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

A/N: Happy Monday! Welcome new readers and old readers! Thank you to everyone for reviewing, commenting and reading. I really appreciate it. I know the question came up a few times, but as an FYI I update every Monday, and trying to fit in another update a week. I’ll let you know when I work it out! :)

***

God fucking damn it.

Amelia tossed her phone across the room, her blood boiling. Why. She had tried a few searches but she kept hitting the same damn error page: access restricted. They were fucking restricting her Internet access, preventing her from doing a damn search.

She wasn’t stupid; she knew she probably wouldn’t replace much. She wasn’t technology savvy, she didn’t know the ways of the dark web… but she thought… maybe with some luck? But no. That was wishful thinking.

Though the fact that Genecorp wasn’t allowing her to research them… was fishy. It made her think that she was right; there was something at play here. What? She didn’t know.

Noah had told her to enjoy this life, to experiment - but at the same time, he was telling her to replace what worked for her and get out. Was it supposed to mean something? Was she supposed to understand something from it?

Or she was reading too much into it?

He was confusing and impossible to read. He asked her to make a wish. He asked her to make a wish. He came, gave her his whole sappy story, and then - he asked to be the horrible people he described.

Wishes.

Genies.

It was tempting, she couldn’t lie. She could have everything she wanted at the tip of her fingers. She could understand the temptation. Then again, she could have everything she wanted now, and she couldn’t bear to go through with it. Though the wishes? It didn’t come with a price tag. It wasn’t a child for a wish.

It was simply a wish.

She could wish…

She could wish to not be a universal carrier.

Then all of her problems would be solved. She could leave this place without risking any harm coming to her or her loved ones. She could live a normal life.

No.

She couldn’t do that. It would be taking advantage - the same way she was being taken advantage of at the moment. It would be using him because of what he was and disregarding who he was. He hadn’t been truthful but - he was here because he was hiding from that life.

Amelia hated this place, but it didn’t change the facts; it was his safety net, his sanctuary.

There would be another way out of here. At some point.

She slapped her hands over her face, rubbing it vigorously. This was giving her a headache. Every time, she felt right back at the beginning.

Ezekiel was a psycho, Noah had lied, and she didn’t have a match. She was stuck here. At this rate, she almost wanted to take her chances out there. She wanted to tell them she was leaving and risk being kidnapped or whatever. Could it be much worse than the life she was living here?

She almost didn’t think so.

She had to get out. Noah was right about that. She’d scratch the part where she was supposed to enjoy herself, and discover this place. She had to focus on getting out. Her choices were, to replace a match or get out.

Despite her hatred of this place and the dangers she felt, she couldn’t be completely convinced that it was safer in the world. Sure they were crazy here. But at least someone removed Ezekiel from the premises… would that happen back home? Probably not.

Genecorp had… some sort of interest in keeping her safe and alive? Maybe they got a fee… or something… ugh.

One thing was for sure, her current prospects were bleak. Caleb was an ass. Ezekiel was a psycho and Ben… had disappeared. It left her with nothing.

Fucking shit.

Amelia grabbed the table, laying her hands flat against it before pushing with all of her strength. The legs of the chair scratched the floor, the sound echoing in the emptiness of the room. She had to get the damn cell phone back.

She dragged her feet, the rubber sole of the slipper gripping at the floor. Once she reached the other end of the room, she bent down and picked it up. She straightened up, pain shooting up in her neck. When was the last time she got a proper night of sleep? Probably before coming to this hellhole.

Amelia swiped the phone open and then, clicked the message application.

AMELIA: I need more matches

GENECORP: Would you like to receive matches based on physical attributes, match compatibility, or species?

Lucky her.

A universal carrier who could pick and choose as she pleased. The whole ocean was her buffet. Great. She didn’t care - she didn’t give a flying fuck. Unfortunately for her, she had learned by now that they also didn’t give a shit. They wouldn’t pick for her.

Physical attribute - she didn’t care. They could look like a fish for all she… damn… they could be a fish… merman? Was that a thing? Of course, it was a fucking thing.

