Chapter 3 Breeding Grounds

She-wolves flooded the place. There were about three hundred of them. Valarie followed the instructor as they walked past the mini rooms that each held about fifteen women. On the right were those nursing, she could hear the loud cries of babies as the women did everything they could to keep them from crying. On the left were the pregnant women, some, already too heavy to move. They stared at her with tired eyes as she walked by. "You are to take a bath every day, make sure you look nice and clean for the people who would find you worthy." As he said "worthy", he cast another offensive glance at her. "Look nice and clean" but the women she had walked past looked nothing close to that. They were barely covered, their clothes worn out, eyes threatening to pop out of their sockets. She held her breath, the atmosphere was stuffy and breathing was hard and even before she was assigned to the room where she would stay, she had to accept the fact that there was no leaving this place. Through an adjoining door, they walked into a clearer space. The women here were even more, but less crowded, and better dressed. They sat in packs and watched her as he tried to find a place suitable for her. She was still in chains and it hurt but the man didn't seem to care. He just kept barking instructions at her. "Here I am boss and by the time I come in, you should be in line, ready to perform your function." He stopped in front of one of the rooms and peered inside, chuckling as the women quivered at a corner, afraid to make eye contact with him. "Gina," he called out A blue-eyed, dark-haired woman emerged from amongst them, her hair was disheveled and she fondled her dress in a failed attempt to hide her breast that poured out from a tear. "Yes, General." Her voice was faint but she didn't look scared. Valarie took it to mean that she had been there for so long. "I entrust her to you, put her through, and do it right. If she is bad at what she does, you will be held responsible." Her head moved in numerous nods "Understood, general." He turned to face Valarie and her heart skipped as she met eye-to-eye with him. For a moment, her wolf jolted within her and she could sense that he had already mapped out every dirty intention he had for her. She shut her eyes for a minute to block out the connection and put her hands forward as he instructed. The chains were taken off her and she could feel her wolf's relief. With a loud smack on her behind, he pushed her towards the entrance of the room "Off you go, get all the rest you can, while you can." His laugh rang out through the hallway as he made his way out. Valerie stared wide-eyed at the people around her. They stared back, assessing her for some seconds. "So, I suppose I should say welcome." One of the girls said with a chuckle. "Shut up, Tatiana, let her be." Another girl said. This one was brunette and too beautiful, even in rags, she dazzled. She turned to Valarie "Sorry, she thinks she is the funny one among us." Valarie forced a smile. She didn't know what to say. "At least I try, this place is miserable enough already," Tatiana replied with a roll of her eyes. "Valarie," Valarie introduced herself to the nice girl. "Brandy" the girl replied, this time with a smile. Before she could say another word, Gina interrupted. "That's all right. I guess we've seen enough of the new girl. Valarie, you say, this is Yaola, Doris, Sarzene, Camila, Caro, Tatiana, Brandy, Dahlia, Olivia, and me, Gina." Valarie didn't get all the names but she nodded and tried to smile. "Sit," Doris said, pointing to a clear spot on the floor "You look awkward standing like that." The others giggled and Gina gave Doris a stern look. "Well, all I can say is you should get ready. There's a lot to do and no one hears excuses." She paused, bringing her lips to a tight union. It made Valarie wonder what her next sentence was "So, have you ever?" She laid much emphasis on the last word and it took Valarie some time to understand what she meant. "Oh, no." She shook her head in embarrassment "I've never done that." Gina's eyes were consumed with pity for her. "I will have a word with you soon. You aren't ready for what's to come." The other girls had moved back to their groups of twos and threes to talk, all except Brandy who sat at a corner, peering at her through her heavy caramel eyes. Valarie noticed her staring but she tried to not pay attention. She was already uncomfortable as she was but she didn't need them seeing that too. Her wolf was unsteady within her, she felt her try to come to the surface now and then but she suppressed it with all her might. "Not now" she cautioned.  She took in her surroundings, there were too many she-wolves, and if she were to include the pregnant and nursing ones, that was overpopulation in her opinion. What exactly was the purpose of this so many women? She wondered. "I know, it's a lot of breeders, right?"  She jerked and turned in the direction of where the connection came from and her eyes landed on Brandy. "What are you doing? I gave you no right." Her wolf replied. "It's the only way to communicate safely here, too many ears." She nudged her head at the other girls who were clogged up against each other. "What do you want?" She asked, rubbing her arms together to shut out the weirdness in her mind. Her mind had only been invaded a few times by only very close people, and she knew the dangers that could bring, she couldn't risk anyone knowing her history, and how much of a failure she had been all her life. "To be friends, you look like you could need one." She glanced around and she hated to admit that Brandy was right. There were a thousand people but she felt the loneliest she had ever felt in her life. There was a torrent of tears standing behind her eyes and she knew if she kept dwelling in her thoughts for too long, she would break down and let it all out. So maybe she wasn't ready to be friends with anyone, not here, not in this condition, but having someone to talk to wasn't a bad idea. She turned to Brandy and nodded "Fine."