Humankind: Book 1 in the Invasion Day series

by LC Morgans

  “Sick days rock,” she whispered in his ear when checking on him, and McD laughed. “Movies and computer games? Seems like the perfect couple days if you ask a geek like me.” In a move so fast it shocked the hell out of her, Sgt. McDermott grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer. Kyra could feel the heat radiating off him, but didn’t pull back. His breath hitched in his throat, and he inhaled deeply.

  “Everyday can be perfect, if you let it.” She wanted to ask him what he meant, but McD let her go and turned his face away. Part of her wondered if he was hallucinating, but he seemed perfectly conscious. Instead she left him to rest, and got back to acquainting herself with the new computer system.

  ***

  Weeks quickly merged into months, and they soon moved onto weapons training and other skills. Her shooting and knife yielding were good, as was her map reading, and although it wasn’t easy, Kyra felt accomplished and ready to learn more. Their everyday routine was the same. The alarm went off the same time each morning, without a day off or a break in the schedule, and it was the same program of training, lessons, food, training, training, training… she lived and breathed her new life, and woke up each day to begin it all over again under the watchful eye of her enigmatic Platoon Commander. She felt drawn to McD in ways she hadn’t with anyone in years, but guessed he must have it from a lot of the women in his command, as he didn’t seem to notice them all swooning over him in equal measure. Her conscious mind knew better than to think her attraction was anything more than a typical foolish crush on the person in charge, and it didn’t help matters that he was truly a fine figure of a man. Those dark eyes and hair were mesmerizing, and when teamed with his hard and sexy stare, Kyra and the other girls melted every time.

  Forcing all distractions aside, she continued working hard in her lessons and the specialized training program set out for them by the Thrakorian leaders. She excelled in some areas where others struggled, but it was during the first code-breaking session that she truly shone. Kyra not only broke through the encrypted firewall they were trying to get around in record time, but she also found a bug in the training code, which she fixed while she was at it. Shocked faces greeted her from the other recruits at the end of the task, and she simply shrugged before sliding her glasses back into her pocket, and then looking to McD for his next order.

  Their team was ahead in almost all areas, and Kyra knew she was partly responsible for their incredible scores. There was no gloating though, nor did she want or need praise. All she wanted was a chance to show what she was capable of, and in that session she’d got it.

  Lt. Psy took her aside after the codex challenge, and led her into his office.

  “Why did you enlist, Millan?” he asked her with a scowl.

  “To serve my King, of course. But also because I believe I’m good enough to join the computer and technological science team within the Intelligence Division,” she answered, being careful to mind her manners and talk clearly and respectfully to her Commanding Officer. He offered her a seat opposite him, and then peered across at her with apparent intrigue. “I’ve wanted to be a soldier ever since I was a little girl. I know this is where I belong,” she began to add, fearing the worst.

  “You’re absolutely right, this is where you belong. Make no doubt about that,” he replied, cutting off her desperate ranting, and Kyra took a breath in relief. He watched her through wise eyes, the skin on his middle-aged face hardened and thickly lined with wrinkles. She had no doubt they were caused by too much scowling and time spent in the sun. “Complete your primary and secondary training in the overall top five, and I promise you your pick of career paths. We need soldiers like you, Millan. Keep up the good work,” he said, and stood to indicate she was dismissed. She quickly shuffled out of her seat. After a salute and a mumbled reply, Kyra stumbled out of Lt. Psy’s office in shock. This was the ultimate dream come true. She’d been noticed by the top Commander of her intake and given her very own pep talk. There was no going back or stopping now, and she could’ve jumped for joy.

  “Hey little lady,” a deep voice rumbled from within the shadows to her right, and Kyra turned to find where the owner was hiding. The sound of McD’s gruff laughter caught her ears, and she stepped across into the darkness between some storage crates with him. Strong hands grabbed her waist and lifted her off the ground, and a wall of muscle pressed into her small frame to hold her against the pallet behind. “Don’t you know not to sneak into the shadows with men who have very questionable morals?” he asked, and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Kyra could just about make out his face above hers. He was mere inches away, and she guessed he was enjoying holding her near, because his soft, rapidly panting breath was so close it was tickling her cheek. She couldn't hide her surprise that he’d waited for her, but was especially shocked by his apparent attraction. She’d watched him with a toe-curling craving for months, but knew the rules and had never even considered that he might actually like her too.

