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

Stupid fucking assholes.

Amelia was sitting on the edge of a bed, tapping her foot against the ground. After everything, they had dumped her in this giant hotel room suite looking thing, and then they had shut the door without as much of a word.

She assumed this was where she would live now for her protection. More like so they could keep a watchful eye on her. Every day she spent in this god-forsaken place, the more she felt like the walls were closing in on her.

They had stripped her of everything and she didn’t think she would make it out.

At this point, she had come up with plenty of doomsday scenarios for herself. They would put her in an induced coma and fertilize her in vitro and keep her unconscious as she grew babies. They would sell her like a sex slave. They would harvest her eggs and kill her.

Amelia found herself in a strange conundrum. Part of her hoped that they needed her alive as the carrying vessel so that killing her was off the table, and another part of her kind of hoped they would kill her so this nightmare would end.

This was what they had turned her into.

She was considering death as an escape from this bullshit.

Was that part of their plan? To break her down enough that she would be easily manipulated, malleable and then they could proceed as they pleased. There was no way no one ever spoke against them. There would have been something.

It led her to believe that… no one ever left this place. It wasn’t true. Everything they told her, the fake promises, the money, the new life… the freedom. None of it was true. It was simply another way to render the carriers docile.

Everything out of their mouths was a lie and all they did was keep up a facade.

She would die in this fucking place.

Creaaaaak.

At the sound, her head snapped up and she jumped to her feet. Her heart leaped and though it was foolish, part of her expected to see Noah walk in - as if there was a hope that they said the truth for once.

But it wasn’t Noah.

It was a woman, with blond hair wrapped into a tight ponytail. Her white coat lab was a dead giveaway that she was one of them. She was holding two piled-up cardboard boxes in front of her, shielding half of her face from Amelia’s view.

“What is this?”

The woman’s heels clicked on the ceramic floor one last time. She lifted her gaze, glaring at Amelia. Was she mad? Good. If she was going to live and die in this fucking place, she wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of winning, and she sure as fuck wasn’t going to make it easy on them.

“Your belongings.”

“I don’t have any belongings here. This isn’t my home.”

The woman’s mouth twitched before she resumed walking, dropping the box off on the bed. “These are from your home.”

Yeah, the fake ass home they gave her. Was this her subtle way of reminding her this was her home and she was never leaving?

“Okay… why do I need this?”

She watched as she took a deep breath before plastering a fake smile on her face. Was Genecorp brainwashing their employees? Was any of this done willingly? Were they lied to or did they enjoy the power trips?

Humans were despicable. Monsters. Maybe even more so than the supernatural creatures.

“We understand how you may be experiencing a lot of stress and anxiety at this time, following the horrific events that took place. We also know that this place is unfamiliar to you, and we thought you might appreciate having some of your belongings close to you.”

Huh uh.

Where should she even fucking begin?

First of all, the irony in her using the word anxiety. The very scam that got her in this horrible mess. Second of all, there was nothing they could ever do to make this place feel comfortable, or at home. Third of all, these belongings weren’t hers. They were theirs.

She was about to craft a witty response when she decided to hold it back in. “Thanks.”

Fighting with this girl wouldn’t give her anything. It would help with the piled-up anger, but it wouldn’t do much about her situation.

Plus, now that she thought about it… they had to know she wouldn’t care about this stuff… so why do it… unless…

They knew. They somehow knew that whatever got Noah to her was a wish. Maybe their stories didn’t line up, maybe there were no other explanations… she didn’t know what it looked like when Noah vanished into thin air…

So now, they were looking for the lamp. This was why they were keeping them here. It would allow them to search his place and her place and by bringing stuff here, they would observe her. If his lamp was in there, she might slip up and they would notice…

And then they would truly own Noah.

No.

The only reason he was in this mess was that he helped her. Already she had jeopardized his little piece of paradise, no matter how hellish it was for her. She couldn’t risk allowing them to put him on a lease.

Amelia would have to put on the performance of a lifetime. Oscar-worthy. She would not let them know what they needed to use to control him. She had to face the fact that she might never get to leave this place, but it didn’t mean Noah needed to die here or live eternity as their slave, granting their every wish.

Who knew what they would ask for?

Who knew what they could do if they had all of that power?

No.

That was the hill she would die on.

She would not let them be more powerful. She would not let them ruin more lives.

“Anything else?” she added when the girl refused to leave and instead stared at her.

“No, I was simply wondering if you needed anything else.”

“Where’s Noah?”

“He will be joining you shortly. We needed to ensure his well-being after the…” she paused. “Kidnapping.”

Yeah, girl, she got it. They weren’t buying the whole kidnapping story. She already knew that, they didn’t need to make it so pointlessly obvious.

They had no fear. They didn’t even try to pretend.

Their power was limitless and that was terrifying.

