The Breeding Lands (An Epic Erotic Fantasy Novel) (19 page)

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CHAPTER ELEVEN

Violet

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Violet rolled over in the darkness and heard the steady breathing of Faolan. Blindly, she reached towards him, and felt his warm skin just inches from her. Relieved, she rubbed his back. It had only been a nightmare, yet the vision had been so clear, the feelings so real. She had been in bright sunlight, which was alarming in itself since she hadn’t seen the sun since her day on the Breeding Lands. The sunlight had cast all of the trees in yellows and orange, making all the colors look wrong.

Panicked, Violet had walked among the branches and trunks looking for Faolan, but everything had been all wrong. Everything was too bright and jarring, and every house seemed deserted. Still, Violet had searched for her husband until finally she had reached the edge of the forest. She had looked out into the nothingness beyond the forest and screamed. Faolan was gone.

Now, awake and in the comfort of her bed, Violet knew it had been a silly dream. She felt her stomach give a little bounce and she reached down to rub it. Her back was aching, and she tried to adjust herself. Violet slept just fine, but once she woke up, it was hard to get back to sleep; she was so uncomfortable now.

She slipped out of bed and tip toed out of the room, so as not to disturb Faolan. The moon was round and high in the sky, but that gave her little indication as to the time. Some of the tribe members were able to judge the moon’s position to know the time, but Violet had been unable to pick up the skill. Unlike the sun, the moon didn’t make a full arch across the sky. Instead, it hung round and low, making minuscule shifts that only well-trained eyes could distinguish.

Once downstairs, Violet picked up the glowing time catcher from the windowsill. It was a round sphere, filled with various liquids and colors. The slight degrees of change in the moon’s position and light made the sphere fill with certain colors that indicated the time of day. Violet studied the murky green shade and guessed that it was very early in the morning. She was still not very good at reading the time. She settled in the large chair that Faolan had made her and propped her feet up. Humming softly, she rubbed her belly, wondering when the baby would come.

The midwife, Lotus, had told Violet that she was approaching her due date. Lotus had always been mystified by Violet’s pregnancy, complaining that she couldn’t get a read on her baby the way she could on the others. Violet had always tried to play it off, shrugging, but the nagging voice in the back of her head reminded her of what the Peace Keeper had told her. That is, if Violet was to believe that a Peace Keeper had spoken directly to her and not that she had hallucinated the whole episode. She closed her eyes, bringing forth the uncomfortable memory. The way everything around her had disappeared when the Peace Keeper had told her that she was the
chosen one
, and she would give birth to a female shifter.

A
female
shifter. There had never been such a thing. Violet had wanted to laugh off the ridiculous prophecy, and yet she couldn’t. It was always there, nagging her, ever present in the back of her mind. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind, picturing the gentle swaying grasses on the moors of her home. It calmed her, and within a few minutes she drifted off to sleep.

A few hours later, Violet awoke to Faolan kissing her forehead. The lights had been turned on, and Violet blinked in the artificial light.

“I need to leave,” Faolan whispered.

“Already?”

“It’s past eight in the morning.”

Violet frowned. “It’s still so hard to tell what time of day it is.”

Faolan laughed out loud. “You have been spoiled by the sunlight.”

Violet stood up and stumbled into the kitchen. “I didn’t even prepare you any food,” she argued, pulling out a half loaf of bread.

“Taken care of.” Faolan dangled a small sack before Violet. He must have gotten up and prepared himself something to eat while she slept in the chair.

“You’re making me feel like a bad wife,” she teased.

“Never,” he promised, kissing her on the lips. Violet gave a little sigh of pleasure and kissed Faolan back. “I’ll be back before dinner!”

Violet walked Faolan to the door and watched him cross the wooden bridge, illuminated by numerous glowing lamplights. He pushed a stray curl out of his face, and gave Violet a quick wave before descending the rope ladder.

Once he was out of view, Violet walked back into the house and tried to decide what to do next. Her stomach growled, and she decided that breakfast came first. She fixed herself two slices of bread with nightberry jam, a delicious berry that grew only in the Northern Forest. It had quickly become Violet’s favorite food, and she had found ways to incorporate it in everything from breakfast foods to dessert. She looked about their simple kitchen and imagined what it would be like when they were no longer a family of two, but a family of three. When she was finished eating, she cleaned up her dishes and went upstairs to dress.

While the Lycan Moonlords kept to themselves, Violet had been surprised to learn that they were actually a very friendly and welcoming tribe. They had embraced Violet, as well as the other new women, and for the first time in Violet’s life, she had friends. Before, she had lived too far away to have any real friends, and she had relied on the relationship she had with her parents and brother. Blythe had become a friend to her, but that was only in the last couple years of Violet’s life at home.

But here with the tribe, Violet had true sisters, women she trusted and could depend on. And Violet had been amazed to learn of the some of the advances the Lycan Moonlords had made. Though the Northern Forest stayed in perpetual darkness, all of the homes had artificial sun lights built into their ceilings. The lights mimicked the rays of the sun, and when Violet was inside, it was hard to believe that it was dark outside. Sometimes she sat inside, closed her eyes, and imagined she was out on the moors. If she thought hard enough, she could imagine the breeze and feel the grass beneath her.

The beauty of the tribe’s houses had stunned Violet. Built among the thick branches of the tall forest trees, it was like a city high above the ground. Beautiful homes carved into branches, blending effortlessly into nature, with wooden paths and bridges connecting them all. Violet had gasped in surprise when Faolan had brought her into the forest. She had seen nothing but tall, foreboding trees, but Faolan had urged her to look up, and there amidst the twinkling lights was a magical community.

