"How did you find me?" I asked, wiping tears from my cheeks.
"They told us where." Naya looked around the cottage, her eyes wide. "This is not what I expected."
She set down the large basket she'd been carrying. "I brought your supplies. Your mortar and pestle, dried herbs, tincture bottles. I couldn't bear the thought of you without your tools."
Fresh tears spilled as I opened the basket, running my fingers over the familiar implements of my trade.
"The community is in shock, Kaly," she said, sitting beside me on the sofa. "Everyone's talking about it."
"About my being matched with a monster?" I spat the word.
Naya bit her lip. "About your match percentage."
My blood ran cold. "What about it?"
"The officials let it slip. Ninety-eight percent, Kaly. Nobody in the records has ever matched that high with a non-human. Most human-monster matches barely hit sixty percent."
I shook my head. "That's impossible. There must be some mistake."
"That's what I thought too." Naya leaned closer. "But then I heard the elders talking. Remember those old stories about special bloodlines? People who could bridge the gap between humans and monsters?"
"Children's tales," I scoffed.
"Maybe not." Naya squeezed my hand. "Your match is unprecedented. The Magnus Terra officials are watching closely. You're some kind of experiment now."
As if summoned by her words, a sharp knock echoed through the cottage. Redmon reappeared, opening the door to reveal a tall, thin man in a crisp blue uniform. The symbol of Magnus Terra, a globe with a handprint, gleamed on his breast pocket.
"Routine inspection," the man announced, stepping inside without invitation. His cold eyes swept over me, then Naya. "Ah, the sister. Your visitation period ends in ten minutes."
Redmon's fur bristled. "We weren't informed of any inspection today."
The official smirked. "Surprise inspections are standard for high-profile matches." He pulled out a tablet. "I need to interview the human female. Alone."
Redmon growled, a sound that vibrated through the floorboards. "You can speak to her here. With me present."
"That won't be necessary, mapinguari." The man's tone dripped with disdain. "Standard protocol… "
"Your protocol means nothing to me." Redmon stepped closer to the man, towering over him. "This is my home. My mate. You will respect our boundaries."
My heart skipped at the possessive words. My mate. As if I had any choice in the matter.
The official's face paled slightly, but he held his ground. "Ms. Kalyndi, has he harmed you in any way? Has he forced any intimacies?"
Heat rushed to my face. "No."
"Has he prevented you from accessing food, water, or necessary facilities?"
"No."
"Are you being coerced to provide these answers?"
I almost laughed. "No, I'm not being coerced. But I'm also not here willingly. I was taken from my community and delivered here like a package."
The official made notes on his tablet. "Adjustment period is expected. The matching system has proven to be highly accurate. Your compatibility score suggests… "
"I don't care what it suggests," I snapped. "I want to go home."
"This is your home now." He said it so matter-of-factly, as if my feelings were irrelevant. "I'll need to see the living quarters."
