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

A/N: Sorry it’s so late! We all got a little bit of a cold and it was a lot of cuddles and napping for me and the tiny baby! Thank you for your patience. (Also, yes, I did change the cover? We’ll see if that one sticks, haha).

I’ve gotten a few new reviews lately, and let me tell you, THANK YOU. Thank you for reading, thank you for commenting and reviewing.

***

He wasn’t that close to her.

It was in her head - mostly.

Yet, Amelia couldn’t help but roll back her shoulders, hoping it would give her the sensation of creating some space between her and whoever was behind her. After all - anyone could be her little friend from the library.

Initially, she had opted to stay home for a few days but it hadn’t helped.

It had turned her crazy.

Vampires couldn’t come and go as they pleased - but others could. Noah had walked right in without an invitation. Who else could come in? Most people. Well… according to her super limited knowledge.

She sure as fuck wasn’t about to retest her luck at the library.

Instead, she was sitting outside - surrounded by people - sipping her coffee at a table. Acting as if she was enjoying it. By herself. All alone. With people around. But all alone. Sometimes, she felt like someone was behind her…

But then she would turn and… nothing. Emptiness.

Someone walking by - that was all. Made the most sense.

Ding!

Ugh.

Them again.

She knew it was them. Who else would be messaging her?

So she might have canceled her date. Maybe. Yes, she did. She definitely did. Her library friend was not her date. Logically, he would have used the same face as the photo. He had been hoping she would recognize him. So. Yeah. Wasn’t him.

But then… she got paranoid.

He had paid to be in the list of matches - which led her to think… what else could one pay for? Could he have access to her matches? Could he know who she was going on a date with?

Maybe he stalked her. Maybe he would see her date, whack him in the head, and then… bang. Shifted - or did whatever… skinwalkers did, and took his place. Then what? He could be anyone and nowhere felt safe.

In public seemed alright. Her home was… dark and sure watched but… what good was it to be under surveillance and someone could pay a bribe? How much was enough for them to look the other way?

They said she would be safe here, safer than out there. She didn’t believe it anymore. It was the exact same. Hunted here, hunted out there.

Nowhere to go, no one to trust.

At this rate, she wondered if they would have let her go if she had chosen to leave instead of staying. It had seemed like an honest offer, considering the situation. Now, she was realizing that she was nothing more than a fool.

“Got room for one more?”

Amelia’s head snapped up, her heart racing in her chest. Noah. At least it looked like him.

“Hey.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “You alright?”

“Mmhmm,” she mumbled with a nod.

I’m a little batshit crazy now, but I’m okay - oh and I don’t trust that anyone is who they say they are. No biggie. If she led with that, she didn’t know how well it would be received. Personally, she would run in the other direction.

She hadn’t seen Noah since he told her to wait. Wasn’t it weird and suspicious that he would only approach her while she was out of the house?

Even though she hadn’t said yes, he sat across from her. She leaned back into her chair, wrapping her hands around her mug. Was there a sign? Would someone - who was pretending to be him - look different than the Noah she knew? To what extent could a skinwalker change who they were?

Damn it, this was why she needed the fricking library.

“Took you a while to leave the house.”

“Yea - I was…”

Noah leaned across the table, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “You’re looking at me like I’m gonna melt away.”

Yes, yes. That was spot on what she expected to happen. She cleared her throat, trying to wriggle out of her chair. Could she say it? “I- I don’t know if you’re really you,” she replied in a hushed voice.

“That’s… weird,” he replied, his head tilted to the side.

“You’re telling me,” she mumbled under her breath. Even when she thought things couldn’t get any stranger, they did.

He drummed his fingers on the wooden table, his eyes locked on her. She straightened her body while her left index finger kept tracing circles alongside her ceramic mug. Would she have this issue with every single person?

Of-fucking-course.

“Whatcha drinking?”

“Huh?”

“What are you drinking?” he asked again, slowly articulating each word in his question.

“Hm... What… black coffee?”

“Are you asking me?”

