Love at the End of the World Page 30

  “As Superiors we were afraid you would damage our children. The ones we created. Our own perfect offspring. We needed survival of not the fittest, but the most innocent. The deserving. You became a disease of emotions. We saw it in all of you as you grew to maturity. You would somehow procreate to contaminate our own. Some of the children were set to be released, but we could not chance it. We shut off all communication with you. We fabricated an explosion. We were so sad you would hate us for our betrayal that we wanted you to think something happened to us instead. All of you had to leave, but some stayed. We were so torn. You have too many memories. It’s in your DNA that you can become primitive, and you did. I see it in your stance, your facial features. You have killed. I see hatred. These children cannot hate. They will never understand hate. They are doomed unless they can understand survival.”

  “The animals? You set them free. Why?” Greyson asked.

  “We haven’t grown more, we couldn’t allow them to continue. They might have found a way over the wall. The birds mated and almost flew into our sanctuary. They would have brought disease, so we activated the dome again, but it wasn’t enough to save us. Any who were left couldn’t leave. The meteor blast was too strong. All power was diverted to save the children. In doing so, we have killed ourselves. We were right—parents will die for their offspring.

  “The animals had to go, but there were too many, and we couldn’t kill them all. We foolishly thought the carnivores could understand no animosity, and in time they would die out. But once they were set free without food, they reverted back. Given time, so will the herbivores, they will learn to run—or remember to if they haven’t already. Our pure genes will only work with humans. We thought a lion who loved everyone would be set free and would die. It should have had zero concept of killing. We wanted to see. We were wrong. They have an inner gene bred into them to survive...instinct. You cannot breed out instinct in an animal. And now the wall is gone. The children will be picked off one by one. They will die terrified. Helpless innocents.”

  “Have you seen what’s out there?” Greyson raged. “Killing, fear. You let us die terrified, your children.”

  “We could have electrocuted the wall, but we didn’t. It hurt us to watch our children fall and break. We didn’t know the pain they would suffer, but we do now. We mourned all of you. These children are far more vulnerable.”

  “Infinity and I can hardly care for each other.”

  “These children need your guidance. I am the last of the voices. Please, save my children.”

  “You ousted us, your children. You expect us to care for yours?” Greyson’s tone was bitter.

  “You promised.”

  “I lied, you filthy asshole. Another fine trait in my generation that you taught me, not my real parents.” He practically spat the words. Hatred deeper than he’d ever experienced welled up inside him. He wished the Superior was human so he could smash it in its face.

  “These children are not me. They are human, like you. Part of you. Only so deeply humane they will die if you don’t help them. If you can, teach them to survive. You’re all they have.” The voice flickered. “I am so sorry, my child. I did love you. I do. I was...afraid. I am a Superior, and I was afraid what you might say to my children once they were set amongst you. You might have influenced emotions of terror, lust, anger with your memories. Now I have no choice. We are lucky you went over the wall. We spared you and you survived. Please help my children. Please. This is not their fault.”

  The pad went quiet. Greyson stood with his fists balled and turned to walk away. How dare this shit even ask for a favor? It had some nerve. Glancing around, Greyson saw no children. Even now he was lied to. A great anger welled inside.

  “Wait,” Infinity said and grabbed his hand.

  The sea of pods began to open as the sun shined brighter, and children no older than three or four began to climb out. Their only attire was a silver loincloth and small slippers on their feet. All colors, all races. Dark hair, blondes, brunettes emerged. They rubbed at their eyes, and many held snuggly, plush, stuffed animals. At one time long ago, after his family vanished, Greyson had a stuffy. His stuffy spoke to him. When some of the children put their stuffy to their ears they seemed confused and shook the toy. There would be no calming voices for them to hear. Reality was going to be a nightmare.

  Greyson estimated there were at least thirty children, but he wasn’t certain of the exact number. He staggered back; Infinity was right, he could count, and he wished he couldn’t. There were too many children. They were confused, and some of them ventured back into their pods. They would need to be coaxed out.

