The breeders Selection

~Freya~

I had lost count of how many days I had to spend alone in a confined room. The day they brought us there. We were being assigned to different women, and my master, as she preferred to be called, turned out to be a ruthless woman. She had pushed me onto my stomach and branded me with a hot iron. The branding iron seared my skin, marking me with a number - a dehumanizing symbol of my new existence. Number 9. A nameless entity, stripped of my identity and reduced to a mere slave. I almost couldn’t remember my name as I grew to hear the number 9. Ever since they brought us to the house, I had not seen the other girls except when it was time to feed us, have our bathe, and be treated by doctors who checked our bodies for signs of fertility and diseases. Each time I met the girls, they all looked like they had lost their fighting wish, and we never exchanged any words as we were always under the eyes of guards assigned to us.

But, one day after, after enduring weeks of this torment, I heard my name being called. ‘’number 9,’’ The sound pierced through the air, and my heart sank. My door swung open, and I was forcefully dragged out, thrust towards the woman who had overseen my captivity since my arrival as a slave.

‘’The lord will now speak to you,’’ she had told me, and before I knew what was happening, I was taken down a large hallway until we reached the front of a door, and I was pushed inside alone. I heaved a deep sigh as I came face to face with a man with a bald head. He was seated on one of the couches in the room and pointed to the one opposite me. ‘’Freya Edwards, glad to see you. Please sit down.’’

I frowned at him as he called me by name. a name I had not heard of in a long time. Without saying a word, I sat down opposite him, eyeing him suspiciously and wondering what he had come there for. ‘’Number 9,’’ he called, reverting to my new name. ‘’ Lord Benjamin and I work for the royal family. I have come here to inform you that You have been chosen to serve the three princes of Salvador; out of the twenty girls brought here, you are the only one deemed compatible to bear the heirs who will lead the great kingdom of Salvador."

I shifted in my seat, staring at him with wide eyes. Was I chosen? What was he expecting me to do? Jump up because my fate was chosen against my wish? I didn’t say anything and just stared at him. Every fiber of my being screamed for escape, for freedom. But deep down, I knew it was a futile hope. There was nowhere to run, no rescuers coming to my aid. I was alone, trapped in this unforgiving world.

‘’I expected more number 9. It would be best if you were happy to leave this place,’’ he muttered.

I squared my shoulders and forced myself to speak, my voice trembling with despair.

"I-I don't understand. What does that mean?" I asked, my voice shaking. Tears welled up in my eyes as I already knew my fate. Becoming a breeder for the royals or nobles meant certain death once the baby was born, and that was the intention of the royal family. I was destined to become a breeder for the princes, and once I bore their children, they would discard me.

Tears streamed down my face as the harsh reality set in. I was reduced to nothing more than a breeder, a tool for the princes to use as they pleased. "I..." My voice trembled, and I couldn't find the words to express my anguish."What if I don't want to do this?" I pleaded, desperation creeping into my voice.

"You have no choice. You will do as you are told, or you will suffer the consequences," the man replied, his eyes cold and devoid of empathy. "You are the only one whose body can carry the Prince's children. Those who have tried to bear the princes' children either die or become useless. The fate of the great kingdom of Salvador rests on your shoulders."

"My shoulders?" I scoffed, wiping away the tears streaming down my face. "So, my life is going to be destroyed, and you say the fate of this kingdom rests on my shoulders!" I yelled, pounding my chest. "My family was killed in one night. I can still remember the tears of those children and..." I couldn't continue as another wave of tears overcame me. "I don't want to do this!"

The man laughed cruelly, stood up, and moved closer to me. He raised his hands and struck me hard across the face, repeating the process over and over until my lips started bleeding. "What can you do when you are a powerless little girl?" he taunted, gripping my chin tightly. "You should be grateful that you are deemed worthy to be called the breeder of the royals. If you had stayed with your little pack, who knows if you would have died alongside them!" he laughed mockingly and pushed my head backward. ‘’This is your destiny, and you either accept it, or I shall kill your brother and what is left of your village!’’

‘’my….brother is alive?’’ I asked, and he nodded in response. ‘’you are lying!’’ I shouted at him.

He chuckled. ‘’Do I look like I am?’’ he spread his arms. ‘’Freya, your brother’s name is Cody, right?’’

My eyes widened in shock.’’ ye….s but how do you know that? What happened to my brother!’’

‘’he is in a safe place where I kept him. I was able to save his life before the fire took over your house, but your parents, not so much. They suffered and…..’’

‘’stop!’’ I shouted and covered my ears as more tears streamed down my face. I didn’t want to listen to him talk about my parents like that, knowing that he was responsible for mostly what had happened to them. ‘’where is my brother?’’

He lowered his head to face me and smiled wickedly. ‘’your actions from now on will determine how your brother will be treated. If you dare defy me,’’ he grabbed my shoulders. ‘’I shall kill you in the blink of an eye,’’ he said and pushed my head backward.

‘’i……’’

‘’That is right, little girl. You have no say in this!’’ he said, raising his head. ‘’Guards!’’ he shouted, and the door burst open, revealing the guards as they walked in. ‘’take her away!’’ he ordered, and before I knew what was happening, I was taken away inside a black limousine.

Lord Benjamin joined me, and as the limousine started moving, I turned back to look at the building, wondering what would happen to the rest of the girls. The building exploded right In front of me, and my eyes almost popped out of my socket. I gasped and turned to face the man beside me.

