~Gerald pov~

The alarm cut through Moonridge Haven like a blade, every light along the outer walls shifted from white to red, bathing the entire sanctuary in a glow that reminded me far too much of the laboratories, for one terrible second, I was nineteen again.

Cold steel, blood on the floor, scientists screaming, children crying from inside cages, I buried the memory immediately.

"Lock down the eastern sector," I ordered.

The guards moved without hesitation, Moonridge had survived because everyone knew their roles. Panic killed people. Fear created mistakes and mistakes got hybrids captured. Marcus appeared beside me, his breathing uneven from running.

"Thermal cameras picked up movement."

"How many?"

"Three vehicles."

Military, the answer settled heavily inside my chest, hunters rarely came in groups that small. Genesis teams did, I walked toward the security room while dozens of thoughts collided inside my head. Had they found us?

Impossible, the sanctuary had remained hidden for years, nobody knew these mountains except the rescue teams, unless— my jaw tightened, traitors existed everywhere. Inside the command center, several large monitors displayed the forest surrounding Moonridge. The cameras captured movement among the trees, black vehicles, armed men, professional formation, my blood turned cold.

Genesis.

After all these years, I would recognize them anywhere, the same black uniforms, the same tactical movements, the same people who walked through laboratories carrying needles and chains while pretending they were scientists, one of the younger guards swallowed.

"They found us."

"No."

I stared at the screens.

"They found something."

Moonridge itself held little value to them, the sanctuary housed survivors, children, wounded hybrids. Genesis wanted assets, weapons, experiments, something had brought them here, my thoughts immediately returned to her.

Ciara. The human doctor, the woman who walked into my sanctuary carrying sunlight in her smile and kindness in her hands, the woman who made the newborns stop crying, the woman the children trusted instantly, none of it made sense and that frightened me more than the soldiers outside.

Nyra entered the room.

"She's in the bunker."

I nodded once.

"Did she panic?"

"No."

Of course she hadn't, even after everything life had done to her, Ciara Monroe still chose courage, that alone made her dangerous, dangerous to me because for the first time in years, I had looked at a human and not immediately remembered pain and I hated that, because humans created Genesis, humans built the cages, humans tied children to tables, humans cut us open, the scars covering my body existed because human hands put them there, I still remembered the smell of the laboratory.

Bleach, blood and fear, at ten years old, they locked me inside a room without light for twenty-seven days because my shadow abilities became unstable, at twelve, they forced me to fight another hybrid until one of us stopped breathing, at sixteen, they called me Subject H-13 and discussed killing me while I listened through the walls, not once did they use my name, not once.

Then Ciara arrived, a human doctor, everything I should hate, yet the babies calmed inside her arms. Ezra trusted her, even the frightened children who hid from strangers followed her through the medical wing, the sanctuary felt different around her and I did not understand why. Marcus looked toward me.

"Orders?"

I pushed my thoughts aside.

"Move the children underground."

"What about the rescue teams?"

"Keep them inside the perimeter."

Nyra crossed her arms.

"You think this is a scouting mission."

"Yes."

Genesis never attacked immediately, they watched, observed and studied weaknesses, the men outside were not soldiers, they were hunters and they were looking for something, one of the monitors suddenly flickered and a face appeared, older with gray hair and cold eyes, every muscle in my body locked. Doctor William Kane, one of the men responsible for Facility Zero, one of the men who designed me.

The room became silent, nobody movef or breathed. Kane smiled, even through a screen, the sight of him made my skin crawl.

"Gerald."

His voice had not changed, I could still hear it inside my nightmares.

"Leave."

The smile widened.

"We know she's there."

My blood turned to ice and Nyra's eyes widened, Marcus cursed, the room suddenly felt too small.

"Who?" I asked.

But I already knew, Kane leaned forward.

"The human."

Every instinct inside me roared, Impossible, they had never met Ciara, she arrived only yesterday, nobody outside Moonridge should know she existed.

"She's very important to us."

My shadows stirred beneath my skin, the lights flickered, several guards stepped backward, Kane watched carefully.

"Interesting. You still lose control."

"I said leave."

His expression became colder.

"The woman belongs to Genesis."

Rage exploded inside my chest, no, absolutely not, Ciara knew nothing, she was innocent, she had spent her entire life helping children while monsters like him destroyed them, Kane continued speaking.

"We have searched for her bloodline for decades."

Bloodline? My breathing stopped, what did that mean?

"Hand her over and we leave."

The entire command center waited for my answer, I remembered another room, another doctor, another order, get on the table, hold him down, inject him again, no. Never again, not her, not the woman who smiled at frightened children, not the woman who looked at scars without fear, not the woman who made me remember I still possessed something resembling a soul, my shadows spilled across the floor, darkness crawled up the walls, several monitors shattered. Kane smiled.