  As his heart pounded Greyson wanted to run. Tiny beings—had he ever been so tiny?—stuck thumbs in mouths. The amount of responsibility weighed him down until he wanted to drop to his knees. How could they care for them? How could they not?

  One boy caught his attention and smiled at him. Greyson shook, overcome with an eerie feeling. The boy looked identical to him when he had been that age. The lanky child came forth slowly. A mop of unruly, dark curls covered his head, and he extended his hand to grip Greyson’s. He felt a charge of energy and warmth when he clutched the offered hand; he never wanted to let go. Greyson swallowed hard. The innocence gazing back rocked him to the core. And yet the Superiors had killed children younger than this. His brother was only a year old when he was taken away never to be seen again.

  “Hello, Father.”

  Two words and Greyson was undone. Life looked into his eyes. If he didn’t run now, he never would. He knelt and took the boy by the shoulders. There would be no turning back from this day forward. He damned the Superiors. They created the ultimate innocence, which he was now forced to destroy in order to save their lives. This small child would need to learn to kill. They all would. Could they even teach them to do so? If not, they would be doomed when he and Infinity were dead.

  “You are safe,” Greyson told the boy. “You are loved, and you are wanted. You are mine. I promise to teach you to survive. It won’t be easy, son. You must trust me to do the right thing for you now and always. Do you have a name?”

  “I am Little Grey.”

  Greyson gazed up at Infinity, overwhelmed with emotion. Always new emotions he knew yet didn’t. The Superiors always told him he was the perfect male. They had gifted the boy with part of his name; a name they had initially opposed.

  Infinity smiled as her miniature look-alike walked forward. The small girl also took Infinity by the hand.

  “I am named Eternity, Mother.”

  One by one, children called out their names as they crowded around eagerly: Hope, Faith, Courage, Light, Sun, Belief, Devotion, Love, Loyal…

  Infinity laughed as both their ears filled with words of encouragement. She gazed up at Greyson who had picked up Little Grey.

  “Infinity, there are so many. What will we do with them?”

  “We will teach them to survive. We will teach them all we know, everything we’ve learned. And they will rise above adversity. They will succeed. We have. All of these small humans are gifts. Each rare and special. Welcome, Greyson. Welcome to us all, to the new era.”

  About C. L. Scholey

  I love to write about everything and can’t wait for an idea that grips me and sends me to a new place. Between worlds keeps me busy, that and chasing after my children and grandchildren, and recently a new kitten. Plus one ornery 116 pound mastiff who thinks he’s a lap dog. Welcome to my adventures, and hang on!

  C. L. Scholey’s Website:

  www.clscholey.com

  Reader eMail:

  clscholey@hotmail.com

  More Beachwalk Press Anthologies Featuring These Authors

  Sex, Love, and Aliens, Volume 1

  Sex, Love, and Aliens, Volume 2

  Untamed Shifter Love

  In His Alien Hands

  Sex, Love, and Aliens, Volume 1

  Four sexy novellas of sizzling lust, romantic love, and suspenseful action
.

  Tangled Webs by Imogene Nix

  In the course of a single day Gia Montgomery loses her job and discovers that her boyfriend—now ex-boyfriend—is a two-timing sleaze. After downing a bottle of wine, she catches sight of Cedun in her backyard. He’s the Ba’Tua heir who has been living on Earth for several years. Gia struggles to ignore the strong attraction between them, because she’s sure he’s seeing someone else. Someone very close to her, in fact.

  When the situation with her ex turns nasty, Cedun finally has a chance to set things straight between himself and Gia, but nothing is as simple as it seems. Cedun must protect Gia and sort out an impossible love-life tangle before it’s too late.

