The Breeding Lands (An Epic Erotic Fantasy Novel) (8 page)

Violet smoothed out the creases from her skirt, and patted her hair back down. She had left her hair in loose waves down her back and it had become slightly disheveled during the journey.

“I’ve got it, Father,” she said excitedly, towing the trunk behind her. Her father went back to the cart to pick up a few things that he needed to bring inside the store.

“Mrs. Shire!” Violet called happily, entering the store. She didn’t notice the strangers sitting at one of the small tables in the store’s pub. Pulling her trunk behind her, she made her way to the front of the store, anxious to find the shop owner.

Mrs. Shire came around the corner, and Violet was too excited to notice the strained look on her face. “I’ve brought some of my new clothing pieces,” Violet said breathlessly, pulling her trunk open.

“Violet,” Mrs. Shire said in a worried low voice, “You shouldn’t be here.”

Confused, Violet tried to register what she meant. She gave a quick glance around, but everything seemed normal. Mrs. Shire ever so slightly nodded her head towards the back of the store. Slowly, fear slithering up her spine, Violet turned towards the back where the tables were located. Three men dressed in all white were sitting completely still, their eyes fixed on Violet.

Scouts.

Violet looked to the door and saw her father frozen in the doorway, his face pale with shock. Violet felt panic rise within her, but she tried to take a deep, calming breath. She couldn’t turn back around to Mrs. Shire with the three pairs of observant eyes set on her. She felt the scouts taking in her appearance, looking over every inch of her.

One of the scouts raised his hand and beckoned for Violet to come towards them. He had tan skin and dark hair with light streaks running through it.

Swallowing hard, Violet left her trunk and slowly walked towards the men. She had never seen scouts up close before, and as she looked closely, she noticed there was something wild and reckless about the men. It was the way their eyes shifted, the way their bodies were thick and solid with muscles. The bright white clothing they wore.

“No,” her father growled as Violet moved closer to the men.

One of the scouts held his hand up to her father to silence him. “How old are you, Dear One?” asked the scout who had summoned her.

“Eighteen,” she whispered.

The men exchanged glances. “We never come to this part of the human lands,” one of the scouts remarked, staring curiously at Violet. “We were only passing through before heading to the towns by the sea. It’s not even worth our time.” The words rolled slowly off his tongue, and Violet shivered.

“Come closer,” the third scout remarked, and Violet moved until she was standing directly before the men. She wondered if they could hear her pounding heart. Violet could feel the waves of fury radiating off her father’s body. She suddenly felt heartbroken for her father. She couldn’t imagine what was going through his mind.

“Her eyes!” whispered the tan scout, and she saw the other two scouts starting intently at her face. Afraid to look away, Violet stared back, almost challenging the men to select her. She had been seen, and there was no hiding now. She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin.

“Proud,” one murmured. The tan scout looked at the others, and both nodded their heads quickly. The scout stood and reached inside the pouch around his neck.

“No!” Her father cried, lunging forward.

“Hold your tongue!”

The scout produced a dazzling blue bracelet, and Violet could hear the blood roar in her ears. She closed her eyes to stop herself from passing out and she heard the solid click of the bracelet as it was slipped over her wrist. She felt the slight tingle of magic, and opened her eyes to look down at the piece of jewelry now affixed to her skin.

“Please. No,” she whispered, but the words were so faint.

She started to fall, but her father was there to catch her. He whisked her outside as Violet heard Mrs. Shire cry out in protest. Visions flashed before Violet’s eyes as she thought of Bryan and his brightly colored fish. The beautiful little farmhouse she had envisioned for them, and the plump little children that they would never have. Gone was her dream of sewing garments in an upstairs room as her babes slept, cooking breakfast for Bryan and the children as the sun rose, and evenings spent holding hands as the years went on.

Violet barely noticed as her father put her back into the cart, and Mrs. Shire cried quietly as she brought out Violet’s trunk of clothing and helped put it in the cart. A flash of white caught Violet’s attention, and she watched the three scouts mount their pristine horses, and tilt their heads respectfully toward Violet. They were thanking her, honoring her for the service that she would provide both them and her own people. Violet was keeping the humans safe while saving the tribes. She watched the scouts’ horses gallop into the distance, heading into the directions of the towns.

There in the towns, the people would be expecting them. They would visit schools and community buildings, areas where large numbers of young women frequented.

As the cart moved forward towards home, Violet saw the tears falling down her father’s face. She had never seen her father cry.

“Father, please! Don’t cry,” she said, alarmed.

“My fault. It’s all my fault,” he moaned, wiping at his tears as he urged the horses forward.

“You couldn’t have known. There was no way to know.”

“Your mother warned me. I should have listened. I should have noticed those horses, and turned right back around.”

“Father, please, I can’t bear to see you like this.”

Violet’s heart was breaking into more pieces than it already had. Not only was she losing her dream of a happy life of love and babies, but she was watching her father fall apart at the seams.

The ride was agonizingly long, and finally they arrived back at the house. Violet's mother hurried outside to see why they were back so soon, and Violet’s father went to her, dropping to his knees, prostrated before her.

Her mother’s face paled, and she looked to Violet in horror. “No!” she screamed. “No!”

“Please forgive me,” her father sobbed.

