CHAPTER THREE
JASMINE – POINT OF VIEW
My face burned as I was forced into the uniform.
The breeders’ uniform. A short dress made specifically for us, one made to accentuate our curves, and in my case, push up my breasts, and give a glimpse of my ass. My body was a commodity for these monsters. I never had s*x with Silas, yet I was being prepped to be a s*x slave.
“This isn’t so bad.” The dark-haired girl from earlier told her friend, a smile still on her face.
“Shut it, and don’t look so eager!” Another girl snapped at them. She was taller, blonde, and obviously determined. She had attained the position of the Queen bee, and it would be amusing, but nothing was remotely funny to me.
The doors were pushed open, and the guards walked in, accompanied by a middle-aged woman.
“I’m Dolores, your instructor. Follow me. Stay close, and do not wander off.” She instructed coldly and strutted off.
“Get in line!” The guard yelled at us.
I exhaled with a heavy heart as the girls rushed to the front. I quietly found a space at the end of the line. I made sure to keep my head down as we filed out of the hall and made our way to the compound. The guards held on to their batons, which made bitterness curdle in me. Why were they holding weapons for us? For girls and women. There was something deeply wrong about them.
I looked around as we walked through the back. The woman was speaking, but I could barely hear anything. The line was so long, and I felt removed from the group. I didn’t mind. I wasn’t here to stay after all. This was temporary, and soon, I would leave.
Where would I go? I don’t know.
My stomach tightened painfully because I had no home anymore.
“Stop.” The guards yelled suddenly, and my heart skipped a beat.
We had moved to a different part of the palace. The grass was greener, and the air was calmer. I knew I shouldn’t, but still, I took a step backwards, craning my neck, trying to get a good look at where we were.
My blood ran cold when I saw the Alpha.
He wasn’t alone. He was talking to three men, flaring his hands in the air as he spoke, obviously frustrated.
They were in his office.
I squinted my gaze and focused on the men. I’d never seen them before. They were wearing hard leather, which was very expensive. They were dressed formally. They had tattoos all over their bodies, crawling over their arms, all the way to their neck. One was smirking, the other had a cigar between his lips, and the third looked bored. The Alpha ranted on, vexed by their demeanour.
The Lycan Princes.
Fuck.
“Move, women.” The guards ordered.
Quickly, I rejoined the line, heart pounding.
Thankfully, no one noticed what I did, but I could not focus. I hadn’t seen them clearly, but I had seen enough. I saw how elegantly handsome they were dressed while we were forced into uniforms and made to obey. I saw how frustrated the Alpha was, which alluded to tension between them. I also saw that I wasn’t their kind of woman. They were Lycans, pure royalty, and I was an orphan because my father was dead to me. They wouldn’t pick me. I just had to endure this hell, and escaped when the opportunity presented itself.
I would find a way or make a way.
Finally, we came to a stop under a tree.
“Take your seats,” Dolores ordered, gesturing at the stools.
As expected, the women rushed forward. I didn’t. I stayed backwards, looking at my environment instead, committing everything to memory.
I moved forward eventually and leaned against the tree, arms folded.
Dolores sat before us, legs crossed, and she began, “You are here because you chose to be.”
I almost scoffed at the irony.
“The Moon Goddess knows everything, and she has led you here. There’s no point fighting your fate. Lean into it and watch it unravel. You have honoured a great call. You have put aside your vanities to be the Princes’ women, to carry and bear their children. As women, there is no greater purpose than this. It is our biology, our sole aim on earth is to carry children, to bring forth life, and we must never run from nature, because it will take its course eventually.” She believed the words she said, which was very incredulous to me.
I seemed to have stepped into hell.
“Some of you may be cynical,” she ran her gaze over us, and I looked away immediately, my heart in my throat.
“So, I will tell you a legend. The legend of the Luna Breeder. The Moon Goddess’s chosen one. A long time ago, as a result of our homage, acknowledgement and sacrifice, the Goddess decided to place her essence in a very special woman, one blessed with the power to bring forth a powerful generation. A woman who can have powerful babies. A woman who would pass this supreme power to her mates and children. This woman comes often, randomly in every generation, and the only way to identify her is by a crescent moon mark.” She articulated firmly, her voice resounding.
I froze immediately, my pulse slowing.
“A crescent moon mark on her lower back, a sign that she has been touched by divinity. This is …”
Her voice faded away. Everywhere became muffled for me. I could feel my heart pounding. Blood rushed to my ears, and my head swam.
Carefully, I reached behind and touched the burned scar on my back. A scar that covered a mark. The crescent moonmark.
I was the Luna Breeder.