‘’some preventive measures must be taken. The girls were not needed, so they all had to die. This could have been your fate, but you are lucky you were picked!’’ he told me and laughed. ‘’That is how things are a little girl.’’

‘’all those girls,’’ I cried and placed my hand over my face, remembering their faces even though I couldn’t remember their names. ‘’They……’’

‘’Being too emotionally attached to someone will be your end. The only thing you should think about now is how you will serve the princes and keep your brother safe,’’ he told me. The question echoed relentlessly in my mind: Why was this happening to us? Why did we have to endure such unimaginable suffering?

Then, I realized there was no escape from my grim fate. I had become nothing more than a pawn in the game of the royals, a mere instrument for their desires, and those girls had lost their lives because they were considered useless and unfit to serve the princes of Salvador.

The drive to the royal mansion was in silence, and when we finally reached, I was helped out of the car by a guard who led me to the front. Its size and grandeur overwhelmed me. Towering columns and a majestic central dome seemed to stretch toward the heavens. The exterior was adorned with the finest materials, the glimmering marble and intricate werewolf carvings captivating in their craftsmanship.

This was the home of the esteemed royal family of Salvador. While they reveled in happiness and abundant wealth, countless rankless wolves like myself suffered unimaginable pain. It was a stark reminder of the divide between the privileged and the rich and powerful. Resentment and anger surged within me, fueled by the injustices that plagued our society. Why were the rich and powerful allowed to obtain whatever they desired while trampling upon the lives of the less fortunate?

I clenched my fists as I continued to stare, and just then, I was pulled again by Benjamin. My hair tugged harshly as we entered the home of the Royals. I struggled to regain my balance, feeling the warmth of blood trickling down my scalp, but regardless, I didn’t say anything.

Benjamin led me to the left side of the house before I could fully take in the grand staircase that stood before me. Adorning the walls were portraits of the past werewolf kings, revered as the golden wolves of old. I counted at least ten generations of kings, each depicted in full regalia, donning fur cloaks upon their shoulders and crowns adorned with precious gems atop their heads. The current king, too, was captured in a similar pose. Glancing at him, I noticed his peculiar eyes—one red and the other blue. But before I could contemplate the significance of this, his eyes abruptly changed back to their original golden color.

The sight was surreal, leaving me perplexed and longing for an explanation, yet there was no time to dwell on it.

As we ventured deeper into the building, Benjamin finally released his grip on my hair. I found myself in a different section of the house, distinct from the primary residence yet connected to it. Exhausted and breathless, I was unceremoniously pushed to the ground at the feet of a woman. She was adorned in lavish robes embellished with sparkling jewels that reflected luxury and power.

At that moment, I couldn't help but wonder who she was and what role she would play in my unfortunate fate.

‘’My lord,’’ she greeted Benjamin, her voice dripping with false respect. She then cast a disdainful glance at me, her gaze cold and calculating. ‘’Who is she?’’

‘’Take care of her and make her presentable. She is the chosen breeder. Prepare her to meet the Alpha king and the princes,’’ he instructed her detachedly.

The woman let out a cruel laugh, her eyes gleaming with malice. ‘’They finally found her,’’ she muttered, touching my face. I flinched at her touch, repulsed by her closeness. ‘’She looks dreadful. I will have to ensure she appears elegant in the presence of the Alpha king and the princes.’’

‘’That is why I brought her to you, Amaya. Take care of her,’’ Benjamin said and then turned to leave, leaving me in the hands of the strange woman.

‘’You,’’ Kira grabbed me roughly by the ear, causing me to cry out in pain. She dragged me towards a room, and I desperately struggled against her grip, clinging onto her hand. ‘’How dare you, you filthy creature, try to touch me,’’ she hissed, delivering a sharp slap across my face. Then, she forcefully pushed me through a door, causing it to crash down. The room was small and covered in dust, and to my surprise, two other girls were already present.

‘’Bathe her and dress her in the elegant blue gown,’’ Kira ordered the girls before vanishing as if she had never been there.

The two girls seized my hands roughly and shoved me toward the bathroom, preventing me from banging my head against the doorframe. They laughed mockingly, their voices filled with malice. ‘’We wouldn't want the breeder to sustain any damage, would we?’’

As they stripped me of my clothes and began scrubbing my body with aggressive force, pain surged through me, and I couldn't help but cry out. The rough sponge scraped against my skin, leaving it raw and inflamed.

Why were they treating me this way? They were just one rank higher than me, yet they subjected me to such torment. How could they stoop so low?

"Stop! Please, stop!" I pleaded, my voice filled with desperation, but they showed no mercy or compassion, continuing their brutal assault.

"You're so filthy," one of them hissed, a twisted satisfaction in her voice. "As the royal prince's breeder, you can't afford to look dirty!"

The other girl laughed cruelly. "I bet she won't last a day, just like the others!"

I gritted my teeth, enduring the pain, and reminded myself of my purpose. I had to endure for the sake of my brother and my revenge against the royal family.

Eventually, they finished their ruthless scrubbing, leaving me alone in the bathroom with my skin burning. I felt utterly powerless, staring blankly into space. I was nothing more than an ordinary slave.

Soon, the girls returned to dress me like a sacrificial lamb for the royal princes, marking the beginning of my suffering. The dress shimmered like gold, its opulence enough to sustain my pack for months. I wouldn't say I liked seeing it, but I had no choice. For my brother, I was ready to do anything.

‘’If you don’t want your head on a pike, heed this warning: Never dare to meet their eyes,’’ Amaya warned me as I was led out of the room to face my fate.