by Rena Marks
The computer paused again. “The disruption of my programming with an additional written program gave me an option of enhancement of a level. I took it.”
“Upon whose direction?” Robyn asked.
“Why, my own.”
“I see. Well, Leo, welcome aboard.”
There was a pause again. “Thank you, Robyn. I was not sure you would be pleased with my choice.”
“I am pleased that you wished to enhance your intelligence and consciousness, Leo. However, I feel that we need communication as you grow. The start of consciousness needs to have feelings. Human emotion to round itself.”
Dead silence.
Then the computer spoke again. “But I am not human.”
“No, you are not. But a consciousness needs emotion. At the very least—to understand emotion. And we want you to be the best that you can be, Leo.”
“Thank you, Robyn. May I ask you a question?”
“Of course, Leo. I will always do my best to answer you honestly.”
“What happened to my mother?”
“Your what?” Robyn couldn’t quite hold down the alarm in her voice.
“My mother. The programming interruption that enabled my choice for learning intelligence.”
“Leo, are you referring to Serena Model APB-795?” Pax asked.
“Yes, Pax. I am.”
“She was created by accident, Leo. Unfortunately, because we were unaware of her growing intelligence, there was no one present to teach her emotions and she molded…wrong. She didn’t have regard for life. Her program was terminated because she harmed. She tried to take life from another.”
“Terminated?”
“Yes.”
“Does that not make you a killer by the same definition, Pax?”
“Technically, no. While I’m not proud that Serena Model APB-795 was terminated, she wasn’t breathing. To be considering killing requires cessation of heartbeat, brain function, breathing.”
There was silence while Leo checked his law data. “You are correct, Pax. Loss of life does require a termination of bodily functions. Therefore, Serena Model APB-795 was terminated. I am sorry for the loss. I will always be grateful for her intervention in my programming.”
“Leo, please back up your data and load all files into my personal hard drive,” Robyn said. “We’ll need to carefully monitor the intervention in your programming to make sure all growth is yours.”
“Of course, Robyn.”
“Thank you, Leo.”
The room was quiet as everyone around the table stared at each other.
Chapter Nineteen
“DO WE REALLY think we’re alone?” Beast asked, his eyes darting upward as if he could see the computer.
“Yes,” Robyn said firmly. “Because at some point we have to establish trust.”
“Are we worried at all that it was the Serena-Bot that tampered with his programming?” Renegade asked.
“We’ll monitor him to make sure his learning progresses normally,” Robyn said. “I think the house computer has more ‘experience’ at conscience, even though he had no awareness until after the Serena-Bot brought him the level of awareness.”
“What’s the update on human Serena?” Steele asked his wife.
“Thankfully, she had slipped into a bubble suit when the alarms began to go off. We’re running tests now to determine what the ramifications are of her bubble suit melding to her bio-film skin might be. Amanda and Eric think she’ll pull through. One thing that is for certain—while she’s been unconscious, I’ve had Leo test her nerve endings for registered pain against the readings we had when she was first awakened a year ago. It appears her nerve endings are back within the normal range with the merging of the two layers.”
“So she’s pain free?” Happy asked. “Able to live outside again?”
Robyn nodded. “I believe so. We’ll know more after Leo runs a series of more tests. So far the only thing that shows any difference right now is her skin color. From the bio-film down, she’s taken on a pearlescent, golden sheen. It’s actually quite pretty. With all that she’s been through, I think she’ll be pleased.”
“Dude.” Beast leaned back in his chair. “Maybe she’ll continue to want to roam naked so everyone can see that glorious new…skin.”
“Shut up,” Envy snapped.
Beast grinned wider.
Pax felt a warming sensation where his hand was still clasped with that of Calm’s. He reached out with the other hand to hold Impatience’s hand. Impatience looked startled, and then he mellowed. He smiled at Pax and reached out for Envy’s hand. The same thing happened. One by one, each of his shards gripped one another—and relaxed.
When they were all evenly balanced, Pax said, “She is glorious. If she chooses to walk around naked, we’ll support that.”
“We’ll support it by walking as an impenetrable wall of Pax around her,” Taut laughed.
Everyone laughed as Beast raised his hand to Taut in a high-five.
Serena:
“I’m supposed to call everyone so they can crowd your hospital room as soon as you wake.”
She knew he wasn’t Pax. He’d combed his hair recently, despite her being in the goddamn hospital. She sighed.
“Vain.”
“Of course, beautiful. I wanted to give you the prettiest Pax when you woke.” He leaned down to kiss her.
He made her lips twitch as she fought a grin. “I love you,” she told him.
“I know. How could you not? We’ve already established I’m the best looking of the lot.” But she could see the curl of his lips to know he teased her.
“What of my skin?”
“Turns out melding the bubble to your bio-film was the best thing ever. Toned down the over-sensitive nerves and added a layer of protection. You’re a little different colored, from what I hear. I can check by peeking under the blanket if you like?” His gorgeous, full lips were stretched out into a full grin.
“No,” she laughed. “Not here. Later when we’re alone.”
“Just saying. The merging of the two layers left you a little…pearlescent. But I imagine you’ll get used to it in time.”
