Lila Carter's boots sank into the muddy forest floor as she half-carried Jake Hensley, his arm slung over her shoulders, his breathing shallow and ragged. The fog curled thick around them, muffling the fading scream from the woods—another victim, another wound in Gorse Hollow's bleeding heart. Ethan Blake supported Jake's other side, his blood-streaked chest heaving, claw marks raw on his back. Damien Voss limped ahead, knife slick with gray blood, his dark eyes scanning the trees. Kieran Holt walked beside Lila, shotgun resting on his torn shoulder, his playful grin strained but holding. Maya Torres trailed, her arm bandaged with a strip of her shirt, pipe dangling from her hand. Dr. Clara Evans clutched the dim disc, her shoulder bleeding through her coat, while Zara Quinn followed, sketching the shadows, her whispers a quiet hum.
Jake's head lolled, his voice weak. "Lila… they're still out there…" His cold fingers dug into her arm, his cuts—fresh and old—staining her skin. She tightened her grip, guilt and fear choking her. "We'll stop them," she said, more to herself than him.
A rustle broke the silence—not alien, but human. A woman stepped from the fog, tall and elegant, her silver hair swept back, a fur coat draped over her shoulders despite the damp heat. Talia Grey, Gorse Hollow's richest widow, her sharp green eyes glinting with something cold and knowing. Diamonds glittered at her throat, stark against the chaos.
"Talia?" Lila blinked, steadying Jake. "What are you doing here?" Talia's lips curved, not quite a smile. "I heard the chaos. Thought I'd see for myself." Her gaze flicked over them—Jake's frailty, Ethan's wounds, Damien's bloodied glare—lingering on the disc in Clara's hand. "Interesting toy."
Damien stepped forward, smirking despite his limp. "You're late, rich lady. Party's over." Talia's eyes locked on his, sharp and amused. "Oh, I know you, Voss. Still chasing trouble?" Her voice was smooth, laced with history, and Lila's skin prickled—another thread tying Damien to this mess.
"You know her?" Lila asked, frowning. Damien shrugged, casual but tense. "Old fling. She likes dangerous games." Talia laughed, low and throaty. "And you play them so well."
Ethan glared, shifting closer to Lila. "We don't have time for this." His hand brushed her back, protective, his heat steadying her. Kieran grinned, winking at Talia. "She's got style, though. Right, gorgeous?" His charm cut the tension, but his eyes stayed sharp.
Clara held up the disc, glow faint but pulsing. "This is Xytheran tech," she said, voice crisp despite her pain. "They're using it to track us—or their ship." Talia's eyes narrowed, intrigued. "Aliens, then. Explains the rumors."
"Rumors?" Maya snapped, clutching her arm. "They're killing us—breeding with us. It's real." Talia tilted her head, studying Jake, then the cuts on his chest. "Poor boy. Marked, I assume?"
"They used me…" Jake rasped, leaning heavier on Lila. "Cut me… said I'd bring her…" His voice broke, and Talia's expression softened—just a flicker—before hardening again. "Fascinating," she murmured, stepping closer. "I've funded research on them—discreetly. Their biology's… compelling."
"Funded?" Lila's stomach dropped. "You knew?" Talia's smile was thin. "Suspected. My late husband was obsessed—thought they'd cure his cancer. I kept his contacts, his money flowing. Seems I was right to watch."
Damien's smirk vanished. "You're playing with fire, Talia. They don't negotiate." She shrugged, unperturbed. "Nor do I."
A low hum vibrated the ground, green lights flaring overhead. The disc pulsed brighter, and Zara gasped, dropping her sketchbook—a jagged ship, claws reaching, blood dripping. "They're here!" she whispered, eyes wide.
The trees parted, and three Xytherans emerged—sleek, gray, claws extended. One held a woman—young, her clothes shredded, belly swollen, eyes blank. She dangled limp, claw marks on her thighs, blood trickling. "Help…" she rasped, voice fading.
Lila's bat rose, rage boiling. "Let her go!" she yelled, stepping free of Jake. Ethan steadied him, then charged, fists slamming the lead alien's chest. It slashed his arm, blood welling, but he pinned it, roaring. Damien tackled another, knife sinking into its gut, gray blood spraying. It clawed his back, tearing deeper into old wounds, and he grunted, twisting the blade.