“No,” she swallowed. “I’m drinking black coffee.”

“Do you like that?”

“It’s fine?”

“What’s your favorite drink?”

Okay, this was fucking weird. Was he the skinwalker trying to get to know her, trying to change the topic, or was Noah simply acting weird as hell?

“I don’t understand what this has to do with…”

“Answer the question,” he interrupted.

She lifted her hands in the air. “I don’t know. Cappuccino?”

He pointed at his mug and for a second, she waited for something. Was he trying to speak in code? Was he going to follow the gesture with a phrase? But nothing. He pointed at it, seemingly amused by her confusion.

“You should take a sip.”

“A sip?”

He nodded.

She carefully brought the beverage to her lips, never breaking eye contact. She had been looking the whole time. There was no way he added something dangerous to it. It should be fine.

As soon as the hot liquid reach her mouth, she could tell the difference. The change was quite drastic… her black coffee was now a cappuccino. Holy-wait-a-damn-minute.

“Ohmygod. Did I…” She stopped herself. Maybe her little shriek and fast-talking weren’t the most subtle thing. She bent over, her eyes glancing left and right before focusing on Noah. “Did I make a wish? Did I - oh no. Do I have to make two more? Wait. Is the three wishes thing a real thing? Or is it one? Or unlimited? Oh no…”

He had talked about this. He had tried to get her to make a wish last time… was this? Had she done it now? She hadn’t meant to! He had asked her a question… how was she supposed to know?

Noah rested his chin in the palm of his hand, chuckling as he observed her obvious meltdown. “No, you didn’t make a wish. No, you don’t have to make two more. The three-wish thing is real. Anything else or now that we’ve established that I’m me… can we get to the what the hell is going on part?”

Right.

Wishes. Djinn. Magic trick.

Sure. Him changing her black coffee into…a cappuccino was… Jesus-like? Sorta. Didn’t mean he was a genie, but logic would dictate… he was not a skinwalker. From her very limited understanding, he could change his appearance but not… her drinks?

“Does it have anything to do with what you asked me?”

He was avoiding direct phrasing of the situation. Did he not think it was safe to talk here? Should she be doing the same?

“A little bit.” She rolled her lips together, her mug firmly within her grip. “I- there was an incident at the library.”

“An incident?”

“I was sorta cornered… by a skinwalker…who left his skin behind when he fled.”

Awesome, it was even more disgusting when she said it out loud. Was it skin? Then again, was that the worst part of it? Skin left behind? The thought she couldn’t get out of her head was, what did it look like underneath it all? When it wasn’t wearing a skin?

Nope.

Noah rubbed the days-old stubble on his jaw, looking at her with piercing eyes. “A skinwalker.”

“Yeah.”

“How do you know?”

“The lady - at the library she told me after we found… what was left of it.”

Noah bit at his lips as he scratched the skin around his cheeks. “Silver.”

“Silver?”

“White ash would be best, but you’re not gonna find that around here.”

“I’m still confused.”

“Skinwalkers. A knife dipped in white ash. That’s the way to kill ’em. Silver - it harms them. It won’t kill them but it’ll leave a mark on its actual body. Whenever they shift, you’ll see it, no matter what skin they wear.”

Oh.

That - was very useful.

“So I - I just need some silver and then I touch them with it or?” Hopefully, the answer wasn’t to stab them. She didn’t think people would take kindly to her stabbing them any time she doubted their identity.

He chuckled. “In theory, it is that simple. If they come in contact with it, it’ll burn.”

“But?”

“Good luck finding silver around here.”

Right. If memory served her right, a couple of creatures around here were probably sensitive when it came to silver. An accident could happen. “So everything is…”

“Stainless steel.”

“I see. And where would one get silver?”

Amelia watched as he pulled his head back while his shoulders pushed forward, his tongue sticking out to wet his lips. Hesitant hands reached for his neck and then, he gripped at something beneath the collar of his black t-shirt. A chain.

A silver chain.

