Forbidden Passion & Dark Moons

By Ava Wixx

How does a genius outsmart love without the use of her greatest asset?
Taken captive, experimented on, and rescued by a mysterious bounty hunter— all things Zula, The Pittsburgh’s second-in-command, didn’t have on her to-do list. She isn’t worried though. After all, as a Galvraron, she has her superior logic to rely on. At least she did ...
Suddenly Zula finds her cognitive skills compromised by a device that puts her emotions in control, turning her entire world upside down. Add in the fact that she’s forced to spend time with a man from her past, and soon Zula finds herself wondering: How does one fight adversaries such as love and lust? And does she really want to?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ava Wixx
• Release date: Feb 27, 2024
• ISBN: 9781955950268

Ava Wixx

Ava Wixx escaped into books at a young age and decided to stay there. It was only a matter of time before she was driven to create her own fantasy worlds from fear of running out of places to explore. Reader, writer, dreamer ... Ava only toils in reality when absolutely necessary. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, and spoiled mini-poodle.

Book preview

Introduction

Once upon a time, humans thought they were alone in the Universe.

They were wrong.

Hundreds of thousands of species existed that weren’t indigenous to Earth. So many, it was thought that no one would ever discover or catalogue every species and subspecies out there in the big, wide open.

Humans also used to think they were at the top of the food chain.

They were wrong about that, too.

Sexual, racial, religious discrimination … it all stopped mattering once humans realized they were the only ones who saw the difference. A human was a human, no matter their creed, and the rest of the Universe didn’t have high opinions of the natives of Earth.

Long story short …

Humans had been long overdue for an awakening, and they’d been scrambling to survive ever since they got one.

In hopes to compete with alien races that were superior physically and mentally, humans began to splice their genes to create hybrids. New humans were born, and the rules changed yet again.

Battles waged and large casualties were amassed, including the loss of entire planets. So an alliance was formed, simply known as the Unified Galactic Federation of Stars or UGFS. It would govern all so chaos would no longer reign supreme.

Of course, that’s when things really got complicated …

Official UGFS classifications:

Species Class 4: Unknown species, unknown abilities.

Species Class 3: Registered species, offensive abilities.

Species Class 2: Registered species, defensive or benign abilities.

Species Class 1: Registered species, no abilities defensive or offensive.

Galvraron: (Class 1) Genius species. Highest IQ among any discovered species. Blue-tinged skin. Humanoid.

Mazatimz: (Class 2) Species of healers. Lavender hair and eyes. Humanoid.

Metzas: Bonded pair of Mazatimzs. Combined skills vary.

Guaviva: (Class 2) Species who can speak to machines. Childlike in appearance. Black eyes. Silver-toned skin. Humanoid.

Talsen: (Class 3) Species of warrior-like males. Humanoid.

Denard: (Class 4) Not much known. Thought to be Humanoid.

Gartian: (Class 1) Creators of Gartian grade alloy, the strongest alloy known to any species. Humanoid, although appearance is unknown since the infection of G-Pox.

Spliced Humans or Hu-mutts: (Classes 1 -3) Humans created on New Earth. Human DNA mixed with alien species, resulting in varied classifications and abilities.

Chapter 1

IMPOSSIBLE!

The word ricocheted within my head, pinging through my brain endlessly, making me want to scream. Because clearly when something had already happened, it wasn’t impossible. It was a fact, plain and simple. I was merely in denial or⁠—

Groaning, I tentatively danced my fingers along my scalp, pressing and assessing. I couldn’t tell if I’d been bludgeoned with a heavy object, therefore causing my unfocused thoughts, or I’d checked so often for a sign of assault that I, myself, was causing the problem.

Calm down. Breathe. Now review the facts.

