Fertile: A Dark Sci-Fi Reverse Harem Romance

by Piper Stone

  “Keep watch of the entrance,” I instructed, my voice little more than a whisper.

  “Yes, sir.”

  I kept the gun in both hands as I advanced, following the horrific sound. I found her clinging to someone on the ground, her body draped over the person as she wept.

  “Alex.”

  She didn’t respond immediately, her reactions slow. When she did, she scuttled backward, holding out the very sword I’d used to save her life. “Don’t come any closer!”

  “I’m here to help you.”

  “You don’t give a shit about me. You didn’t care. You didn’t listen to me. I warned you this would happen!”

  I dared take a few steps closer. “I did care. I also warned you of the danger. Now you understand.”

  She rubbed her arm across her eyes then grasped the sword with both hands, swaying back and forth. “Just leave me alone.”

  “You know I can’t do that.” I scanned the area, looking for any sign of movement or life. “What happened here?”

  “I don’t know. My guess is that you do!” she insisted, her chest heaving as she talked. Tears trickled down her face, agony distorting her features.

  I lowered my weapon, attempting to give her a sign of trust. However, I was well aware we couldn’t stay in this location for long. “You need to come with me.”

  “There are survivors.”

  Sighing, I shook my head. “I don’t see how there could be.”

  “As if you’d care.”

  “Show me,” I encouraged, calculating the time I had left. Ten, maybe fifteen minutes. Then I would drag her out of the village.

  She twisted her mouth, biting on her lower lip before nodding. As she scampered away, I followed her, sickened by the various levels of destruction. The fuckers had used some kind of explosive device. She fought her way into a building, walking over broken timbers and fallen concrete. Hunkering down, she brushed her hand across a woman’s face. “She was like a sister to me.”

  I didn’t need to examine the poor girl to know she was dying no doubt from internal injuries, but I grabbed my satchel, moving closer in an effort to calm Alex.

  Alex’s eyes opened wide as she watched me pull out a few implements. She remained quiet as I listened to the girl’s heartbeat, checking her pulse and other vitals. The moment I touched the young woman’s stomach, she moaned, her cough laced with trickles of blood.

  “She doesn’t have very long, Alex.” I kept my voice even.

  “You don’t know that.”

  “I know she’s too weak to move and has significant internal bleeding. She won’t make it. I’m very sorry. Are there others?”

  “A few. Please help them, Scorpio. They’re all I have.”

  I was the alpha, a man who’d been taught never to give a shit again, but seeing the imploring look in her eyes that were filled with tears was too much for me to bear. “I will see what I can do. Then we will go. We need to get as far away from here as possible.”

  Her defiance had returned but she nodded, bending over to kiss the girl’s cheek. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” She backed out of the building, wringing her hands. She stood gawking at the devastation for a few seconds.

  “Help me!” The voice came out of nowhere.

  “Oh, no.” Alex tore her way through a pile of rubble, tossing various boards aside. “Are you going to help me with this?” she demanded, glaring at me with utter hatred in her eyes.

  I scanned the area before leaning down, carefully pulling the heavier pieces away. A man’s scarred face appeared. While he was conscious and breathing, the weight on his body would have had a crushing blow. “Just be careful.”

  “Alex. Oh, sweet Alex.”

  “John. What happened? Get him out of here,” she barked.

  I felt his pulse, grimacing from the find. “If we remove the compression, he’ll die instantly. We need information.”

  “You’re a fucking bastard!”

  The old man managed to free his hand, grasping onto hers. “He’s... right. I’m dying. Listen to me.”

  “The scavengers did this. I will kill them,” she whispered.

  He coughed, wincing from the pain. “No. They weren’t scavengers.”

  “Then who, old man?” I asked.

  The man eyed me warily, licking his dry lips. “Soldiers.”

  “Soldiers,” I repeated then moved to a standing position. They were coming for us, for all of us, rounding up the rest of the dissidents. “We need to go.”

