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Pain shoots through me as I lay in my narrow bed, locked inside the windowless room that has been my home for the last three years. The torment starts as a cramping, aching feeling in my lower abdomen before bursting outward, traveling through every nerve of my body to the tips of my fingers and toes, leaving a trail of burning agony behind it, as though I were on fire from within.<br /> I’m so used to it by now that there’s no surprise when it comes. With no other option, I curl into a ball and wait for it to end. At least it’s usually quick. That’s the one small blessing I have.<br /> It bewildered me the first time it happened. I thought I was dying, until I learned the truth: the pain is caused by my mate and his mistress. Whenever they’re intimate, his betrayal of our bond scorches my body. He knows it, and he doesn’t care.<br /> That is the double-edged sword of the mate bond. For most werewolves, the day they find their mate is the happiest day of their lives. Mates are chosen for us by the moon goddess, destined to be our perfect match. Who wouldn’t want that? <br /> For me, however, it didn’t go anything like that.<br /> At last, the torture stops and my whimpers slowly die off. I stopped screaming out in pain a long time ago. No one hears me, or if they do, they ignore the sound, just like they ignore every other sign of my mistreatment. Everyone is blind to it, through deception or through choice, and I know by now that no one will help me. I am completely on my own.<br /> It is almost unbelievable how one night changed my life so thoroughly. Although it was three years ago, if I close my eyes, I am right back there on the night this all began. <br /> **************<br /> The summer’s evening is warm, with a hint of a breeze that plays with the loose curls of my hair as I step out of the car, making them dance across my bare shoulders. My dress is tight, so tight I can hardly breathe, but when I mentioned it to my mother earlier, she simply tightened her lips.<br /> <br /> “Fashion is worth the pain, Brianna.”<br /> It’s not the first time she’s told me that. Nothing is more important than outward appearances; that is the one lesson she was always determined that I learn.<br /> My two older sisters are here as well, with their mates, shining their dazzling smiles over the crowd that greets us. A few of the more curious onlookers glance my way too, wondering who I am, maybe, but when I try to smile and walk in my five-inch heels at the same time, I almost trip, so I drop the smile and focus on making it up the steps of the palace in one piece instead. <br /> We have come to the palace tonight to celebrate the mating of Prince Carter and his new princess. The couple themselves are not here, they left on their honeymoon shortly after the private celebration attended by close friends and family, but the prince left instructions for the festivities to continue over the next three nights, to ensure everyone has a chance to take part. Tonight, it is the turn of the empire’s noble families, including mine, and there are many important foreign delegations in attendance as well. That’s why the press is here, their cameras clicking as we make our way inside. Tomorrow, all the papers will run their stories of who was seen with whom and all the fashion highs and lows. My mother is desperate for our family to be mentioned, which is why I have had to spend the entire day being primped and prepped, until the woman staring back in the mirror hardly resembles me at all.<br /> My red hair, usually pulled back in a ponytail or messy bun, has been left down tonight, curled and doused in hairspray to hold its shape. My makeup is heavier than usual, my dress tighter and my heels higher, and I don’t know exactly what people see when they look at me, but I’m pretty sure it’s not me. It’s only the illusion my mother wanted to create.<br /> I haven’t been inside the palace before, and my eyes widen in wonder as we step inside the ballroom. Glittering chandeliers hang overhead, the lights reflecting off the white walls and the mirrors set up strategically along the walls. The wooden floor is smooth and polished beneath my heels and the air is filled with the chatter of hundreds of guests and music from a string quartet that I cannot see. Waiters in crisp white shirts circulate, holding trays of champagne and hors d&#039;oeuvres. My stomach growls at the scent of garlic and butter, but I know I can’t eat anything tonight. My dress is tight enough as it is, and my mother warned me that it’s not ladylike to eat in front of others. As if women never eat at all. <br /> I’m so distracted by the glittering dresses and jewels of the assembled crowd that I almost walk straight into a statue that’s standing in my path. At the very last moment, I see it and try to stop, but my shoes slip on the waxy floor, and for a terrible moment, I’m certain I’m going to fall. <br /> My mother will kill me, is all I can think as I lose my balance. <br /> I don’t fall, though. A second later, a strong arm circles my back, keeping me upright. <br /> “Careful,” a deep voice murmurs in my ear. “Better you than the antique statue, but I’d prefer if neither of you fell over on my watch.”