Choosing My Mate Pt. 00.1

I had been looking forward to this day for nearly a year, but circumstances had changed. Now, all I felt was fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the very real possibility that I would be mated to a stranger, now that my eighteenth birthday had come today. In decades past, men and women were given free will regarding when they were ready to marry and have children. I suppose we still had some freedom, but not in the same way.

Now, men and women were required to mate at least once on their eighteenth birthday. Before the mating, the woman would be given an injection of a hormone that ensures the man's sperm would fertilize the woman's womb. But, there was a catch. Whether or not this mating produced a child and livelong bond was reliant on the female's desire. If a woman orgasmed during the mating, she would be impregnated and bonded to the man she mated with. If she did not orgasm, then the pair would be free to separate if they chose to do so.

This ruling came to be as men and women were far too often having children together and then separating, thus disrupting said child's development and mental health. Too many children had suffered from an unstable household, and the government feared the impact it would have on society. Men and women were free to choose their potential mates, but if they had not found one themselves- then they would be assigned a partner. The only loophole for the timing of the mating would be that if a couple had plans to mate but their birthdays didn't time up exactly- a form could be sent in for the older of the two to wait for their partner's birthday.

I had planned for my boyfriend, now ex, to be my mate. However, he had turned eighteen a week prior and was given the opportunity to mate with another woman. He told me he just couldn't resist her, which is total bullshit. He could have waited for me, since we had the form sent in and approved. He just couldn't keep it in his pants.

So here I am on my eighteenth birthday with no approved mate and a government official on their way to administer the injection and assign me a mate with the same birthday or has already had an unsuccessful mating, but chose to stay on the list. I am a bit squeamish about a government official witnessing my mating a total stranger. I had thought that I would be so caught up in my love for my ex that I wouldn't notice the official was there, but now I would be very aware of two strangers alone in a room with me. I released a dramatic sigh and decided now was the time to go downstairs and wait for the official.

I smelled breakfast cooking as I walked down the stairs and immediately made my way to the kitchen. Though this was a dreaded day, at least my mom made a birthday breakfast. I pulled out a seat at the table and sat down with my twin brother, Jacob, and my dad; while my mother busied herself with cooking.

"Happy birthday to both of you! It feels like just yesterday your mother and I brought you home from the hospital. Are you two excited for today?"

"Are you kidding? I've been looking forward to this day for years!" My brother exclaimed, obviously ready for the official to get here. I could put down money that my brother was just being a horny teenage boy, rather than focusing on the fact that he could be bonded to a random woman in a matter of hours.

"And you, Laura?"

I couldn't make myself look up at my father when he asked this. How could I be excited about this? I didn't want to lose my virginity to a stranger or be impregnated by one. I'm sure my reluctance was obvious in both my silence and my posture. My mother whirled around to the table, placing multiple pancakes on each of our plates before sitting down in the last seat.

"Laura, Honey. I know this wasn't how you planned it to be- but this doesn't have to be a bad thing. You may not even be bonded today. This could be a one time experience, and then you could go off into the world and find someone later down the line. Or even if you do bond with someone, it would only happen if you wanted it. The bond wouldn't be made if you... didn't desire it. I hate to see you so torn up about this, but you have to look at this in a positive light."

"You have to take a mate today. Even if only for today. There is no way around it," my father stated. He had always been a no nonsense sort of man and never beat around the bush.

"Just don't cum, and you'll be fine."

I spit out my orange juice at my brother's statement. None of us had outwardly talked about the fact that I'd have to orgasm for bonding to happen.

"Jacob! Don't embarrass your sister!" Mom was using her 'mom voice' which just made my brother shrug and shovel pancakes in his mouth.

"What your brother is TRYING to say, is that there will be no long term... consequences, unless you want there to be," my mother said this very lightly- probably trying to soothe my nerves.

"Just pick someone from the list that you aren't attracted to. The list is just a compilation of available men's names and pictures. Pick a guy and get it over with." My father was never gentle with his words, and the idea seemed obvious. But was it really that simple?

I was about to respond but was interrupted by a loud knock at the door. My entire body froze, while my brother jumped up in excitement.

"I'll get it!" He practically screamed in my ear.

"I guess breakfast will just have to wait," my mother sighed.

My mother, father, and I all shuffled to the living room where a man in a suit stood with my brother. My father gestured for us all to sit, and so we did. The man began his formalities, had us confirm our identities, and explained the process in scripted verses. I felt as if I was watching this all on TV. None of it felt real.

"Laura," My head snapped up to the official as he continued, "It seems that your former arrangement with a partner has been declined as a result of his mating with another. Have you chosen another, or shall we consult the list?"

"I-I... I haven't chosen anyone." The man hummed in response and handed me his tablet. Here it was. The list.

"This is a list of all prospective males within an hour's distance, all available and willing to mate. All you have to do is choose one, and you will decide whose home you would like to mate in. Yours or his." The official said this so businesslike that I was a bit put off. How could he not see how significant this was? Well, he did do this every work day- so I guess that would explain it.

"I-I don't know if I can." Again, the man hummed at my statement. Waiting. We both knew I had no choice. I sighed, which I seemed to be doing a lot of today, and scrolled through the list. I looked at the five men within an hour's distance. That was all I had to choose from? Five? The last man on the list was my brother, which of course wasn't an option. I couldn't help but smile at his carefree expression documented on the list. He was always the laid back and fun one out of the two of us. Unfortunately for me, the man misunderstood my smile.

"You have chosen, I presume?"

"What? No. I was just looking at my brother's picture," I tried to buy some time from choosing by shifting the conversation from the potential mates to my brother.

"Shouldn't he be off this list? I thought each list was tailored to the individual person."

"It is. Your brother is a potential mate. So, he is on the list." He stated this as if it were obvious information that I should've known already.

"But wouldn't children be... ya know?" I was still trying to delay having to choose a man.

"No. Genetic mutations would not be a risk here, as the injection prevents disease and deformities. Healthy children are what the world needs."

"How does the injection do that?"

"Stop drawing this out. Choose." The man snapped at me, but my mind was still reeling at this information. My brother was an option? My father's advice came to mind. If I picked a man I wasn't attracted to, then nothing would come of the mating. I would just wait for my brother to ejaculate and try to forget the mortifying experience. I took a deep breath.

"Okay. I choose him. I choose Jacob."