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

beautifully in the light.
    She dropped to her knees, sobbing, pounding her fists against the floor.
    “Mama, please,” Mia pleaded, and in that moment she knew that she had to be strong for her mother. She couldn’t fall apart. Her fate was sealed.
    “My babies,” her mother sobbed. Melanie remained silent and still.
    “Mama, it’s okay,” Mia said softly, stroking her mother’s hair. “We knew this was likely to happen. Please hold it together. Gracie needs you.”
    Mia’s words seemed to momentarily calm her mother, and she stood, pulling both girls into her chest. Mia wasn’t sure where her strength had come from, but she could feel it now, growing stronger still. The roles strangely reversed, Mia held her mother, smoothing her hair and whispering words of comfort.
     
     

     
    * * * * *

CHAPTER THREE
    Leila
    * * * * *
     
     
    “I brought you enough money!” Leila cried. Outraged, she dumped the purse of gold coins out on the table.
    “The price has increased,” the medicinal man said slyly, shaking his head. “But I can think of other ways that you can make up the difference.” His eyes slid over Leila’s body in a way that was anything but appropriate.
    Leila leaned across the counter, her blue eyes flashing. “You are disgusting! Now give me those pills!”
    “I’m sorry,” he said simply, turning away.
    “That’s fine,” Leila said, trying to speak calmly. “I guess I’ll tell everyone that you tried to rape me in defiance of the tribes.”
    The man whipped around, his dark eyes menacing. “You wouldn’t.” He argued.
    “I would.” Leila stared him down, her eyes just as hard as his. She had worked hard to earn enough money to buy her mother’s medicine, and she certainly wasn’t going to let a crook get away with reneging on their deal.
    The medicinal man shoved the pills across the counter, his body shaking in anger. “Take them!” he spat. “And don’t you dare set foot in my shop again, you little tramp! You're the one who came in here being a little cock-tease, sticking your tits in my face and giving me big eyes about your mother!”
    Leila stared at the man in disbelief. She may have flirted a bit to help get her way, but it was such second nature to her that most of the time Leila didn’t even realize what she was doing. She had the overpowering urge to tell the man to go fuck himself, but instead she grabbed the pills and hurried out of the dusty shop. Once on the street, she took a deep breath of fresh air. She ran around the corner, and didn’t stop until she was nearly home, afraid that the man might change his mind and come chasing after her.
    “Lying piece of filth,” she muttered to herself, clutching the pills.
    Leila and her mother lived in the largest human city of the Eastern Highlands, North Point. It was a depressing location that received only eight hours of sunlight a day. Most of North Point was filled with humans who wanted to live further south, but couldn’t seem to better themselves enough to move away.
    Leila came to the small, dilapidated row house where she and her mother lived. It was surrounded by other equally run-down homes, some abandoned and some so filled with families that they were b ursting at the seams. The house had been divided into two units, and she and her mother occupied the top half. Leila let herself inside and trudged up the dark stairs to their apartment. Their home was sparsely furnished, but clean. Leila made her way into her mother’s room.
    “Momma? Are you awake? I have your pills.” Her mother groaned from the bed, her eyelids fluttering open. Leila poured a glass of water from the pitcher on the nightstand and handed her mother a small green pill. “Take this, “she murmured, slipping the pill into her mother’s bony hand. Her mother shakily put the pill into her mouth, and Leila helped her with the water.
    “Thank you,” her mother whispered. “Did you have any trouble getting them?”
    “No trouble,”