by Piper Stone
There was something about the way she locked eyes with mine, as if searching my very soul. Turning on her heel, she walked down another short hallway.
“They are people,” I whispered.
“Officer Bastille, please do not attempt to break the electric kinetic barrier. The voltage is much too high for humans to survive. I will come and collect you in a few minutes. That should be all you need for your initial meeting. I’m certain you’ll be required to write a report.”
As she swung out her arm, indicating I should walk forward, I was surprised by her change in demeanor, more callous in nature. I waited until she’d walked away, even slamming the door behind her. A sickening feeling pooled into the pit of my stomach, and I suddenly felt unprepared. My God, I’d spent time with several Breed members before, the conversations light. There’d been no threat for my safety. They lived as humans in society, for God’s sake.
Which meant whatever experiments they’d endured had been horrific.
I wasn’t certain what I would have expected to see, but the quarters the two different Breeds were in were actually quite nice. While the door was a forcefield, allowing anyone to see what was going on inside the rooms, I doubted there were many visitors. The walls were as brightly painted as those of the administrator’s offices, and there was plush bedding and a workstation, even an entertainment system. I actually breathed a sigh of relief, feeling at least a bit better at what they were enduring.
The male sensed my arrival immediately, his head jerking in my direction. As I would have suspected, his eyes were cold, unfeeling on any level. When he stormed toward the door, the hard pounding of his boots matched his gargantuan body and extreme muscles. I was drawn toward him yet taking careful steps as I inched closer to the door.
The girl was much younger, her expression pensive. She was merely sitting on the bed, her feet planted on the floor, more uncomfortable than I felt. While she darted a gaze in my direction, she didn’t seem interested in engaging in any way.
The male studied me intently, snorting before turning away, walking over to the entertainment center. What he did next sent a cold shiver into every cell and muscle.
He dropped one of the components, what I thought was a substantial piece of complex plastic smashing into thousands of pieces.
With no electronics inside.
The rooms had been set up as scenes, not as anything either one of them had on a regular basis. I was disgusted at the thought, wanting nothing more than to turn the facility in myself. To whom? I certainly couldn’t go straight to the president. What the hell could I say anyway? That I had a hunch? That I was offended because one Breed in particular didn’t have any entertainment?
When the girl started laughing, I backed away slightly, willing my nerves to calm down. “Good afternoon. I’m Clarise Bastille. I have extensive training in Breed behavioral science. I’d like to talk to you about your experiences here.” So, I was winging it. Given the weirdness that was certainly going around, lying seemed like a necessity. “Can you tell me your names?”
“In your capacity as officer with the DSIC?” the male asked, not bothering to turn around to face me.
I wasn’t certain what to say.
“You stink of law enforcement,” he added. “By the looks of you, I’d say your appointment was recent.” He laughed when I didn’t say anything. “That’s right. I’m nothing but a beast but I can sense a traitor when I see one. Why the hell do you pretend to give a damn? We are nothing to you but animals. You simply want our blood then you plan on destroying us.”
The female laughed, the lilting sound melodic but off, her body rocking continuously. What the hell had happened to them? “We’re testing your blood to see how you survived the wars. Nothing more.” My statement certainly didn’t sway them in a positive way.
He laughed again. “You humans are ignorant. They lie to you and you believe them.”
“Then explain it to me but tell me your names.”
“He is Keto. I am Sheela.” The girl offered a slight smile, her curiosity increasing.
He roared at her and she howled back, the eerie sound floating into the corridor.
“Thank you for that,” I said after clearing my throat. “I’m not here to hurt you. I just wanted to talk to you, to learn as much as possible.” I knew that I had to be careful what I asked, but I wanted to know about Dr. Porter. “There was a scientist I used to know. I understand something happened to him.”
The two of them looked toward one another, even though there was a solid wall between them. Somehow, I knew they were conversing, able to communicate easily.
“He was a friend of mine,” I continued. “A good man.”
Sheela seemed sheepish, shaking her head. Keto simply studied me more intently.
When Keto stormed toward the door, I thought certain he was coming through whether a million jolts of current rushed into him or not. He stopped just short, taking a deep whiff, growling afterwards. The sound reverberated straight to my bones. His eyes opened wide, a snarl remaining curled on his lip. “Fuck.” The word seemed out of place, his reaction one I wouldn’t have expected.
Sheela mimicked his action, taking a deep inhale as well. When she clapped her hands together like a kid, I actually jumped.
“What is it? What do you smell?” I asked, knowing in my gut that he wasn’t going to answer.
“It doesn’t matter,” he answered, shifting toward the back of the cell. “You are not to be touched.”
Touched. Maybe every human was actually in danger. “Why? Why is that?” He wasn’t going to tell me a damn thing. I rubbed my eyes, pacing back and forth. “I really do want to help you. Unless you confide in me, there’s nothing I can do.”
“Humans can’t be trusted, but you will help us,” Sheela said, suddenly jerking to her feet. “Our savior. Our savior. Our savior.”
“Shut the fuck up, wolf!” Keto snarled. “She’s nobody’s savior.”
