Forsaking the Breed
In the world beyond the fortified walls of Edenhold, men roam wild—violent, unchecked, and dangerous. But inside the walls, a new society has risen. Built by women, for women, Edenhold is a sanctuary, a utopia where peace reigns and control over the future is absolute. Men are bred only for their most docile traits, raised with careful hands, and kept under constant surveillance. They exist to serve a single purpose: to breed out the violence that has plagued humanity for generations.
Thalia, one of Edenhold’s most devoted caretakers, has spent her life nurturing boys like Kai, a promising young man with a gentle father and a powerful mother who died in service to the fortress. But as Kai nears the age where he must prove himself fit to stay within Edenhold, his behavior becomes erratic, his anger barely contained. With his future—and the future of Edenhold’s breeding program—hanging in the balance, Thalia must confront the terrifying possibility that no matter how carefully they control it, violence may be impossible to eliminate.
As the foundations of Edenhold begin to crack, Thalia’s faith in the system she once trusted starts to falter. What if the violence they fear isn’t something that can be bred out? And how far are they willing to go to maintain the peace they have fought so hard to build?
