She's Too Naive

Chapter 41

The man actually smiled, seemingly unaffected by my small defiance.

"About twenty years ago the Defaecatio began collecting women to help raise our children. This then expanded to other jobs such as cooking, nursing, and taking care of the base. But most importantly, breeders provide our future soldiers. They are trained to reproduce with our current members to create the strongest and most competent children. Instead of exclusively taking kids from their cradles, we are switching to simply creating them."

My stomach churned, and I bit my tongue to refrain from lashing out. I felt sick. I was going to be used as a servant, and as something to carry their little prodigies. I wasn't even sure I had ever wanted kids.

I supposed I would no longer have a choice.

Rosen was practically shaking, and I tried squeezing his hand for comfort but he seemed not to notice. So instead, I stood straighter and lifted my chin, accepting my fate.

I wondered why Rosen had never mentioned this to me. Was that the role Amanda had originally played with the Def? Was she a breeder and forced to serve any man who asked?

I felt my legs knock together.

If I hadn't had such a tight grip on Rosen's hand I most likely would have stumbled to my knees. But I needed to be strong. For Rosen. But also for me.

"This is your last chance to speak freely before it begins. Our meeting is dismissed," the council member said. All twenty four of them stood and exited the way they came.

As soon as they were gone, Rosen spun to me and grabbed my cheeks in his hands. He kissed me, hard and soft, sweet yet bitter. I gripped onto his shirt, feeling a tear drip down my cheek. I stifled down my cry, but Rosen must have felt my trembling as he pulled back.

"You're okay. You'll be okay," he assured, wiping away the tears with his thumbs. I nodded and gave a pathetic smile. The tightness in my throat made me too afraid to speak, for fear of crumpling into a mess if I did.

Rosen pressed his warm lips to my forehead and guided my face to his chest, where I soaked in his protectiveness and care. We both were struggling to breathe properly, but I knew that Rosen would be able to pull himself together. He always did.

"Break it up," Knox groaned, speaking for the first time since he brought us here. I thought Rosen was going to turn around and sock him right in the eye, but he kept his arms around me instead.

"Fuck off," Rosen said through gritted teeth. He turned his attention back to me. "We'll get out of this," he whispered in my ear so only I would be able to hear him. I had to admit that I did not have high hopes with his words. In fact, I only seemed to accept that any escape was hopeless. There was no way we were getting out of this.

"Thank you, for everything. Don't feel guilty okay?" I said, needing to reassure him.

"It is my fault, though," Rosen replied, looking into my eyes. He absently picked up a strand of my dyed hair and studied the colors. So much for needing it to blend in now.

"Time's up." Knox grabbed me and pulled me out of Rosen's grasp. I panicked at the realization that this was it.

I ripped myself from his arms, not wanting to be dragged anywhere.

"I'll go willingly," I declared, shooting Knox a glare. I straightened my still bloody sweatshirt, and kept my head up.

"Bye Ellie May, see ya around," Cole said from a few feet away. He smiled sadly, and I mustered up a smile of my own in return. I wanted to go hug him, but was afraid Knox wouldn't let me.