Prologue

"Forgive me, Dr. Reid, while I've read the proposal you sent me as well as the terms and conditions, and admit it is interesting, I cannot in good conscience get behind this project." To my surprise, I actually sounded confident. I didn't feel very confident, especially since I was sure both men had seen me eying the closed door of the office more than once. But faking it worked, so long as they bought it.

The overstuffed chair I sat in sucked me deep into its plushy softness making it extremely hard not to fidget. Dr. Reid, the lab director, exchanged a glance with David Aldridge, the overseer of all projects at the Weyland-Yutani Focal facility. And I had to fight not to squirm in the stupid chair when both men turned their scrutinous gazes back on me. Hands on my thighs, my fingers dug into the well-worn fabric of my dark olive cargos as I fought the compulsion not to duck their eyes. I couldn't lose face. I may not be a people person, but I was damn good at my job.

Dr. Reid sighed, he'd completely expected that response. "Ms. Kadrel-"

"Blake." I zipped my lips and fought the blush trying to creep its way up my neck. I hadn't meant to cut him off. "Sorry. But I prefer to be addressed by my forename," I said in a smaller voice than I'd meant to use. Dammit. Why the hell had I done that? Now both men were staring at me in what I chose to believe was confusion at my sharp reaction and not wondering if I was really related to Rook ''Cold Heart'' Kadrel. At 5'6", I had an athletic but lean build and my style... well, my unflattering style of long sleeves and cargos didn't exactly radiate confidence or badassery, so it was completely understandable when people couldn't see me as some infamous mercenary's daughter. My surname came with so many strings attached to it that I often found myself coming dangerously close to being garotted by them.

That part of my life is over. And yet here it was hounding my steps again. Or was it? To be honest, they could just as easily be wondering if the woman with pixie pink hair might be more than a little bit off-kilter. Jeez, Blake, get a grip!

Dr. Reid recovered first and tried a different approach, "Think of the lives of the Marines we could save." His hazel eyes were charming behind his large circular glasses. And with his paunch belly and snowy hair, it was hard to stay defensive when the guy looked like Santa. Still, Santa or not, I couldn't fathom why the Company believed this project could or would ever work. Then, there was also the niggling feeling that Dr. Reid and David Aldridge weren't being completely forthright with the Company's intentions. If being Rook Kadrel's daughter had taught me anything, it was a perception for bullshit.

I cleared my throat, "I agree that saving lives is a noble cause, however, and no offense to you gentlemen, but after decades of failed attempts, you'd think the Company might've learned when to throw in the towel."

Less than six years ago the Company ran an experiment called the Xeno Regenesis Project, successfully creating male Xenomorphs. Xenomorphs are inherently female and reproduce asexually. Meaning there was no need for males, but that hadn't been why the Company created them. As I understand it, the Company thought they could breed a Xenomorph with a human without killing said human. A sick and ultimately doomed experiment from the start. Yet, it was still impressive that they'd managed to engineer a Xenomorph phenotype that came to recognize a human as part of his pack. However, after Specimen 2 escaped, the Company washed their hands of it. Or so I'd heard. Even if I hadn't said it out loud, this was the failed experiment I'd wanted to reference and judging by the two men's responses I'd say they came to that same conclusion as well.

Dr. Reid looked appropriately abashed and touched a hand to the back of his neck. Aldridge on the other hand just looked annoyed, his square jaw set and his striking blue eyes frosty.

"Ms. Blake," Aldridge began, his voice calm and without a trace of the annoyance, I'd witnessed a split second ago. "You must understand, the Company doesn't share your opinion nor do they want it. No offense but whatever personal issue or grudge you hold against Xenomorphs is not our concern. You're the best in your field and know more about this species than the majority of the people on my staff." He leaned forward, elbows on his immaculate hardwood desk and steepled his fingers in front of him. A lock of his well-kept sandy blonde hair fell into his eyes, but he made no move to tuck it away as he raked me with an assessing gaze. "As a scientist, you should remain objective."

Dammit. He had a point. Of course, that didn't necessarily mean I believed in what they were doing here. In the case of Xenomorphs, it went beyond playing with fire. And it was never if you were going to get burned but when.

"All I need to know," Aldridge continued, the tips of his pointer fingers tapping one another. "Is if you can do it."

I was beginning think of David Aldridge as a world-class snake oil salesman. Though, after debating this decision and defending it for over an hour now, he'd widdled me down quite a bit. Or maybe my sense of morality is as cheap as my father's. I took a deep breath and tried not to sound as frustrated as I felt at my own indecision. "Aside from certain reptiles, and some alien species, most offspring are dependent on their mothers from infancy, though, none are more helpless than humans. However, Xenomorphs are the exception to the standard. To any standard really, because they mature rapidly and can hunt and defend themselves from the get-go. Now, the only way it would be even remotely possible for me to attempt what you're suggesting is for a Xenomorph to be dependent on an adult to some degree with the ability to imprint on another species." My eyes narrowed, "So how do you expect me to achieve the impossible?"

A slippery smile curved his lips, "Because here at the Focal facility, we've managed to do the impossible Ms. Blake. A new breed of Xenomorph is about to be born, and she will need someone to teach her how to survive."

"Need? Since when does a Xenomorph need anything beyond a host?"

