Enslaved In Shadows (Shadow Unit Book 1)

by Tigris Eden

  Everything was still brand new to her, some days she knew herself, other days she didn’t. It was the days she didn’t that scared her. Tonight was one of those days as her mouth filled with teeth she’d never had before. The mood changing eyes she’d dealt with, the inhuman super strength, no problem, but fangs? Fangs were not on her list of fashionable attributes to have. The intruder currently trying to squeeze the life out of her stilled. The air was agitated with his aggressiveness, but beneath it was doubt. Doubt? He doubted himself, and she was going to exploit his weakness. Jes brought her hands up between his arms and pushed down with all her strength. It loosened his grip on her neck and she backed up, taking large gulps of air. His head tilted to the side, and he examined her. She boldly met his eyes and stared into eyes that looked identical to Oliver’s eyes when they’d gone black.

  Great, she was dealing with one of those strong-psycho–silent-killing types. Those estranged men who never had the pleasure of sleeping with a woman or being around one for that matter. She hated she even had time to acknowledge that. Ronin said never let her guard down. Not now, not ever again. Her scars may have been physically gone, erased from her body, but the memories lingered. She was still a damaged fucked up shell of a woman, more now than before with the loss of her mate, Draven.

  A flash of green caught her eyes as the masked man stared at her for long moments. He was walking closer, one hand outstretched as if he would help her. His body language said he was sorry, but the air in the room was still filled with male testosterone and the anger that clung to it. Who was this man? As he reached slowly toward her, Jes took her chance. She reached forward as if to take his hand. Closer.....Closer...... Contact! She pulled him down to the concrete floor, put her boot to his throat and pressed. He struggled, grabbed at her boot and twisted. Pain exploded in her ankle and spread up her leg, but she quickly recovered and fell full straddle on top of him. Squeezing hard with her thighs, she latched onto his side and began to choke him. The masked man struggled and coughed, wrestling his head back and forth for what seemed like hours. When his body went lax beneath her thighs, she loosened.

  Deep breaths sustained her shaking body. She was so amped up on adrenaline she didn’t think she’d come down. Her fangs were still making their debut appearance when Bells finally made it to the top of the landing. She was doubled over and trying to catch her breath. Damn, had she gotten faster? What seemed like minutes must have passed in a shorter span of time.

  “Dude, you fucking have fangs now?” Bells questioned breathlessly.

  “Um, yeah. I guess I do.”

  “Is he dead?”

  “No, he’s out… I think.” She was about to get off the body, but she wanted to see whom the intruder was. He was large, but she was used to seeing large men, she sparred with two giants every day. She bent forward and pulled off the mask and froze. The shock of what she discovered hit her full force. All the air from her body dissipated in a cloud of heartfelt confusion and sadness. She’d had dreams about this moment, nightmares even. Every single time the outcome had always been the same. Even in her nightmares the ending was what she wanted. Something was seriously wrong with this picture, and from the loud explosion of breath that Bells let rip from her chest, Jes knew she wasn’t dreaming.

  Why? Why would he do this to her? Where had he been for the past six weeks? They’d looked for him, the entire team had searched that warehouse from top to bottom and found nothing. Not even a body. She wanted to shout with victory and scream in agony, all in the same breath, but nothing came out. Exposed, powerful emotions bombarded her senses. She was shaking and her vision blurred. The sound that left her throat was loud and laced with pain and fury. Fury at herself, fury at him. She felt foolish and elated at the same time. Why was he here, and like this?

  Draven. It was Draven underneath the mask. Her hesitation and confusion cost her. Black eyes flashed open and turned forest green before turning back to the inky black. He pushed up and grabbed her by the arms, flinging her into the wall. Her body hit with a sickening thud. He’d thrown her, but why? Did he not want her anymore? All her natural defenses shut down, opening her to a flood of overwhelming anguish. The pain was too much for her to do anything but lay broken against the wall. Was this all her fault? Had her rejection and not being able to tell him how she genuinely felt caused this? Blood filled her throat and overflowed into her mouth, seeping out at the corners. Her body was slowly repairing itself. She didn’t try to move, but watched as he quickly righted himself.

  He dragged an unconscious Marcus out the opening of the door without even a backward glance. She’d come face to face with the only man she’d ever truly wanted, and he’d walked out of her life again, for the third time.

  Available Now!

  The Genesis Project

  Chapter 1

  “Stage one complete, cellular regeneration has started.”

  The sound of air being vacuumed from the heated chamber was loud. It made a hissing noise as the vent continued to suck the air out of its space. In order for the regeneration process to continue, there could be no contamination of particles. The chamber needed to be void of oxygen and hydrogen in order to create the life from the cloned cells currently housed on top of a small Petri dish.

  “Stage two complete, molecular levels are stable, adding Nuero-Technology.”

  Nuero-Technology was added to make the cells stronger and infuse them with technology that would allow for enhanced processing of the bodies functions; functioning in a capacity that would allow the subject to heal, but to also deduce any problems that its body encountered as a whole. The electrical highways that connected the brain would also function at a higher level allowing the subject to process information at an accelerated pace. Vaggo decided this was necessary in order to further the survival of his species. If the body healed faster it would also produce faster, or at least that was the hypothesis.

