The S-Gene (Book 1: Amelia) - COMPLETE

A/N: IMPORTANT!

I will be on vacation next week. Little family vacation. Restricted internet access... so! No updates! So I will see you all on the 12th with a new chapter :) Thank you!

(Also sorry today’s update is so late!)

***

A lot of words.

A little bit of confusion.

Alright - a lot of confusion.

When she too rapidly agreed to this whole contract thing… this was not what I had in mind. She thought she would sit down with Noah, and hash it out… Figure out terms and whatnot.

Was that what she got?

Not at fucking all.

Instead, she was sitting here with Virginia - a lawyer? - who was helping her draw out the terms of the contract. And by helping her, she meant telling her what should be in there and what shouldn’t.

It happened fast, like a whirlwind.

She said yes to Noah, closed the door, and then… her phone blew up. She was getting memos, documents, and meeting requests. She didn’t have a chance to wrap her head around it, that it happened.

“On the matter of protection…”

“Oh, that’s okay, whatever Noah puts is fine by me.”

The one thing he had asked her. She agreed to trust him and she would.

Virginia frowned, her thin lips drawn into a line. “Miss Parks. We are doing this for you. Do you understand?”

“I do but-“

“I am aware that you and mister… Noah," she said, reading his name off the sheets, “have a connection. But believe me. I have been doing this for a long time. In the eventuality that this is not what you think it is… You should protect yourself first and not rely on them.”

It wasn’t what she thought it was. It wasn’t what they thought it was. Except, she couldn’t reveal that piece of information. She had to keep it to herself.

“I-I know. But - he’s - he’s also doing this… so… this isn’t final right?” This was the reason why she had wished Noah was here. She didn’t know how to navigate this situation. Dr. Harper had told her she would receive help in regards to the contract, but - this was not what she had pictured.

Virginia reached out for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I can understand that this is a stressful situation. I’ve also been made aware that you’ve had a difficult time here.”

A difficult time? Really? That was how they wanted to go about it. Also… Amelia did not know if she liked the fact that they talked about her. What else did they say? It couldn’t be a good thing.

“I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for you to discover a whole world you didn’t know but… you can trust me when I say… Genecorp is here for you. They hired me to help you, to make sure nothing bad happens to you. We are looking out for you and your interests. It might be easy to point the finger at the wrong person.”

The wrong person?

If this was a deal between her and someone like Ezekiel, sure maybe. In this case? She was pointing the finger at the right person. She didn’t care what they thought, or what bullshit they were feeding everyone.

They thought they were saving her.

Sure.

Saving her.

They were the whole fucking reason she was in this fucking mess in the first place. They lured her here. They got her to stay in this forsaken place and agree to this insanity. They said that someone would have possibly found her out there. The issue with that? The more she thought about it, the less it made sense.

Supernatural creatures were hidden and whatnot, but surely they weren’t in every corner. She refused to believe that this place was the only reason so many of them were out and about. They had to have lurked in the darkness somewhat. It didn’t mean someone would have found her.

They were the ones putting a target on their backs and then swooping in, pretending to be saviors. She wasn’t buying it. All of this? It was bullshit.

“I don’t know… a lot about what might happen out there. I wouldn’t know what to include.” A small part of her hoped Virginia caught on to the might, but she knew it wouldn’t necessarily be a good thing for her.

Virginia clapped her hands together, the loud sound echoing through the emptiness of the room. She grinned at Amelia, leaning forward. “I’ll take care of that for you. Trust me.”

Trust me.

Did anyone ever buy this bullshit? Did anyone think this was a good idea? Amelia had heard the speech more than enough times now. Money, opportunities. Something was morally wrong with this shit. She was realistic; she wasn’t the smartest, the most cunning, or whatever…

If she picked up on it… other people had to have done the same.

She couldn’t be the first.

Yet, they operated as if this was a haven, a happy la-la-land. It begged the question… what happened to people that questioned everything? She resisted the urge to swallow down the lump forming in her throat, clamping up her airways…

Nothing good. That was for sure.

“Now, how about we cover the babies?”

The babies.

The children.

The whole fucking purpose of this place. Right.

“Do we have to put that in?”

She tilted her head to the side, her nose curling up. “What do you mean?”