<br /> Heat flushes my face as I regain my equilibrium and quickly disentangle myself from this stranger. “Thank you,” I breathe as I turn to face him, and for a moment, it actually feels like my heart skips a beat. At least, I think it does. Maybe it’s just the dress cutting off my circulation.<br /> Warm, brown eyes smile down at me. They’re the only part of his face that’s soft; everything else is hard and angled, his hair cut short, his jawline firm. He is not like the kind of men I’m encouraged to socialize with, but he’s very handsome, I can’t help thinking, my face turning even redder at the thought. <br /> “I’m Bree,” I introduce myself, even though my mother would have a fit if she heard me offer my name before a man asked for it. “Well, Brianna, really, but everyone calls me Bree.”<br /> I hold out my hand to shake his, and he hesitates for just a moment before reaching out as well. Cold metal slides against my fingers, and I realize in surprise that it is a robotic hand, some kind of prosthetic. I hadn’t noticed when he was holding me earlier. <br /> “Drew,” he introduces himself, and though he still looks friendly, there is a wariness in his eyes too, as if he’s not quite sure how I will respond. My surprise quickly vanishes though, and I shake his hand firmly. <br /> “Thank you for catching me, Drew. If I fell down in this dress, I don’t think I could get back up again.”<br /> An amused smile flashes across his face. “It was my pleasure, Bree.”<br /> The way he says my name sends tingles down my spine, but before I can say anything else, my mother is back at my side. “Stop wasting time, Brianna,” she admonishes, her tone making it perfectly clear that she doesn’t see Drew as someone worth talking to. She doesn’t even glance at him as she pulls me away, and all I can do is throw an apologetic look over my shoulder as I’m dragged further into the room. <br /> Although the guest list is impressive, this party is no different from any of the others I have attended before, the same pompous people trying to impress and outdo each other, and my eyes glaze over in boredom as the men around me talk business. Occasionally, I catch a glimpse of Drew moving around the room. He’s wearing a suit but not a tux, making it clear he’s not one of the guests. He must be working; he said something when he caught me about not letting me fall over ‘on his watch’. <br /> He never comes over to where I am, but I’m not surprised. That whole encounter probably made a much bigger impression on me than it did on him. <br /> Eventually, I manage to slip away onto the ballroom balcony, which has a beautiful view over the lake and the woods beyond the palace. The fresh air feels cleansing after the stifled conversation inside and I take a deep breath, letting it fill my lungs. The silvery moon is reflected in the still waters of the lake as stars twinkle overhead. The balcony runs the full length of the ballroom and there are couples dotted along its length, enjoying the scenery together. It would certainly be romantic, if I had someone to share it with. <br /> A moment later, two more people come out of the ballroom, standing a few feet away from me. I don’t pay any attention until I hear a familiar voice. <br /> “What’s your name?” It’s Drew’s voice and I glance over in surprise. He is standing with a beautiful blonde woman, his attention fixed fully on her. He hasn’t seen me at all. <br /> “Katherine,” she answers, her arms wrapped around her stomach, her whole posture defensive. I recognize her from other society events, but I don’t know her personally. She’s never considered me worthy of speaking to. “And you are? Your full name, I mean.”<br /> “Andrew Carver. Drew, for short.”<br /> He doesn’t look like an Andrew to me. Drew suits him better. <br /> I’m not trying to eavesdrop, but it’s hard not to overhear, especially the words that Katherine speaks next, firm and controlled. <br /> “In that case, I, Katherine Palmer, reject you, Andrew Carver, as my mate.”<br /> I gasp out loud before I can stop myself, looking over at them in disbelief. Drew staggers back, shock and pain splashed across his face as Katherine turns away. She catches sight of me, her eyes narrowing in contempt as she recognizes me. “If you say a word of this to anyone, Brianna, your whole family is finished.”<br /> With that, she turns away fully and goes back into the ballroom, pasting a smile back on her face as if nothing at all just happened. <br /> Drew obviously knows I’m here now, there’s no way to hide it, and I try to give him a sympathetic smile, though I can’t imagine what he’s feeling right now. Not knowing what else to say, I try to lighten the mood. “I’m so sorry, but honestly, you dodged a bullet there. I wouldn’t want to be mated to her.”