Abducted Life

By Patricia Josephine and Patricia Josephine Lynne

A girl with no memory...
A boy with a horrible secret...
Can their love overcome an alien abduction?

Savannah Janowitz's perfect life was destroyed the night she and her boyfriend vanished without a trace. A year later, she reappears--alone. With no memory of what happened and strange, new abilities manifesting, Savannah struggles to rebuild her life.

Evan Sullivan never gave aliens much thought until the night he and Savannah were abducted. Changed by the horrifying experiments that made him less than human, Evan hides in the shadows and watches Savannah resume her life without him.

But neither can let the other go. Reunited, Savannah and Evan finally see a glimmer of their old lives return. As they face what happened to them together, they realize aliens aren't the only danger out there.

Someone closer to home is watching, waiting for the right moment to tear them apart.

Abducted Life is a New Adult science fiction romance story about life after an alien abduction. Click buy now and be whisked away into a world of alien vampires and werewolves.
Steam rating: Warm (Moderately explicit sensuality.)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Twisting the Myths
• Release date: Feb 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9781393489139

Patricia Josephine

Patricia officially started writing in 2012. She was bored and since she was always day dreaming fantastic stories, she thought, “Why not write them down and share them with people?” She's still deciding if that was a mistake or not. Since then, she has finished a dozen stories and has no plans to stop. You can find her young adult novels and short fiction under Patricia Josephine Lynne and her adult novels under Patricia Josephine. When she’s not lost writing in fantasy worlds, she relaxes with knitting, drawing and art, and jigsaw puzzles. And of course, a good book. Patricia J.L. currently lives with her husband in Upper Michigan. One day, they both hope to have enough pets to resemble a petting zoo. (Until then, can she pet your cat or dog?)

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE: Xxxx

WHITE-HOT LIGHT STUNG HIS EYES. The roar of an engine shook his eardrums, threatening to burst them. His arms and legs were pinned to the cold ground. Above, a massive craft hovered. It was black and sleek, like a giant Porsche with wings instead of wheels. Turbines beat out a frantic rhythm, and yellow lights flashed along its belly. With a low warble, the craft lifted up, vanishing among the stars in a matter of seconds.

Silence settled over the field. He rose to his feet. His only thought was to reach the girl lying motionless nearby. He stumbled across the flattened grass to Savannah. Her skin was washed white in the moonlight, and her strawberry blond curls were in tangles. She didn’t respond to his touch, but her breathing and pulse were steady. He gathered her into his arms.

In the distance, sirens wailed. Headlights raced down the road toward them. Panic lodged in his throat, and he bolted up. If they saw him...

The unconscious girl sprawled at his feet made him pause. He reached for her, but the dark green stripes coloring his arm made him recoil. He couldn’t allow her to see him either. She wouldn’t remember and would be repulsed with what they had done to him. He curled his fingers into a fist and ran to the edge of the field where the trees promised safety.

Hidden, he watched the police cars turn onto the field, kicking up dust in their wake. They skidded to a stop. Their headlights illuminated Savannah. Officers hurried to her with their hands on their guns. One knelt next to Savannah and placed two fingers on her neck.

Call an ambulance, he said. She’s alive.

Is it her, Jimmy? The Janowitz girl?

I hope so.

But where did she disappear to? It’s been a year since she and Evan Sullivan went missing in this field.

The officer beside Savannah shook his head. He stared at the starry sky. Dunno.

An ambulance’s red and white lights flashed in the darkness. Its call was mournful. The paramedics tended to Savannah. She woke as they worked. Tears blurred his vision when she whispered his name.

I’m here, Savvy.

But he wasn’t. He sank into the shadows of the forest and vanished.

CHAPTER 2: SAVANNAH

FOUR YEARS LATER

The wine glass tipped, and its red contents sloshed. Savannah’s hand flashed out and caught it before the base could leave the table’s surface, sparing the beige carpet. She placed the cup on a coaster, far from the table’s edge.

