Siren (Genetically Altered Humans) Page 2

  “Lily? Honey, we don’t want you to try to remember anything. Not without one of the doctors present, okay? If you start thinking too much, we’ll have to medicate you to make you sleep.”

  Not try to remember? “Okay. But why?” There was a huge piece of a puzzle she seemed to be missing that everyone was tiptoeing around.

  “Just a precaution. Jason’s going to take care of you for a few days until I get there. You have to stay inside. I’m sorry. Think of it as an indoor vacation.”

  “I understand.” But she didn’t. When Jason told her he’d take her to visit the cities, she thought she’d be able to see one. Instead, she’d been smuggled in blind like a thief in the night.

  It wasn’t fair.

  Chapter Two

  The soft clearing of a throat woke her up. Lily blinked, sitting up. A long, black T-shirt covered her from neck to thigh. She took a deep breath. Yummy. It smelled like Jason.

  “Lily?” Dr. Amanda’s lilting voice came from a corner of the room. She was here. Or was she?

  “Jason? Where’s Jason? Did he leave me alone?” Lily panicked. Maybe Jason hadn’t rescued her. Maybe this...like all the other times...was just a dream. Maybe she was still tied down to that table. “Jason!” she screamed.

  He bounded into the room, freshly showered, hair damp at his neck. “Hush, baby girl. I’m here. It’s just Amanda.”

  “Is this real?” she hiccupped. “Am I dreaming? They tricked me before, with Dr. Amanda. It wasn’t really her, but it was her voice...”

  “It’s her,” he soothed, rocking her gently. “It’s her. She’s just going to make sure you’re all right. Dr. Robyn can’t come yet, she has a brand new baby, remember?”

  “Don’t leave me, okay?”

  His voice was strangled. “I won’t, Lily-girl. I was just in the shower.”

  “There’s one here you can use, Jason.” Her voice still sounded frantic. “I can watch the door for you while you shower. And you can watch it for me when I do. We don’t ever have to be caught unaware...snatched—”

  “Lily? Baby, snap out of it. You’re okay. You’re really safe now.”

  Finally, she felt her breathing calm as she took deep, evenly-spaced breaths.

  “I don’t know how she slept,” he said, over her head. “She woke all night long, screaming. Thinking her rescue was a dream or a trick.”

  “Lily,” Dr. Amanda said. “When you were in the lab, did you have dreams?”

  “I think so,” she whispered. “But I can’t remember everything. I never fully slept but more like...blacked out. And lots of times they tricked me, trying to make me think I was in Xenia. Some of the men wore costumes to look like us. But you know their mistake?” She leaned forward.

  “What was it?” Amanda asked.

  “Jason. They couldn’t make anyone look like Jason. I knew if I was really safe, Jason would be there.”

  “Good thinking, honey,” Amanda said. “Do you mind if I look you over? Jason will be right outside, okay?”

  “No, no. I want him to stay.”

  “Lily, there are some things you and I need to discuss regarding female matters...”

  Lily covered her ears...or lack thereof. “Jason stays.”

  “Okay, honey. I understand. Let me just run this scanner along your body.” Dr. Amanda was different from Dr. Robyn. Robyn would have argued more. Amanda was softer. She liked them both, of course, but one day, Amanda would be her sister in law, so she really needed to practice liking her more than anyone.

  The scanner paused on her lower belly, and Amanda’s face was inscrutable as she read the squiggly lines that came across the screen. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

  “Waking up to see Jason.”

  “Anything before that?”

  “No, except I start to get a headache when I try too hard.”

  “Headaches are Robyn’s expertise, so until she can see you, avoid them, okay? Try not to remember anything if it causes you pain.”

  “Okay.”

  “Does this hurt?” Dr. Amanda pushed down with her fingertips, low on her belly.

  “No. But it feels weird,” Lily said, holding her breath.

  “Your ovaries are a bit swollen. No reason why. No indications of any problems on the scanner. It could be from a sudden influx of hormones.”

