Mate I never wanted

Scent like no other

Vivian

The sound from outside faded away as I sat there staring at my phone. Reading the text over and over again, hoping that this was just some sort of joke, a prank, maybe even.

This can not be true.

It can not be happening.

Air refused to leave my lungs as panic started to rise in my chest. I could not force my lungs to do their job.

This was bad… this was so bad.

How drunk was I yesterday, that I did something so stupid?

I would say that this was some stupid prank, but no one else could do this but me. Only the person themselves can register to the council.

Oh gods... why did I do this?

Getting matched by the council is the last resort, only used by desperate people or ones that still honored this mode of mate selection as a tradition.

The process itself of being genetically matched was not bad, it was logical. Based on your genetics, pheromones, inner animal, you are matched with a person that complements you in every way, making a perfect match that the other person suit all your needs and desires. Well, it is just missing the emotional component, it was the perfect way of finding a partner. It usually works quite well the success rates of these matings is almost a hundred percent.

The main problem, however, is that once you are registered to be matched, there is no backing out of this. It doesn’t matter if you like that person, or you love someone else, you are getting mated to the selected person.

That is why the success rates are so high.

While living on earth, the animal part of every human was weak and there was no need for anything like genetic matching. They could choose their mates on their own without much problem. But when humans entered this galaxy, everything changed.

A long forgotten part of every person, its inner animal, started to show.

It was quite cool, a lot of people were excited about it, but very few could control it or use its powers. It also messed up newborns. A lot of them could not handle the incompatible animals that their parents passed down to them and most died in the first few hours after birth.

It was horrible.

Not only that, but a bunch of people died or were killed due to the violent nature of their animals.

The government had to step in. There was very little information about those times, and everyone referred to them as the dark ages. The elder council, alongside the Emperor, took control of the situation and enforced very strict laws and rules. It was a bit crazy, but it worked, and it was the building ground for the society we see today. Most of the rules and laws have been changed or forgotten. Only a few were left, but they were considered more like a sentiment and no one really lived by them.

One of the crazy laws that is still around is genetic matching for a mate.

At that time, it was believed that only genetically matched coupes could reproduce and give society the perfect hybrids. Not to mention that, this way, it eliminated emotional ties and reactions that were a cause of so many deaths. Most hybrids could not control their emotions and reactions they had. Rejection, jealousy and all other strong emotions caused hybrids to lose control and it would end in someone dying. For over fifty years, that was the only way you could mate, but after loads of protests, the possibility of choosing your own mate was allowed. Bit by bit, it pushed out genetic matching and no one really does it anymore.

The main issue with genetic matching is that you are considered to be married in the eyes of the government. There is a slight chance that if both parties agree, you can deny the mate selected for you and if the elder council agrees, the mating or marriage as they used to call it back on earth, would be annulated… but that rarely happens. Most couples get told to try again or give it time. Almost no one gets the divorce unless it’s life-threatening.

Hell… how could I mess up so badly?

I checked the time and saw that I only had twenty minutes to get to the center… s**t…

Ignoring the nausea and panic that still resided in my chest, I dressed and ran out of the house. There was someone shouting my name as I ran off, but I did not have time for it now.

To my luck, I made it just in time. I ran into the glass building at the center of the city that belonged to the elder council. It was in one of the most luxurious places in the city and was only outdone by the emperor's townhouse, which was a few streets away from the council building.

I ran into the huge reception hall and I stopped right in front of the front desk. It was a huge marble and stainless steel piece that occupied most of the large room entirely.

Here I was met with a kind, really fake slime, of the receptionist.

“Hello, how may I help you on this fine day?”

The young woman behind the computer screen asked me in an overly happy tone, that felt even more fake and sickening than usual. It was probably just because I felt so shitty from my hangover and panic.

“Hi, I have an appointment for one o’clock.”

“Okay, can you please scan your ID card.”

I tapped my card on the little reader in front of me and after a light ping I knew that it worked.

“Thank you, miss Vivian. Yes, I see you have an appointment for…”

For a moment, I heard her voice crack as she re-read the information on the screen in front of her. She was clearly shocked to see that I was here for genetic matching. It was really rare, especially for someone my age, to go through with this. A few seconds later, she pushed her shocked expression under the superficial smile I saw before and continued talking.

“For your genetically matched mate. You can sit down while you wait for one of the employees that will take you to meet your mate. I’m honored to offer congratulations on behalf of the Elderly council on such a happy occasion, may you have a happy and fulfilling life together.”

With a short nod and a quiet thank you, I stepped away from the front desk and walked to the couches she mentioned. As I sat down, I pulled out my phone to check my emails, trying to figure out how the hell did I mess up so badly. What was going through my mind when I decided it was a great idea to get genetically matched?

Clicking through others apps, I saw that there was a folder opened that I do not visit frequently. It was the folder in which the family stored the recordings from security cameras. It was more or less for family safety… but if I’m completely honest, it was a way for father to keep tabs on us, because he was rarely home due to his busy schedule.

I clicked to open the folder that should have the recordings from the corridor next to my room, but the folder was empty.

What the hell?

Did… did someone delete the footage?

But why would they need to do this?

Before I could look deeper into it, to trace back who messed with the files, a man approached me.

“Miss Vivian, I’m happy to congratulate you on your match. Please follow me, I will take you to him.”

I’m not sure if the walk was long or short, because my brain was running wild with the fact that the footage from the corridor next to my room was gone… as in deleted, someone went out of their way to make sure that I would not see who entered my room. I was so lost in my thought that before I even knew it, we stopped in front of a door.

“Your future mate is in there, take your time, get to know each other. Usually we only give the new couple an hour, but as there is no one else coming in today, you can take your time. When you are done, just click the call button and I will come to collect you. Congratulations again and good luck, may the gods be with you.”

I smiled at the kind man as he bowed a little and left me alone in front of the door.

This is it, I guess… the person that I will be spending the rest of my life with is on the other side…

Forcing myself to take a few calming breaths, I reached out and clicked the button to open the door. As the heavy metal door slid open, the most wonderful scent hit my nose. The scent was strong… almost too strong… and it had heavy hints of lust in it…

Wait…

Were those pheromones?

Shit… the person inside is in heat.

But before I could stop myself, I stepped through the door, because the scent was so inviting and delicious, it made me hungry, so freaking hungry. It awakened a hunger for different things than food, and I could not deny it, it was in control now.