  The A.I. computer counted down the seconds until the Nuero Gas was dispersed inside the chamber penetrating each cells membranes, and infusing the atoms with a dose of the Genesis Gene. This new strain had to work, Vaggo thought. If everything went well there would be a cure. A cure they so long ago, thought would never happen.

  “Stage three complete, Nuero-Technology infused. Placing embryo in stasis.”

  Vaggo watched as the tiny cells were carefully moved by A.I.’s mechanic arm and gently placed in the incubator. He was literally balancing himself on the edge of his seat, praying everything would turn out alright. The species depended on it.

  “Shall I give the embryo the immune boost Dr. Vaggo?” A.I. asked in her crystal clear voice.

  “Yes, let’s induce the immune boost by seventy-five percent and add retinal and muscles enhancements.” Vaggo replied. The embryo needed to survive as well as endure anything considered dangerous.

  “Dr. Vaggo, if retinal and muscle enhancements are given, the embryo may not be able to regenerate. There is a twenty percent chance during stasis that it may terminate.”

  A.I. was practical and accurate; at times it made Vaggo want to shut her down for good. But electricity was sparse now and the council already rationed his use, he needed to get this done, so he could move on to the next stage in the process. The thought ran rampant through his mind, as he watched the cells regenerate in the Petri dish inside the incubator. The arm stopped moving mid-way and seemed to stall. Vaggo stood and quietly approached A.I.’s work station.

  “A.I. is there something wrong?”

  “Awaiting your directive on retinal and muscle enhancements Dr. Vaggo.”

  “Proceed.”

  The arm moved over the incubator and Vaggo stepped back so he wouldn’t be near the delicate process. He watched with eyes that felt dry and scratchy. He blinked a couple of times and felt as if he’d just scrapped his eyes raw with sand paper. How long had he been at this?

  Twelve long years and every attempt had failed. Tonight everything would be perfect, he’d calculated every step,
every procedure and what he couldn’t figure out, A.I. had supplied the rest.

  “Retinal and muscle enhancements have been injected Dr. Vaggo. Embryo has now been placed in stasis.”

  The mechanical arm moved to the station board and input the locking sequence, securing the embryo in its chamber during its incubation period. Over the course of a week the embryo would be surrounded first by amniotic fluid and then placed in a womb like environment awaiting its birth.

  Vaggo dragged a tired hand down his equally tired face and rose to go into his sleeping quarters. As he headed out the door he stopped and looked over his shoulder at the incubator one more time. The entire species depended on the rapidly generating cells in the Petri dish.

  * * *

  Six Weeks Later

  Vaggo smiled down at the squirming infant in his arms. Genetics was a tricky thing, but he’d finally gotten it right. The infant was perfect in every way. It hadn’t matter what the final outcome produced gender wise, as long as everything inside worked. What he’d gotten was a perfect little miracle, with ice, blue eyes surrounded by a golden circle, and a crown of silky black hair and honey, almond skin. He’d yet to give the infant a name and didn’t know if he should. A flawless golden toned face stared up at him in recognition. Beneath her skin you could see flecks of gold and blue veins that pulsed with life. An oddity he was sure, but out of her oddness was perfection.

  He’d copied the genetic code from old text books he’d gathered from the science section at the Hall of Records. The books pre-dated the first Uni-war. The pages not marred by time or soiled fingers, they were legible and clear. How she ended up looking nothing like her kind was an anomaly. She was growing at an accelerated rate and it worried him. What if she died due to her rapidly aging body and he wasn’t able to harness her genetics in time for proper research? What if she fell ill? Vaggo stared down at the restless baby and decided then, he wouldn’t allow for either of the possibilities. She was his and he would keep her alive always. The baby needed a name, and only one would do- Genesis.

  * * *

  23 Rotations (Years) Later

  “Why do we do this?”

  “To ensure survival of our species father.”

  “That’s correct Genesis.”

  Vaggo kissed the top of his daughter’s head. There was no one like her. All of his experiments had been successful, but none of them had produced the same results or likeness as she did. She was the only one with her coloring, and skill set. Her body healed rapidly at an amazing rate and her learning skills were limitless it seemed. Her body had stopped showing signs of aging on her twenty third rotation. He’d done numerous cells counts and found that her cells were reproducing at a rapid rate, and destroying the old cells she no longer needed, keeping her in top form. Her stem cells reproduced at such a rate that it was staggering to see it in action. Vaggo had stopped using her as a donor over three rotations, especially when he couldn’t replicate her rapid cell regeneration patterns. It was something that had pleased Genesis to no end. She hated being prodded and prepped with needles.

  Vaggo educated her in all things and she had far accelerated anyone of her caliber, or his. He’d kept her home, so that she wouldn’t be singled out and made fun of. The council had no idea that she was born from one of his creations. Genesis hadn’t been exposed to many of the social customs that were considered normal, but what scientist was? She was most happy in the lab, coming up with new and inventive ideas to further the species. A.I. was her friend and confidant. Vaggo had held off for as long as he could, and now that they were proof positive the species would survive and thrive in this new environment the earth had created it was time.

