Chapter One

Imani

“36, 24, 36. Delightful,” Supervisor Rachel said, grinning from ear to ear as she measured Eliza. “Write that down, Sarah.”

Supervisor Sarah snorted as she recorded Eliza’s measurements. “You don’t have to tell me how to do my job. I’ve been doing it as long as you.”

“This one is Breeder A material,” Supervisor Rachel exclaimed, ignoring her partner. I rolled my eyes when Eliza’s chest puffed up in pride.

You live a sad existence when being reduced to a walking womb is your greatest achievement.

I couldn’t shame Eliza for her excitement because the alternative was downright depressing. Because of her A-status, she’d live a very comfortable life—some would say a life of luxury. She’d be selected by a Judge or a high-ranking military official and give birth to his pups. These pups would be genetically superior to pups carried by Breeder B and Breeder C, who were more susceptible to Deformations and Mutations.

“Eliza, you are Breeder A,” Supervisor Rachel declared after she concluded her examination. Please join the others.

“Thank you so much!” Eliza squealed as she joined the other two girls on the platform labeled ‘A’. Supervisor Rachel and Sarah’s eyes landed on me, and I swallowed around the large lump that formed in my throat. Their eyes screamed, “Bless her heart,” because they already knew what platform I was destined for. I knew it, and all the girls I grew up with knew it too.

“Imani…please step up for your examination,” Supervisor Rachel instructed.

Supervisor Sarah scoffed, “Why even bother? Put the poor thing out of her misery and send her where she belongs.”

Some would say Supervisor Sarah was being cruel, but she was right. Why go through the motions? I was humiliated enough as it was.

“Because we are professionals,” Supervisor Rachel admonished. “Come, Imani. We don’t have all day.” I held my head up high with the last scrap of dignity I had and approached the analytical women. “Step on the scale.”

Supervisor Sarah tsked at my weight as she recorded it. I wasn’t surprised when my measurements were taken and she did it again.

“I was hoping you were a late bloomer, but with only three days until your 18^th birthday…,” Supervisor Rachel muttered before trailing off. “Imani…please proceed to Platform C.”

“Thank you, Supervisor Rachel,” I said with a slight bow. I walked towards the empty platform and ignored the titters and words of condolences from the other girls. I remained silent as the examinations commenced and daydreamed about escaping this place.

Eden was anything but the paradise described in the Human Bible. It was cold and sterile, filled with constant reminders that our only worth was to be reproductive tools to the werewolf society—the society we girls never experienced. Like myself, the girls I grew up with were orphaned from birth, cursed to grow up in Eden, a lab created by the Elders after the Great Human War. According to our history texts, humans and werewolves had always been at odds. They saw us as their enemy—dangerous animals they’d call us; however, we only wanted to co-exist with the humans and live in peace. A century ago, peace relations fell apart, resulting in an all-out war between us. The humans were losing, unable to hold back our forces. Instead of accepting defeat, they unleashed a toxic gas that killed off most of the werewolves. Those that survived suffered from debilitating illnesses, and their offspring were born with Deformations.

Due to the declining werewolf population, the Elders established Eden, where all female werewolves were destined to live out their lives until their 18^th birthdays. The male children who were born were sent to The Oasis, a camp where they were trained since childhood to become soldiers that would protect us from the humans.

The boys are the lucky ones. They have a taste of the outside world. I’ve never seen the sky, breathed fresh air, or felt the Earth beneath my feet.

From birth, there was a countdown hanging over our heads—6,570 days. On day 6,570, the young breeders were released into the care of their chosen mates and forced to carry the next generation of wolves.

Girls who were deemed Breeder A were chosen by high-ranking officials, Breeder B was chosen by middle-class werewolves, such as warriors or nobles, and since I was C, I’d be given to a low-ranking soldier or civilian.

If I make it that far….

I was a Deformation. At the age of 15, we begin to sense our wolves and release pheromones. My wolf had been radio silent, and to my knowledge, I gave off no pheromones. Realistically, I only had three days to live. If my wolf didn’t make her appearance on my 18^th birthday, I’d be considered a Mutation and put to death by a Judge. A werewolf without a wolf wasn’t a wolf; therefore, it couldn’t produce purebred wolves and had no place in society.

I need to escape this place. I refuse to let them continue to dictate my life, and I refuse to let some Judge put me to death.