  “And who hates all his recruits, don’t forget that part,” she teased and he laughed. McD seemed to hesitate on how to act or what to say next, and she guessed he was feeling uneasy after having suddenly shown her how he felt. She was enjoying this small piece of affection more than she’d bargained for, though, and didn’t want him to slope away in embarrassment. It'd been so very long since she’d been held close, and Kyra was beginning to feel like the only romance she’d find would be in her dreams when Kronus would come and deliver his light kisses to her scarred cheek.

  She’d often watched Sgt. McDermott and his incredible body as he ran ahead of her during training. Many times it was the only reason she’d kept going through the mud and rain, but she’d never expected him to wrap her in his arms and share the same few inches of space between two storage containers like he was now. “What’s your first name?” she whispered, filling the silence that’d descended. He seemed hesitant to answer, and opted instead for a chance to sweep her off her feet, in the figurative sense as he’d already done so in the physical.

  “I might be mean to you in the daytime, when I have to see you as nothing more than a piece of crap I’m to mold and polish until it's something worthy of a rank and a division,” he conceded, leaning in even closer. “But at night when you haunt me, I’m the piece of crap, and you're molding me. You make me better, stronger, and with you around I’m more in tune with my desires. Your face is in my dreams every night, and when I see you the next day, it's all I can do not to kiss you good morning.” Every part of her body exploded with heat without warning, and she couldn't quite believe her ears.

  “Why are you saying this now?” Kyra had to ask. She was seriously swooning, and knew that she was dangerously close to believing the things McD was saying to her. He had to tell her if this was all some sick prank, because she wasn’t sure she could handle being messed around if it was. “Is this your idea of a joke?”

  “Far from it. I’ve been fighting these feelings since the first day we met, but it’s forbidden for the Training Commanders to have relationships with their recruits. I had hoped you might try to seduce me, but it seems I was the one who had to make the first move…” he let his explanation tail off.

  His body was covering hers from head to toe, his breath invading her lungs, and Kyra could feel his heart beating in the chest he was pressing into hers. She craned her neck to stare into the darkness enveloping his face, and accidentally slid her lips across his lightly stubble-covered jaw. She was about to apologize, when he turned his face downwards and connected their mouths. Her lips parted, willing his tongue to invade, and it did. Kyra’s legs were up and around his waist less than a second later, and their mouths didn’t leave one another’s in what felt like forever.

  “Whoa,” she breathed, and let him kiss her again.

  “Silas,” he finally murmured when he broke contact. “My name’s Silas.” He pressed against her and they both groaned.

  “Well, Silas,” she replied with a smile. “It seems we’re abou
t to start some trouble, doesn’t it? Maybe we should call this off before it gets too out of hand?” Kyra hoped he wasn’t about to agree with her and leave, but she was also terrified of jeopardizing her future, or his career as a Training Commander. He sighed and nodded against where he’d rested his cheek on her forehead.

  “We’ve got at least another six-months to get through, so why don’t we take it slow?” he offered, taking her aback. All the other boys she’d known seemed in such a rush to get their satisfaction and go on their way, but for some reason Silas was in no hurry to have her. She thought about how long they'd already known one another and guessed he really might just be a slow mover. It'd been almost half a year since that day at the careers fair, and they’d only just shared a first kiss. She liked going slow, and as long as she had some more stolen moments to keep her going, would happily forgo anything more. When she left the primary training program they could decide whether or not to pursue a relationship then. There was also the ‘plausible deniability’ factor if they abstained, and the sheer thought of waiting made that pang of fear that’d appeared in her gut subside.

  “I like slow,” she replied, kissing him softly again. “You are my boss after all. I guess I’ll have to put up with you being an ass in front of everyone else, right?” she enquired, and he laughed.