“How can I help you?” I asked, butterflies crawling in my stomach. “I’m nothing special and I’ve never been anyone’s savior.”
“You were foretold to us. We knew you were here. I felt it!” Sheela squealed.
“If you don’t shut up, I’ll shut you up,” Keto snapped. He issued an intense growl, the rumble sending shivers down my spine. They were communicating again and the look on Sheela’s face was one of having been admonished.
“Talk to me,” I pleaded. The hairs were standing on the back of my neck.
He snarled as he glared at me. There was such hatred in his eyes, but I gathered a sense that the experiments weren’t the only reason. “A myth. Nothing more.”
“Go on. What is this freaking myth?” I moved as close to the forcefield as possible, trying to keep my voice down. “I don’t believe that Dr. Porter was murdered by one of the Breeds. There’s something else going on. If this myth is part of it, I need to know or there is nothing I can do. That’s the bottom line.”
He seemed to be weighing his options, the look he gave me as if looking straight into my soul.
“That you belong to him. Not possible,” Keto stated before issuing a sharp laugh.
“Him?” My mouth was suddenly dry, my pulse racing. “I don’t understand.”
Keto’s nostrils flared, his chest rising and falling.
Sheela was more curious than anything else, her lip curling in an odd way. Not quite a smile. “Our king.”
“He’s your king, not mine!” Keto ranted.
“You know the requirements,” Sheela whispered, darting her eyes toward the ceiling. Of course, we were being watched, especially in a situation like this. Whatever this myth was, I certainly wasn’t going to be told about it.
“Can you tell me about these requirements?” I asked after moving as close to the forcefield as possible.
She shook her head, her eyes riddled with anguish.
Sighing, I glanced at Keto, able to see scars covering his forearms. I wasn’t stupid. Whatever I sa
id to them would be taken back to the commander. Maybe I should think of some choice words, try another tactic. “At least you’re getting out of here very soon and back to your family.”
“Even if we could get out of here, we can never go back. My clan would not take such a filthy animal, our blood tainted. Diseased. We would be destroyed.” There was so much agony in his words, his entire body shaking from his rage. “And there is nothing he can do to stop it.”
He.
Luca.
The Breed’s name rushed into my mind. The lion. King. Christ, I was starting to buy into this.
I was shocked that he even made the comment, but I knew the consequences. Their bodies and bloodstreams were being tested against whatever was threatening the lives of humans. They were nothing more than guinea pigs, their work with the science work certainly not voluntary. I’d bet that not a single one of the residents in this facility had a say in their participation.
Keto stared up at a section of the ceiling, throwing back his arms and issuing an ungodly roar, the sound permeating every square molecule of the space.
Within seconds, I knew others were coming, likely to lock him down for insolence. I shifted toward Sheela as Keto continued to roar, his bellowing voice at least masking the information I had to learn.
“Who is this king and why? Please tell me. I need to know in order to find a way to help you.” I had to confirm the information. I worked on details and evidence, not hearsay of some stupid myth.
She reached out, her fingers coming dangerously close to the forcefield. “You are beautiful.” A nervous laugh pushed past her lips as she studied me, finally easing her fingers to her own face, touching her cheek and chin.
Thump. Thump.
The sound of heavy boots.
They were close.
“Sheela. Please talk to me. I don’t understand any of this. Who is he?”
She darted a look at Keto, her skin glistening, almost luminescent in color. I could swear she was attempting to shift, her face pinched and in obvious pain. “Because he is the alpha. Because he is the one.”
The one? For all the Breeds? No, that was some crazy fairytale.
“Then how can I belong to him? I’m human.” I wasn’t going to get my answer. As two scientists came into the corridor, plastic smiles on their faces, a sick feeling pooled in the pit of my stomach.
What the hell was really going on?
* * *
“Earth to my bestie, the one I’m going to kick the shit out of,” Emily teased then finally grabbed my wrist, yanking. She darted a look over her shoulder before whispering, “What the hell is going on with you? You have scratches all over your face and arms. Did you get attacked or something?”
A trickle of fear had been with me since leaving the facility, the ramblings from both Sheela and Keto disturbing as fuck. On top of that, I could have sworn I’d been followed, the intensity of my anxiety enough I was sick to my stomach, barely picking at lunch. “Nothing and I fell outside my house. Other than that, I’m just tired.” I’d even taken the city speed rail system, attempting to avoid any unwanted confrontations, just trying to blend in. I had a feeling that my interaction with the two Breeds had gone straight to the commander’s office. Had I broken some rule I hadn’t been told about?
“Honey,” she snapped. “Don’t even try that with me. I’ve known you the majority of my life. What the hell is going on? Does it have something to do with your work with the DSIC? That’s where you were assigned. Right?”
“Keep your voice down, Emily.”
“Tell me.”
“Fine. Yes! Just lower your voice. Please.”
I glanced around me as nonchalantly as possible, trying to figure out if anyone was actually watching us. Everyone knew that Netscape was everywhere, members of some government entity watching everything everyone did. There were few free zones, areas outdoors where both the cameras and the speakers had a difficult time capturing every detail. For most people, they were happy being watched, the specialized cameras and other systems enabling highly trained experts to watch for signs of anyone prepared to perform heinous acts, stopping them cold.
