by Rena Marks
She stood also. “Ava. Perhaps you’d like to know that during the five-year contract you would have on Xenia, you’d have access to free health care? No limitations to status. We offer every procedure imaginable, including those you’d have to travel to Iota Nine to achieve.”
Ava froze.
“All it takes is a five-year contract.”
“What if the device isn’t safe? You’ve already determined I’m the first to go through it.”
“The entire world has heard of our health care. Not only do we have the best team of doctors located right here in Xenia, but our medical technology is unrivaled. Of course our records were obtained by unprecedented and unethical means—namely experimentation on people themselves—but we have access to those records and no one else. No matter what the ramifications from the implantation, we’ll be able to help you should side effects arise. You’ll be our number one priority.”
“I assume this is in writing?”
“Right in the disclosure document you’ll affix your DNA to.”
Irina handed her a small, 6x9 tablet. She was impressed that Ava took the time to read the document, scrolling through the clauses.
“I don’t see a pre-existing clause.”
“There isn’t one,” Robyn said softly. “We have the technology to take care of all conditions. There is no reason why we’d penalize you for having one.”
“I’m able to book a procedure as early as my first available weekend off?”
“As early as you wish,” Irina acknowledged. “Some procedures may require a bit of down time afterward, but I’m sure your Xeno Sapien employer would work with you to keep your workload light during that period.”
“I know your employer personally,” Blaze said. “Covet is one of my best friends. He’ll give you the time you need for recovery.”
“In fact, he understands completely,” Robyn said softly. “He recently had his own health issues, which is why we’re hiring someone to dedicate to him.”
“Okay, then,” Ava breathed. Without further adieu, she pressed a finger to the signature button, which gave the slightest breach of her skin. Not a drop of blood showed on her finger, but she affixed her DNA signature to the well.
“Perfect,” Robyn’s smile was bright, her stress completely relieved. “Welcome aboard. I’ll take this little guy with me while we arrange for your belongings to get packed. We will place you in the quarters next to Covet. Eventually, should you feel comfortable enough to use it, there will be an adjoining door between the apartments. Right now it’s locked on your side.”
Ava nodded, somewhat bemused at how quickly things progressed.
“We can take you to meet Covet now, or we can implant the device first.”
“Will it hurt?”
“Not at all. It’s barely under the first layer of skin, no deeper than the ink of the tattoo.”
“Let’s get that over with, please. Then I’d like to meet my employer.”
Irina nodded and went to the sink to wash her hands. She affixed medical gloves while Blaze rolled a small chair to sit in front of Ava.
“You said the tattoo is going to mark me as letting everyone know I’ve got the implant. Will it be a problem if I let my hair grow?”
“No,” Irina said softly. “You can cover the tattoo if you wish.”
It wasn’t the tattoo that was the problem. It wasn’t even the memory loss that was the problem, should she ever leave the front gates. The problem was the return. They had no way to predict how encapsulating the amnesia would be. How detrimental the side effects may be.
She began the intricate, scrolling tattoo first. The various colors used would make the mark harder to mimic. The scrolling lines also told what make and model of the device was used. There was room to expand each time her implant was upgraded, and to add more information to the tattoo.
Blaze took Ava’s hand within his larger one. “I know this may seem scary,” he said. “But the doctor working on your neck is not only my mate but the best doctor there is. She’s the one who discovered the wings beneath my skin.” With a shrug, he let his wings erupt, causing a small breeze to lift her bangs.
“Oh, you’re the one I saw on the news. Everyone was saying there was a vile parasite about to eat its way through you.” She stopped speaking abruptly, as if she worried she’d offend him.
Blaze laughed, setting her at ease. “My own friends were saying it also, don’t worry. But only Irina was able to see them for what they were. A part of me developing that needed to be freed. She performed the procedure on me right then and there.”
Within a few minutes, the tattoo complete, Irina embedded the minuscule device and used a scanner to seal Ava’s skin over all.
“How do you feel?”
“Is it over?” Ava’s wonderment said it all.
“Yes, completely. I told you our medical care is to be envied.” She smiled at Ava. “We’ll get you set up for the surgery to freeze your genetic marker for cancer.”
Ava’s smile faltered. “You know?”
“We know.”
Something seemed to dawn on Ava. “The surgery to freeze the marker?” she gasped. “I thought perhaps I could get the sterilization. Possibly even the choice for early termination.”
Blaze’s voice reduced to a growl. “We don’t terminate people for being different here.”
Ava gasped. “But I’m only here for five years. If I move back out there at the end of five years, I’ll have to have the papers for one or the other.”
“You won’t need either,” Irina reminded her. “So it’s a moot point. You’ll have the surgery to freeze the genetic predisposition for cancer. I’ll set it up, and Eric can perform it next week. In the meantime, Robyn will have a team go to your apartment and pack things up.”
Ava nodded. “Will I be able to have visitors?” Her voice was small.
“Of course. We ask that it’s restricted to Tuesdays, and of course, you don’t share that there are children present in the city. It’s safer for the guests that way. You’re off three days a week, so we’ll make sure that Tuesday is one of your days off.”
