Electronians

The Scars She Hid From The World

REGINA MCBRIDE

The heavy iron gates of the Wilderness Correction Camp groaned as they released me after three years of state-sponsored hell. I stood on the dirt road, clutching a plastic bag that held my entire life, waiting for the family that claimed they sent me there for "rehab." My brother, Brady, picked me up in a luxury SUV only to throw me out onto a deserted highway in the middle of a brewing storm. He told me I was a "public relations nightmare" and that the rain might finally wash the "stink" of the camp off me. He drove away, leaving me to limp miles through the mud on a snapped ankle. When I finally dragged myself to our family estate, my mother didn't offer a hug; she gasped in horror because my muddy clothes were ruining her Italian marble. They didn't give me my old room back. Instead, they banished me to a moldy gardener’s shack and hired a "babysitter" to make sure I didn't embarrass them further. My sister, Kaleigh, stood there in white cashmere, pretending to cry while clinging to her fiancé, Ambrose—the man who had once been mine. They all treated me like a volatile junkie, refusing to acknowledge that Kaleigh was the one who planted the drugs in my bag three years ago. They wanted to believe I was broken so they wouldn't have to feel guilty about the "wellness retreat" that was actually a torture chamber. I sat in the dark of that shed, feeling the cooling gel on the cigarette burns that covered my arms, and realized they had made a fatal mistake. They thought they had erased me, but I had returned with a roadmap of scars and a hidden satellite phone. At dinner, I didn't beg for their love. I simply rolled up my sleeves and showed them the price of their silence. As the wine spilled and the lies crumbled, I sent a single text to the only person I trusted: "I'm in. Let them simmer." The hunt was finally on.

Modern Revenge Scheming

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UREKAI:

In the days of old, the Urekai stood out as the strongest and most powerful beings in the world.

The ancient tongue called them 'fearsome beasts' for:

Like werewolves, they could transform into beasts.

Like vampires, they consumed blood.

And walked among humans with no one the wiser.

The ageless, peaceful, selfless beings preferred to keep to themselves. Despite being feared and distrusted, they never responded with aggression.

They granted passage to any species wishing to enter their lands beyond the great mountain and welcomed everyone.

But five centuries ago, an unexpected species attacked the Urekais during their one night of weakness. The humans.

While protecting his people, Grand King Daemonikai lost control of his mind, going feral.

Becoming a danger to the same people whom he had given everything to protect.

Although it seemed impossible, the Urekais managed to capture their king's beast form, imprisoning him in a secure cage, ensuring he could never escape.

But, consumed by hatred for humans, the Urekai plunged themselves into darkness.

Becoming the fearsome beasts others had always feared them to be.

Wearing their monstrosity with pride.

HUMANS:

After invading the Urekais, a mysterious virus outbreak struck.

No one knew where it came from, but many speculated their attack on the Urekais brought it on.

While most males eventually recovered after a long struggle, the virus proved fatal for the majority of females.

Survivors rarely gave birth to female children. Those left or born became scarce and sought-after commodities.

In many kingdoms, greedy fathers sold their daughters to breeding houses. Some were forced into pleasure houses, existing solely for men's enjoyment. Some faced terrible abuse in exchange for protection.

Even the wealthy and the privileged could not guarantee the safety of the females in their lives, as the mere sight of a female-be it an infant, a young girl, or an elderly woman-drew unwanted attention.

Female children faced constant danger.

They are not safe in the society.

PROLOGUE

HUMAN LAND: THE KINGDOM OF NAVIA.

"It's a g-girl, your highness,"

Prince Garret froze.

As he turned, looking at the palace healer, his hands resting on his exhausted wife's body, shook uncontrollably.

He had secretly arranged the delivery months ago, and now they were hidden in one of the underground rooms in the palace, where his beloved wife, Pandora, was giving birth.

"What did you just say to me?" Prince Garret hoped he heard wrong. Perhaps it had been a mistake.

Please, gods, let it be a mistake!

But the pity in the older man's face couldn't be disguised. The palace healer turned the little bundle. "The baby is a girl."

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