“We-hm,” she cleared her throat. “We are interested in each other… does it have to include kids? Couldn’t we - I understand what I am… but contract only about children?”

Amelia watched as Virginia’s eye twitched once, then twice. Oh boy. Did she break her?

“If he told you he did not want children, he lied.”

“I didn’t say-“

“The people who come here, they come because they want to reproduce, Amelia.”

The way she said her name sent shivers down her spine. What happened to the polite Miss Parks? Out the window.

“I know that.”

“You understand that they do not have the same freedom as you? They cannot have a child as they pleased. They need this, they need us.”

“Why? What happens if they don’t? Do they all die out? So?” Rage had seeped through her veins, fueling her words. It was a mistake. She knew that, yet she didn’t stop herself from talking.

“Humans are the reason this happened to them. We tend to screw over other species. Be it, animals, creatures, or plants. We have a destructive nature. This is our attempt to rectify the situation. If this was a mistake, why would carriers exist?”

Probably because you messed up and triggered something. She couldn’t say that. She didn’t know. This organization wasn’t new. They had been doing this for a long time. For people her age and older to be carriers… this was old.

Yet, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that they somehow played a part in this whole scheme.

“Someone could be here for - another reason.”

“No, they are not. We do this to help everyone. You are rendering service and receiving compensation in exchange. I am certain that you and this Djinn have a connection. However, you need to believe me when I tell you, that he does want a child. To try at least. As you are aware, they do not have the best odds of conception.”

“If I could talk to Noah…”

“No. This is for your own good. You do not know the logistics involved in this. It is best to leave it to someone with more experience.” For the first time since she began chastising her, Virginia smiled. “We are doing this for you, Miss Parks. I have your best interests at heart and I would hate for you to give up so much only to receive so little in return.”

Her best interests at heart? She didn’t fucking know her. She didn’t give a shit about her. All she cared about was whatever Genecorp was paying her to sputter this bullshit.

“We - we didn’t get that far in our conversations… I was under the impression that we would get to talk more… face to face.”

“I can understand that children might not have been in your plans. But what I can offer you is to negotiate on your behalf. Tell me the number of attempts you are comfortable with and I will fight for it. Remember, he needs you more than you need him.”

Virginia couldn’t be more wrong. Really, she was using Noah to get out of this situation. A situation she had gotten herself into. She signed up for a trial under false pretense, then she agreed to stay here.

“I-I don’t know…”

She had to play along - she knew this much. Noah went through so much trouble talking to her and keeping their conversations from them. She knew she could only be difficult to a certain point before it was used against her. She was never the most compliant carrier, so she couldn’t turn around and be all sweet.

But…

“I’m not sure how people usually do this.”

Virginia smiled. “See, this is why I’m here. To help you.”

If she said help one more time, Amelia didn’t trust her ability to not smack her across the face.

“The first thing you need to figure out is if you wanna go through insemination… or take the natural route.”

…The natural route. She tilted her head back, heat booming at her cheeks. She was acting like a high school girl. Sex hadn’t been part of the equation. Obviously. Her first gut reaction was to say no sex. But that didn’t go very well with the whole chemistry and sudden attraction.

Plus, if she said insemination or IVF or whatever… Genecorp would insert themselves in their relationship… and actually make her go through with this. Fuck why didn’t she ask Noah more questions… why didn’t he prepare her for this?

Unless he didn’t know it would be like this.

Had he made a contract before? She went into this head first, but the more questions Virginia asked her, the more she realized she didn’t know enough about Noah… No. She shook her head softly. She couldn’t go down this rabbit hole.

She had to focus on her end goal: getting the fuck out of here.

“I-Natural.”

Virginia pursed her lips before glancing down at her pile of paper. She lifted a few of them and then tilted her head as her eyes focused on whatever she was looking at. A peal of laughter emerged from her overly red lips and she grinned at Amelia.

“I would prefer the natural method too if I could have someone who looked like that.” Virginia lifted the top papers a little more, not enough for Amelia to see the whole picture, but enough to see there was… a lot of fucking skin.

Holy fucking shit. They had naked photos of Noah?

… Matches had to… sit… or stand… there… and have naked photos of themselves taken? DID SOMEONE ACTUALLY REQUEST THAT?