  “We can’t leave him. God damn it!” Alex jerked to a standing position, getting in my face.

  “Do not defy me,” I snarled.

  “I’ll do exactly what I want to do.”

  I grabbed her wrist, dragging her shaking body against my chest. “Don’t you see what this means?”

  She didn’t budge, standing up to me as if the scene of carnage surrounding us didn’t exist.

  “They are hunting for any human refusing to surrender and trust me, they will round up every single human being.”

  “Oh. Alex. Take care of...” We both looked down at the man as he took his last breath. I had no tear to shed, no ounce of true compassion. His death was simply a product of a war we couldn’t control. She was right about the concept of humanity.

  I was incapable.

  “You have three minutes and no more,” I told her.

  Tears skimmed her long eyelashes as she jerked away from me, cursing my name under her breath.

  I followed her to various locations, finding one young woman who had survived the horror. Miraculously, the girl had minor scratches, although she remained unconscious. As I gathered her into my arms, I gave Alex a stern look. “Now is not the time for your obstinance. We are all in danger. You are coming with me.”

  “Why the hell would I want to do that?”

  I moved closer, peering down into her lovely eyes. “Because I’m the only man on this earth who can and will keep you alive.”

  She finally nodded, scanning the perimeter one last time. I could see such strength in her, even though I knew she was plotting revenge.

  We rode in silence, keeping along the track of the river. It was difficult to watch our backs, but the soldiers had moved on. We would have a tough time reaching our destination without facing another assault. However, we would not lead them to the others. We would die first in order to protect them.

  As we rounded a ridge, my sixth sense kicked in. I threw up my hand, forcing my security detail to stop.

  “What’s wrong?” Alex asked.

  “Silence.” I took a deep whiff. Another scent assaulted my senses. Another fire. “Hold onto me, Alex. Do not let go.”

  “What about Josie?”

  I glanced over my shoulder at the comatose young woman, her limp body draped over the horse I’d ridden earlier. “She’ll be fine. We need to pick up the pace and it’s going to get rough.”

  That wasn’t all I was worried about.

  She stretched her arms around my waist, clasping her fingers together. For a few precious seconds, her simple touch and the warmth of her body pressed against mine was a small reminder of just how precious life truly was. I’d hated to drag her away from people she called family, but I had to get back to the others. The soldiers had to be close.

  I knew a shortcut, although the rocky pathways were difficult for the horses. However, it was necessary as the clock was ticking. I hoped they’d followed my orders and left. A solid four hours had passed. We would catch up to them.

  I pressed my heels against Thunder, rubbing his ear. “Let’s go.” Thunder galloped through the rough passages with ease, but my instinct was becoming a gnawing factor, eating at my very brain.

  “What is that?” Alex exclaimed, pointing over the trees.

  “Jesus. Christ.” Lapping flames and giant puffs of black smoke could be seen over the tops of the trees. “No. No! Get moving. Now!”

  I didn’t bother looking back as I pushed Thunder to his limit,
making it to the outskirts of the camp only minutes later. I was faced with utter devastation. How the fuck could I allow this to happen? Flames had torn through everything in the camp that hadn’t been taken down.

  “Oh, my God,” Alex moaned. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Stay here,” I commanded, turning my attention to the guards. “Go check on the others.” My instructions were quickly followed. This had been an ambush, just like Alex’s village.

  “I can help you,” Alex insisted.

  “I said. Stay the fuck here.” I hissed then gripped her hand. “I don’t want you hurt. You’ve been through enough.”

  “Okay.”

  I jumped off the horse, racing forward, dropping and checking for any signs of life. At least two dozen of my men were on the ground, the majority shot in the head. There were also several bodies of the soldiers. I scanned the area, taking in the number of those injured. My men had put up a good fight. I threw my head back, issuing a keening cry, the exclamation meant as a warning.

