A Protector's Second Chance (Unit Matched #2)

A Protector’s Second Chance (Unit Matched #2)

Copyright 2015 by Mary Smith

This publication is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws, and all rights are reserved, including resale rights: you are not allowed to give or sell this book to anyone else.

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All rights reserved. Except for the use of short passages for review purposes, no part of this book may be reproduced, in part or in whole, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording, or any information retrieval system, without prior permission in the form of writing by the authors.

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Any actual places, products, or events mentioned are used in a purely fictitious manner.

Cover Designed by:
Bailey Ardisone

Model:
Kendra Malcom

Photographer:
K Keeton Designs

Dedication

To everyone who is looking for their Matched

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Day 1 of 90

Chapter 2: Day 2 of 90

Chapter 3: Day 3 of 90

Chapter 4: Day 5 of 90

Chapter 5: Day 7 of 90

Chapter 6: Day 10 of 90

Chapter 7: Day 12 of 90

Chapter 8: Day 13 of 90

Chapter 9: Day 14 of 90

Chapter 10: Day 16 of 90

Chapter 11: Day 20 of 90

Chapter 12: Day 23 of 90

Chapter 13: Day 27 of 90

Chapter 14: Day 32 of 90

Chapter 15: Day 34 of 90

Chapter 16: Day 36 of 90

Chapter 17: Day 40 of 90

Chapter 18: Day 41 of 90

Chapter 19: Day 42 of 90

Chapter 20: Day 45 of 90

Chapter 21: Day 47 of 90

Chapter 22: Day 48 of 90

Chapter 23: Day 52 of 90

Chapter 24: Day 56 of 90

Chapter 25: Day 58 of 90

Chapter 26: Day 59 of 90

Chapter 27: Day 60 of 90

Chapter 28: Day 70 of 90

Chapter 29: Day 75 of 90

Chapter 30: Day 80 of 90

Chapter 31: Day 81 of 90

Chapter 31: Day 90 of 90

Bonus Scene: Xaviera

What is Next?

About the Author

Chapter 1

Day 1 of 90

The scenery was passing by, but I felt like time was standing still. I wasn’t banished from Unit, Vermont but it almost seemed that way to me.

My best friend, and Princess of Unit, punished me to a cabin for three months. Xaviera could have done much worse to me for breaking the Rules. Especially, since I had broken them with her Matched, Thaddeus.

There were several Rules in Unit, and they were there to protect our secret from the real world. Unit citizen had special powers that helped keep Mother Nature in balance. The Royals controlled the elements. Protectors, like me, kept a safe watch on the Royals and Unit. Controllers helped keep everyone’s emotions in check, without breaking freewill.

When a citizen was eighteen, they could choose to leave Unit, but if they remained, they had to follow the Rules. A female citizen, at the age of twenty would then become Matched. Matched meant parents had arranged with another Unit parents to have their children… well… Matched. I assumed that in the real world it’s similar to a marriage.

“Amaya, do you want to stop anywhere before we get there?” Oliver asked.

I shook my head.

Oliver.

How did I even begin to explain my relationship with him?

Oliver Thomas was my Matched and had been since July. According to the Rules, our decision period was almost up. However, as part of my punishment, Oliver and I had to start our decision period over,
again
.

The ride was a few hours, and that was the only question that Oliver asked me. I was thankful because I didn’t want to talk.

At all.

Oliver pulled off the interstate and stopped at a super market. He didn’t ask if I wanted to go in. I stayed in the SUV. He wasn’t in there long. He walked out with only a couple of bags. He put them in the back seat since the back was filled with luggage.

The drive continued, and the woods became thicker. Oliver pulled off the main road onto a gravel one. It was bumpy and long. Soon, a massive cabin appeared in front of my eyes. It was a dark wood, and it looked like I was staring at a picture instead of a real image.

“Home sweet home.” Oliver parked the Escalade close to the front steps and jumped out.

I wasn’t thinking the same thing. This was my punishment.

He opened the car door, and I followed him into the house.

“I’ll grab the bags in a minute. Let me give you the five-cent tour.”

If the outside was beautiful, the inside looked like a magazine cover. Everything was perfectly placed and looked brand new.

“So, this is the living room,” he announced then pointed to the table on the right. “I guess this would be considered the dining room.” Oliver continued down a small hallway; there were numerous pictures on the wall, but I didn’t look at them. “This is the kitchen. Now, there is some food that I just bought, but we’ll need to get more.” He smiled at me, but I didn’t show him any expression. “The laundry room is back there, and now, we can go upstairs.”