Species? She didn’t know many of them, meaning it would be limiting. Was that important?

Match compatibility had worked out so fucking great so far… A psycho, an asshole, and… a selkie.

AMELIA: Compatibility I guess. Can I get more than three?

GENECORP: Six new matches will be left on your front door tomorrow morning.

Great.

***

All she had to do was open it.

It wasn’t like the first time; she knew what to expect this time. Amelia stared at the yellow folder resting on the glass table, her fingers hovering over the edge. Maybe she could spill her coffee on it.

The house had felt suffocating. Could it have been the feeling that Ezekiel was lurking around? Or was it knowing that Noah was right there, restless, waiting for her to speak to him? Maybe it was both.

Amelia had decided to step out - be in public and seen. Might help with the anxiety. It had been hard to fight the urge to check out the window every two minutes. She hadn’t heard or seen Ezekiel yet but she knew that didn’t mean anything.

He had laid low for a little bit before too. Maybe they were holding him for a couple of days… where? Why? How?

She didn’t have the answers to these questions.

So instead, she was sitting outside the little café, a half-drank coffee on the table and the file staring back at her. How should she do this? Eenie, meenie, miney, mo? Ugh. Alright. The only way for this to be over with was to open it and look through the matches.

Come on, put on your big girl panties.

Amelia reached out for the corner, ready to flip it as she took a big breath of air.

“Excuse me?”

Her head whipped to the right, and before she knew it, she was looking at a dark green forest buttoned-up shirt. Huh? She lifted her head, replaceing a rather handsome man looking at her with a big grin on his face.

“Hi.”

“Hm, hi?”

Was this his spot? Were reserved spots a thing here?

“Sorry to bother you,” he began, nervously rubbing his hands together. “I was walking across the street,” he added, pointing at the nearby sidewalk. “And I saw you.”

… okay? None of this made sense yet.

“Sure?”

He ran his long fingers through short, messy brown locks, chuckling at her. “I thought - maybe. Could I sit? Can I join you?”

“Actually, I am - I’m kind of busy.”

He wasn’t human. She didn’t know what he was, but he wasn’t human. She didn’t know if it was a fifth sense she now had or maybe it was in the way he approached her but she knew he wasn’t human.

It meant that he was only interested in one thing and one thing only - and it wasn’t her snarky personality or her anxious demeanor. He wanted her womb. She could let him sit. Wasn’t it the goal of this? Wasn’t she sitting here hoping to replace a match?

This worked too.

Yet Ezekiel’s insistence had left her hesitant to deal with a stranger. As if he could do more damage because no one knew to be on the lookout. No, she would rather go through the proper channels. When she texted them they knew everything - location, person.

She didn’t like this.

“Busy reading?”

“Something like that.”

“I could help ya out. I think you’re new here, am I right?”

How did he know she was new? Maybe he simply hadn’t come across her yet. There were a lot of people. She hadn’t done the full tour but it was a big place. That sentence alone added to her suspicions.

“Yeah - but, it’s okay. I’m fine.”

“I’m sure I can answer a lot of your questions.”

“As I said, I’m fine thanks.”

Caleb’s assholeness was not a quirk or an odd one out - it was the norm. Why couldn’t people take a hint? Hadn’t they left her alone before? When she had been out with Noah, no one had bothered her.

“I could show you around if you want.”

Her eyes fluttered as she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Why was it that he thought being pushy was charming? Like the more he pressed, the more she would give in to it?

“I said I’m f-“

“Amelia?”

She knew that voice. Amelia tilted her body to the side, trying to see past the annoying man blocking her view. There, a few meters behind him was a familiar face: Stephanie. Amelia pressed her hand to her stomach, her head falling back as relief washed over her.

She was safe.

Actually - she looked happy.

There was a bright smile adorning her face as she waved at her from afar. She was bouncing where she stood, her long wave locks following the motion. A little screech past her lips and then she was dashing in direction of Amelia.

“IT IS YOU!”

