Published by EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ® at Smashwords

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2022 Jade Marshall

  ISBN: 978-0-3695-0600-9

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: Audrey Bobak

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  For Vlekkie

  You are my favorite potato, even if you have no clue what I do.

  You need to learn how to listen, my friend.

  THE PARTNER DILEMMA

  Romance on the Go ®

  Jade Marshall

  Copyright © 2022

  Glossary

  Proving Law: Worldwide law instated to test females sixteen years and older for their fertility status

  Proving Test: The test performed under the Proving Law

  Proving Center: The building where the proving tests are performed

  House of Fertility: After a woman is tested as fertile, she is removed from her home and sent to live at the House of Fertility

  Keeper: Woman designated to train a fertile woman

  Partner: Male designated to a fertile woman through a series of tests to determine whether they have the highest probability of conceiving

  Prologue

  Skye

  I haven’t lived a regular life. I didn’t have a mother to teach me about the birds and the bees, preparing me for what was to come. I was ripped from my family, placed in the lap of luxury, surrounded by strangers, and taught how to be the perfect Partner to a man I wouldn’t meet for years to come.

  Let me fill you in on some of the specifics. Long ago in 2020, before I was even born, the planet was ravaged by a disease. This disease wasn’t like cancer or AIDS. It was indiscriminate and attacked anyone. The old, young, sick, and the healthy. There was no way of knowing who would catch it next.

  Governments all over the globe banded together, and a vaccine was created. The answer to all our prayers. People could live their lives without fear. But there was a small problem that no one had anticipated.

  In 2029, eight years after my birth, scientists confirmed the vaccine had sterilized ninety percent of the female population. This was deemed an unfortunate side effect of the vaccination. As a race, we couldn’t live without the vaccination, but with it, our race would gradually dwindle and die out.

  Thus, the Proving Law. Any female sixteen years or older would be tested, and her fertility—or lack thereof—would then determine the rest of her life. Women and girls of all nationalities were brought to the testing centers in the thousands to be screened. No one was safe. Wives were taken from their husbands, daughters from their families.

  My mother was confirmed fertile and taken from us, never to be seen again. The loss of my mother and having to raise a daughter on his own drove my father into a dark depression from which he rarely found a moment’s reprieve. Essentially, I raised myself.

  Four years before the Proving Law would take effect in my life, a world war broke out. Nations that had the numbers and weapons to attack others did so, all in the name of finding fertile females. Some nations were slowly dying out, not having a child born in over three years due to the massive numbers of infertile females.

  Bombs soared through the air, men and boys were called to arms, and death reigned in all corners of the world. There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. No person was safe. It didn’t matter what your race, color, creed, religion, or nationality was. There was only one thing that drove everyone, and that was keeping their people alive for as long as it took to find a solution. There are no winners in a war like this, only survivors.

  The fighting continues in all corners of the world, but my country is rarely attacked. We are too strong, too well equipped. The constant warring and death have become the new normal for everyone. There is no way to escape it, so we just learn to live with it. Eventually, people will forget what it was like before the war started.

  Chapter One

  Skye

  Today, I will be awarded to the man the government has selected for me. He was selected for me based on our gene sequencing and the probability that we would be able to create new life through our coupling. Since I was sixteen, I knew this day would come.

  Since the moment my Proving Test came back positive, my life has not been my own. I was removed from the Proving Center and taken to an unspecified location. When I arrived at the House of Fertility, I was assigned a room and a Keeper. The older female assigned to be my Keeper would teach me all I needed to know about being a Partner and mother.

  There were many other girls at the House of Fertility, and we spent many hours together. Some of the girls were excited for their training, to move on to being a partner and a mother. But some of us, like myself, were terrified of what lay ahead.

  We were taught how to sew, cook, and clean. However, we were not taught about the birthing process or about sex. We were told that birthing was natural and that our bodies would take over. Sex was something our Partner would teach us. We were taught that males each had their own likes and dislikes, and we were only to do as we were told.

  As the day of my Partnership approached, more and more fear enveloped me.

  “What are you so worried about, Skye?” my friend Aspen questions. She watches me closely as she waits for me to answer.

  I throw my hands in the air with a loud sigh. “Everything!” I exclaim. “What if he is a cruel man? What if he isn’t happy with me? What if…”

  “Stop.” Aspen holds up her hand. “Take a breath and think this through. Your Partner will be just as grateful to have you as you are to be there. Why wouldn’t he be?”

  “That’s easy to say.” I shake my head. “But we have all heard the stories. Of girls that don’t satisfy their Partners. Girls that go missing after the birth of a child.”

  “Those are just stories,” Aspen answers.