  Dr. Amanda’s voice droned on. Lily dozed for a brief second and Amanda went silent, continuing to scan and press on her body.

  “Temperature too high. Sodium levels are too low.”

  She zoned out again. When she woke, Amanda and Jason were whispering.

  “You have a salt pool in the building right? That should help with her sodium levels. She can also drink a very little...maybe a quarter teaspoon dissolved in warm water.”

  “What about the other effects Robyn spoke of? Should she be falling asleep like this?”

  “Her body is exhausted, her brain waves not consistent. But Robyn will have to check that. If there are more effects, we’ll have to take that if and when it comes. Be prepared for anything, but expect nothing.”

  Swimming? Jason would take her swimming? That was rather exciting. It would just be him and her, and maybe—just maybe—he would fall in love with her.

  JASON POUNCED ON HIS sister as soon as they exited Lily’s bedroom and were away from her hearing range. “Well,” he said expectantly.

  “She’s a mess, Jace,” Amanda whispered, her eye on the door as if Lily might burst out. “I think they were trying to make her body grow to maturation. Back during creation, they had a plan to develop the teenagers. They woke them before their life cycle reached adulthood. I think they placed her back under and flooded her body with growth hormones, throwing everything into imbalance. But they wanted to keep her mind immature—a teenager still. So they kept waking her from the healing coma-like sleep, where the brain achieves deep waves. Mostly her theta and delta waves were tampered with, but Robyn will explore more of that theory. ”

  “Why would they want her mind separated from her body?”

  “Who knows what plans they had?”

  “What do we do about her?”

  “I need Robyn to check her out, too, to make sure my theory’s correct. But I think it’s too cruel to leave her like she is, bouncing back and forth relentlessly. Her mind wants to progress, but she’s been trained to wake up before she can reach the healing state. We need to put her under for as long as it takes to catch her mind up. In the meantime, you need to keep her safe here away from the world. We’ll see if we can’t get Robyn out in the next week or so.”

  “Has she been...assaulted?” Jason asked. “Is that why she refuses to let me out of her sight?”

  “I don’t know. I couldn’t do a thorough exam. The scanner doesn’t show physical trauma, but it does show she’s not a virgin. That’s not unusual, a lot of Xeno Sapiens had a multitude of testing done, and none of it was gentle. I wanted to talk to her about the changes in her body, but it appears you’ll need to do it. Explain to her the changes between being a kid and a woman.”

  “Great.”

  “Let me know if her sleep patterns change. It could be the computer chip in her brain will regulate her sleep cycles on its own to catch her up to her body. We’ll have to wait and see.” Amanda leaned in. “But Jason, it’s not a matter of going to sleep and waking up an adult. Remember, with the healing comes the memories. Lily’s going to have the mental trauma of torture or watching others being tortured. Who knows what she was put through? Steele remembers her being drowned, over and over, trying to force her lungs into remission and her other aquatic parts to take over. It was never successful.”

  “I’ll be here for her. The apartment is sound-proofed, so if her nightmares wake her, it’ll be okay. I’ll reserve the pool if Robyn can play with any cameras up on the roof. We can give her swim lessons, detract from those other water lessons they tortured with.”

  “I’m sure Robyn can do it. I’ll notify her immediately to scramble the signals.”

  After Amanda left, he peeked into the bedroom. Lily was still asleep, but it was the restless sleep he’d come to notice with her. She’d twitch, and her eyes would open at the slightest provocation. He watched for just a moment before sliding away. From the console in the living area, he reserved use of the pool in blocked increments.

  His intercom beeped. A call incoming from one of his men. He slipped out onto the balcony to take it.

  “Shawn? What’s up?”

  “I have Tempest here. She refuses to train until she knows that you are returning to Xenia and will continue with her. She wants to verify that I am not in charge of the operation.”

  “You are my second.” Jason pinched the brow of his nose. “Of course you’re in charge. I know that I told her I would be the primary trainer, but she’s aware that Lily is my priority. I will remain with her for as long as necessary, and in my absence, I trust no one more than you.”