"There he is."

The monster, the weapon, the experiment, everything they made me become, I leaned toward the camera.

"If any of you enter my sanctuary, I will bury every one of you in these mountains."

His expression never changed.

"You've become attached."

No, that was impossible, I had known Ciara for less than two days, humans lied, humans betrayed and they left. Yet somewhere deep inside me, something ancient and violent had awakened the moment I saw her holding that infant.

Mine.

The thought appeared suddenly and terrifyingly, mine to protect, mine to keep safe, just mine.

The camera feed died and silence returned, Marcus finally spoke.

"What do we do?"

I stared toward the underground bunker hidden beneath Moonridge, toward the woman sitting below the earth, completely unaware that powerful men had crossed mountains searching specifically for her.

A human doctor, a broken heart, a woman who should never have entered our world yet somehow she had become the center of it, I turned toward the doors.

"Prepare my team."

Nyra stepped forward.

"Gerald—"

"They came for her."

"They said they know her bloodline."

My jaw tightened, that frightened me more than soldiers, because if Genesis knew something about Ciara, something her own family never told her, then bringing her here may have placed her directly in the middle of a war she never knew existed and for the first time since escaping the laboratory, I was afraid, not for myself, not for Moonridge but for her, because Genesis only hunted things they wanted.

And they never stopped until they got them.

~Ciara Pov~

The bunker door finally opened and I looked up so quickly that my neck hurt. My heart pounded hard in my chest. I had no idea how long I had been down there. Hours. Maybe longer. The underground room felt small, cold, and too quiet. There was a bed, some bottled water, blankets, and dim emergency lights. But no answers. Nobody came. Nobody explained anything. And the worst part? I was completely alone.

The silence made my mind race with terrible ideas. Were we under attack? Had someone died? Why was I the only one locked in this bunker? And why did everyone keep calling me "human" like it was a dirty word?

The heavy metal door slid open with a loud groan. Nyra stood there. Her face looked tired and worn out.

"You can come out now," she said.

I jumped to my feet right away. My legs felt shaky. "What happened?"

"We'll explain."

"No. You'll actually explain this time." My voice came out stronger than I expected.

She sighed. "Gerald wants to see you."

Of course he did. My stomach twisted. Gerald. That name made me feel too many things at once. Anger. Fear. And something else I did not want to name.

The walk through Moonridge felt different now. People whispered as I passed. Guards stood at every entrance, watching everything. Several vehicles were parked near the security building. One had fresh bullet holes in the side. My stomach dropped. This was real. Whatever was happening here was very real and very dangerous.

The medical wing was still open, but the children were gone. "Where are the kids?" I asked.

"Safe," Nyra said. That answer did not comfort me at all.

We stopped outside a large building made of dark stone. Nyra opened the door. "His office." Then she left. Just like that. No goodbye. No extra words.

I took a deep breath and stepped inside. The office was huge. Bookshelves covered one wall. Maps and glowing security screens covered another. Large windows looked out over the dark forest. A fireplace burned quietly in the corner, casting warm light and long shadows.

The room felt exactly like Gerald. Dark. Cold. Beautiful. Dangerous.

The door closed behind me.

Then—click.

It locked.

My heartbeat jumped. I turned sharply. "You locked the door."

Gerald stood near the windows. He wore black clothes again. The cuts on his hands were cleaned, but his face looked harder than ever. He turned slowly. Those strange grey-green eyes found mine. They seemed brighter today, almost glowing in the firelight.

For several seconds, neither of us spoke. The air felt thick. Heavy. I could hear my own breathing.

Finally I broke the silence. "You locked the door."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because nobody leaves until this conversation is finished."

Anger rushed through me and pushed out the fear. A month ago I would have stayed quiet. I would have tried to please everyone. I would have said sorry even when I did nothing wrong. Not anymore.

I crossed my arms tight over my chest. "I'm not your prisoner."

"No." His voice was cold as ice. "You're my problem."

That hurt. More than it should have. The words cut deep. I felt my face get hot. Why did his hate make my chest feel tight like this?

I lifted my chin. "And you're incredibly rude."

He ignored that. He took a step closer. "Who sent you?"

I blinked. "What?"

"Who sent you to Moonridge?"

"My grandfather."

"Who sent him?"

I stared at him. "Nobody."

He took several more steps toward me. The room suddenly felt much smaller. He was very tall. Very strong. Every scar on his face and neck looked darker in the firelight. My eyes kept going to those scars. To the way his shirt stretched over his chest. To his big hands. I hated how I noticed these things while he looked at me like I was trash.