One: I’d been taken by force from my ship, The Pittsburgh. Means unknown. Although I suspected blunt force trauma to the back of my cranium was involved. Two: I was now contained in a small room, approximately ten by ten feet. A tiny cot sat in the corner. No other furnishings. Connected was another small room containing a toilet, a sink, and a showerhead in the upper right-hand corner. That room was a mere three by three feet. Although it had actual running water. No powered enzymes of any type. Three: The door was locked, the seam around it airtight. Four: My throbbing head was making it hard to think clearly, causing panic to churn in my gut. What is a Galvraron without her problem-solving abilities? Utterly useless as far as I can tell.

Calm down. Breathe. Focus. What’s the last thing you remember before waking up here?

Fuzzy images played across my memory, nothing quite taking shape. I closed my eyes in an attempt to center myself, ending up where I’d started.

Impossible! Impossible that I was taken so easily and have no memory of it! IMPOSSIBLE!

Stop. Concentrate. You’ve been over this already. It’s possible. It happened.

There’d been a fire … probably. The scent of smoke lingered in my nostrils, but that could have been a side effect of Jane’s phoenix form. Although⁠—

The door swung open, the dense metal causing it to hit against the wall with a dull thud. Jumping back, I dropped down into a defensive stance, both hearts thrashing against my ribcage. I winced, the dual thumps in my chest disconcerting. It had been some time since I’d felt the sensation. My second mechanical heart only beat when I was under severe stress, forcing my primary ticker into action when it would have stuttered or shut down completely on its own.

My eyes widened as they snagged on the large humanoid standing within the frame of the doorway. It appeared to be male. He was of intimidating stature, wide and tall, his muscles bulky. His species, and therefore classification, was unknown to me.

Primal instinct caused adrenaline to surge, my limbs tingling as my focus sharpened. Most species had a fight or flight reaction when faced with the unknown or a threat, even a Galvraron, but fortunately, I’d learned to overcome emotions with logic. Emotions made you sloppy. Logic could overcome anything.

Mind over body. Always mind over body. Breathe slowly, and think.

My chest expanded as I sucked in a calming breath, my mechanical heart slowing. My gaze slid coolly over the humanoid. My initial assessment had been correct; he was large, but I could still take him … after all, he looked dumb. Brains held the advantage over brawn. Unless he had abilities I couldn’t combat. Even then, there was a good chance I could outmaneuver him mentally. It was a reasonable risk I was willing to take.

First to distract him with idle chitchat. He’ll expect it. Who are you? I demanded, forcing my voice into a higher pitch, hoping I sounded sufficiently frightened. And where am I?

A pleased grin slowly crept across the humanoid’s face, his dark eyes glinting with malice. I’m not falling for that. I may not be as smart as a Galvraron, but there’s strength in knowing that.

I ground my teeth together. He was right. Even a creature such as himself, who lacked the brainpower to outsmart me, definitely tilted the scales back in his favor when he was honest about his subpar IQ. All right. No games then. I’ve already figured out I’m on Telvin. I just don’t know why. I lifted my eyebrows expectantly.

Reaching behind his massive frame, the humanoid produced a small square. He shook it out demonstratively to reveal a net-like substance, his gaze unwavering. We’ve never had a Galvraron here before. At least not as a prisoner. Truth be told … if we get found out it could lead to some trouble. But when the opportunity to study one of you presented itself, we just couldn’t look the other way.

At least not as a prisoner? Interesting choice of words. But I didn’t have the luxury of exploring the implications at the moment.

Inching away, my gaze darted around the room. Until the moment I was ensnared in his trap I still had a chance, albeit a small one. Sweat gathered around my hairline, and dripped down my temples. My body was taxed, not yet recovered from whatever had been done to it. Notching my chin up, I forced it into submission. Mind over body. Mind over body. You will do this.

Dropping down low, I propelled myself forward, diving past the humanoid. I hit the back of his knee with a precise chop from behind. He staggered forward, and I scrambled into the hallway, lurching to my feet.

A scream of frustration ripped from my throat when the net-like material dropped over me, shrinking to conform to my body even as I twisted and rolled. Within seconds I was cocooned, held motionless and powerless, and staring up at the ceiling, flat on my back.