  Apparently, Shawn had attached the communicator to Tempest because it was her voice that answered. “I understand. I will allow this human to train me until your return. But if my progress is thwarted...”

  “It will not be thwarted,” Jason muttered. “Shawn trained me.”

  Shocked silence met his statement.

  “Tempest, I would only give you the best. I swear. You’ll be a force to be reckoned with when we’re done. Trust me.”

  “I will. I do,” she said meaningfully, and he could almost see her eyes narrowed on Shawn, who for some reason she viewed suspiciously. He had no idea why, though Robyn assured him it was Tempest’s way. Still, something didn’t ring true. Especially with the way Robyn avoided his eyes when she spoke of Tempest. It was something he’d have to delve into when he got back.

  “I
s everything cleared up?” he asked.

  Shawn’s voice was back. “Perfectly. Thank you for your wisdom.”

  “Be well and prosper.”

  He disconnected the call and slipped back through the apartment to peer into Lily’s room. She was awake, which was not a surprise. The poor girl just couldn’t seem to sleep other than a restless, light doze.

  Again he was struck by how beautiful she’d grown. Her lips were full and lush, made as if they puckered for kisses. Her hair, once a seafoam color, had deepened to a darker forest-green. Her freckles seemed lighter than the lime specks they had been. It didn’t seem odd to him that she had no ears, though it had seemed like the end of the world to her. For him, it was simply a fact of life. She had no ears...like she had no penis. For the latter, he was glad.

  As soon as the thought struck him, he felt ashamed of himself. He should not be thinking of Lily along those lines.

  SHE WAS IN THAT STATE between wake and sleep where she didn’t feel either...or. Things seemed slower, like she wasn’t quite awake, yet not as dreamy and restful as when she really slept. She could be aware and keep her eyes open, but her thought processes were slowed down to a minimum level.

  She didn’t see Jason as much as she sensed him. The smell of him, the tentative probing of his soul that he did when he was concerned for her. His energy licked against her etheric field. But of course, humans weren’t aware of that sixth sense they used. Not like her species, the Xeno Sapiens. To them, using all aspects of their senses came naturally. Even the telepathic link, which at the moment seemed to be non-existent for her. She wasn’t worried about it. It would come back later when she was feeling more herself.

  Thinking she was fully awake, Jason lay down next to her on the bed. She loved that he was so comfortable around her. There wasn’t another human on the planet that would lay in a bed with her. Who would carry her naked, and growl at someone for noticing a body part that came on display.

  But why wasn’t he enthralled with those parts? He’d turned off the reflective glass. Maybe the green wasn’t so attractive. She fingered a lock of her hair.

  They were quiet for just a few minutes.

  Was it the freckles? Her hair was darker, perhaps they darkened, too. Oh, stars. What if they’d multiplied? Probably they were horrid flecks scrunched across her face like split-pea vomit.

  Maybe she was gross. Maybe she smelled like medicines and laboratory exuding from her pores. Hell, when had she bathed last? Her hair might have been darker because it was greasy from roots to ends.

  Eww.

  So gross.

  She’d have to act all gracious about it, like a grown-up. Make him forget she was a dirty and stinky kid.

  “Do you want to shower?” he asked her.

  “Yes.” Her voice was sullen like a teen, the one thing she was trying to remind him she was not. Because he pointed out her dirtiness.

  “We need to have a talk before that happens.”

  “You already told me. I have boobs. I haven’t seen them, but you have.” And dammit, she wanted to. Why did he get to see them while she didn’t? They were hers.

  His voice sounded strangled. “It’s not like I tried to look! I just put a shirt on you so you could sleep.” Then he shook his head. “That’s not the point. The point is your body is going to feel—and look—unfamiliar. But you just need time to acclimate to it. It is you—it’s the you that you would have grown into—granted, much more slowly.”

  “Is my diamond still in my nose?” She would be pissed if they’d stolen it. Those—those—ass tards. No, that word wasn’t right. Shawn had laughed the last time she used it. He’d leaned down...and whispered a good one into her missing ear...