"You arrived yesterday," he said, his voice hard. "Hours later, Genesis appears at our walls asking specifically for you."

"I don't know what Genesis is."

"I don't believe humans."

The words hit me like a slap. I felt small. Worthless. But underneath that, something warm stirred low in my belly. His voice. His eyes on me. Even when he hated me, it made my skin feel too sensitive.

"You don't even know me," I said.

"I know your species."

Something inside me snapped. "No."

His eyebrows lowered. "No?"

I stepped toward him. My heart raced. We were close now. Too close. I could smell him—something dark and woodsy, like forest at night. It made my head feel light.

"You don't get to do this," I said.

His expression hardened. "Do what?"

"Treat me like some criminal because you hate humans."

"I have reasons."

"And I have reasons to hate people too."

Silence filled the room. Real, heavy silence. His eyes narrowed. I could feel the heat from his body. My own body reacted in ways I did not want. My breath came faster. My nipples tightened under my shirt. I crossed my arms tighter to hide it.

"My boyfriend cheated on me with my sister," I said. My voice shook. "My parents chose her because she's pregnant. My whole life I've been everyone's backup choice."

He said nothing. Just watched me.

"But I came here because children needed help." I pointed at the door. "You locked me underground." I pointed at him. "And now you're acting like I personally attacked you."

Something changed in his eyes. Not softness. Something darker. Understanding, maybe. But mixed with anger.

"I don't know what Genesis is," I said quietly. "I don't know why your people call me human like it's an insult."

"It isn't."

"It sounds like one."

He looked away. His jaw tightened. The muscles in his neck moved. I wanted to touch that spot. I hated myself for wanting it.

"When I was a child, humans put me in a cage," he said. The words landed heavy. "They called me an animal. They cut me open."

My breathing slowed. The fire crackled. I felt sick for him. But also pulled to him. His pain made me want to step closer, even while he looked ready to throw me out.

"They experimented on children. I watched people die. And every person who hurt us was human."

The anger inside me faded a little. I saw pain in him now. Years of it. Deep pain. It made my heart hurt. And it made other parts of me feel warm and confused.

"I didn't do those things," I whispered.

"I know."

The answer surprised me. "You do?"

His eyes lowered. "The children trust you."

"And that's bad?"

"No." He looked frustrated. Really frustrated. "As far as I know, it should be impossible."

"Why?"

He stared at me for a long time. Then he spoke. "We aren't human."

I laughed softly. Nervous. "Everyone keeps saying that."

"We're hybrids."

The word meant nothing to me. "Hybrid what?"

He took a slow breath. Part of him looked like he expected me to scream and run.

"We were created. In laboratories."

I stared. "No."

"Yes."

"You're joking."

"I'm not."

The fireplace crackled louder. Outside, wind moved through the trees. Inside, my whole world started to break. Werewolves. Vampires. Witches. He said they were real. I shook my head. "This is some kind of test."

"It isn't."

"You expect me to believe monsters are real?"

His face changed. Pain flashed across it. Sharp pain. "Yes."

Monster. I had not meant to say it like that. "No," I said quickly. "That's not what I meant."

He turned away. The distance between us felt cold again. I missed his heat already. Stupid. He hated me. Why did my body not understand that?

"I know what we are," he said, voice cold.

"No, I didn't mean—"

"You should leave."

My eyes widened. "What?"

"You wanted answers. You have them."

The dismissal hurt so much. More than it should. Tears burned my eyes. But between my legs, I felt a deep ache. His cold voice. His strong body. The way he looked at me like I was nothing. It confused me completely. I hated him. I wanted him. I wanted to slap him and kiss him at the same time.

He thought I feared him. And maybe a small part of me did. But not because he was different. Not because of what he claimed to be. I looked at the scars on his hands. The tight muscles in his arms. The way his chest rose and fell. The loneliness around him called to me.

"Look at me," I said.

He did not move.

"Gerald."

Slowly, he turned. His eyes met mine. They burned.

"I don't know what you are," I said. My voice was soft. "But I know suffering when I see it."

Something dangerous passed across his face. The room got very quiet. He took one step closer. I did not move back. Our bodies were almost touching now. I could feel the heat coming off him. It made my skin tingle. My lips felt dry. I licked them. His eyes followed the movement.

His voice dropped low. "You should be afraid of me."

I swallowed hard. "I'm trying to decide."

For one second, something like a smile touched his mouth. It was gone fast. But it left me aching. My thighs pressed together without thinking. I felt wet. Confused. Why did his hate turn me on like this?