Kieran fired, blasting the third's leg, but it dropped the woman, lunging at him. Claws raked his chest, blood gushing, and he stumbled, cursing. Maya swung her pipe, cracking its spine, and it fell, shrieking. Talia drew a sleek pistol from her coat, firing precise shots—head, chest—dropping it clean.
The woman hit the ground, moaning, hands clutching her stomach. Lila knelt, heart pounding. "You're safe," she lied, brushing hair from her face. The woman's eyes fluttered, blank. "They… put it in me…" Blood seeped from her mouth, and she went still, breath stopping.
"No…" Lila whispered, tears burning. Ethan pulled her up, arms tight, his blood smearing her cheek. "She's gone," he said, voice rough, holding her as she shook. Damien staggered over, bloodied, smirking faintly. "Tough break, princess." His hand brushed her arm, warm and bold, and her pulse raced—grief clashing with his heat.
Kieran clutched his chest, panting. "They're relentless, huh, gorgeous?" His grin was weak, blood dripping. Talia holstered her gun, unfazed. "Efficient, too. Perfect predators."
Clara retrieved the disc, glow dimming. "They're testing us—pushing limits," she said, wincing as her shoulder bled. "This woman… advanced implantation." She nodded at the swollen belly, grim. "They're accelerating."
Jake coughed, weak, clutching Lila's hand as she returned to him. "They… said I'd be next…" His voice trembled, eyes flickering to the dead woman. "Cut me… deeper…" Lila's chest tightened—bait, test subject, pawn.
A new shadow moved—fast, human. Rhea Voss burst from the trees, gun raised, her cold smirk gleaming. "Miss me?" she drawled, eyeing the corpses. Damien glared. "Where'd you go?" Rhea shrugged. "Hunting. Found their trail—leads north."
"North?" Clara frowned, disc pulsing faintly. "Another ship?" Rhea nodded. "Bigger. They're staging—grabbing more."
Talia stepped forward, diamonds glinting. "I have a safehouse—old lab, reinforced. My husband's project. We regroup there." Her gaze flicked to Damien, then Lila. "Bring your toys."
Ethan's jaw tightened. "Not trusting her," he muttered to Lila, hand on her back. She nodded, but said, "We've got no choice." Kieran grinned, limping closer. "I'm in, gorgeous. Beats bleeding out here." Damien smirked, stepping too close, his breath on her neck. "Stick with me, princess."
Jake's grip tightened, weak but jealous. "Lila…" he rasped, eyes darting to them. She squeezed his hand, torn—his pain, their pull. "We're getting you safe," she said, voice firm.
The hum flared, louder, green lights pulsing north. Zara whispered, "More… coming…" Her sketch showed dozens—ships, claws, blood. Maya glared at Talia. "This better work, rich lady."
Talia smiled, thin and cold. "It will. Follow me." She led them through the fog, Rhea trailing, her gun ready. The safehouse loomed—a concrete bunker, hidden by trees, its steel door thick and scarred. Inside, fluorescent lights buzzed, revealing lab tables, monitors, files—relics of Talia's husband.
Clara set the disc on a table, glow steadying. "We decode this here," she said. "Find their base." Rhea smirked, leaning against a wall. "Or bait 'em to us."
Lila helped Jake onto a cot, his breathing shallow. Ethan stayed close, blood dripping, his hand brushing her shoulder. Damien watched, eyes dark, while Kieran flopped into a chair, grinning. "Cozy, huh, gorgeous?"
Talia moved to a monitor, typing fast. A grainy feed flickered—green lights, ships, Xytherans dragging bodies. "My husband's cameras," she said. "Still active." One figure caught Lila's eye—tall, gray, carrying a man. Jake's face flashed on screen, days ago, screaming as claws cut him.
Lila's knees buckled, and Ethan caught her, arms tight. "We'll get 'em," he growled, lips close to her ear. Damien stepped nearer, hand on her hip. "Count on it, princess." Kieran winked, bleeding but bold. "For you, gorgeous."
Jake moaned, stirring, his eyes meeting hers—pain, fear, a flicker of betrayal. The harem tightened—Jake's fragile claim, Ethan's fierce care, Damien's dark hunger, Kieran's spark, Talia's cold web weaving in. The Xytherans' hum grew, and the war pressed closer, bloody and unrelenting.