The humanoid leaned into my field of vision, a smug smile twisting his thin lips upward. With a grunt of effort, he slung me over his shoulder. Dizziness assaulted me, followed by a wave of nausea. I fixed my gaze on the ground, counting the steps from my cell to wherever I was being taken. That knowledge might come in handy later.

Seventy-two uneven steps later, I was dropped onto a cold surface, which seemed to be a table of some sort in a lab. It was difficult to tell with my range of motion, therefore my vision, being limited. I scrambled to remember some of the things Tamzea had revealed about her own forced stay on Telvin. She’d been tortured and experimented on, and yet she wasn’t sure why. I’d theorized that it had something to do with her being a Mazatimz, and Telvin was interested in gaining control of her healing abilities. The Mazatimz, as a species, had suffered many attempts to control or enslave them, their healing abilities unparalleled by technology. But my presence as a coveted prisoner smashed that theory to smithereens. As a Galvraron, I was a species Class 1, which meant I had no special abilities beyond my hefty brainpower. And much to my chagrin, technology already existed that could match us intellectually. As far as I could tell, there was no point for Telvin to be interested in me.

Anger flared at my current predicament. Despite my best efforts to lock it down, I had a volatile temper, which erupted at the worst possible moments. Squirming, I growled, You won’t be able to hold me for long. I’ll figure a way out of here somehow. And then I’ll make sure you pay. My crew will be delighted to help.

Ah, your crew. We already have more than half of it here on Telvin.

Ice suffused my veins, snuffing out my anger. Who do you have here?

The humanoid chuckled. Wouldn’t you like to know?

I bit the insides of my cheeks to keep from responding. Of course I wanted to know, which is why I asked, but I wasn’t going to play his little game. He clearly had no intention of sharing any helpful information with me.

His large hands slid under my lower back, flipping me over so I rested on my stomach, my face shoved into the unyielding surface below me. Pain spiked through my nose and cheekbones. I squirmed, accomplishing nothing. You will pay, I ground out, despite my fear.

Fingers splayed across the back of my head, holding me steady. We realize that taking your interpreter implants won’t do a damn bit of good with you being a Galvraron, since your kind knows almost every language and dialect in the Universe. So we have to get creative.

The net was pulled to the right, and something cool and hard pressed against the base of my neck. I tensed, waiting in uncertainly, terrified to move, terrified not to.

A strange popping sound erupted in my ears, pain spiking from the base of my skull down my spine. I opened my mouth to scream, but the air was sucked from my lungs a second later when my body convulsed.

Your agony is a delight to watch. I can hardly wait for you to realize what we’ve done.

My muscles twitched and shook, darkness pushing down on me. I fought to stay conscious, but when tortured, even my body trumped my brain.

You … will … pa⁠—

Chapter 2

Jolting awake, I was alert instantly, a wave of nausea slamming into me a moment later. I lurched to the side, retching, but since my stomach was empty only saliva dribbled from the corners of my mouth. My gaze focused on the white floor of my cell, memories of what had been done to me in the lab causing me to shake uncontrollably. I’d never been so … so terrified. I had no idea what had been done to me.

Hesitantly, I lifted a trembling hand to the base of my neck, pushing through my tangled hair. My chest tightened in panic, hearts galloping, when my fingers slid over something metallic and rectangular in shape. The foreign object spanned from the base of my skull to the junction where my neck met the top of my back. It was slim, and flush with my skin. Upon further inspection, I discovered what felt like eight tiny prongs on either side of the rectangle. When I attempted to wiggle the plate, pain spiked through my temples and I doubled over, retching again.

I wouldn’t touch it if I were you.

Lifting my eyes to the door, I sucked in a surprised breath. I’d expected my humanoid tormentor, but instead, a massive specimen of a Talsen loomed over me, his expression passive. What do you want?

I’ve come to get you out of here.

Rocking into a sitting position, I studied my supposed savior warily. Talsen were a species of warrior-like males. Although technologically advanced as a culture, they were known for their primitive ways of thinking, especially when it came to females. This Talsen was extremely attractive, although having clad his massively muscular body in black leather from head to toe overshadowed his physical appeal with an intimidation factor. Long, ebony hair framed his face, only a shade or two darker than his luminescent skin. His golden eyes stood out like a sun amidst his dark coloring and clothing, causing me to stare unabashedly.

