The Breeding Lands (An Epic Erotic Fantasy Novel) Read Online Free

can’t trust myself,” she admitted, moving quickly towards him and pecking his cheek. “I hope in a few weeks, when this is all over, we can be together,” she whispered, and hurried away from him.
    Mia was quiet and subdued when she got home. She could feel Melanie’s eyes on her all afternoon. When Mia’s father arrived home, he brought with him five fat Nihilo crabs, and everyone was overjoyed by the special treat. Mia wasn’t as excited as she had been that morning, but she still enjoyed the bountiful meal. The delicious crabs helped take her mind off the events of the afternoon. Later that night, while the girls were lying in bed, Melanie whispered in the darkness.
    “What happened today?”
    Mia wanted to tell her sister that nothing had happened, but she didn’t have the energy to lie. She was quiet for a long moment, as she tried to figure out the best way to respond. “James kissed me. He wants me to run away with him.” Melanie’s gasp cut through the quiet. “I told him no. I told him I couldn’t see him anymore.”
    The pause was so long that Mia thought perhaps Melanie had fallen asleep.
    “I’m sorry, Mia. I know how much you cared for him.”
    Mia knew that Melanie didn’t quite understand just how much she loved James, but she appreciated the sentiment regardless. “Thanks, Mel. Now, please, let’s not talk about it again. I want to try forget about him, at least until the selection is over.”
    The silence that answered her back was soothing, and Mia drifted into a restless sleep.
     
     

     
    * * * * *

CHAPTER TWO
    Mia
    * * * * *
 
 
    The fifth year’s picnic came and went, and time continued to barrel forward. The atmosphere in Mia’s house was tense, especially on the twins’ eighteenth birthday, which happened to be one week before the scout’s visit. Eighteenth birthdays were never a cause for celebration for girls, for the occasion marked the coming year’s mating selection.
    Mia’s mother put on a brave face, but later that night, after everyone had gone to bed, Mia heard her muffled sobs coming from her parents’ room. She knew her mother was about to relive the nightmare she’d faced with aunt Jossalyn all over again.
    The day of the scouts’ visit dawned bright and warm, and Mia thought it was unfair that the sky should be such a cloudless blue on such a depressing day. She dressed quietly, debating on whether or not she had the nerve to skip school, but she knew that she would be caught eventually. Melanie was quiet too, and Mia knew the day weighed heavily on each of them.
    The girls’ mother had made their favorite breakfast—roseberry pancakes. Gracie was the only one who seemed oblivious to the day, and she happily ate and chatted during the meal. In a gesture that was surprising to both Mia and Melanie, their father pulled them in for a tight hug before school, whispering “I love you,” in a gruff, cracking voice before sending them out the door.
    As Mia walked through the school doors, she could instantly feel that the other fifth year girls were tense, anxious, and on edge. Mia and Melanie made it through their first class without incident. In fact, they hadn’t seen any of the scouts yet. Things changed, however, as they made their way into their second class. Their classmate Abigail was in the back of the classroom, hugging their teacher and crying. At first, Mia wondered if one of Abigail’s friends had been selected. But when Abigail pulled away to swipe at her tears, Mia saw the glittering blue bracelet on her wrist.
    Mia had heard stories of girls trying to take their bracelets off, but it was no use. They were enchanted and would not come off, no matter how desperately you tried to remove them. Once the selected females set foot on the blue sands, the bracelets disintegrated and turned into a fine blue powder which fell back into the sea of sand. Melanie shuddered, and gave Mia’s hand a squeeze before sitting down in her seat.
    Mia watched more