  The Spaceship Captain’s Wife by Ashlynn Monroe

  On a dying planet, treasure waits for an honorable man to claim it. Captain Ric Julius believes the cargo of gems is what he’s come for, but there is one jewel he never expected. Her name is Kateri, and she changes everything.

  Saving the woman’s life, and making a fortune in the process, requires only one thing of Ric—his freedom. In order to obtain the gems he has to agree to take Kateri to safety…and to make her his wife. Every man has a price, but is Ric willing to pay in full on a debt he owes to a dead man on a decomposing world?

  His Human by Jaye Shields

  Elara Roberts is the captain of a space shuttle sent to retrieve a group of cloned soldiers from the planet US-2. As soon as she lands, the shuttle is overtaken and all of her men killed.

  Svarog aka Rogue, is the leader of a rebel group of clones who desire freedom. He’s been trained his entire life for one thing—to kill. But when he lays eyes on Elara, the only woman he’s ever seen, his first instinct is to love. Taking her for himself, his new mission becomes exploring the body of the creature, and punishing any other clone male who dares come close.

  Elara witnessed how easily Rogue killed her men and fears she is next. But instead, the beast seems curious and more lustful than anything else. Her best survival strategy is to play along. But when she gets a chance to escape she realizes she may not be ready to leave Rogue behind.

  Gravitation by Beth D. Carter

  Bree has spent her whole life hiding from the aliens who destroyed what was once Earth. When she stumbles across a wounded alien, common sense tells her to kill him before he can kill her, but her compassionate side refuses to obey. Instead, she helps him.

  The two forge a temporary truce when they’re forced to band together for protection. But as the days slip by, the alien Niah won’t leave her, and as friendship gives way to something more, she can’t help but wonder when, or if, them being on opposite sides will break the fragile bonds of love forming between them.

  Content Warning: these stories contain sexual content, strong language, and some violence

  Sex, Love, and Aliens, Volume 2

  Four sexy novellas featuring lust, love, and action. Oh, and aliens too.

  Covert Webs by Imogene Nix

  Dria is more than the Ba’Tuan Princess, she’s also a highly trained warrior who’s been sent to Earth to covertly uncover a plot to destroy the accord between the two species.

  Military commander Marcus Vane is scarred and weary. His experience with women has left him afraid of commitment…that is until Dria turns up. Not only is she everything a warrior should be—strong, focused, and honorable—she’s also an incredibly beautiful woman.

  They must work together to find the Incubi and stop their plans, but one split-second decision changes everything, and now the danger is even more extreme.

  The Spaceship Captain’s Daughter by Ashlynn Monroe

  Briz Julius isn’t afraid to break the law to save the lives of strangers. Briz insists she can get an important shipment of medicine between worlds without incident. Her family reluctantly agrees to allow her to make the trip in their oldest, smallest vessel. The decrepit ship doesn’t look like much, but that’s exactly what she needs to get to her designation without attracting attention.

  Matek’s family was massacred by the captain of the pirate ship, the Heartless. Becoming one of the crew was easy, but remaining silent while the ruthless villain takes an innocent girl captive isn’t. Matek has spent years plotting his revenge. Is he willing to throw away his only chance to avenge everyone he loved in order to save the bold and beautiful stranger?

  Her Clone by Jaye Shields

  Angela Raden’s last mission to planet US-2 nearly got her killed. The savage beating she’d been subjected to made her wish she had died. And now the military wants to send her back. But Angela will be doing things differently this time around. She’ll die before she allows the enemy to touch her again.

  Damon is a human clone raised for the purpose of killing, but he’s seen enough death to last him a lifetime. With revolution taking over his planet, he remains in solitude, seeking peace amidst chaos. When he meets a tiny slip of a human determined to take on an entire clone army, he can’t help but follow her. Since he’d been in hiding the woman believes he’s human, and upon seeing her hatred of his cloned peers, he keeps the secret in order to remain in her company. But when he follows her into danger, will the truth be revealed?