Whoa, Savannah. Nice catch. Mandy’s jaw hung. Disbelief widened her hazel eyes. She was still reaching for her drink.

Savannah gave her roommate a tight smile. It was luck. Besides, we’re not supposed to have alcohol in the dorms.

Mandy pressed a finger to her lips. Shh. We aren’t drinking wine. We are indulging in a fruity beverage.

That makes you tipsy. Savannah grinned and settled back.

Mandy grabbed her glass and took a swig. Her cheeks were flushed red and she swayed slightly in her seat. You’re tipsy too. You’ve drunk as much as I have.

Savannah straightened up. A lump formed in her throat. Her hands were steady, though, as she sipped her drink. The alcohol tingled through her, giving her a fleeting, lightheaded sensation before dissipating. I hold my juice better than you.

Mandy snorted. She downed the remainder of her wine then gathered her notebooks. I’m done studying tonight. Gonna go to bed. Night.

Night, Savannah murmured.

She finished organizing her notes and packed everything up. Tomorrow she’d finish her paper. Her feet dragged as she plodded to her room, and a yawn escaped. The pink and purple blankets on her bed called to her as she changed into an over-sized shirt with the word Shiny in gold across the chest. Briefly, her fingers paused on her stomach and the marks stretched around her belly button. Other marks marred her body; tiny pinprick scars on her legs, and burns down her back, but none of those filled her with longing as the ones on her stomach did, as if something had been ripped away.

Shaking the emotion off, she burrowed under the blankets. The muffled voices of students in the hallway of their dormitory floated in the air. She shut her eyes, ignoring the noises, and drifted to sleep.

The room was cloaked in darkness when Savannah’s eyelids popped open. She sat up, grabbing her phone. The time was just before two in the morning. Looking around her bedroom showed nothing out of place. What had disturbed her wasn’t there. She tilted her head, listening. The halls had become silent in the dead of night, but if she strained hard enough, she heard the sounds of the other students sleeping in their dormitories.

A whispered moan turned her toward the far wall. On the other side was Mandy’s bedroom. She heard shuffling then another moan. With a grimace, she slumped back. That’s what woke her? Mandy’s boyfriend coming over for some late-night sex?

Savannah covered her ears. She was tempted to bang on the door and disturb them for waking her, but they were being quiet. If only her hearing wasn’t so freaking sensitive.

Then again, everything about her was more sensitive.

She saw her bedroom as if a light was on: the desk and dresser with photos of family and friends adorning the top, prints of Van Gogh’s paintings and works by artists she discovered online hanging on the wall, and rumpled clothing by the desk that she hadn’t bothered to throw in the hamper. She smelled the tang of sweat and bodily fluids coming from Mandy and her boyfriend and felt the electric pulse as their orgasms drew closer. Their pounding hearts also indicated it’d be over soon. Quickly.

Her stomach flopped. She felt like a dirty pervert. Grabbing her phone and earbuds, she put on a soothing melody with violins. The song wouldn’t drown out the smell or tingle against her skin, but it muffled the sounds. From under her bed, she pulled out a scrapbook her mom made for her before she left for college. A smile pulled at her lips at the memories of her childhood: summer camp with friends, family vacations, cheerleading competitions, and school dances.

The happiness was snuffed out when she turned the page. Images from a formal dance put a lump in her throat. She had worn a sky-blue dress. It matched her eyes, he had said.

She traced his face, remembering how silky his honey brown hair had felt in her fingers, the softness of his lips against her neck, and his deep, purring voice. Adoration for her had burned in his amber eyes. Whenever he had seen her, a goofy grin had lit his face. So many vivid details that made her life empty without him.

They had been childhood friends, meeting on the first day of kindergarten and getting into trouble for not listening to their teacher. He had always been there for her, defending her from a bully, and she for him by helping him with homework. It took a while for their friendship to grow into something more. A few boys distracted her along the way, and other girls had caught his attention, but they had always reunited. One balmy summer night––when she was sixteen, and he was fifteen––they had shared their first kiss. Her heart had belonged to him from that moment on.