<br /> It doesn’t work. He doesn’t laugh, and there’s only bitterness in his eyes. “I don’t need your pity,” he says stiffly before walking back into the party himself. <br /> Sadness and disappointment fill me from head to toe. I hate that he’s hurting. I hate that anyone ever has to get rejected. If it happened to me, I honestly don’t know what I’d do. I wish I could have found the right words for Drew, but maybe in that situation, there are no right words. <br /> Just as I’m about to go back inside myself, a new scent drifts over to me, flooding my senses in a way that’s almost overwhelming. It’s the smell of leather and horses, my favorite smell in the whole world, and it takes me a minute to realize that it’s coming from a man, one who’s staring at me with a mix of annoyance and curiosity. <br /> His face is as chiseled and handsome as Drew’s, but with none of the kindness in his eyes.<br /> “Well, well, well,” he says, taking a step closer to me, like a hunter stalking his prey. “What do we have here?”<br /> ~~Bree’s PoV~~ <br /> Mate? my wolf whimpers in my head as the unknown man steps closer to us. I always thought wolves were meant to be excited when they find their mates, but Topaz doesn’t sound excited at all. She sounds… scared.<br /> “Hello,” I say out loud, hoping he doesn’t notice the way my voice trembles. Topaz’s uneasiness seems to have seeped into me as well, leaving me feeling completely off-balance. Or maybe it’s the rejection I just witnessed between Drew and Katherine. What are the odds he and I would both find our mates within seconds of each other? <br /> On the other hand, why shouldn’t we? It’s not like Drew and I are anything more than passing acquaintances. <br /> “I’m Brianna,” I carry on when the man still doesn’t say anything, still staring at me with his intense, dark eyes. “Brianna Berkeley. I live here. Well, not right here, not in the palace, but here, in the city. Wh-who are you?”<br /> At last, his face relaxes and clears, and I realize that his wolf must have been in control before. His eyes are brighter now, his face a little less hard, and I breathe a secret sigh of relief. He doesn’t look quite so scary anymore, and without the hard look, he is even more handsome. <br /> “My name is Dalton Bancroft.” His accent is slightly unusual, and the name is very obviously upper-class. My mother will like the name, though I don’t recognize it from the times she made me study the list of most eligible young men in the empire. Of course, the prince was at the top of that list, but he’s off the market now. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Brianna.” <br /> His manners are impeccable as he takes my hand and kisses the back of it, and though I’m still a little thrown by his odd behavior before, I am growing a little more comfortable now. He is slightly older than me, probably in his late twenties while I am just 21. He and Drew are around the same age, I figure, as if that matters.<br /> “It’s a pleasure to meet you too,” I assure him, following my own etiquette training. “Do you live here in the city as well?”<br /> I am expecting the answer to be no, and it is. “I am here with the delegation of Prince Henrik, to give our congratulations to the happy couple. I did not expect to find my own mate here.”<br /> From his tone, I’m not sure if he thinks it’s a good thing or not, but he hasn’t rejected me, at least. I gave him my full name, so if he wanted to, he could have done it already. <br /> I am also frantically searching my memory for what I know about Prince Henrik. The empire I live in is vast, but it is, of course, not the only one in the world. The territory Henrik rules is far to the south, thousands of miles away. It must truly be fate that brought Dalton and I together tonight, when it would have been very easy for us to go our whole lives without meeting. <br /> “I wasn’t expecting it either,” I tell him honestly. “But I’m very pleased to meet you.”<br /> His eyes flash dark again as his wolf comes to the surface, and the predatory look in them sends a chill through me. A moment later, he blinks, and it is Dalton in control again. “I must introduce you to the prince, then.”<br /> This is hardly the romantic meeting I had hoped for, but he is polite and handsome and well-mannered. What was I expecting?<br /> The memory of Drew’s arm around me and his voice in my ear flashes across my mind, but I push it away. That isn’t at all helpful. <br /> Dalton offers his arm and I take it, little sparks tingling up my arm and through my body as we make contact. Topaz whimpers again in my head. <br /> What’s wrong? I ask her, keeping a pleasant smile on my face as we make our way back into the ballroom and through the crowd of people. <br /> It feels… cold, she tells me nervously. Dark. Dangerous.<br /> I feel it too, but I try to convince myself it’s nothing. In the bright ballroom, surrounded by people, what can the danger be? <br /> Dalton leads me to a group of men - only men - who are standing together and talking, each with a drink in their hand. “Your Highness,” he says, bowing to one of the men who turns to look at us both, and I immediately bow my head too, as I’ve been taught. “May I present Miss Brianna Berkeley, my mate.”