Devoured: A Dark Sci-Fi Romance Read online

  Devoured

  By

  Piper Stone

  Copyright © 2020 by Stormy Night Publications and Piper Stone

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Published by Stormy Night Publications and Design, LLC.

  www.StormyNightPublications.com

  Stone, Piper

  Devoured

  Cover Design by Korey Mae Johnson

  Images by DepositPhotos/HayDmitriy, Shutterstock/sdecoret, and Shutterstock/A-Star

  This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Epilogue

  More Stormy Night Books by Piper Stone

  Piper Stone Links

  Prologue

  Solar System: Atlantis Gramar

  Habitable Units: Twenty-two planetary outposts, sixteen habitable for humans at various levels

  Usage: Mining, Farming, Prison Systems, Medical Research, Breeding Facilities

  Current Location: Outpost 14—Bellenia

  Government: United Earth Federation run by a president elected every five years plus a council of twelve representing multiple Earth colonies

  Condition of Earth: Both global warming and several expansive nuclear projects produced catastrophic effects, rendering farmland useless, the majority of water sources considered toxic. Human reproduction all but ceased and with the subsequent diseases produced by extreme conditions almost eradicated, the discovery of Atlantis Gramar allowed for continuation of the human species due to extensive but selective colonization. Those remaining on Earth are highly protected, an exclusive group of individuals and their families, all chosen to continue research and government operations. The men and women in charge of the planetary outposts are expressly trained, although for some, the extradition has proven to be... difficult.

  Status of Bellenia: Dangerous

  Chapter One

  Outpost 14—Bellenia, 2249

  Annabella

  You’re a survivor. Never forget.

  The whispered words were haunting, drawing me up from the depths of horrific images.

  Battle.

  Blood.

  Death.

  I gasped, doing everything I could to dig my way out of the catacombs of darkness, fearful I’d never be able to see the warming light of day.

  A strong rumble grabbed at my mind, an unseen growl, more beast than man. There was so much sadness in the tone, the animal terrified as well as angry.

  I attempted to cower, even though my muscles seemed paralyzed. A hard-thudding sound was followed by an intense snarl.

  Then utter silence.

  Paralyzing quiet.

  Move. Get the hell out of here.

  No matter how hard I tried, I was frozen.

  After at least a full minute, I heard another sound. A dark and very evil chuckle.

  “Oh...” I shifted, attempting to take a deep breath, finding every movement difficult. My eyelids felt heavy, my heart racing. What the hell was going on? There was almost no sound, as if I’d been placed into a vacuum. I had to be dreaming. There was no other explanation. When I moved again, every muscle in my body screamed with an intense ache. My body unreactive, I slumped forward. The moment my face smashed into something hard and cold, my eyes flew open. I licked my lips, my throat parched and my muscles heavy.

  I slid my arm forward, able to lift two fingers.

  Please help me. Please...

  Ping...

  The single echoing sound sent a cold chill racing down my spine. Very slowly, I tipped my head in the direction of the noise, blinking several times in an effort to focus. Steel bars. What? I shifted my head from right to left after becoming used to the near darkness. A slice of utter terror raced down my spine and I jerked back, hitting additional metal.

  I was in a cage, a fucking cage. A whimper left my mouth, my breath skipping. This couldn’t be happening. Yet the primitive-looking padlock indicated I was correct. I had no recollection of what had occurred or how and when I’d been shoved into a cage.

  Another cold chill slithered down my spine, shooting directly to my legs. As I glanced down slowly, only then did I realize that I was completely naked. What. The. Fuck?

  Think. Think!

  I had difficulty doing just that, my mind fuzzy. What had I been doing? I pulled my knees against my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs, darting glances from left to right. The darkness was suffocating, the heat and humidity debilitating. I closed my eyes, counting to ten before opening them. If I’d hoped that the nightmare would disappear, I was sorely wrong.

  Beads of perspiration trickled down both sides of my face, the air in the place stagnant. After a few seconds, I heard buzzing sounds. Insects. That’s what they were, which indicated perhaps an open window or door? God, why couldn’t I figure any of this out?

  Jungle. You’re in the jungle.

  Was I nuts?

  I lowered my head, taking gulping breaths. Nothing made any sense. I was... I’d been... I tried to recount even a single event. The last thing I remembered was preparing for a lecture from one of the scientists. Internship. Yes, that was it! I’d been accepted out of hundreds if not thousands of applicants to intern in... Bellenia. I was a geological student. Ha! It was starting to come back to me.

  I was two weeks, no, three into the program. The day had been very humid, the small colony surrounded by a formidable jungle, the foliage thick with moisture from an earlier rain. Everything had been completely normal. Breakfast. Some field work. Class. I’d walked into the entrance of the building and...

  Nothing.

  Wait. No, then there were men dragging me, soldiers, only they’d been cloaked in hoods. That didn’t make any sense. Yes, I knew all about the various Habitable Units, the colonies created and protected by armed soldiers, but they’d been assigned as protection.

