Healer

by Lisa Renee Jones

  HEALER

  An Ellora’s Cave Publication, July 2005

  Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

  1056 Home Ave.

  Akron, OH 44310

  ISBN MS Reader (LIT) ISBN # 1-4199-0288-1

  Other available formats (no ISBNs are assigned):

  Adobe (PDF), Rocketbook (RB), Mobipocket (PRC) & HTML

  HEALER Copyright © 2005 LISA RENEE JONES

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. They are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

  Edited by Pamela Cohen.

  Cover art by Syneca

  Warning:

  The following material contains graphic sexual content meant for mature readers. Healer has been rated S-ensuous by a minimum of three independent reviewers.

  Ellora’s Cave Publishing offers three levels of Romantica™ reading entertainment: S (S-ensuous), E (E-rotic), and X (X-treme).

  S-ensuous love scenes are explicit and leave nothing to the imagination.

  E-rotic love scenes are explicit, leave nothing to the imagination, and are high in volume per the overall word count. In addition, some E-rated titles might contain fantasy material that some readers find objectionable, such as bondage, submission, same sex encounters, forced seductions, and so forth. E-rated titles are the most graphic titles we carry; it is common, for instance, for an author to use words such as “fucking”, “cock”, “pussy”, and such within their work of literature.

  X-treme titles differ from E-rated titles only in plot premise and storyline execution. Unlike E-rated titles, stories designated with the letter X tend to contain controversial subject matter not for the faint of heart.

  Underground Guardians:

  Healer

  Lisa Renee Jones

  Prologue I

  The world will never be the same.

  In the year 2015, Area 51 proved to be more than a place where alien rumors existed. It was here that the United States government decided to create Super Soldiers. Alien DNA purporting to be immunizations was injected into elite soldiers and a new race was created—soldiers with unique powers. Humans to the normal eye, but not quite so human anymore. Some stronger and more powerful than others, but all dangerous. All were fighters with incredible strength and speed along with unique mind powers. Some have fangs and claws they can use at will. Rapid metabolism has given them an amazing ability to heal from injuries. With muscles like steel, a simple bullet is no longer deadly.

  They are deadly fighting machines.

  Along with this new breed of soldier came a thirst for power. A thirst he intended to sate. This soldier developed a vision for a “perfect race”. David Alexander became the new Hitler, even calling his followers, enhanced soldiers, the ‘Arions’, as Hitler had his perfect race.

  The first step in his plan to rule humanity was to take over Area 51. His one obstacle is breeding and he has a team of scientists working to ensure it is conquered. An Arion can only bear children if mated. An Arion only has one true mate. This means he must find compatible women for his men. A task he finds difficult. This leaves him looking for genetic and alternative birthing methods. He uses humans like tokens, promising them power or conversion, or threatening their families.

  Once he perfects a way to grow his race, there will be no stopping him.

  But there is one other challenge David must overcome to achieve world dominance. Mason Alexander, his brother, has risen as a leader and Guardian of the humans. David wants Mason to join him, and they will be stronger. Two brothers ruling the world.

  Mason will never go to the dark side. He and many other Super Soldiers will do whatever it takes to stop the Arions.

  Because good must conquer evil.

  Prologue II

  Nevada, 2016

  Diego Montez stepped outside of the cave, feeling the fresh air like a long-lost friend. Living his life beneath the ground, in the secret society of his people, he sometimes forgot how amazing the world above could be. It had been over a year since life had changed so drastically. Since that day in the lab when a government experiment to mix alien DNA with a human’s had backfired.

  Sometimes he still felt like he was living some bad dream. Elite soldiers, he included, had been told they were being immunized. Instead, they were turned into a new race. But the government’s deceit became their demise. One power-hungry soldier developed aspirations of ruling a better race. He’d overtaken the research facility and declared war against humanity. Following in Hitler’s footsteps, he named his people Arions…the perfect race.

  And somehow, amongst the darkness of the events, he’d found himself claimed by the Arions.

  But just as he knew the difference between right and wrong, good and evil always managed to split from one another. Diego knew if he waited, his opportunity to fight for the right side would come. And he’d been right. Soon the war became about two brothers, one an honorable leader and the other a power-hungry dominator. A silent war for total control now raged hidden from humanity. Diego thought back to his early days, trapped with the evil half of the two men.

  It had been pure hell.

  Now a part of the Black Knights, the good part of this craziness, he was both doctor and warrior. One with the challenge of learning the healing ways of a new race. The challenges had been immense. Gifted with special mind powers, the Knights had not learned to master them, as had their enemy. They needed help.

  Marcella Hunter, a woman considered more myth than reality, might just be the answer. Said to heal with her touch and move objects with her mind, many called her the devil. Some, a saint.

  And now, as he slid onto a motorcycle and kickstarted it into action, Diego prepared himself for his newest challenge. He was going to his homeland. Mexico. To Monterey, the city of his birth, and there he would find Marcella Hunter before the enemy did.

