The Fortunates (Unfortunate #2) - Skyla Madi Page 0,23

she expected him to do. His stomach didn’t clench and his cock didn’t twitch. He simply wasn’t interested. Strangely enough, in the short time Elizabeth stood before him half-naked, he realised her areolas were smaller than Nine’s. He’d never put much thought into it, but in that moment he decided he liked bigger areolas. Nine’s were darker too. He preferred it.

“Cover yourself up, Elizabeth, and get out of my house before I throw you out.”

Elizabeth ignored the dark, serious tone Kade put into his voice. Her face grew cloudy as she scowled, shadows pooling in her face. It was a look Kade knew all too well. It was the look of a spoiled little rich girl who was told she couldn’t have what she wanted. He couldn’t imagine such a nasty expression staining Nine’s features. He also reflected on his own behaviour and wondered if he looked half has annoying as Elizabeth did when he didn’t get his way.

He probably did.

Growling unintelligibly under her breath, Elizabeth pulled her corset back up and strapped her breasts beneath the glossy fabric.

“Is it because of her?” she asked, avoiding Kade’s eyes as she re-tied the lace.

What did she think? Was the answer not obvious? Why was anything he did not fucking obvious?

“Of course it’s because of her.” He sat against the edge of his table. “Have I led you to believe that I’d want you again? I haven’t wanted you since that night in the Black House and even then the sex wasn’t fulfilling.”

Elizabeth flinched, but it failed to hit him where it should.

“Well, I don’t want you anymore either,” she stated, planting her long-fingered hands on her hips. “I was only doing this out of pity.”

His eyebrows shot up, an amused smile hinting at his lips. “Pity?”

“Yes, pity. You’re weak and pathetic. Pining over an insignificant Unfortunate who doesn’t understand the complexities of a Fortunate relationship. She can never give you what I can. You want to marry someone who doesn’t have the same background or the support of the people? Go right ahead. You want to spawn children with an Unfortunate who can’t love them like a Fortunate can? Be my guest. You know better than anyone what you have to do before Vince turns twenty-five if you want to remain the leader of your house. I’m offering you that. If you don’t accept it, don’t come crying to me when your future is in shambles.”

Elizabeth jumped as Kade kicked the trash can, strewing shredded paper and empty pens along the floor. He was sick of people telling him Nine wasn’t human, telling him he was in love with something that didn’t deserve it or couldn’t love him back. He didn’t blame Elizabeth for her twisted ideal on the nature of Unfortunates. She was only spewing what she was taught as an impressionable child. He hated her sheep-like brain and disliked her defective soul. He detested that she wasn’t capable of thinking or feeling for herself.

It was during the secondary phase of schooling they were taught that Unfortunates didn’t love their young like Fortunates did. He was taught that, with time, Unfortunates would forget about their children, like animals do. Kade never believed it. Unlike Elizabeth, who relied on what she heard, Kade had seen the horror with his own eyes…the pain, the trauma, as babies were ripped from loving arms and put into camps.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Kade shook his head, but the memory forced its way in—a memory he hadn’t thought about in years.

He felt the warm pressure on the back of his neck where his father held him in place and the memory took over.

“Take it,” his father ordered, digging his fingers into Kade’s neck.

Kade tried to pull away and run, but Michael held him tight, so tight Kade was certain his skin would bruise for weeks. He didn’t want to take the baby. He didn’t want to separate the baby from its mother.

Kade’s pulse hammered in his ears and a balmy sweat leaked from his palms.

“Do you like being a Fortunate, Kade?”

He nodded, nervously licking his lips, desperate to add moisture.

“This is what being a Fortunate entails. If we don’t do this, how would we live? These jobs guarantee our place on the food chain.”

Kade shook his head. “I don’t want to—”

With a growl, Michael shoved Kade forward and he stumbled over a palm-sized stone. The ground rushed up to meet him as he fell on his hands and knees. He swallowed hard and shivered as his