below. My presence isn't required for this ceremony, but the concept intrigues me.

Are Bella and I just the beginning, the first of many, or are we an anomaly, a lone mated pair in a sea of mixed-race breeding couples?

"Prince," Emmett says, taking the empty seat beside me. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Be my guest." I shrug a shoulder, unconcerned over his fascination with the Cullen outreach program. I can't blame him given what happened between Bella and me. "Do you have any predictions?"

He heaves a heavy breath, his hunched form focused on the activity below. "I have no idea whether we'll see a mated couple today, but I'm intrigued by the concept of fornicating with another species."

I huff a quiet laugh. "After all these years of celibacy in Kingdom Cullen, you're now mysteriously interested in the concept."

"What?" he asks, turning to look at me. "It's fascinating."

"It is," I agree, narrowing my eyes. "But I'd venture to guess your fascination has more to do with your own interests than those of the kingdom."

He rolls his eyes, looking away. "I couldn't give you that answer even if you commanded it. I confuse myself daily."

I bark a laugh, placing my hand on his shoulder. "Don't stress it, my friend, and the answer will come in time."

He sighs. "If you say so."

An announcement from below has us both leaning forward, eyes intent on the start of the ceremony. Garrett commands a line of female Cullenites, making sure they display the expected decorum in the presence of the king and queen. The room falls silent as a group of women are led in by none other than my sister, Princess Alice.

I commend my parents on forethought as they have installed large open-air fans to direct the scent of the males away from the females. I chuckle to myself as I recall my reaction to the first taste of Bella's essence.

"It seems Forks is demanding the return of one of the women," Emmett says, nodding toward the group. "The second from the end with the long blonde hair."

I run my eyes across the line until I come to the aforementioned human. She's beautiful, but not remarkably so. The ceremony already has me on edge, and the last thing I want is to drag it out. The sooner I choose a breeder, the sooner I can prove that this stupid little experiment isn't going to work.

"Get her out of here, so I can be done with this entire display," I snarl.

Can this day get any worse?

As I start back across the room, a feminine yell fills the room and I pause in my steps as Garrett lurches forward to push me behind him. I see a woman bound over the ropes, and Garrett takes three large strides to apprehend her.

A gust of air fans my face, and everything comes to a screeching halt.

Mine.

White-hot rage engulfs me at the sight of him touching, restraining, hurting what belongs to me. I leap forward, teeth bared, and a roar that emanates from a rarely acknowledged dark place inside me echoes through the room.

Garrett flies several feet under the force of my shove, and time is suspended as I lock eyes with the petite, dark-haired woman.

An electrical current leaves her body and dances across the space between us. It zaps me directly in the heart, kickstarting my next steps.

Mine!

The declaration in my mind is forceful, and so are my next steps as I snatch her up and dare anyone to stand in my way as I bound from the room.

The memory leaves me when Bella's emotional reaction to that recollection plasters me to the back of my seat. I close my eyes and center myself, sending her calming waves of pure pink love with a side of apology for unintentionally working her up.

"Is there something going on here I should know about?" Emmett asks, breaking the ice enough to calm my raging hormones.

Hissing, I shake my head to dispel the lingering lust. "Just remembering the last time we held a ceremony like this."

"Ah," he says, smiling widely. "That was a day, my Prince."

I lean forward as a female Cullenite is escorted toward the men, who are seated at a large round table before my mother and father. "Did I miss anything important?" I ask quietly, eyes focused on the scene below.

"Queen Esme personally thanked the men for volunteering to take part in the breeding program," he says, his keen gaze also focused on the action. "This is the first attempt at finding mates."

"Good."

I don't say anything further because my sole focus is on the interaction taking place below. The women have been instructed to walk over and make a full circle around the table. Several guards also remain close in case something unexpected happens.

Prior to my reaction to Bella, indifference would be the only emotion offered toward a human by any in Kingdom Cullen. There are stories of Cullenites who thrive in other settlements, much like Emmett does here, and that includes the Kingdom of Forks, but we have no knowledge, nor do we want any, of their extracurricular activities. Obviously, a match similar to mine has not happened or word would've reached us before now.

It's the reason I'm dubious of a result here.

Yet, just as that thought occurs to me, a disturbance below brings me out of my musings and draws my eyes to the scene on the floor. A Cullenite female is frozen in her spot, and a loud murmur races through the crowd below where Emmett and I sit.

For his part, a human male has stood from his chair, brows puckered, eyes locked on hers. My heart pounds. I recognize the look they share as easily as I'd recognize Bella in a sea of ten thousand women.

They are mates.

"Holy shit," Emmett mutters, gripping my arm. "Is this what I think it is?"

"It is." My voice is strained due to the thick emotion in the room.

I jump from my seat, the bombardment of their glow nearly pushing me back down. It presses against me, radiating from them in a bright burst of pink and making me crave my own mate.

With a desperate roar, I bound from the balcony and race to my home.

To Bella.

And we're off!

I hope you enjoyed a peek into Knotward's mind hehe.

Also, DID YOU SEE THE PIC?

See ya Thursday!