The Genesis Project Read online

  He leaned closer to the screen blocking Yasira from her view making him appear larger. He really didn’t see his error as his blue eyes sparkled with mischief and the grin she’d become accustomed to at Academy appeared on his face.

  “Don’t do this to me Gen. I need you here, with me. Say you’ll be ready,” his voice dropped lower with every word. Dropped his voice to a pitch that settled low in her belly. He mesmerized her. Hypnotized by his words, she had to shake her head loose of the thoughts he was putting there. “Be ready, Gen.” And then the screen went black.

  Dammit! She couldn’t be at the tasting. There was no desire to be there, especially now. She didn’t know how to play this game. Had seen it dozens of times while at Academy, and still didn’t understand the rules. Gen let out a frustrating groan while banging her head on her desk. She turned to her closet and tried to find something decent to wear. Not to go to the tasting, but to greet Scion at the door to tell him to return without her. She wasn’t going and that was final. He could taste Yasira, Goddess be damned he could taste an entire battalion of females and she wouldn’t be there to see it! Refused to be there to see it.

  Chapter 9

  For hours Gen fidgeted. She couldn’t concentrate in the lab and her father had dismissed her some time ago claiming that she needed rest. She’d thought of a hundred different scenarios on how to tell Scion he’d come all this way for nothing, but failed miserably. She was a horrible liar. She’d tried to get Xander back on the vid screen, but he’d ignored all her calls. Sun down came too quickly and frantically she searched for something to wear. She decided to go with causal and of course a collar. She didn’t want to upset Scion. His wrists had also been covered and she didn’t know how he would react to seeing her without her collar.

  The knock at the door both scared and relieved her. Finally she could get this over with. Her father would be in the lab until the mid-phase of the moon and she knew he’d ignore the caller at the door.

  “Yes.”

  “Miss Blackmore, I’m here to escort you to Xander’s home.”

  “Scion,” Gens said through the door. “I’ve much work to do in my father’s lab.”

  “Then I shall wait.”

  “Wait…. wait?” She sputtered. Why would he do that?

  “Who’s at the door?” Her father emerged from the lab, black gloves on his hands. His skin was vibrant and she noticed again, he appeared to be younger than he had the day before.

  “I’ve been invited out for the evening father.” Vaggo didn’t respond for several long moments. She still hadn’t opened the door for Scion, who appeared to be perfectly happy with standing there on the other side.

  “That actually sounds like a good idea. Just don’t forget to grab your nutrient pack on the way out. I have plenty to keep me busy. I’m still testing the final sample. You don’t need to be here for that.”

  That didn’t seem right. Her father always wanted her around during the last minute details of anything he was working on. There were plenty of times he’d needed her assistance. He couldn’t do everything by himself. It wasn’t like he had an actual assistant. A.I. is there. She reasoned. The computer was there to assist her father, but darn it! She was looking for an excuse not to leave. Instead her father was pushing her out.

  Already dressed to go out, Gen reluctantly opened the door and allowed Scion to escort her to the car, while her father looked on. The drive was too quiet and normally that didn’t bother her, but now it did. Having been in a room all the time with recruits in classrooms, the silence seemed unnatural.

  “Scion, you must be tired from picking up all the guests for this evening’s tasting.”

  “No, you were the only one Xander sent me to pick up.” She was the only one? Did he think she couldn’t grab an air taxi? She wasn’t completely without options, had she wanted to arrive in the first place. Dressed in a violet tank top and loose fitting jeans, she moved closer to her door, peering out the window. She watched the buildings glide by in a blur. Absently wondered what went on in the now closed shops during the day. When they finally arrived, Gen took in the night sky. A black backdrop decorated with a dusting of stars nestled deep into their places. Cosmic dust streaked across in colors of red, bright orange and even green. There was no breeze, but the trees still seemed to sway to the beat of the night. Gen loved the night sky and its inhabitants. As a girl she would watch from her perch on the window seal in her room and wonder if she would ever get to travel to distant planets and pass black holes and witness the birth of a super nova. All that seemed silly now, but still it comforted her.