A tear trickled down her cheek. She closed the book and clutched it to her chest. Their fairy tale romance ended the night he went missing without a trace. She had disappeared, too, but somehow, she had returned. No memories, save one: a bright light, a pain in her neck, and the boy she loved screaming her name.

SAVANNAH LEANED AGAINST the bathroom sink as she brushed her teeth. Fatigue weighed down her limbs. Mandy’s boyfriend had lasted a lot longer than she had expected. She needed to invest in earplugs. Or maybe soundproof her walls.

Mooooorning, Mandy greeted when Savannah padded into the living room. Her short, auburn hair was a mess, as if she had stuck her head in the dryer. Wow. You look tired.

I didn’t sleep well. Tossed a lot, Savannah lied. No way was she letting her roommate know she heard the nighttime romp. How would she explain it? Her fast reflexes could easily be shrugged off, but not elf-like hearing.

I have coffee in the pot if you want some.

Thanks. Sounds good. Savannah poured herself a cup, but caffeine was like alcohol; the hyped-up jolt it caused faded after a moment or two. She couldn’t get drunk if she wanted, nor could she get a caffeine high.

What happened to me when I was missing that made me a freak?

Savannah had no memory of her missing year. Hours spent with therapists had revealed nothing. The most the doctors had achieved was helping her deal with the nightmares. After she had reappeared, she’d wake at night crying for him, thrashing at invisible bonds, and terrified of disappearing again. Sometimes, she missed the nightmares. It was messed up, but he was there, reaching for her and trying to reunite.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Mandy bounced to answer it and threw her arms around the athletic brunette in the doorway. Todd looked tired as well, but he had the strut of a man who had gotten laid.

Savannah cleared her throat, reminding her roommate she was still there. I better get to class. See you, Mandy. Todd.

Both gave her a distracted goodbye.

Hadn’t they had enough of each other last night?

Savannah paused in the hallway and rubbed her face. She shouldn’t be bitter toward Mandy and Todd. It wasn’t their fault she had lost someone she loved. She’d cope eventually. Somehow. She came back. He didn’t. And he wouldn’t want her waiting to see if he returned. He’d want her to live her life. It was why she finished her senior year and enrolled in college. She had dreams and plans and a future to look forward to. Maybe she’d meet someone...

But what if you forget him?

Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked them back. I won’t, she whispered.

Lifting her chin, she walked outside and into the throng of students. Life awaited.

CHAPTER 3: Xxxx

THE FLOW OF STUDENTS SURGED past the clock tower. They smiled and chatted. Their laughter rang out. The sound grated against his nerves. They took their freedom for granted, unafraid of interacting with each other. He wanted to wipe the happiness off their faces.

Spotting Savannah among the crowd distracted him from the bitterness simmering in his gut. Her blond hair glowed in the sunlight, and her cheeks were tinted pink. She tipped her face back, closing her eyes. Her content expression made his mouth twitch, a smile trying to form. Seeing her was bittersweet. He was forced to stay away, unable to do anything but watch and yearn for her.

He turned away with a hand to his chest, as if he could stop the pain seeing her caused. He needed to stop stalking her like some sicko. She was safe and moving on with her life.

Had she met a guy?

Heat pulsed through his veins. He tried to clamp down the jealousy. She needed to meet another guy and get over him.

He won’t love her the same.

A hiss slipped past his teeth. It didn’t matter. She was living a normal life. As she should.

Unlike him.

The hiss turned into a low growl. He slumped to the dusty floor. His fists trembled at his sides. Normalcy was beyond his grasp now.

Beneath his clothing, his skin was covered in dark green markings. Porcupine-like quills along his spine ached from being bound, causing muscles in his back to twitch. His fingernails were razor sharp. Despite the warm weather, he wore a black toque that soaked his hair in sweat. Breathing was difficult with the scarf covering the lower half of his face, but it hid his mouth