A dull roar filled my ears as I fought to process what had just happened. A breeder? How had this happened?

A younger lady wearing a flowy, light pink blouse and a navy A-line skirt approached me and said gently, "Follow me please."

I followed her toward the door mindlessly, still unable to accept that I had been placed in the breeding sector. I was so consumed with despair that I almost forgot that they had said I could voice my concerns with my placement.

Turning on my heel, I yelled, "Wait!"

The administrators were still packing up the files laid across the table, and jerked their heads up at my outburst.

"You said that I had one of the only perfect scores on the intelligence portion of the exam. Please, you have to give me higher education. I will work hard and study constantly. I promise, I will be the best advisor this pack has seen!"

"The decision has been made and your placement is final. I'm sorry, Olivia, but there is an over abundance of advisors and there simply isn't room to admit any more," pantsuit lady spoke up while shutting her briefcase, "Please follow your escort to your new living assignment."

No, no. There had to be something that I could do to change their minds. Anything!

"Please, I can't breed with someone who isn't my mate. Please don't make me do this!"

At that, everyone snapped their eyes to me and tension filled the room.

"Who told you about mates?" one of the men demanded.

Oops. Well, shit. I couldn't tell them the truth, or Melinda would be in trouble. The entire system that Alpha Abernathy had created for the BloodFangs pack depended on the ignorance of the pack members to the existence of mates. Someone spreading stories about mates would cause unrest and be a serious threat to the stability of the pack. Anyone found to be doing so would be considered treasonous and would likely be executed by the alpha. I couldn't risk that happening to Melinda. Not after everything that she's done for me.

"No one told me about mates. I found a book on our last monthly run and it talked all about werewolves and mates."

He seemed to think this over for a moment before nodding. "That book was a work of fiction. Pure nonsense. You would be wise to forget every word you read. Now, please go to your new sector and fulfill your duty to the pack by doing your job to the best of your ability."

I nodded, not wanting to cause any more trouble and raise suspicion.

After the administrators filed out, I turned to the woman in the pink shirt. She smiled kindly at me and said, "It isn't so bad, really. You'll probably even grow to like it in the breeding sector. My name is Katie and I will be taking you to your new home. Please, come this way."

I obeyed and she led me outside. I turned my face up to the sky and took a deep breath. In the sweat shops, we were rarely allowed outside. It was unnecessary, a waste of time, so the only time that we were really let out was for our monthly runs, and those were always at night. Everything we needed- food, bathrooms, bunk rooms, and work areas- was located in the compound.

So I enjoyed the feeling of the sun on my face and the wind playing with my hair while I could. Even this little bit of time outside was making my wolf feel less on edge. She didn't really know what was going on, but my state of despair had been making her antsy.

I figured that in the breeding sector, I would once again be locked away in a compound and only allowed to shift into my wolf once a month.

Katie led me to a vehicle that looked kind of like a jeep. "Hop in, we've got to drive there."

I quickly opened the passenger door and settled myself into the seat. This was the first time that I had ever been in a car, and I was excited to experience it, even if I hated where it would take me.

The vehicle started with a growl and then lurched forward. I was pushed back against the seat with the force of the movement, watching in fascination as the trees on the side of the road whizzed by.

Each compound was isolated, surrounded by trees, and miles from the next closest building.

My interest soon faded as a wave of nausea overwhelmed me and I clutched my stomach.

"Looks like you've got motion sickness. Don't worry, we're almost there," Katie assured me. About two minutes later, the car stopped and I hopped out.

I was standing in front of what looked like a small hotel. The sweat shop that I had grown up in was larger and looked more like a warehouse. This place looked much nicer, with an intricate architectural design and actual landscaping gracing the front lawn.

As I gaped at the building, Katie grinned at me. "Our breeders are very well respected and taken care of. It is considered a noble profession, as breeders are literally creating the future of our pack."