  I would stop at nothing to hunt down the bastards who’d done this. I would take everything from them just like they’d taken everything from me. I would stop at nothing to destroy their entire world.

  Diesel staggered toward me. I caught him in my arms, pulling him to the ground.

  “Diesel. God damn.”

  “I’m okay,” he muttered, easing his weapon onto the ground. “The fuckers caught us by surprise. Appeared out of nowhere. There was no advance indication. Montana was watching for any sign.”

  I knew exactly who was responsible. “Gunner.”

  “Yes, with dozens of soldiers by his side. The bastard sold us out.”

  “How many were killed?” Gunner would be the first to die by my hands.

  “Hard to tell. Some had already left. They were given strict orders not to return.” He wiped his face, taking deep breaths. “Damn the fuckers. I got a few of them but Gunner escaped. Thank God I moved the truck before they ambushed us.”

  Of course the fucker got away. “You had good instincts. Montana? Rock?”

  “They’re fine.” He grabbed my arm. “But I’m telling you, the soldiers had a different purpose. They weren’t simply here to annihilate the competition. They were searching for someone specific. Asked a bunch of questions then shot everyone who didn’t supply them with answers.”

  “What questions?” I clenched my fist, studying the destruction. We’d been lucky in that the camp was already in the process of being moved. I doubted our luck would hold.

  Diesel struggled to stand, taking decided steps toward Alex. I noticed the way he was staring at her, studying her. I followed behind him.

  “About the girl with green eyes.” He took another step. “And long dark hair.”

  “Who is she supposed to be?” I moved close enough to Alex to be within earshot.

  Diesel limped closer, tipping his head, staring directly at her. “The daughter of the assassinated president of the United States. The bounty on her head? Two million dollars.”

  Chapter Ten

  Alex

  “Get in the fucking truck, now!”

  I bit back a nasty retort as Rock grabbed my arm, yanking me toward the back of a massive-looking Jeep-style truck. Hesitating just for a second was enough that he fisted my hair, tossing me brutally forward. “Stop! I can do this myself. Damn you!”

  I could see Josie had already been placed on a makeshift cot and was either asleep or unconscious.

  “Then get the fuck in. I’m not in the mood to deal with your shit,” Rock huffed.

  The stench within the camp was horrific, burning hair and the coppery scent of blood hanging in the humid air. I held my breath as I climbed inside, my legs shaking from fear and a solid rush of adrenaline. Every huntsman in the camp would have no issue leaving me behind. Only Scorpio’s direct orders kept me from being left for the vultures.

  I huddled against the side, holding my arms as Rock conversed with Diesel and Montana, darting several glances in my direction. There was no sign of Scorpio. I’d hurt him terribly. The lies. The secrets. But I was nothing to him other than breeding stock. Why should I give a shit? Sadly, I did. What little trust we’d developed had been smashed to bits.

  Perhaps on both sides.

  Diesel climbed into the truck, a set of old-fashioned handcuffs in his hand. He pointed toward the very back, waiting until I followed his orders.

  “Don’t do this. You can trust me.” As if he was going to believe my words. I’d been labeled their enemy, a woman tied to the government. It didn’t seem to matter my own father had been murdered.

  He remained quiet as he pushed me down, hunkering two feet away but close enough to secure my arm to a portion of the metal framing.

  “Diesel. What’s going to happen now?” I asked after he’d risen to a standing position, obviously eager to get the hell away from me.

  He took a deep breath before answering. “We’re going back to our base.”

  “After selling me off to the highest bidder?”

  Snorting, he threw me an aggressive look. “Trust me. That would suit the majority of pack mates, but it’s against Scorpio’s orders.”

  “I know you hate me, but I’ve done nothing wrong.” I wasn’t going to remind him that they’d captured me.

  He twisted until he was able to shift his gaze, his look one of ravishing hunger. “We shall see about that. I hope for your sake that you’re telling the truth.”

  “Or Scorpio will feed me to the big cats?” I instantly regretted the remark.

