Fuck me, I wanted his cock in my mouth. I longed to taste him, drink every drop. Jesus. I finally forced myself to look away, biting my lip to keep from screaming. He was inside my mind, ravaging me even as the glass stood solidly between us.

  “To answer your question, there are various tests. Agility. Intelligence. Strength. Mental capacity with regard to humans. They’ve been designed to be primal creatures, predominant in their species. We do worry that their predatory instincts will overtake their human training.”

  “You mean they are all alpha males, dominating in every manner.” Samuel’s words on the shuttle filtered into my mind. Every one of their eyes was on me, prickles of heat shifting across my skin as they undressed me with their eyes. Fertility. The word lingered. Dr. Forrester had selected unknown scientists to work with him on the project on Earth. Then they’d... They’d disappeared.

  Or been eliminated.

  What in the fuck was going on?

  “Yes. Certain portions of their DNA were bolstered.”

  “Meaning?”

  “They were designed with internal needs just like any man or beast, which have brought me additional concerns.”

  “Why would you do that? I thought this was simply about making them more rugged for the elements.” I already knew this wasn’t the case.

  She ignored my question again, waving her hand as if this was just another day. “That is why your work will be very helpful. We need to understand their level of emotional stability.”

  You will be...

  Had she issued the words? “Are you worried they’ll rip humans apart, Dr. Marcus?”

  She turned her head, staring into my eyes. “Make no mistake, Cassia, once fully transformed, they become brutes with limited intelligence but quite capable of conquering our enemies. Their needs have been heightened to suit the powers that be. Whether you or I approve simply doesn’t matter. I’m doing my job. You are well aware that the government will stop at nothing to get exactly what they want.”

  “This isn’t about building infrastructure at all. Is it?” What else was wrong with humans? Were we dead inside, incapable of producing children? I hadn’t seen or heard of any babies born in years, but I’d been sequestered since being a child and after my parents had been killed.

  She ignored me again. Fuck her.

  I could swear the lot of them was sneering in agreement. My skin crawled as their chests heaved. Fog oozed against the glass forming ringlets. I was mesmerized by their actions, their muscles flexing. They were issuing a collective statement. Fuck...

  “And when will they be ready to work?” I managed to ask, uncertain if I’d said anything.

  I heard one of them growl.

  “Just a few weeks. We are very pleased with their progress even with all the concerns. They are going to be spectacular specimens, exactly as we hoped.”

  “Are there more? I know you said many of them died, but I can’t believe this is all the samples you’ve... created.” When she didn’t respond, I pointed to the other chambers. “Rowena, I am trying to work with you and with Kevin on this fabulous project. Are or were there additional samples at some point?”

  Rowena sighed. “As I said earlier, two died and... Well, it’s just very sad.”

  Two died, at least that she would admit to. Just like two of the scientists, their deaths suspicious in my mind. She was under extreme duress, the perspiration staining her lab jacket.

  A slight tapping on the glass drew my attention. The giant alien was smiling. No, he was leering at me, even undressing me with his eyes. I would grill Shane in order to find out what he knew about the aliens living on this planet. My guess was he knew more than anyone realized.

  She turned in my direction, walking closer. “You don’t look well, Doctor. I will tell you that I was concerned about some of your levels on the tests, especially since you were attacked. Maybe you should rest.”

  “I wasn’t attacked by anyone. What are you talking about?” I rubbed my forehead, the headache more painful than ever.

  Another growl came from one of the cages, the sound sliding through every cell and every pore in my body. I noticed the look of terror returning on her face. Even her hands were shaking.

  She was petrified of them.

  They were definitely more aggressive toward her.

  While I was drawn to them, my needs increasing.

  “Why are they so angry?” The question was rhetorical. The poor bastards were locked away, unable to interact with anyone with the exception of being tested.

  “They have their reasons. We should leave. They are becoming agitated.” Rowena barely whispered the words, already moving around me and heading toward the door. “Please don’t fight this. Please.”

  I took three steps then stopped. Every one of the creatures had walked to the glass and within a few seconds, there was a collective howl, the throaty sound resonating in wave after wave, filling the corridor with intense base notes.

  But there was more.

  I heard them. I felt them, their fingers brushing along my skin and face, touching. Caressing.

  Owning.

  You will be ours...

  One of them took a defiant whiff, as if he gathered a scent of sex. He cocked his head, dragging his tongue across his lips. There was a rebellious look in his eyes, not exactly anger but aggravation.

  “I’m staying,” I told her. “I want to spend some time alone. Can they communicate?”

  “You can’t do that!” Rowena insisted. “I don’t think they’re ready.”

  “Can. They. Communicate?” I asked again, whipping my head in her direction.

  She hesitated. “Yes, they can. Unfortunately, they don’t do so very often. The transformation is painful and after that, they just... Well, they seem to forget who and what they are.”

  I just bet they did or maybe they were fooling the horrible scientists. “Perfect. I am staying. They can’t hurt me. They’re caged animals, for fuck’s sake. Leave me alone if you need to. I’ll be just fine and I’ll simply perform my duties as given on the parameters for this mission.” I might as well start being political myself.