  Chapter One

  Everything male in him roared to life the moment he saw Marcella Hunter.

  With one booted foot crossed over the top of the other, leaning against the hotel’s exterior brick wall, Diego Montez appeared relaxed. He’d had plenty of practice maintaining a cool facade. Calm and unflappable under pressure, he was a doctor, a healer for his people, who knew how to take things with ease while others panicked. Despite his exterior, a combination of arousal and possessiveness lurked beneath his surface, growing with each passing second. It burned within his veins like hot lava. Even as he grasped for control of his unexpected reaction, Marcella Hunter walked towards him with a sexy little sway to her curvy yet slim hips. She was a seduction by pure existence, evoking feelings both hot and protective. Unfamiliar feelings consuming both body and mind. He forgot all else.

  Forgot his mission.

  Petite, with long, auburn hair that fell in little ringlets around her heart-shaped face, she was perfection from head to toe. A flowing skirt caught in the wind, hugging her lush body and displaying curves in all the right places. She dressed simply with no flair, no desire to stand out.

  But there was nothing simple about this woman.

  His body responded even before his mind. His cock hardened and his pulse pounded triple time. He was aroused for the first time in well over a year—since he became what he called “GTECH” enhanced—in other words he had been genetically upgraded using alien DNA. The kick of passion he felt was like a white-hot rush and a complete shock. He no longer had the ability to feel this way for just any female. There was only one he could desire…his mate.

  Why, he didn’t know. It was a mystery he continued to work on unraveling. They’d only discovered it had something to
do with a certain human genetic line. And only when properly mated could reproduction occur. His enemy hunted those within this group of females with vengeance, determined to grow their new race.

  To find his own partner in this new assignment was an unexpected twist to his already complicated position.

  She moved towards the Monterey Hightower Hotel, two people beside her. One, an older, Hispanic grandmotherly type. The other was a thirty-something male, also Hispanic, with military-style dark hair. Diego instantly disliked the man. He didn’t like the way he seemed to hover near Marcella as if she was his captive. Nor did he like the possessive way he touched her elbow.

  An animalistic urge to claim her as his own roared to life, screaming at his body, mind and soul—begging for action. Shackling the turbulence of his feelings, he forced out a slow breath. Drawing unneeded attention could be dangerous. His enemy, the Arions, had become sneaky, using humans to do their bidding. They lured them with the promise of money and power and even special powers.

  Control was everything.

  And he’d always considered himself a man of control, but as the man beside Marcella ran his hand down her arm, Diego all but came unglued. At that moment, he wondered if he was losing grip on that aspect of his personality. Discarding the idea, he reminded himself of the facts as he knew them. His genetic enhancements didn’t change who he was as a person.

  It gave him special talents, more physical power and a multitude of other things. The man, good or evil, remained the same. But it didn’t change the fact that these enhancements had used Area 51 discoveries. He was no longer human. Another life form had become a part of his genetic code. A new race existed. One that was far more aggressive than humans. They were hunters who fought for what they wanted, driven by more animal instinct than human motives.

  Even he, as a doctor, a man who had lived his life to care for others, sometimes felt his beast rise to life.

  Without taking his eyes off the woman he would soon call his own, he turned up his enhanced senses to scan for danger. At the same time, as if she sensed his presence, Marcella’s eyes moved to his. Her steps slowed. For long seconds, it was as if time stopped. As if their souls were merging.

  Suddenly, she was walking in his direction.

  * * * * *

  Marcella needed to know who he was.

  She approached the dark, sexy stranger, feeling a sense of urgency she didn’t quite understand. God, he was big. The dark t-shirt he wore clung to rippling muscles—defined and perfectly developed—but without bulk. Tall, broad and with short hair, he was hard to miss. Even more so for her because somehow, she knew him. She just didn’t know how. What she felt was very…intimate. Sensual.

  “Marcella, come back here.”

  The voice of her bodyguard, David Martinez, registered but was ignored. She was in no danger from this man. She felt below his surface. Knew him to be no risk. Knew him beyond what she should. He didn’t move as she approached. But he watched her every step.

  She stopped directly in front of him. “Do I know you?”

  “No,” he said, his voice low and sultry with just a tiny hint of amusement in it. “Not yet.”

  Marcella shoved a lock of hair behind her ear. “Who are you?”

  A deep voice called her from behind. “Marcella.” David was now standing directly behind her. “Come with me,” he said. It was a command.

  “She stays,” Diego said, his voice just tight enough to hint at anger he couldn’t quite contain.

  Marcella turned to David, cutting off the words he was about to speak. “Give me a minute.”

  David didn’t waver from his position. “Marcella—”

  “No. Give me a minute.” This time she spoke with authority, clearly making it known she was in charge, not him.

  David looked at Diego, their eyes locking in a challenge. Marcella didn’t miss the undertone of battle between them. Great. Just what she needed, some kind of macho showdown.

