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The Collaborator
The Collaborator
The Collaborator
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The Collaborator

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They conquered Earth in a single day.

After aliens invade the planet, Clark's father goes missing. In hopes of finding out the his father's fate he joins The Occupation as a Protector. While serving the aliens, he meets Lex, a charismatic commander with an endearing smile. Clark is on a mission, but finds himself distracted by Lex's charms. To fall for the alien commander that led the invasion of his planet would be beyond betrayal. But at the same time, getting close to Lex might be the key to finding out what happened to his father.

Lex has spent his entire life believing in the utter superiority of his species. Now he finds himself in a human body experiencing emotions completely foreign to him. Bit by bit, pieces of his pragmatic alien heart fall away into something new, something warm, something human. Will Clark be the one to teach him what it means to love? Or will he be the one to destroy him? Perhaps both. Only time would tell and he couldn't wait to find out what Clark would do to him once given the opportunity.

This is a standalone enemies become lovers M/M Scifi Romance with a HEA.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherKayci Morgan
Release dateMay 16, 2019
ISBN9781386496533
The Collaborator
Author

Kayci Morgan

Kayci Morgan has had a passion for romance and fantasy for as long as she can remember. She lives in Chicago with her family. In her cozy apartment, she spends endless nights tapping away at her keyboard and playing computer games unheard of by normal people. Her English Literature degree serves as a superb coaster for her 20oz mug of coffee. Follow her sleep deprived ramblings at her website: http://www.kaycimorgan.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kcmwriter Twitter: @kaycimorgan

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    Book preview

    The Collaborator - Kayci Morgan

    Chapter One

    Clark


    I stood on the roof of the Ritz overlooking Central Park. The city was as dark and silent as the tomb it had become. I'd never been to New York before they came, but I had an image of it in my mind from movies and TV. It was vibrant, full of life. The contrast between my imaginings and reality disturbed me. A gust of wind slapped me in the face carrying the smell of the park. They got it wrong. I might not have known much about cities, but I knew nature. The trees and grass could fool my eyes, but not my nose. The replacements they created had a metallic undertone. Sometimes I wondered if that was really a flaw in their technology or the blood of the dead. After all, so many had died.

    I brought a cigarette to my lips and took a long draw from it. I never smoked before they came, but they made it against the rules. I defied them in small ways. That's how I convinced myself that no matter what I did they didn't truly own me. And for some brief moments I even believed that was true.

    Lost in my thoughts I didn't hear the rooftop door open. By the time I realized he was there, he was already standing next to me. His uniform mirrored mine, the grays and blacks of a protector. But I couldn't tell his rank because he wasn’t wearing his jacket, just the tank top underneath which showed off his well-defined arms. His wispy blond hair fluttered in the wind. He stood with me with his eyes closed as if he was trying to take it all in. That allowed me to take him in—a fresh-off-the-beach-surfer type of cute that I usually had a weakness for. Under different circumstances I might have hit on him. But he wore that uniform which meant he was either an idiot, a coward or a traitor.

    I took another pull from my cigarette.

    Those are bad for you, you know. He looked up at me with guileless blue eyes. Of course they'd be blue.

    I offered him my cigarette. Doesn't matter now, does it?

    He took my offering and brought it to his lips. Watching something that'd just touched my lips touch his caused a spark. One I quickly stamped down by reminding myself where I was and who I was with.

    He started to cough and handed me back the cigarette. I accepted it with a little smirk. Once he regained composure he said, Isn't that a bit dark for someone about to become a protector?

    We're a beaten people. I think that gives me some leeway to mope. And let's not forget, I'm not the only one on this rooftop. Were you so overjoyed that you just had to escape?

    He chuckled and shoved his hands in his pocket. He had to be cold. Why'd he come up here with no jacket? I had the urge to give him mine. Okay, you caught me. The noise, the lights, it was a bit too much. I just needed to get away for a bit. I couldn't breathe in there. You know what I mean?

    I knew exactly what he meant. That tightening in his chest. Not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. The undeniable urge to escape. That was shame. As protectors, we'd soon have to get used to that feeling. Why would the squids set up shop in New York after emptying it out? I think they just want to remind us of what they can do to us if we ever step out of line.

    He snorted. Squids? Why on Earth do you call them squids?

    Haven't you ever heard that? In their alien form they look like little squids. They crawl up your nose and then stick tentacles through your brain. That's how they control us.

    He threw back his head and laughed at the sky which made me notice his dimples. There was something about his laugh that completely disarmed me.

    He shook his head. No, I hadn't heard that one yet. But I like it. He offered me his hand. By the way, I'm Lexington, but you can call me Lex.

    Part of me didn't want to judge him too harshly. After all, I was about to become a protector too. For all I knew, he could also have a missing father he was desperate to find. Yep, I was making any excuse I could to be on good terms with him.

    I shook his hand. Nice to meet you, I'm Clark.

    Strong name for a hot guy.

    I'll admit it, I blushed. Do you flirt with all the guys you catch smoking on rooftops.

    He shrugged. It's a hobby.

    I tried to keep my mind on my mission. I wasn't there to fraternize, I was there to find out where my dad was. But at the same time, it wouldn't hurt to have another protector on my side. Maybe he'd get assigned to a department I'd one day need access too. So, can I get your number? Maybe after the ceremony we could grab a couple of drinks and talk.

    He quirked a brow. You're about to be a protector! How can you possibly have so much contraband?

    I confiscate it. People see the uniform and they are terrified. They let me take what I want and are just grateful I'm not taking them in. Most of them don't even realize I'm still a cadet.

    His mouth fell open. How did you even get past your interview?

    I lied. Told them exactly what they wanted to hear and they couldn't wait to take me.

    You are a model protector. You should be in the recruitment commercials. Become a protector, so people won’t complain when you steal their contraband.

