The Breeding Lands (An Epic Erotic Fantasy Novel) (3 page)

“I’m going to go into town,” she said, cutting Melanie off mid-sentence.

“Why?” Melanie asked suspiciously.

“No reason.”

Melanie was up on her feet in an instant. “Are you out of your mind? Mama will kill you if she finds out!”

“We’re just friends!” Mia protested feebly.

“I know it’s more than that, and so do you!”

Mia didn’t know why she tried to hide things from her twin. She sank on the bed and looked up at Melanie. “I can’t help it. I have feelings for him. I know nothing will come of it, and I can only hope that I don’t get chosen so we can start a relationship, but that doesn’t help the fact that I want to be with him all the time!”

“Mia, please,” Melanie urged. “It looks suspect, and the only way you can even get away with it is because of your good reputation. Please, don’t go see him.”

Mia jumped up and went to the closet. “I have to.” She rummaged through her clothes until she found her favorite blue cotton dress. “Don’t tell Mama,” she pleaded. Melanie caved and stalked over to her own bed.

“I really wish you wouldn’t,” she said flatly, staring out at the sea.

Excited at both the notion of seeing James, and the thrill of sneaking around, Mia dressed quickly and pulled her hair out of the ponytail, fluffing it around her shoulders. She grabbed her schoolbag as a ruse and kissed Melanie on the head before dashing down the stairs.

“I’ll be back!” she called, hurrying out the front door.

“Wait!” her mother called. Mia slumped over in annoyance, walking slowly back to the house.

“Where are you going?” her mother asked, a rag still in her hand from polishing the sink.

“Into town to do some school work.”

Her mother gave her a long look, her gaze lingered on her outfit, rested on her school bag. “Two hours and then I want you back here.”

“Yes, Mama!” Mia was flying down the path now, her feet taking her as quickly as they could away from the house.

Mia was inside the boundaries of the town within minutes, the sea just out of sight behind her. She continued down the path towards the town study hall where students could work or hang out. Her eyes raked over the dozens of small white houses with their mechanical doors and self-regulating windows. They were sleek and modern, everything that her sleepy seaside town was not.

She pulled open the door to the study hall, and hurried into the game room, looking for James. Her eyes found him instantly—his long dark hair pulled into a smooth ponytail, his muscular legs moving back and forth as he shuffled a disc across a game board.

Mia sighed as she took in his physique. She went to a corner, making sure to stay within his view, and pretended to watch two girls play a word game. James noticed her right away, and she saw him grin broadly, but he kept his eyes away from her and pretended to focus on his game.

After a few minutes, Mia left the room and disappeared out of the side door. She made her way along the garden that spread out behind the study hall until she found the secluded table where she and James had agreed to meet. Soon, James came into view, his dark eyes glowing at the sight of her.

“Mia,” he said happily, sitting beside her and squeezing her hand. “I was hoping you would come today.”

“It wasn’t easy. Melanie gave me a hard time.” With a quick glance around the garden, she leaned her head onto James’ shoulder and breathed in deeply, smelling his fresh woodsy scent.

“I’m glad you stood up to her,” he admitted, picking her head up off his shoulder and staring into her eyes. Mia’s heart beat erratically. She knew it was more than a crush, that she was falling for James. She prayed that she would be overlooked for the ritual.

As if he could read her mind, James spoke in a rush. “I just want these next eight weeks to be over. I just want to know that you can be mine. I don’t want this worry hanging over us.”

Mia ducked her head, letting her hair fall in a thick curtain between them. She was touched by his honest words, but saddened by them too. “We’ll know before eight weeks,” she corrected. “The scouts will come in four.”

She felt James’ breath catch as he jumped down angrily. “It’s not right! It’s not fair! If women already find a human mate, then they should be exempt, regardless of their age!”

Mia felt the same way, but she found herself playing devil’s advocate. “Then everyone would find mates,” she pointed out quietly.

“Not everyone! Some want to be chosen! Some volunteer!”

James was right. Some women were eager to leave their families, eager for a new life, a better life; especially those that lived in poverty or suffered abuse. Other women looked at selection as an honor, as a way for them to protect their families and their homes. They understood that by being selected, they were ensuring the rest of the humans would be safe.

One thousand women every year were offered up to the tribes and brought to the Breeding Lands. One thousand women who never saw their families again, who were taken away like pieces of property, sent to live with one of the three tribes. No one knew exactly what each tribe was like, but Mia shuddered as she thought of the stories she had heard, particularly those of the Usari Ravagers.

And then the actual purpose of the sacrificed women...As if being torn from their families wasn’t bad enough. There on the blue sands of the Breeding Lands, after warriors had fought over the women, the women were forced to consummate their union, having sex in front of all the spectators. And thus the women served their purpose, giving birth to more little male shifters who would one day grow up and take human women for themselves.

Mia knew it could be worse. She knew that aside from the one thousand women offered, the rest of the humans were kept safe, and the tribes left them completely alone.

“It doesn’t have to be this way!” James argued. “Let’s run away! They wouldn’t find us!”

Mia catapulted back to reality. “Are you crazy? That’s certain death for both of us! How many have been able to run away and not get caught?”