The more he pulled to free it from his neck, the more he revealed. It had a pendant hanging from it, but she couldn’t make out what was engraved on the silver circle. He put it down on the table and then covered it with his hand before sliding it over to her.

“Right here.”

So it was hard to get - to the point that he was giving her his necklace. Could she take this from him? Did it mean anything to Noah? She had never noticed it before. She had seen his bare chest before but, he hadn’t been wearing it.

Maybe it was only when he went outside the safety of his home. As a type of protection? Did supernatural creatures fight each other? It wasn’t like she had noticed a lot of love between Noah and Ezekiel but then again, Ezekiel had been a fucking psychopath so, not a lot of love to be had there…

“Take it.”

Busted.

He lifted his hand, revealing the pendant to her, before retracting his hand back to his lap. “You could use it a lot more than me.”

She traced the engraving with her index finger, trying to figure it out. The shapes on it didn’t make sense to her. There were connected… circles?

“It’s the tree of life.”

“The tree of life?”

“Another story for another time.”

Many questions, but barely any answers.

“Are you sure you don’t need it?”

“Consider it a loan. You can give it back when you get the hell out of here.”

“Right.”

When she got out. At this point, it felt more like an if than a when.

Still, she nodded as picked it up from the table and slipped it around her neck. Silver was a weapon. And now she had one right here.

“You know, I was heading back home. Wanna tag along?”

“Sure.”

She left her drink almost untouched and got up from the table. Was Noah actually walking home, or did he sense something she missed? Maybe he could tell when one of them was around? No… he mentioned the silver… he probably needed a few tricks as well.

Or maybe he would let her ask all her questions.

They started walking with Noah leading the way. His hands were in his pockets, his steps slow as he kept looking around. He didn’t appear to be searching for something, but he wouldn’t stop observing their surroundings.

At least she wasn’t the only one doing that.

“It’s a nice day. Always someone out and about.”

“Right.”

“It’s hard to truly be alone when you’re outside.”

Alright. She had a feeling he had been trying to tell her something without really telling her. She had been right.

“No privacy outside.”

“No, there isn’t.”

“Nice enough for a walk, but not enough for a chitchat.”

He stopped long enough for her to catch up to him and then he resumed walking at her pace. “Getting impatient, are we?”

The way his voice was hushed while he kept his face smiling - he was mindful of the cameras. They were probably far enough that they couldn’t quite pick up on what they were saying, but the privacy was still lacking.

It wasn’t just the cameras.

They were surrounded by people. And no one could be trusted. What if someone heard the wrong thing? How could he enjoy living like this? This was… supervision, control, and manipulation.

Amelia tried to keep his whispers, glancing around, but unable to spot any cameras. That was probably the goal. What would be the point of spying on them if they knew where they could hide?

“So-then, any privacy inside, or are we screwed?”

“Showers. That’s where we’d get the most privacy inside one of their little houses.”

“Like, in the shower or…”

“The shower area is a blind spot - still got sound though.”

“Well, then how-”

Oh. In-in the shower, with the water running to muffle the voices. In the shower. Wait. In - in the shower. With cameras watching you go in the shower. “Are you-”

“That’s why I didn’t suggest it.”

“Do I wanna know how you know that?”

“I’ve been here a long time.”

“So you keep saying.”

“Freedom is hard a thing to give up.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

Sure, she had fewer restrictions in the normal world, but - she had never been free. She always lived a life surrounded by barriers and pressure. Work to survive, work to eat… Doing dumb trials to get enough money to have a different kind of life.

Working to live, never actually living.

This - wherever the fuck it was - was the furthest she’d been from home. Always in the same city, the same neighborhood. Never knowing what else was out there. Never having a taste of the world beyond what she knew.

And to be honest, this first travel experience was complete shit. Refund, please…

“So then, how are you gonna talk to me?”

“We’ll have to revisit an old place, I’m afraid.”

“An old place… the club?”

“It’s funny how sometimes you can get some privacy in crowded places.”