“I don’t need three days off. I’m not even able to leave the city.”
“Everyone is entitled to time off,” Irina said.
“Only thing left is to introduce you to Covet,” Blaze said, standing. “After you.” He swept his arm toward the hallway as he held the door open for her.
Ava walked through the doorway, her hand coming up to brush her hair in the back as if her fingers itched to touch the new, glowing mark on the back of her neck. But she avoided it, dropping her hand to her side as she left the doorway.
As Irina passed through the doorway Blaze winked at her and she clasped his hand. Ava turned toward them in the hallway, her eyes dropping to their linked hands briefly. The three walked from the building, heading to a building to the south.
“This is Building C, where your apartment will be located. “We’re taking you to the one next door to it, which is Covet’s. Currently, there’s an adjoining door which is locked on your end. You may choose to use it or not. Now that you have the implant...” Irina’s voice dropped off.
“What am I dealing with?” Ava asked. “Is Covet...normal?”
Blaze laughed. “As normal as me. He doesn’t have wings. We’re all different, but normal for us. He has another anomaly, but nothing as horrifying as he eats human flesh.”
Ava’s face paled.
“He’s kidding,” Irina said. “The three guys have a warped sense of humor. Covet’s a great guy. He differs from humans with a mix of red and blue coloring on his chest. Those colors mix and darken his skin color to purple. He has ridges that make his cheekbones look sharp and pronounced.”
They reached the apartment door, and Blaze raised his fist to knock. A light tap because Irina knew he didn’t want to wake the baby.
“Come in.” Covet’s voice came from the intercom.
Blaze used his thumbprint to unloc
k the door, and they pushed in. Covet was seated in the living area, in a rocking chair as he rocked Baby.
“Hey, brother, how’s it going?” Blaze sat across from him.
“It’s good.” Covet’s eyes focused on Ava.
“This is Ava, your new help. Ava, please meet Covet, and this little princess is Baby.”
“Nice to meet you,” Ava said. “She’s adorable. May I?”
Covet nodded, leaning forward to settle the baby into his large hands before passing her to Ava. Ava handled her expertly, rocking her gently in a cradle hold.
“I adore children,” she murmured, her eyes focused on Baby. “I spent my internship volunteering in an orphanage. Ever since we discovered that we were causing a lot of our own mental illnesses by lack of skin-to-skin human contact, volunteers were welcomed in their teenage years. I wanted to become a nanny after that. I was lucky enough to have grandparents who made sure I was able to obtain a teaching degree.”
Covet leaned in, and for a moment, Ava was distracted from the baby as she stared at his chest for the first time.
“I know. That’s why we chose you. Your teaching degree.”
Ava looked confused. “But I was hired for housekeeping.”
“That’s what we told you,” Irina said. “Because we couldn’t really share that the position was for a single father without any experience in rearing children.”
“Single? I’m sorry.”
Covet looked confused. “For what?”
“Your...wife? Something must have happened to her?”
Covet laughed, the rich sound making Baby rustle, smile faintly, and then settle. He smacked Blaze in the shoulder, and the two of them grinned at each other like loons. “There’s no wife.”
Irina sighed. “You two love freaking people out, don’t you? Ava, I warned you about their humor. Covet is single. He has a unique ability to produce and carry offspring on his own. That’s one of the reasons you needed the implant. We can’t have that knowledge getting outside of our walls. It would cause an uproar around the paranoid groups against Xeno Sapiens.”
No one missed how Ava’s eyes roved down Covet’s chest to his flat abdomen. “You just gave birth?”
“He didn’t stretch outward,” Irina said softly. “Instead, his organs were pushed up into his chest. It caused a lot of stress to his body, and we definitely need to get him hired help while his body figures things out. Things are moving slowly back to where they should be. As you can guess, this is an unprecedented pregnancy.”
“So helping you with Baby is the actual job?”
“Yes. If you would like it.”
“I’d love it!” Her smile at him glowed, and everyone heard Covet’s intake of breath. The quick move showed his sharp teeth. Ava’s smile faltered. For a few seconds, the two of them stared at each other.
“Well, we should get going,” Blaze said. “We’ll leave Ava here if you don’t mind. The movers should be here shortly to set her up next door. Robyn will come by to program her locks and everything.”
“No better time to get to know each other,” Covet rumbled, his gaze on Ava.
“If you need to reach me for anything,” Irina said, getting up from the sofa with Blaze. “The call number is 914.”
“Thank you. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
Blaze slowly closed the door. The last image Irina had was of a small family.
“Do you see what I see?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “You’re as romantic as Joseph.”
“Imagine her surprise when her grandparents come to visit her next week.”
“She’s going to love it.” Irina wrapped her arms around his neck.
He grinned. “I want everybody to be in love. It’s magical.” His wings came out and wrapped her in a sweet smelling cocoon, blocking the lights. The world became all about Blaze as he bent his head to kiss her.
Xeno Sapiens
Catch up with the first novel in the series! The original Xeno Sapiens story.
