The Breeding

chapter 11

POV Nyx , 17yo

I stare at the door Vaia has hidden behind and slide down the wall to sit down against it.

I know she needs time and space so I won't intrude I just want to watch over her and know I'll be near her if something happens.

I can tell she hasn't had an easy life, she's way to skittish and naive to have grown up with freedom and control of her own life, and she's been abused I see the signs like if one of us moves to quickly she jerks back out of instinct and if one of the guy's get to loud she winces and hide's behind something. 

I can see the signs because I do them to.....

Growing up in our village I thought the sickness that was spread wouldn't reach us but I was young and didn't know how bad it had gotten everywhere else, I lost my two younger siblings to it and then my mom became so stricken with grief she never recovered and fell ill until she too passed away.

My dad didn't take it well and did the only thing he could and that was drinking the ale we made and sold in the square for a living.

He became a drunk and after a while started getting angry at me for the smallest things and it soon went from yelling to hitting then full on beating when I wasn't fast enough or did something wrong.

I didn't have the muscle I have now and didn't know how to protect myself so I ran away after he took a blade and tried to slit my throat but I was able to move and only took half the blow so I have a big scar now that reminds me of what I went through everytime I see it. I visited other village's surrounding ours and began working any job's I could for four years until one night I had been walking for hours trying to go to a different location because I never stayed in one place to long, I was walking when a carriage went by and I flagged down the driver desperate for a ride.

They stopped and I was granted passage or so I thought but it turns out it was planned and they came looking for me when some of the royal staff saw me in the square working in one of the villages and decided I was to good looking to not take me to a test lab and keep me after it was confirmed I was perfectly healthy.

I still don't know why we are all here or if we'll ever go back but now that I've met the other guy's and especially seeing Vaia's innocent eye's I knew that I couldn't just leave them even if I wanted to. I have been on my own since I was thirteen but now I have something I'm willing to fight to protect and I'm scared I'll get to attached only for them to be taken away again or I won't be wanted in return and be pushed aside like everyone else has done.

I sigh and run my hands through my thick black hair in frustration over not being able to do anything for anyone and being locked in this place with no explanation as to why.

But whatever happens I will do anything to protect Vaia from ever being harmed again because the scared look she always wears around us tears me apart more then I can handle.