“I warned you!” her mother screamed. “I told you to wait! We knew the scouts could come!”

“Mother, don’t be angry at Father! Please!” Violet cried, running to her mother. She flung herself into her mother’s arms, and her mother held her, sobbing into her neck.

Her father stood up, his eyes dull and dead. “Get out of my sight,” her mother hissed. Her father didn’t put up a fight and simply turned and walked away.

“No, Mother—”

But her mother hugged her more tightly, cutting her off. She pulled inside the house, smoothing Violet’s hair down the way she did when she was a little girl.

“We’ll have to tell the Woods Family,” her mother spoke, mostly to herself. Violet’s heart broke again as she thought of Bryan. How many times could her heart shatter?

“And Marcus and Blythe,” her mother gasped, a fresh sob breaking through. Violet’s heart shattered. Again. Her life was over.

The one thing of which she was certain would never happen, had happened. In a month’s time she would find herself in a marriage, but not the kind she wanted. She would be paired with a man she didn’t love, a stranger, and be forced to have his son. There would be no sweet little girls with pigtails and dresses. Only savage little boys who would grow up to take more human females for themselves.

Violet let the pain wash over her, fresh and violent, much like the waves of the angry sea.

* * * * *

CHAPTER SIX

Mia

* * * * *

“Please Mama, I want you to stay home with Gracie,” Mia begged for the thousandth time.

Her mother bustled about the kitchen, not looking at Mia. “It has already been settled, Mia. Gracie will spend the day with her friend.”

Mia turned back around to Melanie, who was sitting at the kitchen table. Melanie gave her a small shrug, her eyes empty and dead. Mia wanted to sit down next to Melanie and hug her, but she just didn’t have the energy. Instead she walked past Melanie and out the back door. She perched on the outdoor table, looking out at the sea below. She mindlessly fiddled with the glittering blue bracelet around her wrist, finding it strange that after tomorrow it would no longer be a part of her.

Four weeks ago, when the bracelet was first slipped onto her wrist, she viewed it like a poisonous object. She was unable to even look at it, the mere feel of it twisted her stomach into venomous knots. But the hurt, anger, and pain had slowly subsided as Mia came to terms with her fate. She was no longer angry. No longer felt cheated. There were nine hundred and ninety-nine other women with this same fate, and one of those women happened to be her own twin sister.

For all of Melanie’s matter-of-fact talking, she seemed to be struggling the most with coming to terms with her fate. She woke up in the dead of night, screaming. No one could console her, and Mia tossed and turned in her own bed as she listened to Melanie moan and cry in her sleep, begging imaginary monsters to leave her alone.

What hurt Mia the most was that she and Melanie would be leaving their young sister, Gracie. At first, Gracie didn’t really understand what was happening. But as time wore on, she began to cling to Melanie and Mia, begging them not to go.

Mia didn’t realize she was crying until she felt wetness on her cheeks. She brushed at her face, swiping at the tears. She couldn’t believe that she would never set eyes on the sea again. The sea that had been such a fixture in her life, a constant through everything, would soon be lost to her. Would Mia find herself in hot sunshine? Would she be trapped in perpetual moonlight? Or hidden among the Western Mountains?

She couldn’t sit any longer, and she pushed off the bench and moved out of the yard, closer to the cliff where the earth met the sea. She peered over the edge, feeling the wind whip at her hair. She had the sudden urge to throw herself over.

“What are you thinking?” she muttered to herself, jumping back from the edge, and shaking her head to clear it.

“Debating jumping in?” asked a flat voice. Mia turned around to see her own reflection. Melanie stood a few yards away, her bright red hair in two braids down her back. Her usually bright green eyes had the same dead look that they had inside the house. Melanie’s eyes had seemed lifeless since the selection.

“Debated,” Mia said lightly, trying to change the mood. She walked up to Melanie. “I guess I’ll have to take my chances tomorrow.”

Melanie’s face twisted into a sneer and Mia ached for her old sister to return. “Well that was quick,” Melanie snapped, “I guess you’ve forgotten all about James.”

Mia staggered back as if she had been punched. She felt the air leave her, and she looked at Melanie with hurt and disbelief. Leaving James behind and forgetting about him was unbearable. She couldn’t allow herself to think about it, or else she would fall apart. Melanie’s comment had been cruel and hateful, cutting her to the quick.

“How could you?” she whispered to Melanie, running past her as she felt her heart break all over again.

Just as Mia ran by, she saw Melanie’s mask of anger slip, and her eyes filled with remorse. “Mia! Wait! Please! I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have said that!”

Mia didn’t care what Melanie said now, she couldn’t take it back. Mia ran inside the house and up into the room she shared with Melanie. She slammed the door, and threw herself on the bed, letting out a gut-wrenching sob. She heard the door open and close quietly, but she ignored it, letting herself feel the heartbreaking pain.

“Mia?” Mia ignored the voice, still crying. This was the last time she was going to cry, she vowed. The last time she would let her emotions get the better of her. “Mia, please. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Mia snapped, sitting up abruptly and wiping her tears.

“No, it’s not fine. I’ve been a bitch.”

Mia let out a hard laugh. “You
have
been a bitch,” she agreed.

“I’m just scared.”

Mia turned around to face Melanie. “I’m scared, too, Mel. But we need to accept that this has happened to us.”