  I shook my head several times, but the cobwebs wouldn’t dissipate. It was obvious I’d been kidnapped, taken against my will. I peered over my arms, scanning the location. While there was some kind of light in the far distance, that wasn’t helping highlight anything in the room.

  The heat was oppressive, taking my breath away. I was terrified but determined to keep my wits. All the students had been told there was the possibility of rogue and dangerous creatures in the surrounding area and that going off on our own could result in capture and...

  I couldn’t even think about what had been described to our class. I gulped, lightheaded and nauseous. Did the team of scientists and the other students know I’d been kidnapped?

  Yes, of course, they had to. My head ached, much like the rest of my body. How long had I been stuck in this hell-hole? There was no telling. All the training I’d received in working in extreme conditions hadn’t prepared me for this. Anger swept through me. I refused to be a victim. I inched closer to the cage door, reaching tentatively through the bars, fingering the pa
dlock. I’d only seen something like it in documentation from decades before, the primitive method of security no longer used. I knew better yet I yanked on the thick piece of metal several times, becoming more and more frustrated.

  I let out an anguished moan, only to hear what sounded like my own echo. “Where are you?” I finally screamed after a few minutes. I wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Fuck them. “Show yourself, you fucker!”

  I could have sworn I heard another chuckle just before a switch clicked and amber glow filled the space. The nasty light swinging back and forth over my head was just as terrifying as anything else. Wincing, I shielded my eyes as I looked up through the bars, trying to identify the source of the laugh. The tone was decidedly male and right now, all I wanted to do was rip the asshole’s eyes out. “What the fuck do you want from me?”

  As I’d suspected, there was absolute silence.

  I beat my fists against the bars, the slight rattling sound echoing. Goddamn. What were they waiting for? Were the fuckers enjoying observing a caged animal? I shrank back again, trying to avoid the light, but there was no way. I was some prize for the assholes who’d captured me. Maybe their plan was to sell me off to the highest bidder.

  “Confia en mi, te perseguire,” I hissed in Spanish, preparing to say them again in a half dozen other languages. I had no way of knowing who or what I was dealing with. Trust me, I will hunt you down. As I repeated the words in my mind, I heard yet another dark and dangerous chuckle.

  “I would love to see you try, Ms. Caruso.” While the asshole’s voice was deep, the metallic twinge indicated the jerk had disguised it.

  “A voice of a jerkoff. How perfect. I should revise. A chicken shit jerkoff. Why don’t you show yourself like a man?”

  There was more silence and I narrowed my eyes, finally able to tell there was a wide panel of glass positioned maybe thirty feet above my head. An observation area. That didn’t sound like any typical crime lord to me, at least not from what I’d heard about the horrific assaults and murders that had occurred in and around the city.

  Rationalize. Think!

  I was finally able to control my breathing, my mind clearing.

  Criminal activity on several of the outposts was on the rise, men and women taking to the streets in an effort to handle business their way. The surge of violence had the World Federation on edge, additional soldiers being assigned when necessary. What I couldn’t figure out was why this particular colony was highly secured, several military personal stationed twenty-four/seven. Nothing made any sense.

  “I’m also going to suggest, Ms. Caruso, that you learn obedience immediately or your time spent with us is going to be extremely difficult.”

  Difficult? The bastard called kidnapping and caging difficult? If I had a serrated blade in my hand, he’d learn the true meaning of the word. “What. Do. You. Want?” I asked through clenched teeth.

  “Why, simply your cooperation,” he answered.

  “In what?” I finally asked, jerking my head to the right as I heard a series of... scraping noises. A chill swept through every cell and muscle, goosebumps popping along every inch of my naked skin.

  “An experiment.”

  I shot another look in my captor’s direction. “What are you talking about?”

  “Needed research in a very special project. You were chosen for specific reasons, Ms. Caruso.”

  If the bastard said my name one more time, I was going to cut off his legs before I killed him. This time, I was the one who remained silent. It was obvious he wanted me unnerved, rattled to the point I’d show additional fear. Didn’t that usually make experimentation that much more delicious? I refused to give him the satisfaction. I lowered my head, counting softly to myself as I’d done for years. It was my way of keeping my mind intact instead of succumbing to the monsters who likely lived under my bed.

  “Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen.”

  “That’s enough, Ms. Caruso. The experiment is about to begin,” he stated in a commanding tone.

  “Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen,” I screeched as loudly as possible. I continued until I actually heard the jerk cursing under his breath, yet the filthy words were magnified by the microphone.

  “Have it your way, Ms. Caruso. Bring him in.”

  Him. Who the hell was the creep talking about? I scanned the room once again, barely seeing anything more than fifteen feet out from the cage. When I heard what sounded like a metal door being opened, I crept closer to the front of the cage, wrapping my hands around the bars.

  The next sound that was emitted was painful to my ears, the throaty growl followed immediately by an intense roar. Every part of me was rattled, my stomach lurching. Chains. Then I knew that whoever was being dragged closer was locked in chains, just like I was.