Wait. What’s wrong with me? Why am I noticing how attractive he is? I must be delirious. I cleared my throat, my voice scratchy. Who sent you to get me out of here?

The Talsen rolled his shoulders, his impatience palpable. I’ve been tracking you for some time, but you never leave that damn ship. I got lucky when you ended up here.

Lucky? I blinked rapidly, my thought process slower than normal. You’re a bounty hunter.

Perfect white teeth flashed, revealing dimples in his cheeks. Yep. You nailed it, even with that thing in your skull.

I had a million questions and not enough time to ask them. I rapid-fired a few of the most important at him. Who are you working for? How long have you been tracking me? How do you plan on getting me out of here? What⁠—

The Talsen chuckled, the sound low and rumbling. Look, my name is Kade, and your parents hired me to find and bring you home. That’s all you need to know. His brow lifted. Unless you’d prefer I leave you here?

Yeah, like I believe he’d leave me here even if I wanted him to. He’s a damn bounty hunter and he wants to get paid. Lurching to my feet, I grimaced as the room tilted to the left briefly. I noted I was still fully clothed, and in my uniform of choice from The Pittsburgh: black pants, shirt, and boots. What about the rest of my crew? Some of them are⁠—

You stand a better chance of helping your crew once you’re out of here.

Cupping the back of my neck, I swayed. I don’t know. I … feel strange. My thoughts had been fuzzy since I’d first awakened on Telvin, but this was different. It was as if the balance between my emotions and logic had shifted heavily in favor of emotions. I simply felt … wrong.

It’s that thing they put on you. I overheard them talking about it before I … extracted the code to your room from them.

Extracted the code?

Kade grinned. Yeah, you know, took the information from them by force, not that they’ll remember.

I snorted. What did you do?

He sighed heavily. The time for questions is over. Let’s just say that thing takes away your greatest asset as a Galvraron. It messes with something in your brain, making you react with your primal instincts.

Staggering back, I fell onto the cot. No. No, they— I— No! But hadn’t I just been wondering what was wrong with me to be noticing the attractiveness of Kade at such a time? Now I had the answer. I need to get it off of me! Jumping to my feet, I clawed at the plate without care, sending waves of sharp pain through my head. Get it off! Panic like I’d never experienced caused my vision to fill with white spots.

Stop. Callused hands encircled my wrists, yanking my arms behind my back. The fact that you’re reacting this way should tell you how much you’ve already been affected. You can’t just rip it out of your head.

Panting, I twisted to face him. You’re right. You take it out then.

He scowled. It needs to be surgically removed. I don’t⁠—

But they just jammed it in there!

Spinning me around, Kade’s upper lip curled back from his teeth in something akin to a snarl. Stop. Do you want to risk permanent damage to that massive brain of yours? I know I wouldn’t if that’s the only thing I had going for me.

I sucked in a sharp breath, indignation replacing panic. Did you just—I have more going for me than my brain! Although, as a Galvraron, my brain was the most important thing about me. Without my unparalleled intelligence, I would be nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Tugging me against his massive chest, Kade smirked, mirth sparking in his golden eyes. Well, yeah, okay, I’d count your curvy little body as another asset. I know I certainly wouldn’t kick you out of my bed. Tell me, he leaned in closer, his hot breath fanning my cheeks, is all of your skin blue?

Lost in the mix of Kade’s sweet scent and leather, it took me a second to process his words. When I finally did, the tips of my ears heated. You’ll never find out!

Like I’d electrocuted him, Kade let me go, heading for the door. Shame. He glanced over his shoulder, his gaze sliding over me from head to toe. Real shame. He disappeared around the corner.

Without hesitation, I dashed after him, swearing under my breath when I realized what I’d done. I’d reacted without considering my options. I’d gone with my gut—or rather I’d