“We don’t distribute this from the start, however… some clients… need to see the full picture before they agree. Especially those who take the natural route. Did you want to see it?”

Amelia shoved both of her hands in front of her face. “No-No thank you.” What a fucking breach of privacy. She resisted the urge to clutch at her clothes. Did they have photos of her like that? She hadn’t willingly posed for any… but she wouldn’t put it past them to take advantage of someone’s unconscious state. Fucking asshole.

“I-I think I’d rather be surprised.”

“Size doesn’t matter, you’re right! It’s how you use it that counts… if you know what I mean.”

Ugh. Could this fucking nightmare be over? She needed this woman to get the fuck out of her space as soon as possible.

“So, natural we said. How many tries?”

“Sorry?”

“How many tries? A healthy woman such as yourself shouldn’t have an issue conceiving… but he is a Djinn, and even healthy people need a year or more sometimes. Nothing obliges you to give it the maximum attempts of course.”

A year? They wanted her to stay here for a year? No. No. What - that was insane. “I-a year feels very long.”

“How about six months?”

“Wo-would three months work?”

Virginia was smiling but her eyes had lost their shin. Her jaw was tensed as she clasped her hands together. “We do want to give Noah a chance at producing an heir, do we not?”

This was her pressuring Amelia to stay longer - longer than she wanted. Clearly, if she was arguing for a smaller number of months, it meant she didn’t want to stay.

“I-sorry. I thought you were here for me. To help me and protect me.”

Take that bitch. Her own words were used against her.

Maybe it wasn’t the smartest way to handle this, but this was an issue she refused to budge on. She didn’t want to stay here. If it were up to her, she would be getting the fuck out of here now. Sure, they said it was up to her but she didn’t buy it.

Virginia’s breathing became noisy as her nostrils flared. Her lips flattened, her fingers twitching as she clenched them. Yup, she was not a fan of her response.

“Of course. I am here for you. I will run out by the other party and we’ll come to a consensus that meets both of your needs. I am here for you.”

“Is there anything else?”

“No, that will be all.”

“So what’s next?”

Virginia gathered her papers, putting them carefully in a neat pile. “I will meet with Noah’s party and we will compare and look over the contracts. If there are any issues, we will come to the two of you to solve them rapidly. Do not fret, I will get you what you deserve.”

Alright, so she had caught on to her little jabs earlier. And now she was returning the favor. Thank God the contract was with Noah. Else, she might have found herself in a very bad situation.

“Right.”

“I’ll be going. The nurse should come by tonight.”

“The nurse?”

“Yes, to the blood tests, create a baseline.”

“A baseline for what?”

“Your fertility. Your levels. She’ll provide you with an ovulation kit so you can start tracking it.”

Amelia’s head started to buzz, her stomach clenching and threatening to evacuate its contents. This was real - a little too real. She clutched her shaking hand to her chest and swallowed as she nodded.

“Oh.”

“Don’t worry, it’ll be over in a jiffy,” she replied with a wink. “If I don’t see you again - it’s good news!”

It would be good news. But not for the reasons she was thinking about. Virginia escorted herself out, and Amelia was grateful. She wasn’t convinced that she could get her legs to work at the moment. Nope.

As soon as the door shut, she allowed her head to dip forward, smacking it a lot harder than necessary against the wooden table. It was real - too real. The whole plan seemed good when Noah offered it but now…

She felt even more scrutinized than before. As if she had lost the mere amounts of freedom they had allowed her to retain.

What if… Noah changed his mind? What if he did want more out of this?

No.

She shook her head, taking a deep breath. She had to trust him. She had to do it. Else she might spiral.

She could do this. She could wait and see.

Noah would come through - he had to. He would.

***

Noah.

She had to talk to Noah.

Amelia had waited, but she hadn’t heard anything yet. She half-expected Noah to come to see her, but he hadn’t. It had her wondering. Was he not allowed to come to see her? Were they not supposed to see each other?

Virginia hadn’t said anything about it but - if there was one thing she had learned so far it was that people tended to tell her about half the truth… Maybe Noah got different instructions.

She could go see him. At least, she would know for sure.