  Rowena huffed, her hand positioned near the panel. “If I leave you in here, there’s no way out from this side until you are released. Do you understand that?”

  “Fine by me. They won’t hurt me.”

  “You have no idea what they’re capable of.”

  I heard her gruff exclamation as she walked out, and the click of the door made me jump. I was in way over my head with this, but the draw to the creatures was extraordinary. I stood in the line of sight of all three. I purposely looked into each of their eyes, trying to make a connection. They were more than curious, remaining close to the glass.

  “I’m Dr. Bloom, but you can call me Cassia.” My voice echoed. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m here to get to know you.”

  The blond hissed, jerking his head up as he clenched his hands. Every muscle strained, veins in his neck popping. Issuing a keening howl, he slammed his fist against the glass.

  “Shit! Don’t do that.” To my credit, I didn’t budge but my heart was racing, thumping into my ears. “I said, I’m not going to hurt you. Are you one of the volunteers I’ve heard about?”

  The blond opened his mouth, ready to answer when the obvious leader growled, shutting him down.

  “O-kay. It’s going to work like that, huh?” I turned to the second. His skin was like burnished glass, light copper. The eyes themselves were entirely different than those of humans, having what appeared to be two sets of irises, the color the most vivid blue flecked with green and gold, purple and silver. He seemed to be more defiant than the other two, his gaze having never left me. The third was even more powerful in stature, his eyes almost iridescent in color. His hair was shorter, but the long beard and mustache hid the majority of his face. What I could see were marks, stripes covering his arms and legs. A whip. The poor creature had been whipped.

  “Are you in charge of your species?”

  The leader cocked his head, studying me, his gaze piercing.

  “Look, I am sorry about the fact you were lied to, taken away from your home, and used as a guinea pig. I will help you in any way I can. That is my solemn promise to you. No one will ever hurt you again.”

  There was no reason for me to be so drawn to them, but I was, my heart breaking for the abuse they must have endured.

  “Damn it. I wish you’d talk to me. I have a terrible feeling they’re going to shut me down.” I groaned and paced the floor.

  My heart raced. What if the creatures outside had been instructed to kill us? Jesus.

  Another tapping sound, obviously trying to draw my attention. I looked from one to the others, hoping for any kind of response.

  Nothing.

  What surprised me the most was a calmness that seemed to filter across the beasts. All three had even breathing, but there was absolute recognition. I could swear by it.

  I inched closer until I stood in front of the leader’s cage. There was no reason for them to trust me, just as I’d learned I couldn’t trust the doctors in this place. I placed my hand on the glass, spreading my fingers.

  The leader continued to study my actions, curling his upper lip as his gaze shifted down to my breasts then back to look me directly in the eyes. Very slowly he lifted his arm, planting his palm on the other side of the glass.

  The connection was surreal, electricity surging, the rush the most incredible series of sensations. Whatever scientific experiments had gone on, I knew in my heart that these poor creatures understood but there was more.

  They would exact revenge.

  “What have they done? What are humans capable of?” I knew the wretched answer. We were all doomed to face the same horrors as before.

  Only this time, and if we lost, we would become extinct.

  I knew what I had to do, no matter if I lost my life. I had to find someone I could trust and break open this story before it was too late.

  For a brief second, I closed my eyes, able to see images from his mind but nothing that made any sense. There was such power in this man, a brutal level of anger.

  Then I knew without question.

  These creatures would consume everything, take what they wanted.

  And they were very hungry.

  Chapter Six

  Erik

  The shadows were our friends.

  The others were restless, eager to swarm the compound, exacting revenge on the humans who’d attempted to destroy our lives. The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth. I was no more Galerian than I was human, the hybrid DNA taking a toll.

  We’d remained in the cave through the night and into the next afternoon, hoping the storm would break but we could wait no longer. I had a sense of urgency, perhaps because of the special female. But I also gathered time was of the essence. With the crash landing of the last shuttle, I knew that more humans would arrive soon. Then the real war would begin.

  We would be the brutal, unforgiving monsters we’d been accused of being.

  “You seem tense,” Brexin said.

  “Apprehensive, yes.” Our previous attack would have their armed guards on standby, prepared for another one. I had no way of knowing whether they’d increasing their security. While we were twenty strong, their numbers were greater even if our weapons were far more powerful.

  “The female is inside. Will she come with us willingly?”

  I had no way of knowing. What we’d shared had been cathartic, passionate in the most savage manner, but we were still monsters in humans’ eyes. “She will come with us one way or the other.”

  “I’m sorry, Erik.”

  This was the first time I heard true concern in my friend’s voice. I tipped my head, gazing into his eyes. They’d changed in appearance, almost black in color. “Why?”

  “This shouldn’t have happened. What will the humans do once they arrive?”

  “What they have always done, simply conquer and take what doesn’t belong to them.”

  “Then we will fight to the death,” he stated, snarling under his breath.