It was the same reason she hadn’t made a foolish attempt at running away. What would be the point? Her very first try hadn’t gone very well. She also didn’t know the layout of this place, or how many guards, and eyes were on her.

If she tried to leave and failed, which she most likely would, her life would be even more terrible and they would restrain more of her freedom. Not that it felt like there was much left but still.

No, she couldn’t do that.

“Great. Then you can go. I’ll call if I need anything else. I’m sure you’re keeping a close eye…” She smiled. “In case someone tries to hurt me again.”

Two could play that game.

“Yes. Indeed.”

A staring contest took place for a few minutes until the girl finally turned around, without a word and closed the door behind her. Rude, but she much preferred to be alone than with bad company.

Amelia looked at the pile of boxes left by the door, and she was itching to go through them. Now that she knew what the lamp was, and that he had so stupidly given it to her, she had to admit, she was intrigued to know if they are brought it here.

Part of her hoped they hadn’t. She didn’t want it anywhere near them, but then… was it better if it was left somewhere neither of them could go? It could still land in the wrong hands.

Could she go through it without giving them a hint of what they had brought? She prayed. She leaned over the box first, giving it a quick glance, thinking she might see it right away.

She did not.

Instead, Amelia began moving everything around, carefully. Books, she didn’t even remember seeing, glasses - she had no glasses, the phone they gave her - as if that was going to be useful… All junk.

Most of it was stuff she didn’t remember.

As she moved a blue t-shirt, something shiny caught her eye. It was there. Her heart raced, and she kept her expression stoic and she rummaged through the clothes, trying to confirm it was truly it.

And it was.

So it was here. They had brought it.

They didn’t know. Else they wouldn’t have handed it over to her.

She had found out. Should she back away now?

No, she had to finish. If she stopped now, they would think she stopped because she found what she was looking for and it would give them hints. So, Amelia continued until she was through with both boxes. Never lingering, never blinked too long.

Once she was done, she pushed the boxes against the wall and returned to the bed.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and filled her lungs to the brim.

All that she could do was wait.

***

Light spilled into the room, disrupting Amelia’s rest and assaulting her eyes. She lifted her hand through her stupor and shielded her face as best she could given her current confusion.

As quickly as the light had appeared, it died down.

She couldn’t make out anyone, but she heard the footsteps getting closer and closer to the bed.

“Noah?” she tried with a raspy voice.

“It’s me.”

The bed shifted as he plopped down and she sat up. Now that he was closer, she could see him better. She should accept that it was Noah, and yet, she could not help the paranoia that had itched itself in her chest. What if it wasn’t?

What if this was Genecorp trying to force her to reveal something? She had no doubt they had multiple skinwalkers. Amelia hated who she had become.

“Hey, hey,” she heard him say as he reached out to her and cupped her face with his hands. “It’s me.” He leaned into her, closing the gap with her left ear. “Necklace.”

Noah.

Her shoulders dropped, and guilt spiraled in the pit of her stomach. “Sorry,” she mumbled, resting her head against his.

“If you didn’t have doubts, then I might have wondered if you were really you,” he said with a chuckle.

She reached for his arms, wrapping her fingers around his wrists. She didn’t know how she might react if they took Noah from her. He was the last shred of sanity she had left and she needed him. “Are you okay?” Amelia whispered.

He nodded. “Yeah. I don’t think they bought it,” he said low enough for her to hear.

“They dropped off some of my stuff. To make me more comfortable.”

She couldn’t see his face, but she prayed that he understood what she meant. She couldn’t say much more than that. She didn’t know how they would have some very necessary conversation when they were being observed from every corner.

“Oh, anything you missed?”

“It’s not my stuff.”

Noah let himself drop onto the bed, dragging her along with him. She laid down, pinned beneath his much larger body, his mouth pressed to her ear. Amelia knew this was about obtaining whatever little privacy they could get but…

She couldn’t help the heat that boomed in her chest, her body remembering the recent proximity.

“I think I can get you out of here.”

Her chest became light as adrenaline rushed through her. Leaving this place? Wait. But he didn’t say they were leaving. He said she could leave. “Just me?” she clarified, hiding her mouth in the locks of his hair.

“I have to stay behind, or else you can’t leave.”

“Then we’ll find a new plan.”

“Ames, this place is more dangerous for you than me.”

Did he suddenly forget that they were looking for his lamp, for a way to have wishes and control him? It was strange that it came up now. She wondered, why didn’t they ask him to surrender it when he came in. Was it to lure him into a false sense of security? Or because they knew he never would, not even for anything?

Was that the reason why they let him be? Hoping that one day, he would fall for someone, give it to them… and then that person would betray him? Oh god. Did that thought cross his mind? It was horrible.

“No, I mean. If you wanna stay,” she paused, swallowing the lump forming in her throat, “I won’t force you but…”

They never talked, and they never made any promises. They didn’t say they’d go to the other side together. They never even talked about being together. Who could blame either of them? This wasn’t normal.