  There were no lights on outside of Xander’s home, but Gen could see the details clearly. It was simple, yet elegant. Strong lines gave the house a traditional look. Large bay windows, with drapes now open to receive what light came from the open sky, were dressed with swaths of gauzy fabric. A wide door frame with side windows opened as she reached the top step.

  “What’s she doing here Scion?”

  “Xander’s request.” As if that was enough answer. Holding the door frame was Bianca Treegold. She was wearing a pure pink silk gown that showed her pale skin beneath. Gen hadn’t dressed for something so fancy or risqué. Not that she would, but she wasn’t going to judge Bianca’s appearance. Scions large form blocked Bianca, allowing Gen to pass. She was expecting to see a lot of people gathered, half of the senior class was there. But what she wasn’t expecting was to see them all in different states of undress and rubbing against one another in a sensual dance.

  What the hell had she gotten herself into?

  Chapter 10

  Gen watched with shock and curiosity as limbs connected, arms groped, and caresses were exchanged. She’d learned a few things while at the Academy. The recruits were very open about tasting. It was a carnal act. Intimate. Enthralling. The sound of her heart rose to a crescendo that threatened to blow out her ears. Her father had told her to go. Had not given the slightest reproach. Too busy with his project to warn Gen of what she was walking into. As confusion and something else she didn’t understand settled warmly over her skin, Gen found herself taking cautious steps back toward the door. She couldn’t handle something of this magnitude. It was too much for her self-preservation. Why else would her body react violently at the images before her? Her mouth watered. Her gut tightened painfully, but pleasurably at the same time. Emotions so deep they festered beneath her skin, hot and dangerous. She was completely out of her element.

  She could hear the sounds of her classmates. Long sighs and breathy moans. Somewhere in the heated tangled mess of bodies was Xander, she was sure of it. Her insides wound into tiny knots pulling imaginary strings inside tighter and tighter, until strangulation consumed those knots to death. Lost desperation slipped from her mouth in the form of a gasp. It escaped before she could force it back down. She was angry, hurt, achy, and displaced all in the same breath. She’d never had to deal with a handful of emotions before. Not when it came to other living things. In the lab, she’d experienced disappointment at something not coming out the way she expected. She’d dealt with confusion when trying to solve a problem. Real, live people evoking even a measure of emotion enough to cause pain, was not something she was accustomed to handling. Her specimens in the lab didn’t cause the physical inability to breathe, didn’t cause pain so deep, it sawed through her rib cage and ripped into her heart.

  Gens reaction to Xander was more than bothersome. It was a disease. Had her crouched in a ball tight enough to lose oxygen. He wasn’t good for her. He was bad, all kinds of bad, and somehow, during the course of her studies at the Academy, she’d become a faithful follower of Xander Treegold.

  As if she’d mentally willed him from the tangled limbs, Xander appeared. He walked through the throng of bodies. He stepped over some and skirted others. He was wearing a beige sweater and a pair of black pants that were glossy. She knew the pants were gel leather. A very expensive fabric that only the well-off could afford. The material was smo
other than any animal’s pelt and molded to the skin that filled it. An enormous part of his body she didn’t want to look at, but couldn’t help but stare, was well defined and rested comfortably on the inside of his thigh. It was a blatant in your face reminder that Xander Treegold was all male.

  “Genesis,” he said in a quiet tone. The sound of her name on his lips was velvet and fire. His words caressed the edges of her ears, she could feel the softness in his tone. The air between them was static and heavy with heat.

  “Xander, I shouldn’t be here.”

  “Says who?” He was getting dangerously close. Each step seemed over exaggerated; too slow. His gait was smooth and fluid.

  “My father.” He’d told her to go, but Xander hadn’t known that.

  Xander shook his head and his eyes seemed a darker, deeper shade of blue. His fangs, now more pronounced rested on his lower lip as his grin widened.