Stephanie plopped down in the seat in front of her as if she wasn’t even seeing the guy standing between them. “I can’t believe it! I kept waiting to see you - I thought maybe you were gone.”

Amelia’s lips were twitching as she stared up. “We’re a little busy here.”

Her words seemed to bring focus to Stephanie who finally cast a glance in direction of the stranger. “Oh no, was I interrupting a date?”

“Nope, not a date. I think he’s a little lost.”

Amelia paused, watching as his green eyes traveled between her and Stephanie, his lips tightly pressed together, his stance stiff. “My bad,” he spoke through gritted teeth. He tapped his finger on the glass table, the knock resonating. “Enjoy your coffee.”

Stephanie tilted her head to the side, following him with her eyes as he walked away. Once he was far enough, she refocused her attention on Amelia, giggling. “That’s a nice behind. Ya sure I didn’t interrupt anything?” she inquired with an exaggerated wiggle of the eyebrows.

“Very sure.”

“Got someone better waiting for you?” she asked, leaning into the chair. “Or more compatible? Those pay better.”

Should she ask?

“Can- Can I … Are you okay?”

Stephanie tipped her head to the left, pursing her lips. “Am I okay? Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Amelia reached out for her mug, tracing the white edge with her finger. “I mean, the supernatural… is real. All the creatures that go bump in the night… they exist.”

Stephanie nodded. “Right. It was a lot at first… but then you know they explained it to me. We went over my matches, they told me I could have a perfect life. It made my head spin a little… You should have seen me when I met the wolf pack the first time…”

“Wolf pack?”

“Right, we’re all different. Apparently, I am super uber compatible with werewolves. What about you?”

“Oh. I’m… a universal carrier.”

“OH WOW,” she screamed, slamming her hands down on the table. “Are you kidding? I heard the pack talk about those. You can have anyone you want! You lucky bitch!”

Lucky. It wasn’t the first time Amelia heard that she was privileged, but it didn’t matter how many times she heard it; she wasn’t feeling very lucky.

“I- yeah. I’m just - it all feels a little unreal, you know?”

Stephanie burst into laughter. “I thought I was drugged at first. Or crazy.” She shrugged. “Makes sense though. Legends had to come from somewhere. No fire without smoke huh? Let me tell you though. The money - now that’s unreal!”

“Right. The money.”

“Have you made a deal yet?”

“Hm, no. Not yet.”

“You gotta get on that. You wouldn’t believe what he’s paying me.”

Giggles. Smile. Laughter… A deal. Stephanie appeared - completely fine. It could be a facade, it could be fake - but what would be the point? She wasn’t gaining anything by faking happiness with Amelia. She simply seemed to be genuinely okay with all of this.

Was Amelia the problem? Was she too focused on the little details?

“Really? So you’re - you’ve agreed to have… someone’s child?”

Stephanie nodded. “A million bucks in exchange for a baby. Any gender! How easy is that?”

Amelia palmed at the side of her neck. “Well, it’s still you know - making a baby, growing it… birthing it… and… raising it.”

Stephanie waved her hands in front of her, a peal of laughter emerging from her throat. “Oh no, no,” she began with a chuckle. “Raising that babe is gonna be his problem. I’m providing a service and bouncing with the money.”

“Oh - so you’re not…”

“Nope. I never… I never really wanted kids. No offense… if that’s your thing. I like my freedom. This - I get to give him a child, which he wants… and then I can finally do everything I’ve ever wanted to do. I’m gonna travel the world, buy a house somewhere, and live on the beach. I will never have to work a day in my life. It’s perfect.”

Simple.

Stephanie made it sound so simple. Amelia was hung on every detail, on everyone’s goals, desires, and needs. Could she shut off her feelings as easily as Stephanie was doing? Was it because she had hoped to have a family one day? Was that stopping her?

Noah had also told her to make the most of it, to make a deal and get everything she wanted. It was so simple for everyone but her.

“So - you’ve… started?”

“All I will say is - they are beasts in and out of the sheets.”

“So you’re you know, going the old fashion way about it?”