<br /> Hearing him say it out loud makes the whole thing feel a little more real and I can’t stop myself from glancing up to see the prince’s reaction. He must be around the same age as Dalton too, though he looks younger and softer. His face is wide, with a large nose, and though I would not call him handsome, he’s not unpleasant-looking either. His expression remains neutral upon Dalton’s announcement, but I can’t help noticing the looks the other men throw at each other or the way their mouths curl in amusement. <br /> Why is Dalton finding his mate funny? The uneasy feeling that’s been lurking in my mind grows even stronger. <br /> “Congratulations to you both,” the prince replies, his accent thicker than Dalton’s. “Go and meet the girl’s family, and then we should depart.”<br /> Depart? Does he mean the party or the empire? It is just now sinking in that I will have to go with him to live in a place where I know no one. <br /> Dalton bows his head again and we step away while he instructs me to take him to my parents. As I make the introductions, I am starting to feel that I am on a runaway train, heading downhill with no way to stop it. <br /> My mother is delighted by Dalton’s pedigree and manners, and even my father, who is usually so buried in his business he does not even notice me, looks pleased. When Dalton says he would like me to leave with him tonight, to return to his kingdom, neither of them bats an eye. <br /> “There is something I need to do first,” he tells me, kissing my hand again as he lets my arm go. “Say any goodbyes you need to and I’ll be back within the hour.”<br /> Panic starts to settle in my chest as I realize this is really happening. I don’t know anything about this man and everyone expects me to drop my entire life and go with him because of the mate bond. What if we don’t even like each other? <br /> What if he is dangerous?<br /> “Mom?” With no one else to turn to, I try to appeal to my mother. “Do I have to go right now?”<br /> Her nose wrinkles as if the question is distasteful. “Why wouldn’t you?”<br /> “Because I don’t know anything about him?” It feels like a reasonable objection to me.<br /> “I knew nothing about your father when we met,” she points out, as if they are a shining example of the kind of relationship I should aspire to. She spends her days fussing over us while he works. They have nothing in common but their bed and their children. “I knew he came from a good family and had a good job. If you are worried about mating, don’t be; your wolf will take care of it.”<br /> Topaz whines in my head again, making it clear she wants no part in this. <br /> My father, meanwhile, has pulled out his phone to research Dalton’s family. “They are a noble family who work closely with the king,” he says in approval. “The men are all well-respected.”<br /> “What about the women?” I can’t help asking. <br /> He frowns as he scrolls further down. “It doesn’t say anything about them, but I don’t think that’s unusual down there. Their society is more traditional.”<br /> What does that mean? <br /> I don’t get a chance to find out. My mother drags me around to her friends to share the news of my new mate, and almost before I know it, Dalton has returned and it is time for me to go. “You can ship Brianna’s belongings to my villa,” he tells my parents. “I will make the necessary arrangements. In the meantime, I can provide her with anything she needs.”<br /> My parents beam at the consideration he is showing, though no one has asked me if I want him to buy me things. <br /> No one has asked me what I want at all. <br /> My whole body feels numb as Dalton takes my arm again and heads towards the main palace doors. Security guards stand next to the exit, and it is only as we reach the door that I realize one of them is Drew. <br /> For a brief, crazy moment, I think of asking him for help. For reasons I can’t explain, I feel like he would understand what is happening and the way I feel, but as we draw level to him and he looks at my arm in Dalton’s, he simply gives me a curt nod. “Have a good evening.”<br /> Those are the last words I hear from anyone in the empire. There is a car waiting for us at the bottom of the steps that takes us to an airfield and a private plane, and on to Dalton’s home. <br /> ***********<br /> That was three years ago now, and I am determined that this will be the last night I ever spend in this cold, dark room. <br /> Tomorrow, we are hosting a celebration, a special party in honor of King Carter, who is visiting the kingdom for the first time since taking control of the empire, and I will use the distraction it creates to slip away. <br /> Maybe I will fail. Maybe I will die trying, but at this point, that would be better than living without hope any longer. <br /> There is nothing here for me, so my only chance of living at all is to run.