But Mia knew exactly why James had even suggested such a ludicrous idea. His brother had run away with a girl three years earlier. They had run away the night before the scouts came, before the girl could have a blue bracelet put around her wrist.

They were the only people Mia had ever heard of who managed to run away and not get caught. They were never heard of again, and though Mia would never say so to James, she often wondered if they were killed somewhere along the way.

“If he could do it, so could I,” James said stubbornly.

Mia heard the doubt in his voice. “You know we can’t,” she murmured, staring down at her hands.

James had grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to him, crushing his lips against hers. Mia gasped in surprise, too stunned to react. She sat frozen as James moved his lips against hers, softening her body to him. Mia gave in, timidly meeting his kiss. Her own lips moved against his, tasting him, feeling the warmth of his tongue.

James’ hands were in her hair, on her cheeks, his touch practically setting her skin on fire. Mia had never felt so alive before. She entwined her body with his, pulling herself as close as possible, drinking in the delicious sensation.

She gasped as his hands moved down across her collarbone and gently cupped her breasts. Mia moaned, not recognizing her own voice. She felt a sinful tug deep in her groin as James kissed the sensitive skin of her neck, squeezing her breasts as his fingers found her peaked nipples.

“No!” she gasped, wrenching her body from him, and flinging herself to the other end of the table. She was panting heavily and she saw that James was too, his eyes wild with lust and need.

“No one would know,” he croaked.

Mia saw the bulge in his pants. Hanging her head with shame and regret, she felt her cheeks flood with color as she reached suddenly for her school bag. She couldn’t believe what had just happened.

“I can’t,” she said. “This is all wrong. I love you James, but I’m not this girl and I’m not putting my life in danger.”

“Please! Mia! I’m sorry! I took things too far! I got carried away,” he pleaded, his voice turning to panic.

Mia looked up and met James’ eyes. She knew that if she were to be selected, it would be the last time they would be alone together. She couldn’t take the chance of seeing him alone before the scouts came.

“I can’t trust myself,” she admitted, moving quickly towards him and pecking his cheek. “I hope in a few weeks, when this is all over, we can be together,” she whispered, and hurried away from him.

Mia was quiet and subdued when she got home. She could feel Melanie’s eyes on her all afternoon. When Mia’s father arrived home, he brought with him five fat Nihilo crabs, and everyone was overjoyed by the special treat. Mia wasn’t as excited as she had been that morning, but she still enjoyed the bountiful meal. The delicious crabs helped take her mind off the events of the afternoon. Later that night, while the girls were lying in bed, Melanie whispered in the darkness.

“What happened today?”

Mia wanted to tell her sister that nothing had happened, but she didn’t have the energy to lie. She was quiet for a long moment, as she tried to figure out the best way to respond. “James kissed me. He wants me to run away with him.” Melanie’s gasp cut through the quiet. “I told him no. I told him I couldn’t see him anymore.”

The pause was so long that Mia thought perhaps Melanie had fallen asleep.

“I’m sorry, Mia. I know how much you cared for him.”

Mia knew that Melanie didn’t quite understand just how much she loved James, but she appreciated the sentiment regardless. “Thanks, Mel. Now, please, let’s not talk about it again. I want to try forget about him, at least until the selection is over.”

The silence that answered her back was soothing, and Mia drifted into a restless sleep.

* * * * *

CHAPTER TWO

Mia

* * * * *

The fifth year’s picnic came and went, and time continued to barrel forward. The atmosphere in Mia’s house was tense, especially on the twins’ eighteenth birthday, which happened to be one week before the scout’s visit. Eighteenth birthdays were never a cause for celebration for girls, for the occasion marked the coming year’s mating selection.

Mia’s mother put on a brave face, but later that night, after everyone had gone to bed, Mia heard her muffled sobs coming from her parents’ room. She knew her mother was about to relive the nightmare she’d faced with aunt Jossalyn all over again.

The day of the scouts’ visit dawned bright and warm, and Mia thought it was unfair that the sky should be such a cloudless blue on such a depressing day. She dressed quietly, debating on whether or not she had the nerve to skip school, but she knew that she would be caught eventually. Melanie was quiet too, and Mia knew the day weighed heavily on each of them.

The girls’ mother had made their favorite breakfast—roseberry pancakes. Gracie was the only one who seemed oblivious to the day, and she happily ate and chatted during the meal. In a gesture that was surprising to both Mia and Melanie, their father pulled them in for a tight hug before school, whispering “I love you,” in a gruff, cracking voice before sending them out the door.

As Mia walked through the school doors, she could instantly feel that the other fifth year girls were tense, anxious, and on edge. Mia and Melanie made it through their first class without incident. In fact, they hadn’t seen any of the scouts yet. Things changed, however, as they made their way into their second class. Their classmate Abigail was in the back of the classroom, hugging their teacher and crying. At first, Mia wondered if one of Abigail’s friends had been selected. But when Abigail pulled away to swipe at her tears, Mia saw the glittering blue bracelet on her wrist.

Mia had heard stories of girls trying to take their bracelets off, but it was no use. They were enchanted and would not come off, no matter how desperately you tried to remove them. Once the selected females set foot on the blue sands, the bracelets disintegrated and turned into a fine blue powder which fell back into the sea of sand. Melanie shuddered, and gave Mia’s hand a squeeze before sitting down in her seat.