Worst case scenario, he would tell her to leave and wait.

Amelia truly wanted to trust the process but this place had turned her into the most paranoid bitch there ever was and really… could anyone blame her?

No - they couldn’t.

Amelia opened the door, peeking outside. There was a bit of sun. Enough to graze the edge of the horizon. Noah was next door. It wasn’t far. She could make it before sundown. At least it would allow her to avoid one type of creature she didn’t want to see.

Based on the disregard Genecorp had for her life, there was no doubt in her mind that Ezekiel was somewhere out there, ready to hunt her down.

She closed the door behind her, inspecting her surroundings. So far so good. She took quiet steps down the stairs, watching out for every motion, every shadow. Each time a leaf rustled or the wind howled, her body would stiffen.

She was going to need some fucking anxiety medication after this. For real this time.

The sound of a shoe hitting the ground had her ear perk up. Someone. She lifted her glance, noticing someone hovering near the gate of Noah’s house. Wait. It was Noah. She narrowed her eyes, taking a few steps to get closer.

Had he spotted her? Had he decided it was safer for them to speak outside?

Except - something felt off.

Was he… taller than Noah should be?

But, the hair - was the same. The skin tone was the same.

Noah’s shoulders weren’t this square though.

It was weird.

However, the closer she got, the less it looked like him.

It wasn’t Noah - but it looked like Noah a little bit…

Amelia pressed her elbows into her sides, her hands clammy. Suddenly, she was frozen where she stood, feeling rooted in that spot. So close to Noah’s house but so far.

Motherfucker. The skinwalker - it had to be. Fuck. Fuck.

She held her breath, her body stilling. Why was he trying to look like Noah? Because he had spied on her… because he had been watching her… And now… he was trying to morph himself into what he thought she liked.

Fucker.

“Stay back.”

“Amelia.”

His voice sent shivers down her spine and she sunk her teeth into her bottom lip. Nope.

“Fuck off.”

“Why are you so stubborn?”

She was being stubborn? That was fucking rich.

He took a step forward and she took a step back.

“You’re making a mistake.”

No, no. ENOUGH! The mistake was coming to this forsaken place! That was the fucking mistake. Enough of this shit.

“I AM SO FUCKING SICK OF EVERYONE DECIDING WHAT’S BEST FOR ME. I SAID FUCK OFF, SO FUCK OFF!”

Her chest heaved, and her lungs collapsed as she ran out of air. Her cheeks burned from her rage, her eyes watering. It wasn’t sadness. She was overwhelmed. She couldn’t contain anything. Not the shaking of her fists, not the spilling of the tears, not the taste of bile in her mouth.

Enough - it was enough.

She had a contract - it was so she could be freer. Shouldn’t he be leaving her alone? Didn’t that make her fucking off limits, or was there really no fucking way to get a reprieve in this fucking hellhole?

“I’m so-sorry.”

Wait what?

She blinked, staring at him, her heart thundering. He said what now?

“I-what?”

“Sorry. Please - don’t cry.”

Cry? Right, right. Tears. But she wasn’t sad. They were tears of rage. And regardless of that… why did it matter? He was the same one who slammed her and trapped her in the corner of the library. She screamed for help and he didn’t give a shit… but tears?

She had bit him to the blood! Hit him!

But this he couldn’t stand?

“Then go away.” She had said she would experiment after Noah told her she had more control than she thought. Was this what he meant? But why the tears, why not everything else?

“If-“ he paused to swallow. “If I go away, you’ll stop crying?” he asked, his voice cracking. He was holding his stomach, his shoulders curved over his chest as he took a step back.

Why was he being logical? He wasn’t logical when he tried to force himself onto her. Was it a trap? It had to be a trap. Was this the influence Noah talked about? Really? Tears as a weapon? “Y-yeah.”

“Fuck.”

It was a mutter under his breath, barely audible. It didn’t seem like this was the turn of events he had expected, yet he kept taking a few steps back. Slowly, there was more and more distance between them.

Once there was enough, she didn’t think twice; she bolted home.

She huffed as she took the longest strides her legs permitted. Her pace was fast, her eyes locked on her door. She hurried inside, slamming the door shut.

What the fuck?

Great.

Now she had even more questions for Noah.