<br /> <br /> ~~Drew’s PoV~~<br /> “You have to get over this irrational fear of flying.” <br /> Carter’s voice makes me jump, and when I turn to glare at him, he laughs good-naturedly at my unease. I had been concentrating so hard on the view out the window, and on gripping onto the armrest with my good hand so tightly that it was starting to go numb, I missed him sitting down next to me. <br /> “It’s not irrational,” I point out once again. We already had this argument when he asked me to accompany him on this trip in the first place. If it was anyone other than my king and friend asking, I would have refused. Being on a plane was one of my least favorite things in the world. “It’s only irrational to be afraid of something that can’t hurt you. If the plane crashes, we die, and being afraid of that is completely rational.”<br /> “You face death all the time,” he points out, looking frustratingly cavalier as the plane dips lower in the sky, feeling like it might stall at any second. We’re on our descent now but I won’t relax until my feet are back on solid ground. “First in the forces and now in my security team, your chances of dying on any given day are much higher than they are on a plane, statistically speaking.”<br /> “At least in those scenarios, I can fight back,” I grumble, my gaze returning to the view outside. “In a fight between me and the ground, I don’t like my chances.”<br /> He laughs again, slapping me on the shoulder as if I’m joking, which I most definitely am not. “It’ll get easier the more you do it. Maybe I should start bringing you on all my diplomatic visits now.”<br /> “Don’t even think about it,” I mutter, making him laugh again. <br /> “It’ll be worth it when we get there,” he promises. “And who knows? Maybe your mate’s waiting down there.”<br /> Though he gives me another smile, this one is tinged with concern. He feels bad that I’m still mateless when everyone else our age has mates and families. He even tried to get me to sign up to the same Mate-Match dating app where he met his queen, Quinn. His third child, after Quinn’s daughter, Rosie, and their son, Kian, is on the way in just a couple of weeks. <br /> I’m the only one in the king’s inner circle who’s still single, but what he doesn’t know, what none of them know, is that I already found my mate three years ago. <br /> I found her and she rejected me at first sight.<br /> The memory temporarily distracts me from the specter of imminent death outside the plane window as my mind returns to the palace ballroom on that moonlit night. The evening began normally enough. I had joined Carter’s personal security team once he took over from his father, and usually, I provided personal security to him or, less frequently, to Quinn and Rosie. However, with Carter and Quinn gone on their honeymoon and the palace expecting an influx of guests for the mating ceremony celebrations, I volunteered to work the party that night. <br /> The usual upper-class snobs shuffled in, most of them ignoring me as if I was completely invisible and a few of the less cultured staring openly at my prosthetic hand. That was nothing I wasn’t used to so I let it slide right off me, taking none of it personally. I moved through the party like a ghost, making eye contact with no one, until I saw the beautiful red-haired woman nearly knock over one of Queen Margot’s favorite statues. <br /> Luckily, I was close enough that when she slipped trying to avoid the collision, I was able to catch her. She was light in my arms and smelled of honey, I couldn’t help noticing as I placed her back on her feet. <br /> I wasn’t even expecting an acknowledgement, based on how most of the people in the room were treating me, but to my surprise, she spoke to me, smiled, and even shook my hand. My bionic hand, at that, and it didn’t seem to bother her. She even told me to call her Bree. She was an unexpected breath of fresh air, and when her mother arrived to pull her away, giving me the look I was far more accustomed to, it felt like the sun had turned its back on me, plunging the room back into darkness. <br /> Those were rather fanciful thoughts for a practical soldier like me, and I shook my head at myself as I returned to my rounds, ensuring everything was secure. A delegation from one of the southern kingdoms caught my eye as they stayed huddled close together, speaking amongst themselves without interacting with anyone else. Their behavior struck me as odd, and I tried not to stray too far from them, just in case something was up. My wolf, Archer, felt strange around them too, though he couldn’t say why.<br /> My intention was to stick close to them without drawing too much attention to myself, but the night provided another unexpected turn as the scent of pine trees hit me, strong and insistent. <br /> It used to be my favorite smell before the night I lost my arm and legs. Now, it only reminded me of that terrible journey home after my limbs were cut off, teetering between life and death as Prince Carter carried me to safety. I had barely been aware of anything that night but pain and darkness, but the scent sunk into my subconscious anyway. I associated it only with fear and hopelessness.