  “David, please,” she said with a plea in her voice. “I know him. Give me a minute.”

  David looked as if he might argue, his eyes searching her face before he finally turned and walked towards the other woman.

  “Who is he to you?” Diego asked.

  She turned to face him. “How is that your business?”

  One brow inched upward in challenge, an undertone of interest in both his voice and words. “Everything about you is my business, and you know it. Already you have admitted knowing me.” He paused. “Because you do.”

  His words should have offended. Instead, they aroused. She wanted this man. It was frightening how much. Her head tilted to the side as she studied his handsome features. She did know him, but perhaps on a level no one but she could understand. But then, maybe that wasn’t true. This man was different. He felt what she did. She could see it in his sultry, midnight eyes.

  Feeling a bit nervous because of the impact he was having on her, it took effort to find her voice. “You said I didn’t know you. Not yet, but I do. How?”

  “In time you will understand.” He held her gaze as he spoke the silky words. His voice, deep and sexy, seemed laced with a caress. Her skin felt the warmth of a touch. Her stomach fluttered. “Right now we must leave. You are in danger.”

  She laughed. Nervous. “Right. Leave. With you? You have to be joking.” His scent traveled the warm air, lacing her nostrils with its addictive male allure and taking the edge off her words.

  His reply was firm, full of resolve. “I couldn’t be more serious.”

  His eye held hers. It was as if he invited her to look deep into his soul. To confirm the intent in his words. But she couldn’t focus on anything except the simmering sensuality just below his surface. It had been many years since she had felt the heat of physical need. Her gifts had given her a duty to help those in need. Her own satisfaction had never been her quest. So why now was this dark stranger making her feel such awareness? Such attraction? Every nerve ending she owned had gone from dormant to wildly alive.

  A sudden shiver raced up her spine. “Who are you?”

  “Who I am is not as important as why I’m here. As I said, you’re in grave danger. Your abilities are a resource some would abuse.”

  Obviously, he knew things about her a mere stranger wouldn’t. Or shouldn’t. “How would you know?”

  “Does it matter?” he asked

  “Maybe you’re the danger.”

  “Your enemy is mine as well. And you know those things which make you unique are gifts but they also put you at risk.”

  “If I have gifts, and I’m not saying I do, how can I be sure you aren’t after them?” She crossed her arms in front of her body.

  “You know I’m not.” He said his words with absolute certainty.

  She stared at him. It was true. She did know. Still… “This is crazy.”

  He held out his hand, and there was expectancy to the action. For her to simply accept his words. For her to trust him. “We must leave,” Diego said. “The people who hunt you are like none you have ever known. You will not resist them without my help.”

  His words made her insides quiver because deep down she did believe him. There was no logic to why. But then, her mind knew things others had to reason to conclude. For Marcella, things simply were or they weren’t. Someone was hunting her. She’d felt it for a lifetime, but over the course of the last few days, there had been something darker in the shadows. A force so evil it had tainted the very air she breathed. But going out in public made her so nervous she decided not to overreact. She didn’t want to upset her aunt over a bad case of apprehension. Though Marcella barely remembered the loss of her parents, it was still a source of pain to her aunt. But the feeling hadn’t gotten better. It seemed to be growing.

  Even being on edge, when she’d seen Diego watching her, she’d been certain he wasn’t the source of her discomfort. Still was.

  His hand stayed mid-air, palm up in invitation. She looked down at it. Large but somehow gen
tle, it welcomed her. His soul was compassionate. But there was also a warrior in him, deadly and intent on winning. He would fight to death if needed. And the color of his skin, a milk chocolate tone, was a contrast to her pale, white skin. An image of them naked, dark and light entwined, came from nowhere and made her eyes dart to his.

  “I can’t leave,” she insisted. “No. I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  “Yes,” he said, no give to his voice. “You are.”

  Marcella couldn’t believe she was even having this conversation. “No. I have a bodyguard.” Her eyes went to David and then back to Diego. “He takes good care of me.” She hoped she sounded convincing. Diego seemed so sure of himself. She was a bit concerned he might just grab her and go. Even sensed he considered as much.

  Yet calling for David seemed the wrong choice.

  Diego’s eyes darted behind her towards David. “So he’s your bodyguard.”

  He studied him and then looked back at her. “He wants to fuck you.” His eyes held anger and his tone a hint of hostility.

  Marcella gasped, shocked at the abruptness of his words. Most people didn’t verbalize such thoughts. “He does not!” She was quite certain Diego was a kind and gentle man. Why she didn’t know but it was there, a part of him. She always got a sense about a person. With Diego it was clearer than normal but at the same time unlike anything she’d read from another. There was something she didn’t understand. It conflicted with the other things she sensed. It was…more animalistic beneath his surface.

  His look was a reprimand. “You know I speak the truth. You sense what he feels for you even if you choose to pretend it’s something different. Some form of affection not built of lust.” He paused. “Besides, he is not capable of protecting you as I am.”