  “Uh ah.” He stepped closer and Gen took a step back. Defending herself wasn’t the issue. But her virtue, that was altogether different. This was not a safe place for her to be. She was staring into eyes of blue fire. They held her immobile, rooted her to the ground. Invisible roots latched on to her feet, anchoring her in place. There was nowhere for her to go, to run, to hide. “Why are you here Gen? If you didn’t want to be here,” his body stepped dangerously closer. “You should turn around. Leave now, the door is right behind you.”

  He spoke the truth. She could turn and walk back out the door. In her peripheral she could see other’s starting to notice that she’d come to the tasting. Some stopped mid caress, in what she could only assume was curiosity. Did she stay? Or did she leave? She didn’t want to acknowledge the real answer. Didn’t want to face the unimaginative truth. She wanted to be here. Wanted to be here so bad, she was willing to risk her propriety to get answers to her questions. Mere seconds passed by and finally her feet moved. Not forward, but back. Turn around now. Turn around and go now. Her brain pleaded with her. But instead she backed into a firm body. Said body also had hands that gently grasped her shoulders.

  “Genesis.” Adam. She’d backed into Adam.

  The skin on skin contact between her and Adam was strong. Xander stepped up to her and both men now caged her in. There was something strange happening between the three of them. Something she was unable to describe. Tangible electricity arced between them. Surrounding them in an impenetrable force-field, blocking out everyone else. Gen felt like a charged particle being moved around between the two of them at a rapid pace. Something close to excitement lit her up from the inside. These types of emotions were supposedly chemical in nature. Unbalanced amounts of norepinephrine, and dopamine stirred up like a swarm of hornets in its nest in a combustible concoction. Sweaty palms, pounding heart, and the unmistakable smell of lust. She’d long ago associated lust with both males. But until now she wasn’t willing to admit it. Adam’s scent was a velvety seduction of chocolate that she could taste on her tongue. Xander was spice and fire that she could feel against her skin. That her body recognized their scents was a problem in itself.

  She couldn’t deduce what kind of outcome the three of them would produce. In this she was unable to come up with the appropriate answers, and because of that she was not able to take the proper actions to shield herself against them.

  “Genesis,” Adam said again.

  This time, his voice sounded rough and winded. Harsh breath brushed the nape of her neck. She pulled away from his arms only to move closer to Xander. The sounds and images around her were distracting. Short puffs of air made her chest rise and fall rapidly. The two males she currently stood between only made the situation worse. Her body was changing in ways that she could not have anticipated. Now, her breasts were heavy. Achy. The fabric of the top she wore became alive and distributed sensation across her skin. The slightest movement of her chest caused the fabric to glide across her sensitive flesh. Her body was melting, evidence of the moisture leaking between her legs. A dull throb settled on a spot so sensitive, she felt light headed and drowsy. Her blood pressure was rapidly rising, and she knew her body was doing an automatic systems check and adjusting her to her current situation. The heat in her body multiplied. Gen was crashing fast.

  Xander stepped forward and reached for her hand. He gently held them as he spoke to her.

  “Gen, come with me.”

  She was shaking her head no as Adam spoke at her back.

  “You don’t have to go anywhere you don’t want to.” Was Adam on her side?

  Xander molded his body to her front. She was caught off guard and almost leaned into the security of Adams arm, when Xander’s hands pulled her into his warmth.

  “Miss Blackmore,” Xander purred, he was throwing off large amounts of heated pheromones. The air was infused with his fiery aroma.

  Gen stepped back into Adam. His hands were at her waist now digging into the side of her hips. His bold, yet subtle scent clashed with Xander’s. Dancing underneath her nose, lulling her into submission.

  Identical sounds mingled with the moans and grunts in the entangled crowd in front of her. Had her rocking forward into Xander’s chest.

  “That’s it.” He crooned.

  Adam’s hands pulled her into his chest, slow and careful, until she was cocooned by both males.