“You can’t stay here, and I can’t get the both of us out. Don’t worry, they won’t hurt me.”

But they would. They might not hurt him physically, but there were other ways to inflict pain. “Noah, please.”

“Amelia, you’re getting out.”

“What if I say no?”

“You’re gonna live like this forever?”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s stupid. What if they find it, what if they decide? I won’t be there. And then what?”

“Noah, I can’t leave you here.”

She tried to keep a poker face, she tried to not let the tears invade her eyes, but she was miserably failing. Amelia had always wanted to leave this place as fast as possible. But she never thought she’d care enough about someone to miss them, to worry about them.

He wasn’t wrong; the logic was sound.

But it didn’t make this any easier. She didn’t want to leave him.

Amelia raised her arms, wrapping herself around his body and bringing him closer to her. She had no intention of giving anyone a free show, but she did crave him, his body heat. She wanted to be close to him.

If only.

“So, wanna share?” she asked through a sniffle, trying to play it off.

“They walked me around, and… some places… I had more powers.”

So… the dampers and limitations didn’t apply everywhere? Could it be that they were doing tests? It wouldn’t surprise her. They had mentioned how ready they were to help conception in any way available.

Was it under the guise of curing the problem? The fact that supernatural creatures needed human carriers in the first place?

“I’ve been mentally mapping them, and I’m gonna spend the next few days testing how strong I can be. If I can find the right spot, you could make a wish.”

Amelia’s breath hitched and her throat clamped up, becoming completely dry. “You want me to wish myself free?”

“Actually, I want you to wish yourself normal and then I want you to wish yourself free.”

Amelia’s mouth slackened, her eyes widening while a tingle expanded in her chest. She lifted one eyebrow, cocking her head to the side. She kept telling herself she heard him wrong, but, no matter how many times she replayed his words in her head, they sounded the same.

She shifted her hand, grabbing hold of his face. She tore him away from the crook of her neck and forced him to look into her eyes. “What?”

His eyes shifted left and then right. “Amelia…”

She knew he couldn’t fucking talk right now, but she didn’t care. Was he serious?

“Why?”

“Because.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“That’s the only one you’re gonna get.”

She shook her head. “Nope, not good enough.”

He wanted her to use him. He came here to escape that, and now he was trapped in that vicious circle all over again. She would get everything she could dream of but he would get nothing in return.

It would be costly for him.

What would they do to him for turning a universal carrier into a normal everyday girl?

A while back, she wouldn’t even have blinked an eye. It was everything she wanted; returning to her old life, and never having to look over her shoulder. She would be free and she would never have to think about this again.

But now?

No, she would think about him all the time.

She couldn’t do that to him. She couldn’t forsake him like this.

“Noah, no.”

“Amelia, yes.”

“Why?”

“I told you, because.”

“If you think I’m gonna let you do something so stupid based on because and nothing else, you’ve got something else coming buddy.”

“Because… I care about you.”

That pause was longer than it needed to be. She knew it didn’t mean anything. They hadn’t known each other very long. It couldn’t be anything more than that. She was logical, and so was he.

Yet, for a second, there was a part of her that thought she would hear that word.

It was her turn to whisper in his ear. “Why don’t I wish for us to be free, and then to be normal?”

“Can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because it can’t be one for you and one for me. Then I wouldn’t be able to do the last one.”

“That’s fine.”

“No it’s not fine,” he said through pinched lips. “You think they won’t come after you? You don’t think you’ll be right back at the beginning?”

“There has to be another way.”

“I thought about it, Amelia. There isn’t.”

She couldn’t in good conscience agree to this. She couldn’t leave him in such a horrible situation. Noah didn’t let her think about it. Instead, he leaned in, pressing his lips to hers in a quick peck.

It could have been more, but she knew the close-up surveillance probably made him feel as icky as she did.

“You’ve got a few days to get used to it.”

“And if I don’t?”

“You have to, Amelia. I signed a contract remember? I gotta protect you.”

“Is that the only reason?”

He scooped her in his arms and laid down on the bed, spooning her into him. He buried his face in the back of her neck and then he could a deep, long breath. He was warm and despite everything happening around her, she felt safe.

A moment of peace.

“You know it isn’t. I’ll outlive all of them, Ames. I’ll be fine.”

But he would be far away from her. He would be here and she would be there.

She would never see him again because unlike him, she would not live forever. So if she left, it was a long, dreaded goodbye.

Amelia reached for his hands, covering them with her hands.

What if she wasn’t ready to say goodbye?

A few days.

She had a few days to find a better solution to this.

She had to do it.

***

A/N: As a warning, we are getting close to the end of Book 1. I prefer issuing a warning so everyone can prepare themselves haha.