But it was Dr. Reid who answered, "Because we designed her this way. A phenotype who will be completely dependent upon you."

His use of the word designed disgusted me, but I managed not to let it show.

Aldridge nodded approvingly, "And now all I need is your expertise in rearing wild animals in captivity."

I frowned. Dr. Reid had indicated the Xenomorph was female, so I didn't have to worry about being set up for some twisted love connection. But my bullshit meter was still pinging off the charts.

"So to be clear," I hedged, knowing full well I'd be stepping on toes. "This isn't a breeding program of any kind? Right?"

Aldridge's brow ticked, "No. While the Regenesis Project wasn't a total failure, the phenotype did survive and even imprinted on Tessa Kellen Cherish, there were too many unforeseen problems. But yes, ultimately the project was scrapped after Specimen 2 evaded recapture and disappeared."

Satisfied that he'd been somewhat honest with me, I decided not to keep picking at the old wound. They'd fucked up with that project, and they knew it. Maybe I'd been too hasty in my decision not to accept the offer... Still, this proposal shared a lot of characteristics with Regenesis, and while it deeply troubled me, I'd also be a fool to allow anyone else to take the job. And not because I'd lose out on something no one else has ever done, but because someone else would probably screw it up. Besides, it wasn't as if I had any other job offers lined up. No one wanted to hire me after... after... dammit, I couldn't even bring myself to think about it without...

A familiar flutter of anxiety tightened my chest. Despite my sudden distress, I managed not to rub my arms or sink further into the marshmallowy chair. And here I thought I was moving past it...

"Alright," I heard myself saying before I could come to my senses and realize just how stupid this was. "I'll do it."

In bed with Wey-Yu... I winced. Poor choice of words. I really am Rook's daughter...

Aldridge beamed, "Excellent." He picked up a small datapad the size and shape of a standard greeting card and handed it to me. "You need to sign a second ND, plus a few more forms before you can be cleared to move about the facility freely. You'll also receive an ID badge shortly. Make sure to have it on your person at all times; otherwise, you won't be able to get into certain areas, and security will detain you and become a pain in my ass about protocol."

I leafed through the second nondisclosure and inwardly sighed at the outrageous number of pages and how most of the information was regurgitated over and over again.

A soft ping brought my head up, and I glanced at Dr. Reid who seemed very pleased by a message he'd just received. He tucked the slim communicator into the chest pocket of his rumpled green shirt and smiled at Aldridge. "It's time."

My brow puckered. It's time? For what?

Aldridge smirked, blue eyes glittering as they met my jade green ones. "Ms. Blake," he stood. "It's time for you to meet your... dependent..."

...

A fierce obsidian beauty, no bigger than a house cat, lifted her sleek head and chittered softly at me. Already I took note of distinct behavioral traits not found in Xenomorphs. For one thing, and it was a damn good one for me, she wasn't attempting to burrow under my skin and eat me from the inside out. No. This phenotype, unlike her voracious and fearless brethren, was cautious, maybe even a little bit frightened.

A web of sinew covered the front half of her elongated head, obscuring a curious dissimilarity in its shape. The ichor still dripping from the torn strands masking her face was a strange dull oily indigo. A shade of blood that was unfamiliar to me which meant the host was probably an alien I'd never seen before.

My eyes briefly darted to the blood pool several feet beyond the baby, the bloody tracks from her feet, and the smears left behind from the removal of the dead host. My brows puckered. Why bother removing the carcass at all? Unless of course, that was a secret too.

Slowly, I took a seat on the floor, legs crossed and body relaxed. The baby's head followed the movement, indigo stained teeth exposed as she gave a tiny, wary cry. Like all Xenomorphs, she didn't have eyes, yet she saw me perfectly fine which meant she was still telepathic, but unlike other drones, her mind was free from the control of a Queen. I vaguely wondered how Wey-Yu managed to sever the link but I knew better than to ask. That kind of information would come at a price. And I didn't want to get so deep into Wey-Yu's secrets that I wouldn't be able to find my way out again.

But as I watched the baby Xeno lift herself up on distinctive and abnormal digitigrade hind legs and scent the air in my direction, I realized I was already in way too deep. No one could ever accuse a Xenomorph of being cute, but there was something unmistakably captivating about this one. Skittish. Unsure of her world. But still curious in that clumsy endearing way all infants are, naturally drawing out the nurturing side of adults.

I smirked and peeled off my lucky jacket, briefly exposing the slashing scars on my right arm as the long sleeve got caught. I quickly rolled it back down without looking at the disfiguring reminders of my past and slid the jacket across the floor. Unable to deny her chase instinct, the baby hissed and leaped onto the dark fraying fabric and proceeded to bite and tug and roll around in the material. I allowed myself a soft snort of humor as she thoroughly let the ragged jacket know who's boss, and I could no longer think of a single reason why this was a bad idea...

A/N: Yes, I already know what you're all thinking... "AH! Werewolfbleu you're about to have a baby and you're starting a new story?! Are you nuts?! What about your other stories?!" Lol, honestly, I have no idea what I'm thinking. (Must be the hormones!) But I'm having fun doing it! ;) And yes, I am about to have a baby, so updating will be... um... difficult for awhile, but I will continue to do my best and update when I can. FYI this story is set in the same time period and loosely connected to my other story Deadly Curiosities.