Page 1 of Mated By the Pack
CHAPTER 1
Year 2257
Haven North, College District
Calla
Ishoulder my purse and clutch my books close to my chest as I leave the small room I’ve lived in for the last four years. The books are mostly for show. If I wasn’t required to carry them around, I’d leave them behind. I know them cover to cover by this point.
“Calla!” a woman’s voice calls out, and I turn to see one of the other students hurrying to catch up. Abigail. The closest thing I have to a best friend.
“Hey, Abigail.” I smile and wait for her to get closer before I continue. “If we don’t hurry, we’ll be late, and you know Dr. Grant will give us demerits if we are.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Abigail mutters, then she gives me a playful nudge. “You won’t have to worry about that for much longer, Ms. Graduate.”
“Don’t jinx it,” I sigh. “I… I’m ready, but there are no guarantees. Clyde has less tenure, but he’s outscored me on the last two exams.”
“He’s a hothead who takes too many risks.” Abigail shakes her head like the idea of Clyde graduating before me is absurd. “He needs another year, at least. You’re next in line. Everyone knows that.”
I wish I had Abigail’s confidence in my future. I’ve spent the last four years learning everything there is to know about nursing and medicine, but graduation is based on merit, not tenure. I’m good at what I do, but Clyde is a superstar. If he’d scored just a little higher on his aptitude test, he would have been assigned to study as a doctor instead of a nurse.
The two of us hurry through the structured streets of Haven North’s College District. The sky is gray, like usual, and there’s a chill in the air. The elders say a morning chill at this time of year is a sign of a good harvest. I hope they’re right. If there’s another food shortage, it’ll be the patients I see every day who suffer most.
“We’ve got time for coffee,” Abigail says, motioning to the gentleman standing behind a cart outside of the Academic Medical Center.
I glance at the closest clock, a large iron dial near the Medical Center, and nod in agreement. We’ve made good time despite leaving a couple of minutes later than we should have, and acup of coffee will make the first few hours of my day a little smoother.
There are two people ahead of us, so we wait in line. Abigail talks about graduation, which is still at least two years away for her. I listen and nod, glancing at the imposing pristine wall that surrounds the city. You can see it from almost anywhere in Haven North. It’s the only thing that protects us from the horrors outside. The wildlands known asThe Tangle.
“Eww, it tastes like sludge again,” Abigail groans as she sips her coffee.
“It’s not the taste that matters,” I sigh, grimacing as my first drink confirms she’s right.
The coffee settles into the pit of my stomach and seems to fester there. That’s not just the taste. It’s a sign my supplements are wearing off. I’ll need to see Dr. Thomas for an adjustment soon, because this cycle is already thinning. It feels like I’m fraying around the edges. Tense, even though I shouldn’t be.
I shrug it off and a few minutes later, I’m tingling from the caffeine while I change into my scrubs. Abigail and I take the stairs to the second floor where we say our goodbyes before I continue on to the fourth floor, where I am assigned.
“It’s Friday,” I say to myself. “If I get through today, I have two days off. If the rumors are true and they announce the next graduate on Monday, this could be my last week at the Academic Medical Center.”
Graduation means my life finally gets to begin. I’ll be assigned to Haven North General Hospital, which means I’ll earn a decent salary. Enough for an apartment in the Middle District. I’ll beable to buy my own food instead of eating rations, even if there’s another food shortage.
It’s not the life I dreamed of, but I’ll have a job. Some people aren’t that lucky. If you don’t score high enough on your aptitude test for an assigned path, then you’re on your own. The only thing you’re guaranteed is half-rations and water they don’t even bother to boil. There are manual labor jobs but most of the Unassigned end up homeless, begging for silver in the Lower District.
I spot my boss, Director Regina, and wave to her as I approach. She’s in her sixties and runs the fourth floor. She’s always been rather kind to me.
“Ah, Nurse Calla, you’re right on time,” Director Regina says. “I’ve got a girl named Fiona in room two. She’s getting her first supplement cycle today, and she’s scared of needles. You’re great with the young ones, so she is your first patient today.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say respectfully, taking Fiona’s chart and flipping through it.
I review Fiona’s chart as I walk to room two. She’s nineteen and just graduated from high school. She’s getting her first cycle of supplements today because her test results are the same as mine. She’s infertile. That means she’ll never know the luxury life of a Bride, but based on her aptitude scores, she’s got a good future ahead of her. She might even be assigned as a doctor or scientist. She’ll have to get over her fear of needles quickly if that happens.
“Good morning, Fiona!” I say, putting every bit of cheer into my voice I can manage as I walk into the exam room.
“H-hi,” the girl stammers nervously, her eyes darting to the cabinet where we keep the syringes.
“Not your first shot, huh?” I deduce, trying to keep my tone light.
“N-no, ma’am, and they always hurt,” she groans, reaching for her sleeve and tugging it up. “Just do it. I can’t watch.”