Loud music, lots of people, impossible to truly tell on camera. It was worth a shot. They would be surrounded by people, but they would all drown out each other. If it meant learning more, she was willing to do it.

“Alright.”

“Good.”

She nodded, taking a few steps away from him, ready to head home on her own. Which he appeared to notice.

“No, it’s okay. I’ll walk you to your door.”

It could mean nothing. Walking her to her door was a gentlemanly thing to do. There was nothing wrong or suspicious about that. Yet, it fed into the paranoia she had been experiencing.

Noah had bent the truth before, but since then, she had trusted him. He was the only one she had here and if she let go, she might become insane. So she would have to trust him and ask.

“Noah, I need the truth.”

“Okay.”

She fiddled with the brown leather strap of her bag, pinching her lips together until they turned white. So far, she had mostly convinced herself it was in her head. It scared her to ask the question out loud. Then, she wouldn’t be able to ignore it.

“I’m being - followed… right? It’s not like… in my head?”

“Universal carriers never stay long.”

“What?”

He shoved his hands in his pocket and kicked the edge of the cement step with his left foot. “They come, they get bombarded with offers, money, you name it. So they take it and they leave.”

“Okay?”

“You can - you can feel a universal carrier. It’s - I can’t explain it. Most - most are drawn to them. Can’t help it. Can’t control it. Probably some survival instincts. It makes sense. It can be a blessing or a curse.”

“How can that be a blessing?” He didn’t answer her original question.

“When someone wants you, you can have a lot of power over them. On the other hand, you attract a lot of attention.”

“So what you’re saying is, I am being followed?”

“Salt. There should be salt in your house.”

“Hm, yeah. I think I’ve seen some.”

The house had come full of groceries - and she could order more if she wished. There was also a grocery store but - honestly, she hadn’t bothered to read the welcome pamphlet, so life here lets her a bit confused.

Nothing cost money, but they were supposed to go about and pretend life was the same. Buy groceries - sorta. Go to a coffee shop, eat at restaurants, study… all of it without the threat of money hanging over one’s head.

Noah closed the distance between their bodies, forcing her to tilt her head back so that she could look at his face. He bent down, pressing the side of his face to hers. “Circles of salt. Around the house, or in your room. It’s a good way to keep unwanted visitors… far.”

Due to their position, her mouth was by his ear, nearly touching it. He was close to her, his beard lightly scratching her skin. He was hot - well not hot… well no he was hot, but he was also warm. Did Djinn generate more body heat?

Or was this in her head?

“T-thanks.”

In one swift motion, he pulled away. “If you get lonely, I’m right next door.”

There was a cheekiness in his voice that she hadn’t heard in a while - not since Ezekiel revealed his true nature. Right. Cameras, close contact. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Play the game, and put on a poker face.

It would seem strange if he kept looking like he was coming on to her and then, having a regular conversation the next second. She imagined he probably wasn’t watched as much as she was. He was part of the decor - she was a prize poney.

“Thanks, for, hm, walking me home.”

“Anytime.”

She gave him a small shaky wave of the hand before turning around and walking inside of her house. She shut the door, her heart ready to explode in her chest. There was a bitter taste in her mouth as she had to uncomfortably swallow. It felt like something was crawling on her skin.

Amelia collapsed to the ground, wrapping her arms around her knees, burying her face in her thighs. She was so fucking sick of this place. She had to find a way home. No matter what it is. No matter the cost, she had to get out of here.

She wasn’t sleeping really - barely eating.

Tears spilled from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. She couldn’t take it anymore.

When someone wants you, you can have a lot of power over them.

What did it mean?

They knew what she was, even without talking to her? They were naturally drawn to her like a moth to a flame? How much power did she have? That was the question. Amelia leaned into the door, putting her hand on her chest, feeling the necklace beneath her palm.

Silver was one weapon. There were others. She could scramble her brain, trying to remember a few.

Genecorp loved experimentations, didn’t they?

Maybe it was her turn to experiment a little.