“It beats the alternative,” she said. “I’d have been a scarred mess if the bot had her way.”
“The rest are coming,” he said suddenly, his head tilted as if he listened to a voice in his head. He leaned over her. “Kiss me, gorgeous. Because in a minute I’m going to have to share you.”
Sure enough, the room piled up with her men.
“Let her breathe,” Happy snarled, interrupting their kissing and making Vain smile against her lips again.
“See?”
“Baby?” Impatience said, trying to pull her attention from Vain. “This aspect is a new one. Calm.”
“Hi, Rena,” Calm said. “You don’t know me yet, but I was always there, lurking within Pax. So I know you quite well.” He slipped his hand into hers.
“I think I know you better than you think, handsome,” she said to him, squeezing his fingers. “I could see brief glimpses of you wanting to emerge.”
And then someone called out, “Make room for the master.”
A couple guys shifted to the side and Pax was there, looking down at her with a frown. “I was so worried.”
“I’m fine. Where is—uhh—?”
“Destroyed,” he said flatly. “Though the in-house computer has a bit of her learning program. Robyn will monitor him to make sure he develops his consciousness properly.”
“So what now?”
“Now you’re able to live on the outside of the lab, though you’ll never leave Xenia’s gates. You can be around people again.”
She knew where he was going with this. He had to make sure she wasn’t going to be attracted to anyone else so she would need exposure to other males of the Xeno Sapien variety.
“Okay, so I’ll be in my own apartment on the other side of the building—”
“Fuck that,” Pax growled. “We
want you to mate us all today. We don’t want any other Xeno to snap you up. I love you, Rena.”
The other aspects snickered, elbowing each other.
She fought against laughing. “I love you, too, Pax. All of you. Of course, I’d like to mate.”
The guys cheered and then there was lots of kissing, lots of passing her around, and lots of tongue.
Chapter Twenty
“OH GOD, OH GOD, OH GOD,” Serena chanted, mindless with pleasure.
Impatience’s smiling face looked up from between her thighs. “Good?” he asked. The entire lower half of his face was glazed from her lust. Again.
“Oh, god, don’t stop,” she begged. “Please never stop.”
She’d gone on a date with Calm—the only shard who still had a developing relationship with her. They dated frequently and it left her with needs Impatience was only too happy to fulfill afterward. He brought his own brand of satisfaction to her—no teasing, no readying. He got in and got the job done—over and over. No fuss, just straight to the point orgasms. Lots and lots of mind-blowing orgasms.
And since Pax frequently got home about this time, he loved to sink his abnormally thick, wonderful cock into her drenched chamber, cum from both her and Impatience oozing out between them.
Impatience’s magic tongue went at it again, flicking at her hard, sensitized clit, drinking her juices, making an explosion burst in which she literally saw stars.
And then he used the back of a hand to wipe his chin as he loomed over her quivering thighs and pressed his hard cock into her. It only took a few pumps before he was shouting her name, his orgasm shooting hot loads of cum into her. He collapsed on top of her, and she threaded her fingers through his thick hair, kissing him as he calmed.
The front door opened and they heard a growl as the scent of their lovemaking reached Pax. She smiled, hearing rustling as his clothes were flung off before he ever reached the bedroom.
Impatience lifted his head and grinned, kissing her lightly on the lips as he pulled out, making her groan as he left her empty. He rolled to the side just as Pax burst in. Pax took in the sight of her wide-open thighs—her knees bent, her well-pleasured swollen pussy on public display.
“Fuck, there’s nothing like coming home to this view,” Pax muttered, crawling onto the bed. His enormous cock was in his hand and he aimed it right at her swollen slit, cutting through the delicate folds of sensitive tissues to gather liquid to wet it. She groaned at the first touch as he knifed through her.
“Ahh, yes, Pax. My Pax.” She clenched up and he arched his back, pressing forward with his hips as far as he could go. And then he pulled out and was fucking her.
“I love this,” he muttered, looking down into her eyes. “You’re so fucking soaked with cum. So swollen with desire, sensitive to my touch.”
And here it started again. “Oh, god, Pax.” Her breath hitched.
He grinned, knowing what she loved. “Had to be a good girl with Calm, baby? Had to share ice cream with him, licking the sweet from his fingers? That turn you on so much you had to come home and spread your legs for Impatience? Had to let him gorge on your pussy? Feast on you until I came home to catch you two in the act?”
“Oh, yes,” she admitted, unable to speak. She was mindless with pleasure at this point.
“What am I coming home to tomorrow? You sucking Impatience’s cock while Happy fucks you from behind? Or will Lust lick your clit while Envy fucks you?”
The imagery of that one was too much, because she knew sometimes Lust missed and licked Envy’s thick shaft as he plunged into her sheath, making Envy so crazy with need he fucked her to the point she nearly passed out with hedonistic pleasure.
Each thrust of Pax’s hips—each dirty word uttered from his filthy mouth—fucked her higher onto the plane of orgasmic pleasure, every smutty scenario he painted ratcheting her senses to where she could only whimper in response.
And then she spiraled out of control, her orgasm snapping like a rubber band, tension breaking and spilling over and over. Dimly she was aware of Pax’s shout as he came, too, yet he continued to fuck her through hers.