  “I’m afraid so, Kyra,” he replied in a deep whisper, and the sound of her first name on his lips made her tremble. He’d never once called her by it, and she wanted to hear it again. “No one can know anything’s going on. This will have to be our secret, are you okay with that?” she nodded.

  “By day we’re Sgt. McDermott and Recruit Millan. By night we’re Silas and Kyra. I can handle that,” she mumbled.

  Silas let her drop slowly back onto her feet and Kyra ran her palms over his chest and down his arms. She took his hands in hers, and then kissed the back of one before slipping away and out of the shadows. There was no looking back, both literally and figuratively, or else she knew there’d be trouble. Their secret would have to be kept no matter what. Pretense in front of others was just another skill she knew she’d have to develop, but she didn’t care. Silas was the first man to make her heart truly flutter since the King had pulled her from that rose bush fourteen years ago, and now she knew he wanted her back in a way she’d never dared to dream he might do. She didn’t care if they never had more, but just knowing there was someone in the world that cared for her enough to kiss and hold her close was truly a strange yet wonderful new feeling.

  Kyra felt both liberated and grounded at the same time. Her entire life there’d been no hugs and kisses, except from the King and then years later the boys who’d taken a liking to her at the foster home. Kids being kids, they'd fooled around and had their fun, but it was never serious, nor did they make her feel the way Silas had just managed to.

  He was an absolute ass when he wanted or needed to be. She’d seen it plenty of times, but he’d just shown her he was also capable of softness and affection, and she craved more.

  Chapter

  Three

  “Are you experienced?” Silas asked Kyra a few days later when they were sat together under one of the huge trees that lined the perimeter fence. They had exactly forty minutes until the next patrol came around, so had used the privacy to take refuge from the hot sun together in secret. She snorted in shock, but laughed when he took her hand and pulled her closer. “It doesn’t matter either way,” he assured her, wrapping an arm over her back where he kneaded the sore muscle in her shoulder. He’d worked them out hard that morning with a triathlon, and seemed to know which muscles were complaining without her having to even say.

  “I am,” she eventually replied. “Growing up in foster homes, there wasn’t much funding for locks on the doors or security for the girls. I held my own. When I was little it wasn’t an issue, because I could run for miles if I ever needed to, but as soon as I developed a set of curves I learned self-defense. In the end it was a choice whether to give that part of myself up willingly and follow the rest of the girls, or hold onto it in the hope it was mine to keep.” Her tone turned regretful as she recalled the stories of girls being pushed into sleeping with their boyfriends by the older teens. Despite the tough laws on adults regarding assault offences, minors often got away with a slap on the wrist if they played their cards right.

  Kyra had been lucky. She’d found a small group of friends and ducked her head as a young teen. She hadn’t been picked out by one of the older boys to be his arm-candy or doting little mistress, and she’d always been glad of it. Instead, a boy named Andreas had asked her to date him. He was kind and gentle, and hadn’t pushed her to sleep with him. When they finally had, it was on her terms, and she didn’t regret it.

  “How old were you?” Silas’ voice cut through her thoughtfulness. “I was sixteen when I lost mine. In the ten years since then I’ve only had a handful of women, I want you to know that.” Kyra looked up at him from her spot nestled under his arm, and was glad he’d told her, and that she finally knew his age. They’d barely spoken in private since the night he’d made that first move, but already she felt safe and secure with him. She believed his story and trusted him to treat her with as much sincerity as Andreas had. At nineteen, Kyra wasn’t all that younger than Silas, but in some ways felt more experienced, or ‘street smart’ as some called it.

  “Almost fifteen,” she answered and Silas seemed shocked, but quickly righted himself. “I’ve been with a few guys, but not many. I was never one of those foster girls who ended up pregnant or who was happy to get married and plod along in the lower sectors. I lived the way everyone lived in those homes, looking out for number one, while always feeling forced to fit in. I’m glad to be free of that place.”