They had climbed one of the few rope ladders, and Faolan had led her to his house. Violet had fallen in love with the charming rooms that shared space with the tree branches. As Violet dressed, she thought of how Faolan had acquired his house just before the Mating Ritual. It had only contained a few sparse pieces of furniture, and he left the task of decorating to Violet. She had approached the challenge with zeal, pouring all of her energy into making her home a peaceful one that showcased her and Faolan’s personalities.

The end result had been better than Violet could have imagined. She looked around her lovely room. Their bed dominated most of the room, but a few wooden pieces of furniture lined the walls. Violet had hung a few pictures, and she had taken her sewing skills and taught herself to make blankets and quilts.

Dressing in a dark blue dress that she had made, she tied the ribbon in the back, watching the dress stretch to accommodate her growing belly. She didn’t believe that she could get any bigger; it seemed to defy nature. She peeked her head into the baby’s room. While she had been tempted to decorate the room in various shades of blue, she found that she couldn’t quite do it. What if the Peace Keeper had been right? Instead, Violet had done the room in white and dark wood. It seemed impossible to believe that she could have a daughter, but she decided not to tempt fate.

Not even Faolan knew of what the Peace Keeper had said to her. Part of Violet worried that Faolan would think her crazy, not to mention that the Peace Keeper said not to speak of it. Pushing those thoughts from her mind, Violet went downstairs and began to prepare a few dishes for lunch. Her closest friend, Juliet, was coming over. Juliet, like Violet, had been selected at the Mating Ritual, and naturally, was also pregnant. Her husband, Rayfe, was a warrior just like Faolan, and the men often worked together. They spent a great deal of time working on the protections of the tribe.

Violet heard a loud pounding sound and looked outside to see a number of young boys run by on the wooden boards. They were heading to school, no doubt. Of course, the term
school
was subjective. They spent a few mornings a week learning about the past history of the tribe and old legends like The Dragon Lords. Once they turned thirteen, they began to focus solely on battle and strategizing. Violet had learned that the other tribes utilized young boys as servants, but the Lycan Moonlords didn’t believe in that. Everyone in the tribe lived in modest houses, no matter their status or position, and the wives took care of all the domestic work.

Some women grumbled about this when they came to the Lycan tribe. They had hoped for status and servants, like the Sabre or Usari, but Violet didn’t mind a bit. She was used to household chores and keeping a house in general. Since she had never gone to formal school, and only studied at home, she was well versed in the duties of running a house. Faolan liked to tease her about how lucky he’d been to have picked a beautiful woman
and
a good housewife.

Violet chuckled to herself as she thought of Juliet. She and Juliet were as different as night and day. Juliet had come from a wealthy human family; her father had been one of the highest generals in all of the Eastern Lowlands. Yet, that didn’t exempt his daughter from being Selected. Juliet had lived in a large house, and had had her own personal servant. Her beauty—dark olive skin, caramel-honey hair and bright gray eyes—had instantly attracted the attention of the scouts. Violet had taken pity on her the very first week when she saw Juliet, who lived a few houses down, trying to wash her clothes. Ever since then, Violet and Juliet had been inseparable, spending time together nearly every day and experiencing their pregnancies together.

The morning seemed to fly by, and soon Violet heard Juliet arrive. “Hi!” she chirped, looking radiant despite the fact that she was also due any day.

“Hi Jules!” Violet kissed her friend hello, and took the basket of fruit she had brought. “You look great!”

“Thanks,” Juliet beamed, “You look great too!”

“Don’t lie! I’m as big as a house and my ankles are so swollen,” she complained.

Juliet laughed. “Faolan loves you anyway,” she teased, but Violet picked up the slight note of envy in her voice. Violet was truly lucky that she and Faolan had such a wonderful marriage. Rayfe was kind, but it was more of friendship than love between he and Juliet.

“So, Rayfe went off with Faolan today. Did you know that?” Juliet asked, settling herself on one of the armchairs.

“No,” Violet said surprised, “Faolan didn’t mention anything.”

Juliet’s eyes lit up by this small nugget of knowledge that she had over her friend. It was unusual for Faolan not to share everything with Violet. Usually it was Violet filling Juliet in on their husbands’ activities, and not the other way around.

“Yes! Apparently, there is a lot of talk brewing with threats of an attack,” Juliet’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

Violet felt a knot in her stomach. While Juliet might find this exciting, she certainly did not. Anxiously, she sat down across from Juliet.

“Why wouldn’t Faolan tell me,” she mused.

“Well,” Juliet began knowingly, savoring her moment, “Rayfe said that he and Faolan needed to check all the charms and then report back,” she paused dramatically, “They may need to get ready for battle.”

She emphasized the last word, letting it hang in the air between them.

“Battle?” Violet asked, dumbfounded. “But we’re due any day. They can’t be getting ready for battle!”

Juliet gave a little shrug. “That’s what Rayfe said.”

“Faolan probably didn’t want to worry me,” Violet realized, but she wished he had spoken to her nonetheless.

The women didn’t spend any more time discussing the idea of battle, and instead had lunch and talked about their babies. It was hard for Violet to think of anything else these days besides giving birth. Juliet finally left to go home, although somewhat grudgingly; Violet knew Juliet preferred Violet’s home to her own.

Once Juliet had left, Violet cleaned up the dishes and decided to take a nap. She was exhausted, but also on edge from Juliet’s news. Violet figured that taking a nap would also take up a chunk of her day, and then she would be able to speak to Faolan.

Violet fell asleep quickly and when she awoke, she felt groggy and confused. She made her way downstairs and decided to start dinner. She thought of her family then, wondering if her mother was making dinner for her and Violet’s father. Violet hoped they had reconciled by now. She let her mind wander still, and imagined Marcus, Blythe and the children coming over. Anthony was surely crawling by now. Violet remembered how tiny Anthony had been when she left. Anthony would never have to worry about being Selected, but Sabrina would.