The majority of people also had known nothing different their entire lives, born into a world far removed from the one I’d read about from centuries before. I’d been exactly the same way until now. Every hair stood up on the back of my neck.
“Now, you’re worrying me. What the hell are you working on? And why were you paired with Robert of all godforsaken people? Our academy instructor had to know how much you hate that bastard. Oil and water can’t even begin to describe your relationship. Is that what’s got you so turned upside down?” Emily growled.
I pulled her arm closer. While Robert and I had sparred on and off, nothing could have prepared me for his callous disregard of the Breeds. However, public crucifixion of him would do more harm than good. “There isn’t a woman who can stand Robert, but that’s not what’s bothering me. I’ll handle the asshole.” I wanted to be able to share everything I’d learned with my best friend. While there was significant ambient noise as well as talkative customers within the facility, I couldn’t chance it. Not indoors. “Let it go, okay? I’m tired and cranky.”
“And you know I’m never going to do that. You’re even pale today. Robert didn’t do anything to you, did he?”
“Hell, no. Why would you assume that?”
“Because the scratch on your neck is pretty ugly. I’ll take that bastard on with you, if you want,” Emily stated, her nostrils flaring.
I raised my hand to my neck, trying to keep from visibly shaking. I hadn’t paid any attention in the mirror. As I ran my finger along the four-inch scratch, my legs quivered. Had it come from Luca?
Oh, God. If he was lion then...
No, humans didn’t suddenly shift. That was simply impossible. Still, it made me nervous as a kitty cat.
“See. You’re not telling me something that happened to you.” She glared around the room then waved her hand under the table scanner, instantly paying the bill.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I told you before, my treat, but you’re coming with me.” Emily narrowed her eyes as she dragged me outside, walking quickly toward one of the many established parks. At least the area was much safer for us to be able to talk. She headed for the water feature, the manmade waves lapping over a series of brightly colored rocks. “It’s obvious you’re frightened about something. Just talk to me. You know you can trust me.”
“Of course I can.” I bit my lip and took a subtle gaze around the area, trying to catch my breath. I hadn’t been able to get the words both Sheela and Keto had said out of my mind. I’d found nothing on Netscape to confirm Sheela’s comments about the alpha male. My understanding was that there was an alpha for every pack, clan, and pride. Not one for every species.
“Then talk,” Emily encouraged.
“I was assigned to the DSIC to work exclusively with the Breeds.”
“I knew it! That is so freaking exciting. Don’t you get to work with that scientist mentor you seemed to adore?”
When I shook my head, she narrowed her eyes. “He’s dead, murdered by a Breed. Supposedly.”
“What? And why supposedly?” She was completely startled by the news.
“If you want me to guess,” I half whispered, still scanning the surrounding area. Still nauseated. An odd rush of sensations skittered down the back of my legs, creating a suffocating feeling in my throat. “He was murdered because of what he knew, the proof he would be able to provide against some government project. Although I’m not entirely certain the project has been mandated by the government. But Robert is a part of it. I’m certain of that.”
Emily’s face seemed to pale. She took a few seconds to tuck hair behind her ears before answering. “That sounds a bit nuts, Clarise. The Breeds have been studied for some time to find out how they changed.”
“Yeah, well, that’s not all that’s happening.” I
dragged her closer to the water, hesitating before asking her what was likely to make me sound like a complete nutcase.
“Meaning what?” Emily followed my gaze as I rubbed my hands together, my nerves getting the better of me.
“Tell me something. Have you ever heard about some powerful male from the Breeds who is the alpha of all the species? That’s a wacky idea, right?”
After a few seconds of searching my eyes, Emily burst into laughter. “Don’t you remember that old fairytale we were told as kids?”
I tried to think about my childhood. “No.”
“Oh, come on. You do. Don’t you remember that it was written long before we were kids about some powerful alpha who would be king to all the animals, using their strength and vitality to bring prosperity and happiness to everyone on Earth?”
It sounded vaguely familiar but just hearing her say the words made me shudder. “Just a fairytale. I’m not into stories and make believe, Emily. You know that.”
“I can’t believe you don’t remember. Anyway, the story goes there are bad creatures he encounters along the way in his search for his omega, his mate. Without her, every creature and the entire planet would die.” Emily laughed.
The sensations increased, a white-hot tingling sweeping all throughout my body. I could feel him once again. The alpha.
The man who’d taken me.
Everything was spinning out of control, the desire for the man... the beast, the lion consuming me. I could no longer feel my legs, my heart hammering hard against my chest. I could feel him, almost taste him.
And I wanted his cock buried inside my pussy, driving into the very core of me.
This was crazy. I was insane.
No. No!
I sucked in my breath, trying to regain control.
My skin continued to crawl, the sensations burning deep within as my pussy tingled, my nipples scraping painfully against my bra. Absently I touched the scratch again, certain that it was even more sensitive than before. I had difficulty breathing as I asked the final question. “And... what happened?”