<br /> It took me a moment to realize that the scent was coming from a woman, a beautiful blonde woman who was staring at me in disbelief. <br /> Mate! Archer yelped inside my head, and my stomach flipped in surprise. Was he serious? After all this time, I couldn’t believe I finally found her. The wait had been so long, I had started to give up hope. The smell would take some getting used to, I had to admit, but if this was meant to be, then I would learn to live with it. Her eyes weren’t quite as kind as Bree’s, the pretty redhead I had spoken to earlier, but perhaps she was just as surprised by my sudden arrival as I was by hers. <br /> “Hello,” I said awkwardly, trying to make as good an impression as I could as I straightened the sleeves on my suit jacket. The movement brought her eyes down to my hands, and as she saw my prosthetic hand, her eyes widened.<br /> That was okay, I told myself. Anyone would be surprised. She would get used to it, just as I would grow accustomed to her scent. <br /> “I’m…” I started to introduce myself, but she quickly cut me off.<br /> “Not here. The balcony.”<br /> She was right, it would be easier to speak out there, away from the chatter of the crowd and the press of people around us, so I followed behind her at a respectful distance. There were a few other people on the balcony but I didn’t pay them any attention, focused as I was on my mate.<br /> I thought she wanted to talk to get to know me, but that wasn’t what she had in mind at all. All she asked was my name, and that was only so she could reject me. She didn’t know a thing about me other than my position and my physical attributes, and that was enough for her to turn up her nose at the goddess’ gift. <br /> Would she have accepted me prior to my accident? Perhaps she would have, and then perhaps I wouldn’t have known until it was too late just how shallow she was. At least she showed her face early enough that no bond was formed.<br /> Although it pained me at the time, in the end, once I had time to reflect on it, I didn’t regret that she had rejected me. We clearly weren’t well matched after all, at least not by the time that we found each other.<br /> My only regret from that night was the way I had spoken to Bree, who happened to be there on the balcony right next to us while my mate was rejecting me. In her eyes was compassion and kindness, but in the heat of the moment, my embarrassment overruled everything else. She tried to offer her sympathy and I threw it back at her, unfairly. <br /> When I’d had a few minutes to cool down, I went in search of her to apologize, but she was in conversation with what looked like her parents and one of the men from the southern kingdom’s delegation. I didn’t have a good enough excuse to interrupt them, and duty called me away anyway. By the time I saw her again, she was leaving the party on the arm of the same man. <br /> It drove home just how ridiculous I was being, thinking that my apology would mean anything to her. She was from a different world than I was, and so I simply wished her a good evening. The other men from the southern kingdom all departed almost immediately afterwards, and while I still thought their behavior was odd, at least they hadn’t caused any problems at the party. <br /> As for Bree, I never saw her again, and as time passed, I regretted my behavior that night more than ever. She had told me her surname, but I couldn&#039;t remember it; I&#039;d been distracted by her smile. I did, however, have access to the empire’s security systems, so I searched all the current employment and education records for any Brianna I could find. None of them were her. It was like she vanished off the face of the earth, or at least from the empire. <br /> There were other men on Carter’s team who probably could have searched historical records for me, knowing more about the computer systems than I did, but then I would have to explain what I needed the information for when I barely knew the answer to that myself. What did I intend to do if I found her? Since I had no idea, eventually, I had to let it go.<br /> At last, the wheels touch down, bringing my thoughts back to the present. Stretching out my hand, I let go of the armrest as Carter claps me on the shoulder once more. “See, nothing to worry about. Now you can relax and enjoy the reception they’re hosting for us tonight.”<br /> “You can relax,” I correct him. “I’m here to keep an eye out for trouble.”<br /> “And an eye out for your mate,” he reminds me, getting to his feet as the plane comes to a stop. “There should be a lot of people at this party. You never know, Drew.”<br /> I say nothing, letting him keep his fantasy if it makes him feel better, even though I know the truth. <br /> There is absolutely no chance my mate is going to be at that party tonight.<br /> <br /> ------<br /> <br /> Open the app and continue reading the rest of the story . 👉

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