The staircase matched the same wood as the walls, and my heels clicked up each one. It was as if I was heading to jail. Oh wait, I was, because I was not allowed to leave this house for the next ninety days.

“I’m going to take the smaller bedroom.” He pointed to the first door on the left. “This one,” he headed to his right, “will be yours. This is the master bedroom, and you’ll have your own bathroom.”

When he opened the door, I held back a gasp. It was huge room. There was a large king size bed, and it was covered with a white down feather comforter. There was a long dresser on the far right side of the room. I noticed the closet door and caught a quick glance of the bathroom.

“I’ll go get the bags.”

Oliver left me alone, and I took a deep breath.

Yep, I was in jail.

I looked out the far window and saw the changing leaves in the hills. This was going to be my view for the next three months, and I didn’t know what was going to happen to me after that.

“Here you go,” Oliver announced, coming into the room.

I didn’t even turn around.

“I think I got it all in one trip, too.”

I heard all the bags hit the ground. I looked over my shoulder and saw him standing there. I didn’t know why the hell he was being nice to me. He had been that way every day since our Matching.

“I figured that you wanted this,” he handed me my large purse.

I jerked it from his hands and tossed it on the bed.

“I’ll leave you alone so that you can get settled.”

The first tear left my eye when I heard the door shut. I was worthless. I had disgraced my family, friends, and Unit. I grabbed my purse from the bed and looked for the one thing that ever gave me comfort.

My journals.

That was when I noticed something behind the door. It was a reading nook. There was a small bay window with an orange window seat, accented with black pillows. There were books lining the shelves on either side. The small bay window looked out over a flower bed. However, all the flowers were dead now.

It could have been the analogy of my life.

I pulled my back and white composition notebook from my bag, along with a pen, and curled up in the nook. My legs were too long, and it was hard for me to stretch them out. I wasn’t unconformable with them tucked up under me.

I clicked my pen and let my feelings out on the paper.

Day 1:

I should be thankful that I’m not banished, but part of me wishes that I had been. This is going to be pure torture waiting ninety days for my official sentence. Maybe that’s what Xaviera wanted.

Well, considering I kissed and made out with Thaddeus before he was Matched with her, it might make her a little jaded toward me.

But she isn’t normally like that. She’s fair and kind. I don’t think that she is the type to dole out a punishment without a plan.

There was one thing that I miss. The girls. Xaviera and Gia are my dearest friends, and I miss them the most of all.

I wiped the tears away, looking out the window of my own personal hell.

Chapter 2

Day 2 of 90

I stepped out of the shower and dried off. I hadn’t slept very well. I wasn’t used to the quiet. In my house, there was yelling and screaming all through the night until my parents finally passed out.

I slipped into my yoga pants and shirt. I ignored the bruises on my body as I started on my hair. I kept my blonde hair short in a pixie cut. It was easy to manage and totally cute on me. My mother said I looked like a boy with it, but I kept it this way, anyway.

After I finished and put on a little bit of makeup—so I would feel normal, I went back into the bedroom. A tray of empty plates sat on top of the dresser. Oliver had bought food up to me because I had refused to leave the room. I knew it was childish of me, but there was no requirement that I had to be nice to Oliver.

Even though he had never done anything wrong to me, I didn’t have to talk to him. Geesh, maybe I was the worst person alive?

There was a knock on the door, and it slightly opened.

“Hey,” Oliver’s chipper voice entered the room. “I guess you’re awake.”

I wanted to smart off to him, but I kept my mouth closed. That was something I rarely did.

“I’m glad that you ate something,” he pointed over at the tray. “You know you don’t have to stay in the bedroom. You can come downstairs, and you can talk to me.”

I remained silent and sat in the reading nook. I faced the window with my back to him.

“Amaya, please talk to me,” he begged.

I ignored him; I could feel him staring at me, but I didn’t look over my shoulder.

After a moment, he left. I was surprised that Mother Nature herself hadn’t struck me down because of my actions. I hung my head and reached for my journal.

Day 2

Worthless.

Horrible.

The worst person on the planet.

Yep, that’s me.

Then again, this isn’t news; I’ve heard it all of my life.

The bruise on my leg is killing me, and I can barely lift my left arm. The bruises on my neck have faded the most, but it still hurts to swallow.

I miss Xaviera and Gia. I wish so badly I could pick up the phone, beg for forgiveness, and hope they would let me come back to Unit. I can feel myself on edge just thinking about being banished.

I put the pen down and looked out the window. The bright sun was fading behind the clouds. I could feel the cold through the window. I knew it was going to snow.

It didn’t matter that the leaves were still autumn colored, or still bright in the sunlight. Snow would be here tomorrow.