“Trust me, if you could see the body on him, you would have done the same thing. A good-looking guy, some nice sex, and a lot of money? You’re only young once, right? It’s the perfect time to be reckless because for once… a baby is the outcome. So why not get crazy and creative? I’m never gonna be this careless again.”

Amelia always thought they were tricked and taken advantage of by the corporation. She was wrong. Stephanie was a poster child of happiness. She was getting everything she wanted and couldn’t be happier about it.

“You’re right - that’s a good way to look at it.”

“Why not? It’s a transaction! The sex is an unexpected bonus.” Stephanie slapped her hand down on her thigh. “So, had a lot of dates? Can’t replace what you’re looking for? Must be harder for you. I had a handful of matches - but you. The world is your oyster!”

It made no sense to tell her how she felt about this. Stephanie would give her the same speech she had heard already - the one everyone seemed to give her. No one else felt this way but her… It would be easier to pretend. Maybe it would help convince herself as well.

“Something like that.”

Stephanie pointed to the folder in front of her. “Is that - are those matches?”

She nodded. “The last batch didn’t work out.”

“No spark?”

“Yeah, I know - I know it’s not about love…”

“No, but you are stuck with that person for a while. I wouldn’t want some asshole ya know? Don’t get me wrong, I know Josiah doesn’t love me or anything but he’s nice. Feels like the bare minimum ya know? Especially since he’s gonna be raising the kid. I might not want kids but I don’t want some fucking prick raising it either.”

At least they had a similar opinion on that topic. “I know what you mean. But no, the other guys - they were jerks.” To say the least. Stalker would have been a better word. Psycho too.

“You made a good call. Plus, you’ve got the luxury of options. You can pick whatever you want, looks, personality - and money.”

Amelia hadn’t gotten past the first date yet, so she was a long way from even making a deal with anyone. Skipping the first date and jumping right into it might be the way to go about it. One thing for sure, she wouldn’t be taking the natural route Stephanie was taking.

She had nothing against one nights and nights of passion but… she didn’t know if she could force an attraction if she could let herself relax enough to go through with it. Maybe if it was the only option available, but it wasn’t. They told her it wasn’t.

“I could help you go through them! I’m so much better with all of these weirdos now,” she said with laughter. “That quick trip to the library helped too.”

“Library?”

“Oh yeah, it’s crazy! I was looking for some books to plan my backpacking through Europe trip and they have like this insane section on all the creatures. I stayed away from the huge books, but there was some cool stuff!”

A library.

She hadn’t thought of that. Maybe she should pay a visit instead of hoping to learn more through deceptions and illusions. Maybe she could replace some ways to make sure Ezekiel had to stay very far away from her.

“I’ll look into it. Thanks.”

“But for now, we can look at these handsome men together. I can’t believe you have so many!”

Yeah… so many.

“Sure, why not?”

Amelia watched as Stephanie rose to her feet, pulling her chair so that she could sit next to her instead of in front. She plopped back down, grabbed the folder, and opened it, revealing the first photo.

Stephanie had chosen someone that made her happy. Maybe she could do the same for her.

She was mumbling as she was reading through the description, but Amelia couldn’t focus on her words or the words on the paper. There was a tingle in the back of her neck. She glanced left and right without moving her head, but she couldn’t pinpoint what was bothering her now that they were surrounded by silence.

A shiver ran down her spine, and she cracked her neck to the side. It was that feeling she had around Ezekiel - but worse. Couldn’t be him; the sun was out. Yet, she felt watched. She slapped a hand down on the back of her neck, rubbing the skin.

“Earth to Amelia?”

She forced her lips upward into a smile. “Sorry, little tired.”

“Wait until you get started on the baby-making,” she said, shoving her elbow in her rib.

“Right.”

“Now, let’s replace your sugar daddy,” she said with a chuckle.

Amelia swallowed, ignoring the feeling of heaviness washing over her like a blanket. It was suffocating. But no one was around.

“Let’s do it.”

Insane.

She was going insane.