  Vaggo handed Genesis her supplement injections and her clothing pack. The council saw her as a mutation, but Vaggo quickly squashed their concerns by telling them her blood was not sustainable by nutrient intake and this was her reason for having to take the supplement injections. To the council she was seen as a weak link. The council never paid too close attention to Genesis as long as Vaggo kept them happy with the latest and greatest developments in Project Harvest. Genesis injected her first set of supplements into her thigh and tossed the vial into the trash receptacle.

  “Do not drink from any source of supplements, other than what I’ve provided you with. I will send you more on a weekly basis.”

  Genesis nodded her head in agreement and checked her clothes pack.

  “Don’t forget about your food allergen. Remember, hydroponically grown sustenance for you.”

  “Yes father, I won’t forget.”

  Vaggo laughed as his daughter now kissed the top of his head and bounded down the hall to the stairs where she would meet with the Chancellor’s son Adam. She was all grown up and in the twenty-three rotations since, Genesis bloomed into a beautiful and brilliant woman. She was perfect in every sense. Well except for her social skills. Those were lacking but she would quickly pick it up and adapt. It was part of her molecular make up and because of the Neuro-technology she would absorb the customs quickly. He pulled out the hallo-pic he’d taken of her just the other day. Long, silky, lustrous hair was bright against her honey almond skin tone. She was a sculptor’s most prized subject with her ageless beauty and classic lines. She was his daughter, and best creation all rolled into one. He couldn’t have asked the Moon Goddess herself for something so precious.

  Vaggo sat in his chair and placed both hands on the table, as he waited for his rapidly beating heart to slow down. No one would suspect she was anything less or more than what she really was. Every other test subject had failed where she excelled, but their outcomes had all produced the desired effect, survival of the species. Each subject could rejuvenate at a rapid capacity, and by doing so kept their way of life, their only way of life alive.

  Their supplements only went so far and their strength had been dwindling, taking a bit of their life force with it. It made them more susceptible to disease, and in the early time of colonization they hadn’t been able to overcome the simplest of human disease. Especially after the second Uni-war, but now there was hope, after so many loses, after so many trials and error, things were starting to get better. There was hope for their future.

  There were others out there that didn’t agree with what Vaggo was trying to do for his kind. They called him cruel and insensitive. They’d argued humans were more than able to live amicably with them. Studying their ancestors from afar had only showed him that they would never be able to evolve and embrace their way of life. They’d come, not to take over, but to save them from their-selves. Vaggo had even taken a human mate. Lora had been everything to him, but in the end because of their differences he’d lost her. Right on the cusp of discovering a way for them to be together long term, he’d lost her to disease. Then the first Uni-war had broken out and there were major devastations on both sides.

  Earth had been ground zero, and in the end sustained so much damage that even humans couldn’t live in its environment. Some had escaped off planet, while others remained behind to try and fix earth’s problem. Vaggo had stayed behind as well, trying to fix his ancestral home. All life had started from Gaia, Mother Earth and she sent her seeds far and wide across the known and unknown universes, and for her blessings they’d destroyed her and her sister, The Moon Goddess. What was left of the moon now caused serious eye irritation and blindness if proper precautions weren’t taken. Cosmic dust from the moon’s surface was deadly.

  It had been complete chaos during the United Federations of the Universes second Uni-war. Agreements were broken and treaties were put into place to stop the fallouts as a result. The one nutrient that was needed among their kind had been rendered obsolete. There were stragglers out there Vaggo knew, but none would come willingly to their ancestors they deemed monsters of the night. Vampiri as they were called by humans, and Pars to everyone else. Pars had been a term given to them by the Celestrials. There were other Pars out there, parasitic in nature, beings that lived off another breat
hing host in order to survive. To every myth lies the truth.

  Vaggo sighed as he watched Genesis on the vid as she waited for Adam Reynard, the Chancellor’s son. Genesis Blackmore was now the last surviving human on what was left from Old Earth. She was the upgraded version of course, but still human. He’d given the council everything and now they wanted his daughter. He wouldn’t give her to them, not truly. If they knew what she really was, he’d be killed and she would be thrown into a cage, and experimented on.

  They had their harvested humans, sure, but they were not living breathing humans, they were kept in meat lockers and harvested for the one thing they all needed to survive- blood. Letting Genesis go to the Academy was the only way for Vaggo to not appear suspicious. She’d tested well enough and she only needed one rotation at the academy. Where other’s her age would be starting their first rotation and continuing until they were graduates, she only needed the one rotation. He’d told the council she was his daughter from an unwedded communion between himself and another faction from the south tier of the planet. Vyrkolakas’ skin was darker and their eyes varied in color, and Vaggo knew they wouldn’t investigate his claims as they considered southerners vile and barbaric. They’d accepted that excuse and part of their stipulation for Vaggo having an unsanctioned child was for her to go to the academy like the rest of the maturing adults. Genesis would be home every lunar cycle and then again at harvest. The Chancellor’s son Adam was escorting her and would set her up to be acceptable in most all social circles. No one would suspect anything other than the obvious.

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