He hated me. I could see it in his eyes. The way his jaw clenched. The way he held his body away from mine, like touching me would burn him. But I also saw something else. Hunger. The same hunger I felt.

I stepped even closer. Our chests almost brushed. "I came here to help," I whispered. "Not to hurt you."

His hand lifted. For a moment I thought he would touch my face. Instead he clenched it into a fist at his side. "Humans always say that."

The words stung. Tears filled my eyes. But my body leaned toward him anyway. My breasts felt heavy. Sensitive. I wanted his hands on me. I wanted him to push me against the wall and show me how much he hated me.

"I'm not them," I said.

His eyes dropped to my mouth. Then lower, to my chest. He looked away fast, like it made him angry. "You smell like them."

That hurt. But it also made heat pool between my legs. The way he said "smell." Deep. Rough. Like he noticed everything about me.

"I can't help what I am," I said. My voice shook. "But I can choose what I do."

He laughed. A short, bitter sound. "Choose? You think you have a choice here?"

His body was so close. I could see the pulse in his neck. Fast. Like mine. I wanted to press my lips there. Taste his skin. Feel if he was as hard as I was wet.

"I hate how you look at me," I said suddenly.

His eyes snapped back to mine. "How do I look at you?"

"Like you want to break me. Like you want me gone. But also... like you can't stop looking."

He did not deny it. His breathing got heavier. The air between us felt electric. Dangerous. Sexual.

"You are a problem," he said again. But this time his voice was rougher. Lower. It sent shivers down my spine and straight to my core.

"I know," I whispered. "So why don't you throw me out?"

His hand moved. This time it did touch me. Just his fingers on my arm. Light. But it burned. I gasped softly. He felt it. His eyes darkened.

"I should."

But he did not let go. His grip tightened. Not hard enough to hurt. Just enough to hold me there. My nipples ached. I wanted his mouth on them. I wanted him to hate-fuck me right here on his desk. The thought shocked me. I had never felt this before.

He leaned in. His breath brushed my ear. "You make no sense, human."

The word "human" should have made me angry. Instead it made me press my thighs together tighter. Wetness soaked my panties. I was confused. Scared. Turned on. All at once.

"I don't understand you either," I said. My hand lifted without permission. I touched his chest. Solid. Warm. His heart beat hard under my palm. "You hate me. But you saved me. You locked me away but you came to check on me."

His hand slid up my arm to my shoulder. He pulled me closer. Our bodies touched now. Chest to chest. I felt how hard he was against my stomach. Big. Ready. My knees went weak.

"Don't," he growled. But he did not push me away.

I looked up at him. Our faces were inches apart. "Don't what?"

"Don't make me want this."

His words sent fresh heat through me. I tilted my head up. My lips parted. I wanted his kiss. Rough. Angry. Full of all the hate and confusion between us.

He stared at my mouth. His hand moved to my neck. Not squeezing. Just holding. Possessive. His thumb brushed my pulse. It jumped under his touch.

"You are dangerous," he said.

"So are you."

For a long moment we stayed like that. Breathing each other in. Bodies pressed close. Tension so thick I could barely think. My mind screamed that he hated me. My body begged him to take me anyway.

Finally he pulled back. His hand dropped. The loss of his touch felt like cold water. I almost whimpered.

"Leave," he said. His voice was hoarse.

I stood there, shaking. Wet. Confused. Angry. Aroused. "You locked the door."

He walked to the door and unlocked it. His back was to me. Strong. Tense. I wanted to run my hands down it. Scratch him. Make him feel as mixed up as I did.

When he turned, his face was cold again. But his eyes still burned. "This changes nothing. You are still human. I am still... what I am."

I walked past him. Slow. My shoulder brushed his chest. I heard him inhale sharply. Good. Let him feel it too.

At the door I stopped. "I don't hate you, Gerald. Even if you hate me."

He said nothing. But I felt his eyes on my back as I left. Burning. Hungry. Confused.

I walked out into the night air. My legs felt weak. My heart raced. Between my thighs I was slick and throbbing. I hated how much I wanted him. He hated me. He thought I was the enemy. But my body did not care. It wanted his hate. His hands. His mouth. All of it.

I did not understand my own feelings. Fear mixed with desire. Pain mixed with need. I was lost. And somehow, in this strange place full of hybrids and danger, Gerald Green was the most confusing thing of all.

I wanted to run away from him. I wanted to run straight back into his office and beg him to touch me again.

The wind blew cold against my hot skin. I wrapped my arms around myself. But it was not enough. The ache stayed. Deep. Confusing. Growing.

Whatever he was, whatever I was, something between us had started. And I did not know if it would destroy us or burn us alive.