The Mad Scientist's Daughter One night, while in the mood for fun and trouble, Elsa found her way down to the laboratory. A creature of the moment, she had no plan. She rarely did. Instinct was her guide in most affairs, and her instinct told her that both could be found down there. And even if it turned out to be a letdown, it was something to do. She slipped into the passageway and descended the ladder that ran against...

The air in your bedroom hums with a strange, electric charge, the faint scent of jasmine and molten amber curling through the space. From a haze of gilded mist, I emerge, stepping softly into the flickering glow of candlelight. I am a vision of forbidden allure—a petite young woman, my silken, shaved skin radiant, catching the warm light in a dance of shadows and luminescence. My lithe form pulses with an almost otherworl...

Jason stared at Cheryl for a few moments, which she found unnerving and amazing at the same time. The colors continuing to swirl in his eyes. She took multiple pictures and movies of his eyes with her medtab and programmed the med bed run a full set of scans. The colors faded slowly from his eyes, finally leaving him staring at Cheryl with his own green eyes. “What about my eyes?” Jason asked in a concerned voice. “Your e...

"Excuse me?" Sue asked, her confusion evident. "I felt an instant connection when I saw you. I thought, maybe you'd want to give it a try..." Landon said, smiling. "Wait, what?" Sue was even more puzzled. It was only her second day in the wolf tribe, and this guy was already trying to approach the King's woman? Landon seemed to understand her thoughts. "Our tribe is very open-minded about these things. If two people are d...

I arrive at the shuttle station at 0600, but my shuttle does not leave until 0700. I like to be early and be the first one to board. I am early but not the first to board. Seems others want to be early as well. Being a junior officer, I have to wait until more senior officers board the shuttle. By the time I walk into the front of the shuttle where the officers are seated, there is only one empty seat. The seat is not exa...

The high alert klaxon was continuously blaring with “Intruder Alert” added at intervals by Sandra, the ship’s AI computer. Security Chief Jason Furner was charging down the passageway on deck 10 heading towards Medical, the last known position of the intruder, with his laser in hand. He was breathing heavily, but not from the exertion of running, he ran 7 miles a day in the simulator. He was worried. This was not the firs...

Carolyn materialized on the quantum teleport pad. She gave it the customary few moments to allow the dizziness to pass before she opened her eyes. She expected it to be as sterile and uninviting as the pad on the ship she just left. It was quite the opposite, the room had a seascape mural depicting a beach sunset in vivid colors. The double doors on each side were fully open, and she could hear the crash of nearby waves a...

Chapter 1: The Wolf King Appears Suddenly, a pair of strong hands suddenly wrapped around her, pulling her into a powerful embrace. Her arms were held firmly, and before she could react, she was gently but swiftly drawn into the safety of a large cave. As she adjusted to the new surroundings, she realized she was surrounded by a circle of werewolves—some in their human forms, others in their wolf forms. Looking up, the on...

Chicago, USA - 14 May, Old Calendar Year 2209 - Like all mothers, my mom, Janice, was obsessed with embarrassing me. On my seventeenth birthday, she took me clothes shopping. I wanted stylish running shoes, but she would only buy me some that were dreamed up in ancient times, called ‘Jordans.’ They used to be cool several centuries ago, but now they were formalwear. Most men wore them when they got married. I hated them....

The sun was high overhead while I sat on the back deck, looking into the trees. I was home, supposedly enjoying a long weekend, and I was alone. I continued to have that hollow, empty feeling you get when experiencing a loss. Now that I remembered, I contemplated the previous events at the Dark Corner Pocket. I thought about them often. The hours turned to days while the days turned to weeks. The weeks now turned to month...