  What in the hell was actually going on?

  The gait of the person was slow. Then another voice floated toward me.

  “Get a move on, you alien creep. We don’t have all day.”

  Alien? I was floored but even more curious. From what I knew, there were no aliens on Bellenia. I’d never even seen one, except in pictures. The next series of sounds were nothing short of barbaric, guttural in nature and very, very angry.

  “Drag him if you have to, for fuck’s sake,” the first man snarled.

  The next rattle of chains was followed by what could only be described as a whooshing sound then a hard thud.

  “Jesus Christ! Goddamn freak,” the second man said.

  I almost laughed at the realization that the poor guy had been tossed to the ground by this supposed alien.

  “Prince, I promised you something very special today in turn for your cooperation. I always keep my promises.” The first man had a lilt in his voice, obviously thrilled with what was about to occur.

  Something special. I knew that meant me. I was suddenly paralyzed, my throat seizing. I clawed at my skin, trying desperately to clear my airwaves. Please, God. Help me. Help me!

  There was no one coming for me, no one capable of saving me.

  The shadows seemed more oppressive as my heartrate soared. Once again, I had difficulty catching my breath. I could tell by the vibrations in the floor that this creature was being dragged closer.

  Then he walked into the light.

  I’d always had nightmares, vivid images of monsters. They’d plagued me for years, but I’d always awakened from the wretched realm, able to push the darkness in a tidy little black box, the visions unable to hurt me. On this day, I knew that nightmares were real.

  And that this monster had come for me and me alone.

  I tilted my head, staring up at the creature who’d been dragged in front of me. The light had to have some kind of treatment. There was no way his skin was an iridescent purple. He was a huge slab of muscle; his body rugged in design, his arms and legs chiseled to perfect definition. His shoulders were wide and strong, the deep ‘V’ of his abdomen carved like a perfect stone, all leading to... Holy shit. As much as I hated to admit it, his cock was a thing of beauty. He was huge, the deep purple color in his throbbing shaft making my mouth water. I was shocked at the instant desire rolling through me like wildfire.

  What troubled me were his eyes, not just the fact they shimmered in flecks of gold, but that they were riddled with sadness. The beast was as much a prisoner as I was, perhaps even more so.

  “Your treat for being such a good boy,” the voice boomed into the microphone, giddy as a damn kid in a candy store.

  I was appalled as well as terrified, my mind reeling from what I was seeing. A beast.

  A monster.

  An alien...

  Chapter Two

  Annabella

  Alien.

  I repeated the word in my mind, unable to believe what my eyes were seeing.

  He swung his head from left to right, the guttural snarl he emitted reverberating in my ears.

  The creature’s features were remarkably close to human, yet different in every regard.
I knew in my gut that he was indeed an alien, a force to be reckoned with. The familiar term of ‘Prince’ meant the captor knew the alien and his background.

  “Such a beast, primal.” The unseen man laughed, snorting in a disgusting manner.

  The alien issued a series of low-slung animalistic growls, tipping his head in the direction of the observation box, his rage evident by the veins bulging in his neck. He threw back his arms, the chains rattling once again as he announced his anger.

  The sigh coming from the captor was exaggerated. “I suggest you calm down, Draziak. If you don’t, I will have no choice but to destroy your mate right in front of your eyes. I doubt you want that to happen. Do you?”

  Draziak. I whispered his name in my mind several times, trying to rationalize what the fuck was going on. Mate? Was the captor indicating I was somehow this... monster’s mate? Oh, hell, no. I belonged to no one and I certainly wasn’t going to be a part of a crazy, sick experiment.

  Draziak released another snarl before turning his head slowly in my direction, taking a single step closer. My God, his eyes were penetrating, his anger evident as well as something else, which was utterly terrifying.

  Carnal hunger.

  Fuck. Fuck! I crawled as far as I could go, my back hitting the cold steel.

  “That’s it. Take a deep whiff of her. Then you can tell me if I’m wrong.” The captor was obviously very happy with what he’d done. I knew without a doubt I would find a way to kill the bastard.

  The alien did just that, easing forward in choppy steps, at least as far as the heavy chain would allow. His nostrils flared as he inhaled, a look of contentment replacing only a portion of his haunted expression.

  “What the hell are you trying to prove, fuckhead?” I hissed, realizing I was treading on thin ice. This just wasn’t going to happen. Not a freaking chance in hell. I was sick to my stomach, butterflies swarming as blood pumped in my veins. Just a nightmare. Nothing more.

  Yet I no longer believed it.

  My thoughts went crazy, trying to wrap around any concept of rationality. I was studying geology, well aware there were ancient civilizations that had been snuffed out during the centuries on the various outposts as well as on Earth. Famine and plagues had been the main reason for their demise. However, in all the documentation I’d read, the computer searches I’d done over the years, there wasn’t a single being that looked like Draziak.