  Her naivety is something I have always disliked about her. She is a great friend and a beautiful girl, but sometimes I fear for her. Can she really be this stupid? Does she actually believe that the moment a female is handed off to her Partner that everything in the world will just be right? Because I sure as hell don’t. Our lives aren’t part of a fairytale with a prince charming waiting at the other end of the rainbow.

  “Yes,” I mumble, rising from my spot on the balcony to move indoors. “Maybe you are right, and I just need to relax.”

  “See.” Aspen follows me into my room. “Why don’t you take a long relaxing bath? Besides, I should leave you alone to get ready.”

  Today, I will be given over to my Partner. I am finally eighteen years old and have to fulfill my duty to my country and my nation. I don’t turn around or answer her, but I do hear the click of the door closing as she finally leaves. Looking around, I stare at the opulence afforded to every fertile female before she is assigned her Partner.

  My room is as big as the house I grew up in. A large four-poster bed takes up the majority of the space. All the furnishings are polished cherry wood. The entire area is decorated in shades of pink, gray, and white. Oh, God, how I hate pink. If my Partner allows it, I will never wear pink again.

  The bathroom is spacious and luxurious, with a large claw-foot tub in the middle. Beside it are shelves filled with all kinds of salts and oils. Turning the water, I pour in bubbles before removing my clothes and staring at myself in the floor-to-ceiling mirror that runs the entire length of the wall.

  I don’t know if my Partner will be satisfied with me. I appraise my naked form in the mirror and see nothing exceptional. Light-brown hair hangs to the middle of my back, and unexceptional brown eyes stare back at me and my pale skin. My breasts are smaller than all the other girls, and I don’t have a figure to speak of.

  Turning away, I submerge my body in the water, hoping to leave my troubled thoughts behind while I soak. But there isn’t any time for that as my Keeper enters without even knocking. There is little to no privacy at the House of Fertility.

  “Skye, really?” my Keeper, Ana, admonishes from the entrance of the bathroom. “There are less than three hours before you meet your Partner, and you a lying about in the bath. Get going, young lady.”

  Three hours is more than enough time for me to get ready, but instead of starting yet another argument, I wash my hair and body. I will meet my Partner shortly.

  Chapter Two

  Kamden

  “This isn’t a discussion, sir. I will not take a Partner without Deklan and Blaine.” I stare down at my superior.

  His gaze does not waver from mine. I can see the vein in the side of his forehead throbbing in anger. This isn’t the first time we’ve had this argument.

  “Kamden, don’t be difficult about this. I can’t have one of my highest-ranking officers sharing his Partner with two troops that are beneath him,” he replies.

  “Then I won’t take a Partner,” I reply coolly.

  If I press this, I will get my way. The military has to Partner me with someone. I’m their most decorated fighter, having killed more enemies than anyone else. I have never gone against an order, never question ed a mission. But this? I won’t do this without my brothers.

  Deklan, Blaine, and I have been together since childhood. We grew up together, signed up to defend our nation together, and survived together. We have lost friends and family. Still, we are together. I won’t take a Partner and cut them out of my life.

  When we first came of age, we discussed this and decided that whoever was Partnered first would put their foot down and make sure we were all part of the package. I was first to receive a Partner. This is why I’m arguing with a man who knows he will fold to my demands eventually.

  “Kamden.” He sighs, running his hand through his hair.

  “Don’t even,” I cut him off. “I know all three of us match this woman. Our genes sync, and she has the highest fertility rating with one of us. You want us to procreate? Don’t you think three of us offer a better chance than one?”

  “Fine,” he grumbles. “I don’t know how you will explain this to people when they ask, but I suppose it is your choice.”

  “Thank you, sir.” I smirk.

  “Just get the fuck out of my office.”

  ****

  Arriving at the house I share with my brothers, I walk in the door with all the confidence I currently feel.

  “It’s done,” I say without letting either Deklan or Blaine ask a question.

  Both are waiting for me in the kitchen. This house was designed from the ground up with our Partner in mind. The kitchen is any woman’s dream and was created to hold the four of us and our future offspring comfortably.

  “What do you mean it’s done?” Deklan asks as I move deeper into the house.

  I can hear both of them following me as I make my way to the main room.

  We have built five rooms to accommodate the children we hope to have in the future but only one main bedroom. The bed is custom-made and it cost a damn fortune, but it allows enough room for all four of us. Her measurements were given to us by the House of Fertility and a closet full of clothes awaits her arrival.

  “Just what I said.” I don’t turn around as I pull my shirt off and start the shower. “Tonight, we will be receiving our Partner.”