“Are you okay, Imani?” Mary asked, standing in the Breeder B line. I smiled at her ruefully. We’d been close since we could walk. I was happy that my friend’s life would be spared.

“I’m okay.”

“Everything will be okay,” she whispered, trying but failing to be reassuring.

“The examination is now complete. We will be handing you your Breeder Badge. You are to wear these badges at all times.”

“I’m sorry,” Supervisor Sarah whispered to me as she pinned my badge over my breast. It felt heavy on my chest, crushing it, making it difficult to breathe.

“Now that each of you has your badges, we’ll leave the examination room for your next class. We’ll leave by rank—Breeder A in the front and Breeder C in the back.” A hand flew up. “Yes, Delilah?”

“What is our next class?” the girl asked curiously.

Supervisor Rachel smiled gently. “The most important class you’ll take. You’ll learn to please your mates. A few males will be joining our lesson.”

My mouth dropped in shock.

Men? In Eden? Men aren’t allowed at Eden.

“Before we leave, we need to recite the Breeder’s Affirmation,” Supervisor Sarah announced.

“Thank you for the reminder. Hands on our hearts, ladies.”

I opened my mouth and mouthed the words. I refused to recite that bullshit.

“I voluntarily dedicate myself to the future of werewolves, accept all experiments, all orders arranged by the organization, and give birth to multiple offspring for the future of werewolves until I die,” the girls around me recited.

I looked over at Eliza and the other Breeder As. They recited the Breeder’s Affirmation the loudest. I found them to be spineless and gullible, but could I blame them? They lived and breathed breeding. That was all they knew—all we knew.

“Very good. Let’s go, ladies.”

I silently followed the line, my eyes straying to various halls and doors. I didn’t know where they led because they weren’t labeled, but one of them had to lead to the exit. No one had ever escaped from Eden. It was a complex maze that changed. I wanted to escape, but I needed a solid plan.

For now, I just want to ditch this male-pleasing class.

I opened a random door and entered. The room was dark and smelled of antiseptic. My fingers searched along the wall until I felt the switch. I flipped it and heaved a sigh of relief.

The infirmary.

The infirmary was notoriously empty. No girl wanted to visit the infirmary and give the doctors a reason to poke and prod at them. We were already tortured enough with experiments that left us feeling like pin cushions after they were done. If we fell ill, we kept it to ourselves as best we could or risk being sedated and strapped down to a cold metal table.  Chances were low that I’d be found.

I yawned as soon as I saw the first available bed. Sleep had been difficult to come by due to the anticipation of Examination Day. The girls who knew they’d be selected as Breeder A slept soundly while the rest of us counted our days instead of counting sheeps. 

The beds were empty and inviting–more inviting than the bunks with thin mattresses in the dormitories. I sat on the bed nearest me with a heavy sigh. It was more comfortable than I could’ve imagined. It almost felt as if I was sitting on a cloud. 

“I’ll take a nap and join the girls later,” I whispered to myself as I unbuttoned the buttons at the collar of my dress. Our dresses were uncomfortable with their high collars, long sleeves that reached your wrists, and long skirts that stopped at our ankles. At times they were suffocating and itchy. It was one of those times. 

I barely had my dress around my hips when the curtain ripped back. I gasped when a man in my line of sight. My breasts heaved up and down. I was scared because I’d never seen a man in real life, but I also felt something else. 

“Get on your knees.”

“Wh-what?” I asked, snapping out of my haze. Tears filled my eyes when he pulled a gun out of his holster and pressed it against my forehead. 

“I believe my instructions were very clear. Get…on…your…knees.” I attempted to pull my dress back up when he stopped me. “I prefer it off.”

I fell to my knees, not minding the pain that shot through them from colliding with the tile. I couldn’t take my eyes away from his murderous blue eyes. As cold as they were, they did very little to chill the fire building inside of me. He towered over me with his bulking muscles and authority. I didn’t like this feeling inside of me. It felt like submission as if I belonged on my knees in front of him. That was my place and my purpose…serving him. 

I whimpered when he pulled the hammer back on the revolver. 

“You seem to be lost, little lamb. It is my understanding that you should be attending a class with the other girls on how to please a man, is that right?” I nodded weakly against the cold muzzle of the gun. “Instead, you’ve stumbled into the wolf’s den.”