Futuristic earth finds alien DNA and creates a new species of hybrids in hidden labs. It’s up to two small females to teach these beings they’re worthy, and beautiful, and loved...and to save them from mankind.
My name is Dr. Robyn Saraven. Earth has changed greatly in recent years, the governments of the world merging into one united front, the Global Government. Disease, starvation, and prejudice have been eradicated from our existence, and it appears our growth as spiritual beings is finally on track.
But the discovery of alien DNA pairs a prestigious research facility with our government to create new beings. Suddenly our spiritual growth is halted when mankind plays God. Like old Earth, our modern-day world has to deal with prejudice, corruption, and greed.
Or was it always there, lurking beneath the surface?
Book 1—Xeno Sapiens
Book 2—Earth-Ground
Book 3—Siren
Book 4—Beast’s Beauty
Book 5—Almost Human
Book 6—Forbidden Touches
Alien Stolen
Rena Marks
Our world is different from anything we’ve ever known. Years ago, aliens came to live among us. They claim to be the good guys, and yet every day, humans go missing—never to be heard from again.
Sian and her family resist the leadership of the new regime, along with dozens of other factions across the world. However, without electricity, they’re at a loss as to how to communicate with each other to band together for strength in numbers. For that reason, they fight alone. When her father and best friend are captured by the military, she pretends to be a pleasure worker to infiltrate the base. Unbeknownst to her, a pleasure worker has been summoned to service a new breed of alien—one with a known weakness. Sex drains his strength.
None of the militia realizes that when a Nisibian comes across his mate, he doesn’t lose his power...but instead transfers it to her.
Drunk on the power of being a female Rambo, Sian decides to steal the massive alien for herself. This much power at her fingertips could tip the scales in the resistance fight for humans.
Abducted
Book 1 in the Blue Barbarian series.
Alien abductions are real.
I was the third female awakened aboard the spacecraft that specialized in kidnapping females. Their mission? To sell us to other galaxies.
Human female Numbers One and Two didn’t make it, but I was lucky. I was able to comprehend the instruction from Drakar, a caged abductee from the planet Blaedonia. I live only because of his warning to me not to fight the aliens who have me on the table. Together, we formulate a plan for escape for both us and the ten other unawakened Earthlings.
Lucky for Drakar, the spaceship crash-lands back on his planet. Unlucky for the Earthlings, we’ll never be able to travel back home.
We’ll have to learn to adapt.
Book 1—Abducted
Book 2—Stranded
Book 3—Taken
Book 4—Captive
Book 5—Stolen
Space Babies
Book 1 of the Purple People Series
Rena Marks
An antiquated ship, rotating through the galaxy of a deserted planet, bears immediate investigation.
Helian Six boards the abandoned vessel to find the long-lost inhabitants in a state of stasis. But the systems are failing, and half a dozen have woken up. The planet below shows long dead bodies, poisoned by the scum of space, a species known as Gorgians.
Strangely, the few who have awakened are much smaller than their planetary predecessors. And not very intelligent. Determined to believe the cute, tiny beings are not pets, the crew of Helian Six decide to train the small warriors to defend the planet. They become the laughingstock of patrol, however, after they commit and realize it will take twenty-two cycles to “rear” the inhabitants.
So they do what any intelligent males would do. Kidnap teachers. And if the females can’t manage to avert their eyes from their buff physiques, well
, score!
Artificial Intelligence
Rena Marks
The Sirian galaxy has blown itself up during a war that mimicked that of the destruction of her own planet, Terra. No stranger to slavery, Arian has escaped from the planet Zeta where she’s been raised to breed royalty.
The Artificial Intelligence is a collective unit from the Sirian Planet B. They’d warned the leaders that a civil war would destroy the galaxy to no avail. In order to escape being destroyed along with the rest, they inserted their intelligence into the computer system.
Imagine Arian’s surprise when she encounters a huge piece of chipped planet, which her computer claims to have ancient Sirian artifacts buried in its hollowed core.
Nothing can possibly be alive. The contamination gases from the nuclear war have destroyed everything in sight. But Arian is a scavenger, and these are ancient artifacts...
Unfortunately, her hacked computer never tells her the artifacts are actually metal skeletons whose bodies need to be grown into dangerously hot men.
Stargazer Series
In 1692, a starship carrying volunteers arrived on planet Earth near a small town called Salem, Massachusetts. The long journey across many light years caused the female inhabitants aboard drastic memory loss. It was already known when they would arrive on Earth, they would have no memories of who and what they really were. They would be as helpless as newborn lambs.
The goal was to breed with Earthlings, to prevent their own race from dying out. If it was successful, years later more Stargazers would be sent to co-exist with the humans on Planet Earth.
But alas—the females were slaughtered.
Book 1—The Hunter
Dante and Kele
Book 2 —The Enforcer
Diamond and Felicia
Book 3 —The Defender
Hayze and Cassio
Book 4 —The Protector
Neo and Jessie
Book 5 —The Guardian
Vesta and Bay