Blair Alexander slammed her bedroom door and screamed as loud as she could. She was infuriated that her father would dare to demand such things of her. Many years had passed since she was the little girl running up to sit on her father’s lap while her pigtails danced in the wind. She was a woman now. A twenty-five year old woman. Not some teenage child to be ordered around as if they lived in the middle ages.

Her bedroom door opened and her father stood there with his hands on his hips. “Blair…”

“No father. I don’t want to hear it. I’m not going to –.”

“Sweetheart, listen to me… please.”

She did her best to stay mad, but her father always held a special place in her heart and when he asked something of her, it was rare that she could refuse.

Begrudgingly she sat down on the foot of her bed and crossed her legs. “Okay, I’ll listen. But, I’m not going to make any promises.”

He sighed and went to sit beside her. “Blair, you know you are my greatest achievement, my biggest blessing in all that I’ve done in life. And you know that I love you very much.”

“I do, dad. And I love you too. But –.”

“Look,” he held up his hand to stop her. “I know this isn’t what you want. That being matched with someone isn’t how your mother and I met. And it isn’t very traditional of our ways. But, I’m not sure what else to do. Our kind… we haven’t had it easy, sweetheart. You know that. We’re not like the other clans. The steps your grandfather took to ensure we weren’t like the others, the sacrifices we’ve had to make. It’s taken its toll on us. We’re not a growing clan. We’re a shrinking one. And if we’re not careful, we may not be around much longer.”

Blair hated that her father and their family took on so much of the responsibility of their clan. She was proud to be the granddaughter to Curtis Spryth Alexander. She knew that there were countless clans living out in the world wreaking havoc, killing innocents and luring in unsuspecting victims to join them.

The fact that they didn’t do any of those things that her grandfather had found a way for their clan to survive and still evolve through a normal life cycle of aging, having families and growing old was an amazing feat in itself. Still, some days she wished she could just escape the responsibility that came with her family name.

“Blair? Honey, are you listening to me?” her father asked.

“Yes, father.” It was a lie, but even if she had been listening it wouldn’t have mattered. She didn’t want to be mated with that creep Larry Welch. He was ten years her senior and had been gawking at her as long as she could remember. Normally she loved the attention men would show her. She had no shame in that. There was some attention though that she could do without, and Larry’s wandering eyes were one of them.

“Look, dad. I know you mean well. And I know you’re worried about me. But, I really –.”

“Please, baby. Just one date. Just meet him for dinner. If I’m wrong and you two have nothing in common than I’ll drop it and never mention his name again.”

“Ugh.”

“Please?”

“Fine. One dinner date. That’s it. But –.”

“Good because he’ll pick you up tomorrow at six o’clock.”

“Dad!”

Blair stood up in protest as her father walked out of her room. She hated when he did these sorts of things. Even more she hated when he knew her better than she knew herself and suspecting that she’d give in and say yes.

She might have followed him out into the hall or raised hell, but the loud rumble of two motorcycle engines distracted her from her thoughts.

She walked over to the window, knowing full well who she was about to see.

Getting off of their Harleys were Alex and Chance, clad in tight jeans, t-shirts they wore like a second set of skin and the most gorgeous examples of men to ever walk the face of the planet.

They were the two men in all of their clan who consumed most of her mind and deepest thoughts. For years she had thought Chance would be the one for her. He made her body heat by his mere presence and the slightest touch from him could make her ache.

For years he’d ignored her shameless attempts at seducing him. Flirting had never worked. Trying to get him alone never did the job either.

Then when they crossed paths with a volatile clan a couple of years ago and rescued Alex from their clutches, inviting him to stay with him and live their ways, she thought maybe it was him that she’d been waiting for. That perhaps he was the reason that Chance had always rejected her.

The more time she spent with Alex the more she grew attracted to him. He was sexy, sweet and had green eyes to die for. Still, no matter how badly she wanted Alex, she couldn’t help but want Chance too.

The two men were a constant distraction to her. Even when she did her very best to keep busy and stay away, she always managed to run into them.

They were always together. Always there. Always just out of her reach.

Chance looked up at her in the window and she offered a smile which he didn’t return.

He’d been growing increasingly colder toward her in the past weeks. It was a knowledge that both pained and perplexed her. She had no idea what she’d done to cause such a reaction from him.

She couldn’t help her feelings for him. She knew she couldn’t. She’d tried more times than she could count.

Alex looked up at her then, smiled and quickly looked away when Chance gave him a displeased look.

All she could do was shake her head in confusion. Her life was the exact opposite of what she had hoped it would be.

She was a vampire living in the desert with a clan who was dwindling. Her father was forcing her to date a man she despised, and the two men she wanted the most seemed to find new and inventive ways to confuse her on a daily basis.

Picking up a photo taped to her dresser mirror, she looked at her mother and wondered if she’d ever find the love that her parents had shared.