  “Yes.” They were now my people and I was willing to die for them.

  Sadly, I wasn’t a good man. That had been made perfectly clear before on every occasion that the great Dr. Fields could manifest, reminders of why I should shut my mouth and accept the ultimate penance for crimes performed years before. The very ones for which I’d thought I’d served my time. I wasn’t just bitter at the outcome. I was in the mood to exact revenge.

  And I would.

  Snorting, I tipped my head back and roared, bellowing toward the snow-driven sky. I was still in significant pain, the kind of agony that furrowed into the dark recesses of one’s heart and soul. Although I was no longer certain I even had a soul.

  I was nothing more than a barbarian, my functions limited to hunting. At least that’s what the human scientists believed. I was now a member of the Galerian clan; powerful and intelligent, the ancient species had once ruled several planets. I’d been one of the lucky bastards, escaping a true hell. There were countless others who remained inside a barricaded facility built by humans. Unfortunately, I had no accounting of the actual numbers given the number of clan cities. The reports had been sketchy. Every human volunteer had been treated like animals even before the procedures had begun, constantly reminded that we were nothing on Earth but useless pieces of flesh.

  The scientists had succeeded in altering my DNA. Now, I had to accept there was no turning back.

  At least twenty of our male clan had gone missing, including the warrior leader, a man they called King. Steen was powerful and well respected, and I’d been given the task to free him.

  Or risk being cast away.

  The return howl of the others was my safety net. Other members of the Galerian clan were here, standing in the twilight waiting for the right time.

  To fight.

  To take back what belonged to our kind.

  To destroy our enemies.

  Darkness. Anger. Intense sadness.

  I’d experienced all of these since arriving on this godforsaken planet, but the transformation had riddled me with crushing emotions and blank spots. I also had recurring nightmares, wretched visions leaving me unable to sleep for any length of time. Headaches were a constant issue, keeping me edgy and today was no exception. Even my muscles were tense.

  But on this day, my razor-sharp senses were hanging on the precipice for an entirely different reason.

  Because of her, the beautiful spirit who’d walked into my life in the middle of the treacherous terrain. I shuddered at the thought. I envisioned her glowing skin and voluptuous lips, and the way she looked at me. All fire and brimstone. I wanted her. I craved her.

  And I’d taken her, allowing others to join in. What I’d done was dangerous to our kind and to our effort, but I hadn’t been able to resist. Sharing was a distinct custom of the clans.

  Tasting her had been incredible. Fucking her was what my body and soul needed, sating the beast dwelling deep within. Steen would have issues. Of that I had no doubt, but I’d been so drawn to her, connected in a visceral manner.

  “It’s time, my brother. We will rule again,” Brexin said, such eagerness in his voice.

  “We proceed with caution,” I reminded him.

  “Is there any other way?” His humor had returned, his lust for life. I admired that in the man.

  Huffing, I jammed my walking stick into the snow, propelling my body forward. The darkness would become our friend, keeping us safe from the other creatures patrolling the forest, true animals similar to those on Earth. Boars and tigers, bears and reptiles. They were all represented in some fashion, their hunger just as severe as our own.

  The humans had no idea just how precarious their life truly was. They also had no idea about our plan of attack and they wouldn’t until it was too late.

  This was a dangerous place, more so than ever and certainly more than the day I’d arrived. I stood in the forest, glaring at the compound, the bitter cold lapping at my skin. There was no amount of fur that could alleviate the frigid temperatures. The others were behind me, waiting for my orders. They’d killed several of the visitors and I hadn’t been able to stop them.

  Although I wasn’t entirely certain I would have tried.

  Another group coming to destroy our people, to steal from us and hunt.

  I rubbed pellets of ice from my face in order to scan the perimeter. The scientists thought their facility was impenetrable, but I knew every weakness, steel that could be bent by the strength of our numbers and locations where our explosive weapons would penetrate. The attack hadn’t been planned, but now, there was no choice.

  We have to save the creatures.

  We had to save her.

  I had to have her.

  Taste her.

  Own her.

  The thought was primal, savage in nature, but our actions were necessary.

  A war was about to begin. The choice we made today would alter the course of the future. For humans. For beasts. For monsters. Were we all that much different?

  We’d sensed the arrival of the shuttle before hearing the crash. We’d known another group of humans would come. And another. Ready to consume our land and enslave our people. Ready to control.

  Ready to kill.

  Only we were the stronger species. Steen had promised that.

  I chuckled darkly to myself. I belonged to no one, a creation of injections and serums, enduring the kind of blinding agony that I could never forget, and others would never believe. I’d been allowed to become one of them after my escape and now they were my people. I obeyed their rules, followed their customs, and would fight or die in order to save them.

  In order to save our true leader.

  Sniffing, I gathered no scent of human flesh, except for a lingering hint of her perfume. The exotic fragrance covered every inch of my skin. I wanted to drown in it the same as I wanted her showered with my seed. I would fill her.

  Fuck her.

  But I wasn’t the only one. She was destined to belong to several, just as the custom prevailed.

 

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