Page 2 of Chosen
“Mom, Dad, could you please give us a minute?” Noah asks through the haze of my misery.
“Okay, but we’ll be here if you need us, Jamie,” my mother replies.
My father leads her out of the room after shooting me a sympathetic smile. I know it’s not their fault that I’ve landed in this predicament but I can’t stop the resentment from bubbling within me. And I hate myself for it.
I want my family to be happy, yet I can’t shake this shroud of doom that squeezes my heart so tightly, I want to scream and never stop.
Noah drops to her knees at my side and attempts to put her arms around me, but I flinch away from her touch. I used to love hugs and affection but now being touched makes me feel…unclean.
“I’m sorry,” I mumble, when I see lines of sadness etched in my sister’s face.
She sighs and folds her hands in her lap but she stays close. “It’s okay. I empathize with how you feel right now.”
I steal a glance at her protruding belly. “I seriously doubt that. You can’t possibly know how I feel when you’ve openly admitted to loving the man who did that to you.” Again, I glare at her stomach. “The way you allow him to lay his hands on you and how happy you seem about it makes me cringe.”
Noah doesn’t reply immediately and I turn my head away so I don’t see the hurt I’ve probably inflicted on her. Part of me knows she had no choice being assigned as breeder to theSector 2 Leader. But the other half of me resents her for willingly becoming his bride.
That was a choice.
Shortly after my parents and I were reassigned to the Sector 2 Leader’s Manor, Noah had informed us that she and Lord Magnus were to be wed.
My parents seemed concerned at first until Noah assured them that this was what she wanted. After that I couldn’t see her in the same light. Where was the person who never had a kind word to say about anysuperious, and ranted about the injustice of the homo sapien plight? After all that, how could she tie herself to the enemy for the rest of her life when she had the opportunity to be free of him after giving him a child?
It’s my understanding that breeders are given land and enough credits to live off of, in comfort for the remainder of their days after producing an heir for their master. But no, not Noah. She declined the settlement she would have received for providing the Sector Leader an heir. She didn’t even have a grand ceremony that was her due, considering the status of her husband. Instead, Noah and Lord Magnus had a quiet wedding ceremony with a few witnesses, my parents and myself included.
Noah explained she that she didn’t want a huge event while she was pregnant and Magnus didn’t want to wait to legally make her his bride which is why they opted for something quick and small. Apparently, they planned to have the big ceremony with all the other Sector Leaders and their dignitaries after the baby is born, and Noah has fully recovered.
I want to be happy for her because she seems content with her situation. I’ve noticed the way her face lights up when Magnus is around and the secret smile that curves her lips when she cradles her belly. But every time I see them together a deep feeling of betrayal seeps into my soul that I just can’t shake.
Maybe there are things Noah sees in the Sector 2 Leader that I don’t but as far as I’m concerned, he’s responsible for keeping my family oppressed. And while this deep resentment festers within me, I say nothing because ultimately, I don’t want to hurt Noah. I just don’t understand how this has come to be. Was there some kind of brainwashing program involved?
When the silence stretches to the point of awkwardness, I finally look at my sister. Her head is bowed, and her eyes are swimming in tears. I’ve hurt her and a wave of guilt swipes at my heart. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that,” I mumble.
She shrugs. “There’s no need to apologize. It’s how you feel. Don’t mind me, these pregnancy hormones are causing havoc on my emotions. I cry over the slightest thing. This morning, I cried because my eggs were a tad undercooked. And the funny thing is, if we were living back on the commune, or in our old home, I would have devoured them. I’ve become so spoiled and I feel bad because I know there are many people in far worse positions than I am.”
The nonchalance of her answer doesn’t make me feel better. From the time we were children, Noah has always looked out for me. She protected me when I got into a squabble with some kids on the commune. She wiped my tears whenever I cried over something. She gave my first boyfriend a black eye when I caught him kissing another girl. She did her best to comfort me when our home was raided by the Enforcers.
She doesn’t deserve my disdain, but I can’t wrap my mind around how she so readily accepted her situation. I’m terrified beyond all words. Not only am I going to be a breeder, but I’ve been assigned to the leader of sector 10. It’s one of the coldest regions on the planet where I probably won’t see a blade of grass or flowers. I hear the sky stays gray over there. And what’s worse, I hear the leader is some brute who rules his sector with an iron fist.
The Beast.
That name is whispered among the homo sapiens because it’s often used as a threat to keep us in line. I remember when we were locked in cages, I’d heard some of the Enforcers talking amongst themselves. They’d mentioned that the worst offenders among us would be shipped off to sector 10 and they’d have to deal with The Beast.
In the last nightmarish months of my life, workers had been threatened with the possibility of being sent of that sector if they got out of line. And though I’ve paid a great penance for defying The Registry, this may be too great a price.
Despite the tight grip of despair enveloping me, the last thing I want, is to upset Noah, especially in her delicate state. I might not agree with her choices but she’s still my sister and I know she genuinely cares for me.
I shake my head. “No, I do need to apologize. I was way out of line. Obviously I’m on edge about my new assignment. I thought I’d get to stay here with you, Mom and Dad a little while longer. But I can at least take comfort in the fact that Mom and Dad will no longer have to do back-breaking labor and you…well you seem happy.” As hard as I tried, I couldn’t quite keep the bitterness out of my voice.
Noah must have heard it as well, because she releases a heavy sigh, before pushing herself up to her feet and standing. She rests her hands on her stomach.
“When I was first assigned as a breeder, I believed my life was over. I thought to myself, how could I lay with one of the very people who has kept us oppressed? And in the beginning, it was rough. Magnus, wasn’t the easiest person to deal with. And there was drama with his companions. One in particular went out of her way to make my life miserable.”
My brows shoot up. “Magnus had companions?” That really shouldn’t surprise me, after all, it’s common for higher rankingsuperiousto have as many companions as they’re willing to support. I know that first hand. But I was surprised when I arrived at the manor that I didn’t see any scantily clad companions roaming around. Noah hadn’t brought up Magnus’s companions until now.
“Why wouldn’t he? A man in his position usually has several. Magnus had six.”
“Where are they now?”