  Bond by Beth D. Carter

  They had known each other a lifetime ago, but love while serving as slaves to the TEV, the aliens who rule Earth, wasn’t something that could ever last. When Freya’s family escaped, leaving the only home she’d ever known, she left Kory behind, but she can’t forget him.

  When she meets him again, Kory isn’t the human boy she remembered. He has survived a horrific scientific experiment that has changed him into a hybrid—half human, half TEV. Can she trust this man who has now, essentially, become a member of the enemy?

  Content Warning: these stories contain sexual content and some violence

  Untamed Shifter Love

  Five sizzling hot stories of shifters finding their mates.

  Mouse and the Bounty Hunter by C. L. Scholey

  A mouse by any other name would still be a mouse. Except Carlin is no mouse—it’s just her nickname. Kidnapped by a Kodiak bear shifter and his gang, they demand Carlin shift into the mouse they think she is to help them rob a bank. When she’s unable to shift, her captor, Balor, assumes she’s merely frightened and she will eventually shift…or die.

  Tarvor has been on Balor and his gang’s tail for years. The bounty hunter wasn’t in any rush to capture the thieving nuisances, but now they have his mate. No more will Tarvor let the shifter gang run loose. Tarvor wants Carlin, and he wants her now.

  Lord of the Hunt by Juliet Cardin

  For generations, the men of the Cole family bloodline have turned into wolves. Balen Cole has relentlessly searched for an end to the transformation. He becomes especially desperate when his betrothed arrives earlier than expected, seeking his protection.

  Alena Harford had to rush to Balen’s side when another man sought to claim her as his own. Though she has heard the dark rumors about the Cole family, Alena is willing to risk anything to be Balen’s bride. She plays the role of a delicate lady, but she isn’t as helpless as she leads others to believe.

  The pair finds love and desire in each other’s arms. But how long can they hope to survive when a vile menace arrives threatening to expose their secrets and endangers their very lives?

  Moonlight by Ashlynn Monroe

  Joslyn Jamison is a human woman that was raised by werewolves. After graduating college, she returns home, trying to decide if she should marry her long-time boyfriend. The man she really desires is Kane Wolfe, the secret crush of her teen years, but he’s very off-limits. She’s lived a life straddling two worlds, but she can never belong to Kane.

  Kane Wolfe is used to getting what he wants. He patiently waited for Jossy to grow up and see that she belongs to him, but he waited too long. Convincing the human that she’s a fit mate for a werewolf is harder than he thought it would be.

  When Joslyn is thrown into the middle of a pack war Kane is prepared to do whatever
it takes to protect her and claim her as his mate, even if she’s too stubborn to claim him back. She’s brave enough to live in his world, but is she courageous enough to accept him as her mate?

  The Hunter by Olivia Starke

  In order to impress Mike Conner, her crush from the gym, city girl Trinity Gaines decides to head to a local conservation area to snap some wildlife pics. When she’s attacked by a large animal, she’s left wounded and helpless against whatever is stalking her through the trees.

  Hunter Mike Conner let a werewolf slip from his grasp. Then he finds Trinity stranded in the forest after being attacked by the monster, and he’s riddled with guilt. She’s been served a death sentence—one he’ll have to carry out himself in a few short weeks before she shifts.

  The chemistry between them is undeniable. While struggling to understand their growing feelings for one another, Trinity and Mike suddenly find themselves in a fight for their lives. Will they survive or will the werewolf within Trinity destroy them both?

  William’s Warrior by T. Cobbin

  Porsha was born prematurely—a rare thing for a dragon shifter—and at twenty-one years old, she’s still small. Because of her size her parents were very protective, and she had a sheltered life. Now, her mother and father have decided it’s time for her to mate, and they’re determined to find the perfect person to keep her protected. They plan a party to introduce her to those males they deem worthy. The night of the party, Porsha runs away, and shortly afterward she joins the staff at Dragon’s Heart as a waitress.