  “I… must… leave.” Her voice was gone, only the air from her lungs gave her words presence.

  “Bring her forward Adam.” Xander’s voice said with authority.

  Adam gently pushed her forward. Hands still gripping her waist. Her steps faltered. She knew she should be putting up a fight, but didn’t want to draw attention to herself. Instead of taking control of the situation and securing her freedom. She was being led into her demise. Debauchery all around her, she placed one foot after the other. Condemning herself to the debasement. She was pushed through bodies that were connected at the hips, bodies pushing and thrusting where they were connected. She was well aware how the mechanics of sex were established, but had never seen it acted out before her. This was a tasting she’d never read about. She knew of their carnal intent, but the ceremony always came first. The ceremony would take place around an altar. Blood was given to the Goddess, and once the matches were made, the mating would commence. She knew everyone’s sexual appetite would be voracious in their need to come together, but what was happening here was something else. Something abstruse, something taboo. She was sure of it.

  Adam continued to lead her until they made it past the writhing bodies. They were in an atrium of some sort now. The night sky was vacant of its moon and stars. Cosmic dust in shades of red, blue and pink were sprayed across the black void of the night’s sky, illuminated by the sun. The enclosure was interesting, Gen thought to herself as she took in the space. Ferns at least twenty feet tall towered over them. Large leaves were open to receive the night air. No one had an arrangement of greenery this vas. Hybrid flowers that only blossomed at night were vivid and fragrant. Co-mingling with the scents of sex and lust.

  “This is where the ceremony will take place,” Adam said against the shell of her ear. His lips grazed her skin and Gen tried to suppress a shiver.

  “Why did you bring me in here?” You know why you’re here Gen. She chided herself. She did know. Trying to act stupid wasn’t going to save her now.

  Xander turned to pull her from Adams arms.

  “You’re my honored guest. Why would I not want you here?” He led her by her hands, fingers entwined he pulled her down into the mouth of the atrium. Three steps. That was the distance between her and complete surrender. Three. You can observe, just as Xander promised. Gen reminded herself. She didn’t have to participate. No matter that her body was on board with whatever was asked of her. She didn’t have to be a part of the tasting.

  A huge altar was in the center of the atrium, surrounded by Corinthian columns wrapped in gold vines and blue, midnight orchids from the verse Orchania. The planet systems there were known for their diversity in botanical stu
dies. These plants and flowers were all genetically altered. They gave off some sort of pheromone inducing opiate that relaxed and aroused those around it. Because of her heighten sense of smell Gen was able to differentiate between the different particles in the air she was breathing. Fragrant spores fell lightly on the ground all around in a curtain of vibrant colors landing on her clothing, her skin. Attaching itself to her very essences.

  “I need to go home.” Her voice didn’t hold as much conviction as her mind warned that she should. The fragrance was already starting to mess with her motor capabilities and she swayed towards Xander, before quickly righting herself. She may have had healing qualities, even extra heighten senses, but she could still be tampered with by toxins and drugs. She wasn’t immune, but she wouldn’t experience the full effect either. This seemed a bit different though. She knew the plants and flowers around her were bioengineered, but what if this wasn’t chemical at all, but some sort of defense mechanism that caused the plants and flowers to react this way. Defending themselves against the harmful environment. What if what her father had told her wasn’t true? What if, except for her deformities, she was just like everyone else? She was having a mini melt down right there, inside of her head. Because the orchid’s and plant’s pheromones were strong. She tried to fight it, but it seemed to be of no use. Everything was in slow motion now. Like her brain down shifted in order to combat against the uphill battle with her senses.

  “I did tell you not to come to this.” Adam voiced quietly. His head bent and his nostrils flared as he took a deep breath inhaling the orchids’ scent. There was a sound at the entrance to the atrium and Bianca was there in her ceremonial robes. Cold, biting smile plastered on her face. How did Adam stand to be near her? They were two complete opposites thrust together in a match. Did they even love each other?