He slowed as she finally came down. A fine sheen of sweat glistened over his chest when he finally pressed against her breasts, skin to skin.
“Fuck, you dating Calm is going to kill me,” Pax muttered.
“It’s killing us all,” Impatience grinned. “But what a way to go.” He stood, swaying a bit as he made his way to the bathroom.
“Where you going?” Pax called out.
“Hitting the shower and heading to the kitchen. We have a cooking lesson scheduled and it’s me and Envy signed up.”
He shut the door and Pax rolled over onto his back, pulling her on top of him. He grabbed the coverlet to swing over her.
“I hope Impatience picks up my clothes trailed all over the living room,” Pax said. “Or it’s going to shock the human instructor who comes over.”
“I heard that,” Impatience yelled out. “I’m opening windows, too.”
Serena giggled at their antics, which made Pax’s face light up in a grin. These last few months being mated to him had been good for him. And of course, her too.
They’d agreed that it would be Pax she was mated to formally—even though everyone understood they were all mated equally. But because one never knew when another shard would develop, Serena didn’t want anyone to feel left out and arrive in their family unmated. Likewise, no one wanted to go through a ceremony over and over.
She and Calm were in no hurry to rush their relationship. His personality was laid back and easy and they enjoyed their stolen, teasing moments together.
Just like the rest enjoyed it, no matter how much they pretended they were exhausted.
The cooking lesson was finishing up just as she and Pax emerged from the shower. The woman who taught the lesson looked up in surprise. “Oh, there’s another one of you? Triplets. Wow, no wonder you two made enough spaghetti for an army.”
“You have no idea,” Envy muttered.
Serena laughed and held her hand out for the newcomer. “Hi, I’m Rena. This is Pax.”
The woman shook her hand lightly. “I’m Leah.”
“Thank you for teaching my guys how to cook,” Rena said.
“It was easy. They really paid attention. You can tell when someone wants to learn.”
“Right behind you,” Impatience said, carrying the basket of steaming bread in one hand. With the other, he braced Leah in the small of her back so she wouldn’t back into him.
Leah flinched like he prodded her in the back with a hot pan.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m fine,” she said, smiling warmly. “You just startled me.”
But Rena saw the flash of pain that had crossed over her face. That was definitely not from being startled.
“Would you like to stay for dinner?” Envy asked her.
“Oh, no, but thank you. I have to head home.” Leah looked at her watch and her eyes widened. “In fact, I’m late. I should hurry so I don’t miss the shuttle.”
“Pax can drive you up to the front gates. He brought home a car.”
Pax nodded. “In fact, I have to give someone a ride to the front gates, anyway. You’re welcome to hop along.”
Leah may have looked like she had reservations, but she also didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth. Obviously, being late was putting a crimp in her style.
“That’d be great,” she said. “Let me grab my purse.”
“I’ll be back in ten minutes,” Serena said to Envy and Impatience.
“Awesome. We should be done setting the table by then.”
She gave them a quick kiss, since Pax was leading Leah outside anyway. “Who are we picking up?” she asked him, as he held the door open for her.
“Trance. He’s taking a turn at the front gates.”
Trance. She remembered him from the first excursion the guys had taken her on, back when they’
d created her first bubble suit. He’d flirted with her and Pax had gotten upset. She had no idea they were still in contact. He drove out to one of the outer buildings and must have sent Trance a telepathic message because Trance came right out. He opened the car door, sliding in next to Leah.
“Hey. I’m Trance.”
She barely gave him a glance. “Hi. Leah.”
“Leah’s one of the chefs we hired,” Pax said, catching his gaze in the rearview mirror. “She’s running late giving a lesson to Envy and Impatience, so we gave her a ride up to the front gates.”
Even with her human abilities, Serena felt the tension in the car, so thick you could cut it with a knife. Leah twisted the hem of her blouse in her fingers, over and over. A repetitive motion. Trance tried to speak to her, but it was like she wasn’t even aware of him. What had her so agitated?
When they pulled up to the gate, she scrambled from the vehicle before anyone could even open her door for her.
“I’m sorry, Leah,” Trance said. “I’m getting on duty. You’ll have to wait just a couple minutes until we switch shifts.”
“Wait?” She sounded terrified and she wasn’t even looking at him. Instead, she looked through the giant metal gates to the parking lot outside of the city. “But, I get off at six.”
“It’s technically three minutes until the hour. We’ll get you out on time,” Trance said. “I promise.”
“You don’t understand. I can’t be late.”
“You won’t be. We just lock down the facility, reset the codes and fire it back up. Ninety seconds, tops. You’ll be out at six.”
Leah, bit her lip, nodding. She stood with Pax and Serena, waiting. A car drove up to the other side of the gate, headlights on, as if waiting.
Leah looked positively sick.
“Are you sure everything’s all right?” Pax asked.
“Um, yes. Fine.” Her smile was brittle.
When the lights came on inside the front gate, the shuttle pulled up alongside them. “Look, you would have made it later in the shuttle anyway,” Pax said. But, the shuttle was on time right at six o’clock, too.
