Page 16 of Chosen
I head down the stairs to stand in front of the driveway.
A strong hand falls on my shoulder and applies enough pressure to grab my attention. I turn to face Magnus who has now completely dropped his welcoming façade.
His narrowed eyes are bright amber and lips are flattened to one angry line. His face is nearly as red as his hair.
“I am not sure how things are done in Sector 10, but in my sector, when hospitality is offered it is not treated with disdain and disrespect. You have every right to claim your breeder butas a courtesy, you could at least give my wife the chance to say farewell to her sister. That would be the decent thing to do.”
My eyesight sharpens indicating that my eyes had also morphed. I allowed my canines to descent and my fingers to lengthen into clawed hands.
Challenge accepted.
Just as I’m about to raise my hand to strike, a small woman who is clearly heavily pregnant races to us, holding her stomach.
“Nooooo!”
Chapter
Seven
JAMIE
I’ve numbed myself to the point where I can no longer feel in preparation of Sector Leader 10’s arrival. One of the large bay windows in my room gave me a good view of the front of the manor and I could see the comings and goings of vehicles. So I’d posted myself there and waited. Once, I spotted his vehicle, I headed toward Magnus’s office, taking the service elevator to avoid passing by my parents’ room.
I intentionally avoided visiting them and Noah. I didn’t want to deal with their tears or words that really held no meaning for me. Sure, they would tell me they ‘d miss me, and they would see me soon, but I’m not sure if that’s true. And if I did see them again, what difference would it make.
I am no longer the same loving daughter and sister they once knew. I haven’t been in months.
The carefree girl, who once lived happily on the commune was dead. She was slowly killed over the course of several weeks that started when we were taken and thrown in cages.
When I made it to Magnus’ office, I was halted by two Enforcers who informed me that he’d already left to greet his guests. I’d hoped to avoid my family by hiding in there, so Iwaited before I figured he’d eventually return with Sector Leader 10 in tow.
I wasn’t sure what my new Master would look like. Mostsuperiousmen are tall and their leaders tended to be obscenely muscular. Yet the moment my gaze locked with Sector Leader 10’s, the numb I’d grown accustomed to dissipates momentarily, and is replaced by a gnawing sensation in my stomach that I can’t identify.
Fear maybe?
I’d always thought Magnus was large even for asuperious, but this brute of a man is even larger, taller by a few inches and broader. Cloaked in all black like an Enforcer, with the distinction of a red collar with a silver pendant engraved with something I couldn’t quite make out. He also sports gold aiguillettes worn on his left shoulder.
Despite the official looking uniform this man is all raw power. More beast than man. His dark hair rest on top of his head in a top knot. He has a full black beard that covers the lower half of his face but his lips are red and full, long strong nose and dark thick brows that slash over the brightest blue eyes I’d ever seen. They’re the color of a clear sky, almost white, but they darken as they roam over my frame.
I can’t exactly say if he’s handsome or not bysuperiousstandards, but I imagine by homo sapien standards he would have been a catch on the commune I’d grown up on. Not that it really mattered, he was just my new jailer.
My grace grew hot when I looked at him and I lower my head unable to maintain eye contact.
I forced myself to push back the unease I’d suddenly felt in his presence.
And now watching him and Magnus on the cusp of coming to blows, my original assessment of my situation is correct. They’reall beasts and no matter whose jurisdiction I’m under, my life will be miserable. They can both kill each other for all I care.
But before Sector Leader 10 raises his clawed hand I hear the high pitched cry of my sister coming toward us.
Noah races toward the man beasts, moving fast for a woman in her condition. She wraps her arms around Magnus’s waist. “Please don’t!”
“What’s going on?” A male voice demands.
I swivel around to seem my father and mother coming down the stairs followed by the Magnus’s second in command, General Rohman.
An Enforcer steps forward with bared canines and stands beside Sector Leader 10 who I assume is one of his. But this triggers a handful of Enforcers who had been guarding the perimeter to step forward.
There was chaos and though my new master is outnumbered, there’s no doubt in my mind that anyone who came up against him wouldn’t walk away unscathed.