  He’d dropped to his knees, his hand wrapped around my throat in a matter of two seconds. “I suggest you remember who you belong to, little girl. We offered you protection. You lied to us. I’m sorry about your village but that’s the matter of war and trust me, we’re in the war of our lives.” He released his hold, his hand remaining open and near my face.

  Swallowing, I waited for him to slap me or worse. He fisted his hand, lowering his arm.

  “Scorpio is a good man, more so than the majority of huntsmen. For some crazy reason, he cares about you. I suggest you treat him with respect.” He moved toward the tailgate, stopping one last time. “We all need something we can find joy in, Alex. Comfort. Happiness. Just something for you to keep in mind. I want so many things including love, but I’ve given up on them.” When he looked me in the eyes, his were almost vacant.

  I wanted to call out to him, to try to explain, but I knew that Scorpio would be the one doing the interrogation.

  Minutes later, the truck starting rolling and I was pitched into absolute blackness, much like the pitted hole that had formed in my soul.

  Fairy tales. My mother had once told me that every little girl’s fairy tale could come true with a dash of belief and a sprinkle of magic dust. She was the one who also believed in giant and very rugged heroes, swooping in on incredible white steeds with flowing manes, prepared to fight the dragon for the heart of the princess.

  I was no princess and the man I could envision as a hero owned a beautiful black steed. Sadly, his heart had been ripped from his soul, preventing him from knowing how to capture the princess with any other method but force.

  Issuing a strangled moan, I realized I’d dug my nails into my hands, creating tiny beads of blood. Pain was the thing that I wanted to feel at this moment. I was thoroughly destroyed. I could almost see my mother’s face from the early years. There’d been no lines marring her beautiful skin from fear and worry. Her hair had been the most stunning shade of ash blonde instead of dull and gray.

  And her smile had been intact.

  I could remember how she’d spent hours playing pretend with me and my sister, sharing animated stories that she’d imagined, filling our heads full of fantasies.

  And promising they could come true.

  Then she’d sing to us in her glorious soprano voice, filling the house with lilting sounds of beauty instead of the political bullshit that was constantly on the telecom units. She was our en
tire world, a true believer in good versus evil.

  She’d been desperately in love with my father, high school sweethearts who’d endured so many tragedies together. The apocalypse. His presidency. Two assassination attempts. His daughter’s kidnapping. The overthrow of the government. The subsequent battles.

  Sadly, they didn’t survive the third attempt on his life.

  “There is no such thing as a fantasy, Mama, at least one that will come true.” Whispering the words out loud was almost too agonizing.

  Two million dollars.

  That’s what my life was worth. Why? Was the chancellor terrified that I had my own army following me, ready to destroy their gilded castles? I bit back a bitter laugh. If only the bastard could see me now. I’d heard enough of the chancellor’s direct threats made to my father over the airwaves after my entire family had left the DC area. We all knew how much the pompous man hated my father, spewing his vile intentions over and over again. The bastard had also made good on his promise to destroy anything and anyone who got in his way.

  But I’d never been on the man’s radar. Why now? Why bother? I’d always thought of Chancellor Harding as a nutcase, his outbursts highlighting his insecurities. Maybe there was hidden information my father had been privy to.

  Maybe it was good to know the ugly specifics, the bounty that had been placed on my head. One thing was for certain, I could no longer hide behind the façade of being nobody, using my mother’s maiden name. Another one of my father’s requests.

  I was Alexandra Pentigrass, daughter of the former president of the United States, a formidable woman in her own right. Well, before she was arrested like the rest of the nonbelievers.

  Fucking fabulous.

  What was left of the United States was wide open and barren, but with enough population that I found it difficult to believe the soldiers had simply figured out where I was.

  I wasn’t that stupid to leave a trail.

  Then again, here I was a caged animal.

  With that kind of money, a new city could be created filled with the kind of luxuries that would keep an entire pack happy and satisfied for the rest of their life.