  My jeans hit the floor and I enter the shower. Just the thought of finally having a woman in our home excites me. I—no, we—want someone we can share our lives with. A person to come home to, to build a family and a life with. Fucking random strangers was fun when we were younger, but we all need more in our lives, and our Partner will bring that.

  “Are you fucking serious?” Blaine asks from the doorway.

  I can hear the smile in his voice. Deklan and I may be the more serious of our trio, but Blaine has the biggest heart. And because of that, he is also the most worried. Rinsing my hair, I turn to face him.

  “Yes, tonight we will be getting our Partner. Now let me finish my shower in peace. You should be getting ready too.”

  Blaine grins in my direction before taking off. His excitement has me smiling in return.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing, brother,” Deklan replies before closing the door and leaving me on my own.

  Deklan may not say the words out loud, but I know his heart longs for this just as much as mine and Blaine’s do. But the fear of being rejected keeps him from getting his hopes up. Allowing the water to cascade down my body, I pray that I haven’t made a mistake. I hope our Partner can look beyond the scars we all carry and see the life we could all build together.

  Chapter Three

  Skye

  I’m not ready for this. My hands shake uncontrollably, and I think I might throw up. This is too much for me to handle. Sitting beside me in the black car is Ana. This is the last time I will ever see her. We are not friends. She’s just someone who was assigned to teach me what I needed to know.

  We ride through the city, headed toward the houses that I know were built for our most revered fighters. Those that help keep our country safe.

  The sun has begun to set, painting the horizon in hues of purple and deep blue. Inside the gated community, the car slows to a crawl. There are children of all ages playing outside and riding their bicycles, and I can’t keep my eyes off of them.

  Laughter rings outside as they play on the grass and my heart swells. Taking a deep breath, I calm my nerves as we pull up to a white double-story house. I can do this, I repeat over and over in my mind. I want to have a child of my own. Someone I can love unconditionally and who will feel the same about me.

  If the situation with my Partner is less than ideal, I will just suck it up and work at being better. I will make the best of this situation. The car stops, and I stare up at the house that will now become my home.

  “Skye,” Ana says beside me. “It’s time.”

  She doesn’t offer words of encouragement or give me any last advice. She has taught me everything she had to offer. Taking another deep breath, I reach for the door and climb out of the car, then unhurriedly head toward the door.

  I have been preparing for this moment for the past two years. Gradually, I open the door and enter. Before me, I can see the living room and kitchen. To the side is a set of stairs that lead to the upper floor. Ascending the stairs, I make my way down the hall, past all the closed doors to the only door that has been left open. Inside the room, I see a massive bed taking up most of the space.

  Removing my coat, I climb on the bed and kneel in the center, waiting for my partner.

  ****

  Deklan

  My nerves are on edge. I feel the same now that I do when we are in a fire fight. My hands are as steady as they have ever been, but I feel like a live wire. My heart beats faster than normal, sweat beads against my spine, and I am hyperaware of everything in my surroundings.

  Tonight is important. Not just to me, but to Kamden and Blaine as well. We know our Partner is already at the house. We received a notification the moment she opened the door. A half hour has passed and all three of us are currently hyped up beyond words. We decided that we would wait an hour and give her some time to look around her new home. But I don’t think any of us are capable of waiting that long to get to our Partner.

  “Are we really going to sit here for another thirty fucking minutes?” I grumble.

  “It’s for the best,” Kamden says.

  “Fuck that,” Blaine says, starting up the truck. “The house isn’t that big. Besides, what is she going to do there by herself?”

  No one answers him. We all accept the decision he has made for all of us. Not because he is in charge in some way but because we know if we were in the driver’s seat, we would be making the same decision.

  We drive toward our house, through the gated community, watching the children as they start to head inside after a day of playing outside. I don’t know about the other guys, but my heart fills with longing. For a family, for kids of my own. I just want to get to our Partner and meet the woman who will start to fulfill all our dreams.

  When we stop in the driveway, I stare up at the house we have been living in for the past five years. There aren’t any lights on, and it doesn’t look any different than it looked when we left earlier today. But I feel different, as I’m sure Kamden and Blaine do too. Our future lies just behind those walls, and it’s time for us to go and claim it.

  We all know she will be waiting in the main bedroom. It’s the only thing we know about this encounter. It was laid out in the paperwork. When Kamden was first paired with his Partner, he received a questionnaire from the House of Fertility that was completed by her, and he shared it with us. It listed all her likes and dislikes, but it was very sparse. It didn’t contain any important information. Not her name or age. Just a lot of useless information. Although it did let us know she hates pink and sent Blaine back to the mall for new clothes.

 

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