I nodded, but her words did not make me content. Just because it would be a good life, an easy life, didn't mean that it was the life that I wanted. I wanted an education so that I could have influence over the alpha and maybe even end the ridiculous sectors in this pack. I wanted a chance at true love with my mate, wanted to bear his children and watch them grow. I wanted to be filled with so much love for my family that I constantly felt that I could burst.

Instead of voicing my thoughts, I walked with Katie through the front door. We entered a lounge that was minimally decorated and full of couches and chairs. Many women and a few men of various ages were in here, lounging around, drawing, reading books, and talking. It seemed altogether pleasant.

"We have arrived during free time. Every day between the hours of 12-5 pm, breeders are given free reign of the compound and can do pretty much whatever they want. You won't be able to join them today because free time is almost over and you are going to need to get settled in to your room, but starting tomorrow you will be able to participate."

Nodding, I followed her up two flights of stairs and down a long hall. I was almost certain now that this building used to be a hotel. On either side of the hall, doors were spaced out about every 10 feet.

"All of the breeders live on the second and third floors. The fourth floor is recreational, and the fifth floor is restricted, so don't wander up there. As I said earlier, between the hours of 12-5pm you will be given free time and can do as you wish as long as you stay within the compound. Like with the sweat shops, escape attempts are punished by death. 

You will meet your mating partner tomorrow night sometime after free time. He will come to your room and you will be required to have intercourse within the next hour. Do not have intercourse with anyone except your assigned mating partner. If you do, you will be reassigned to the labor camps."

I stared at Katie and tried to absorb what she was saying. This was my life now. Starting tomorrow, I was going to be expected to produce babies for the rest of my fertile years.

Katie stopped and opened a door using some sort of card, gesturing for me to enter. "This is your room. You may go ahead and get yourself settled. You will find a new wardrobe in your closet. You will receive your schedule tomorrow. And Olivia, it really isn't bad at all. I truly think that you will enjoy yourself here."

She placed the card that she had opened my door with on a table, then turned and exited the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I turned in a circle and examined my new living arrangements. It was way nicer than I was used to. In the sweat shop, I shared a room with 20 other girls. We slept in bunks that lined the walls and all shared one bathroom.

This room was maybe 13 ft x 20 ft with a queen bed in the center. There was a couch in one corner and a desk in the other. There was also a night stand and dresser. All of the furniture was dark and wooden, making the room feel sophisticated. 

There were two doors adjacent to the front door. The one to the right opened to a 10 ft long closet that was already filled with clothes. These clothes were very nice compared with the tattered grey uniform that I had to wear at the sweat shop. There was a variety of sweaters, t-shirts, shorts, jeans, and skirts, all conveniently in my size. 

The door to the left led to a bathroom. This one was much smaller than the one at the sweat shop, but considering that I seemed to have it to myself, it was much nicer. It just had a shower/tub, toilet, and sink with a vanity.

I slipped on a night gown that I found in the dresser and curled up in the big bed. It was strange having a room to myself, and I was beginning to feel lonely without the other girls and Melinda. My heart clenched when I realized that I would never see Melinda again. I should have told her goodbye, hugged her, and thanked her for teaching me so much. I wished she was here with me now.

I wonder what she would think of my placement. Melinda had had such high hopes for me, telling me that she knew that I would score high enough on my exam to become an advisor. She loved hearing me talk about my ideas for reforming the pack, and always encouraged me to dream bigger. Would she be disappointed to find out that I was to be nothing more than an incubator for children that I would never see again after they were born?

I started to think about what would happen tomorrow. I wasn't about to willingly breed with anyone that wasn't my mate. Would I be forced to give up my innocence to a stranger? I hoped not. Even though I knew that I would probably never meet my mate at this point, I still didn't want to betray him by letting another man have my body.

It's dumb, I know, but I was pretty sure that if I had to live my life as a breeder, my soul would shatter. I had to find a way to escape this place.