    So, is that a yes or no for drinks?

    No.

    My shoulders slumped.

    I’ve already met my quota of ingesting poison to impress you, but I will have a glass of water, a cup of tea, heck, even fruit juice with you.

    Fruit juice? Don't hold back, you wild man.

    Don't worry, I'll show you how wild I can get. He held out his hand and I offered him my cell. He entered his number and handed it back as he looked towards the rooftop door. We should get back. The ceremony should be starting soon.

    I followed him back downstairs. Time to walk across the stage and be pinned a traitor.

    The ballroom shimmered with white and gold. A stark contrast to the dark uniforms of the protectors that filled the seats. To the right near the stage the cadets sat and dined from golden plates. To the left, the officers and officials observed the proceedings and the rest of the room was filled with the families of the cadets wanting to celebrate their graduation. I asked my mother not to come. I didn't want to see her weep in shame. Plus, one of the head squids was supposed to come down from the ship to pat us on the back. I wouldn't be surprised if the entire building blew up with us in it.

    I tried to lead Lex towards the other cadets but he pulled away in the opposite direction. I need to get my jacket.

    I let him go hunt down the rest of his uniform and I took a seat in front of my uneaten dinner. Thanks to the changes they enforced, meat was a rare delicacy, so was sugar. Given how much they pushed for us to lead healthy lives there was a time in the beginning we thought they planned on eating us. It was only after we found out that they could control our bodies did we finally understand their concern for our long life and good health.

    Mario jabbed my side to get my attention. He was a fellow cadet with questionable ethics and also the one who taught me how to use my uniform to get contraband. With pitch black hair and sultry gray eyes, he was quite the looker, but hadn't given the least indication he was interested in guys. The one thing he was interested in was the aliens. I could almost forgive him betraying the human race given how obsessed he was with our invaders. He was one of the few people who would have been happy to be taken over by one of them.

    What do you want Mario?

    That's him.

    Mario was gesturing at the stage. To my shock, Lex was headed to the podium in a uniform covered in medals he couldn't have possibly earned and a rank I'd never seen before. I started to get a sinking feeling. What do you mean, 'that's him'?

    The Commander! He just took a body today. Can you believe it? Our graduation speaker is one of the leaders of the Nynal!

    I was so glad I hadn't eaten. If I had, I would have lost my dinner all over the table when he told me that. I'd been attracted to a mass murderer. I'd shared a cigarette with him. He wasn't just a collaborator. He was Satan himself and I was going to go out with him.

    I stared as he spoke, barely able to keep up with the speech. A bunch of platitudes about honor and duty. What the hell did he know about those things? Did squids even have a sense of honor? Or was he just saying what he hoped his human lackeys wanted to hear. He was good at saying what people wanted to hear. He seemed cool about everything I said on the roof. He laughed when I insulted his kind. He was a snake.

    After his speech, it was time for us to walk on stage. One by one, he shook the hand of each cadet and pinned the insignia of our new rank onto our collars. As I waited for my turn, I focused on my breathing, I needed to remain calm and collected. I couldn't let him see the hatred in my expression. I still needed this job to find my father. One day. I could go into the station tomorrow, get my access code and check the system for my father's name. Just one day and I'd know whether he was dead or alive.

    The Squid King called out my name and I concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other until I reached him. At first I looked straight ahead not wanting to meet his gaze. But then I glanced down. He focused on pinning the insignia to my collar, his fingers fumbling slightly, his cheeks reddening. If I didn't know what he was, I'd think he was some normal guy, nervous about being close to someone he liked.

    If they were this good at acting like us, how could we ever find them to fight them? They could blend in whenever they wanted.

    I stepped off that stage and prayed I'd never lay eyes on those dimples again. If I was very lucky I'd be leaving New York to break into a squid prison somewhere to free my father.

    After the ceremony, I rode in a bus with the others back to the dorms. The Protector Academy used to be a college. From what I remembered, it was one of the more expensive ones too. Most nights I laid in a dead man's bed and tried to imagine him. Was he born in NYC or did he move here from somewhere else? If he did move there, he probably had parents in a little town somewhere, maybe Indiana, maybe Ohio, that were so proud of their son and now they didn't even have a body to bury.

    But tonight I didn't think of him, the only thing I could think about was Lex. Or more accurately, the previous owner of Lex's body. Was the previous owner named Lex or was that what the alien called himself? Did he know what was happening when they implanted the alien? Was he afraid? Maybe he was like Mario. Maybe he thought it was an honor to be chosen. Not me, if they tried to take me, they'd have to kill me first. I couldn't stand the idea of some thing wearing my face. I couldn't imagine putting my mother through that. She'd already been through so much.

    Were Lex's parents still alive? Had they seen their son after some squid stole his body?

    My dad wouldn't stand for it. He'd bash my head in with a rock before letting me be used like that. He knew me better than anyone in the world. He'd know I wouldn't want to live like that.

    I was fifteen when I came out to him. Once a month we'd go fishing and I decided it was time to tell him. I was so scared my hand wouldn't stop shaking. I couldn't even get the worm on the hook.

    He baited the worm for me and without even looking up, he said, I know, son. I know. And that was it. I never again feared that anything could make my dad stop loving me. Now all I feared was that I'd never see him again. We'd never go fishing again. Tears pooled in the corners of my eyes. I wiped them away.

    Tomorrow I would find him. I would find him and save him and everything would be okay. I needed to believe that until something proved me wrong. That was the only way I'd make it. That was the only way I could keep going.

    Chapter Two

    Lex


    My hands were clammy. My throat was dry and my stomach flipped flopped as if I would hurl at any moment. It was exhilarating.

    So that’s what attraction felt like. I assumed it'd be a pleasurable, euphoric sensation, but

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