  Bass-tards. That was it.

  “Yes,” Jason said drily.

  Oh, yeah. The diamond. “Awesome. At least it’s safe. I’ll explore everything else later.” Eh, it was her body. Check it out, she sure would.

  “Explore?” Again, with the strangled voice. What was up with Jason?

  “Is that bad?”

  “No, not bad. It’s understandable. I’ll go make us some breakfast, but I’ll leave your bedroom door open so I can hear you if you need me.” Slowly he slid from the bed, angling toward the door even as he spoke.

  Hell and damnation, he was out of the bedroom before she could even blink. She didn’t want to be left alone. She hated being left alone. Her chest constricted, her lungs drawing tight to force all air out. She panicked, wanting to scream his name. To make him come running, to assure her she was safe.

  Instead, she choked, taking a deep, ragged breath. Jason was here, in the apartment. The safe-house. No one else was present. No one else could get to her. She just had to breathe through this.

  Breathe.

  A grown-up would.

  When her chest no longer hurt, she eyed the distance from the edge of the bed to the bathroom door. Just a few feet.

  She could do this. She eased out of bed, her shaky bare feet with her minty-green toenails looking pale against the rug. Well, that was weird. Someone had taken off her bright yellow toenail polish. She stood, Jason’s dark blue T-shirt falling to her thighs. Then, one step at a time, she walked across the hardwood floor to the bathroom.

  Once there, she wasn’t brave enough to close the door all the way.

  She was only brave enough to switch on the shower faucet so the water could run. The water ran in a straight sheet from the ceiling, looking like a sheet of warm ice...a waterfall. Then, she rocked on the balls of her feet. Was she ready for this? She turned slowly toward the mirror.

  Damnation hellfire. Her hair had grown down to her...rear. Was that her rear? She turned, awkwardly trying to see it over her shoulder. It was so...round. Her waist was as small as it was before, but it looked tinier now that it sat atop rounded hips and a cute bubble butt. Her thighs were smooth and rounder, too. She’d never really paid much attention to them before. But they were kind of...sexy. Now, finally, she understood the true meaning of the word.

  Her calves were curved, with slender ankles and elegant feet. Long toes, webbing between them, the nails naturally tinted green to match her freckles. Thankfully, they weren’t any thicker or darker. If anything, they’d lightened. Her skin was still alabaster cream, but she had green tinted shadows underneath her eyes.

  What would the rest of her look like?

  She listened for any noise outside the bedroom and, hearing nothing, hurriedly whipped Jason’s T-shirt over her head. Oh, wow.

  Her boobs.

  There were no words for the perfectly ripe, rounded melons that sat over her delicate ribcage. Dusky pink nipples jutted proudly, centered in perfect puckers.

  Lily gasped. Hell, she looked like a goddess. She was breathtaking. She was a siren. A sexual goddess of the sea. Mellow was so not going to believe this! She’d be so jealous.

  Dare she look lower?

  A strip of green hair pointed down in a delicate V between her legs. And the more she looked, the more it tingled like magic.

  Wow. So wow. Jason was going to love that little green orchid.

  She turned and padded softly to the shower, a soft smile played on her lips.

  DEAR. DIVINE. GODDESS.

  From the gap in the door, Jason averted his eyes as sexy, curvaceous calves walked to the shower, her perfect heart-shaped ass swinging. The shower door opened and closed, and the sound of the water tempered as she stood beneath the rolling stream that poured from the ceiling.

  He shouldn’t look. This was a girl, dammit...for all intents and purposes. She was a child still. But he had to make sure she was all right, that she wasn’t freaking out at the sight of her new body.

  Her face was upturned, the water cascading down her waves of hair, curling the ends to press against glorious, creamy-white buttocks. Her hair darkened to a deeper green when wet. She turned slightly, the curve of one breast kissed by the steady stream of recycled water. What he wouldn’t give to be a droplet of that water right now. The nipple hardened beneath the wall of water, and when she noticed, Lily gasped, looked down at her own breast.