  Silas pulled her closer and kissed her temple. The tiny affection in his gesture told her he didn’t judge, and possibly that he didn’t completely understand enough to answer. She wondered where he’d grown up and the sort of childhood he’d had in comparison to hers. Kyra reached up her hand and cupped his cheek with it, but was instantly mesmerized by his powerful stare. His incredibly deep brown eyes bore into hers, and she no longer wanted to talk.

  She could see a huge resemblance in him to King Kronus, and wondered if in some ways it was why she liked him so much. His dark brown hair was almost the same shade, as were his eyes. Silas clearly wasn’t as tall as their Thrakorian leader, but when he peered down at her with kindness and sincerity etched across his face, the same feelings resonated within her that’d done the night of the invasion—acceptance and desire. As a child she’d felt love for Kronus not based on the televised addresses that followed Invasion Day to inform them he was their new leader, but because of the way he’d made her feel on that rooftop. She’d taken him for nothing more than another alien soldier in that moment, and loved him anyway.

  Kyra knew they only had a matter of minutes until they’d have to go their separate ways to the food hall, and she wanted more of what he’d teased her with the few nights earlier. “Kiss me?” she asked in a hoarse whisper, and Silas’s eyes widened in happy surprise. He didn’t hesitate in taking her mouth with his, and despite the heat of the day she felt an icy wave pass down her spine. It settled in her core and drove her insane with desire for more, but she’d promised herself they’d wait. Instead, she enjoyed the simplicity of their kiss. Her tongue flicked upwards while his caressed hers tenderly. His coarse, hardened lips pressed into her soft ones, but she loved the feel of his roughness. The five o’clock shadow on his chin was like welcome brashness to her smooth skin, and every second they connected made Kyra feel feminine and womanly. He was powerful and all male, and while she knew she was a more than worthy soldier, sometimes it was nice to remember she was also a woman. His kiss gave her that, and Kyra never wanted it to end.

  After weeks of stolen moments and secret make-out sessions in one of the many shadows Fort Angel had to offer, the tension was so high between Kyra and Silas that she was sure she’d begun
blushing every time he was anywhere near her, day or night. He maintained his cool, calm and authoritative way perfectly, while she felt like she constantly had to keep herself in check.

  One night after dinner, she and the other girls in her platoon headed back to their room, but were intercepted by Silas along with four more of their male comrades.

  “Follow me,” was all he said, and after a quick look at each other in surprise, they immediately did as he’d asked. Not a word was spoken until they reached one of the smaller training rooms at the back of the building, where thick mats had been put on the floor and against the walls. Kyra wondered what sort of training could possibly require the use of a padded wall, and quickly got her answer. “Who here has done self-defense training?” Silas asked when they'd lined up before him, and he looked Kyra right in the eye. She raised her hand, along with one of the other girls, but he chose her, and beckoned her forward to join him on one of the mats. “What’s the first rule of self-defense, Recruit Millan?”

  “Hurt them first?” she asked, peering up at him questioningly. After all, she’d never had official training, just worked out at their local park with her friends practicing basic martial arts. They’d learned how to wrestle and use an attackers weight or disadvantages against them, but never under proper tutelage, and she wasn’t aware there were any rules.

  Silas slid his foot beneath her legs in a movement so fluid she barely registered it until she was lying on the ground.

  “Wrong.” He gave her a hand up. “There are no rules. If you can run, you run. If you have to fight, you weigh up everything you can in the time given, and attack as necessary. But what if they attack you first? What if they take away your basic senses? Like breaking your nose resulting in loss of vision, or punching you in the chest to wind you?” Before she could answer, Silas came at her. He grabbed her arm and swung her into the nearby wall. Kyra hit the padding with a thud that didn’t hurt, but she knew it would’ve if the layers of foam weren’t there to shield her from the concrete wall behind. Silas grabbed her wrists and held them at the small of her back, and pressed into her. Physically she found it hard to breathe in his hold, but was soon panting as heat bloomed between them. “You're an easy target, Recruit. Fight back, evade and save yourself. If I were an attacker you’d be dead or worse by now. Do not ever give up or give in,” he took a step back and released her hands before turning to face the others.