Reaper

She survived against the odds…

Janelle’s life is defined by the small, underground research base she has always called home. Imprisoned for twenty years after the base was bombed, she and the few Creckel survivors are running out of time as the last of their resources are depleted. With no hope for rescue, she and her companions wait for the dreaded Reaper to finish what the bombs missed.

Reaper, a half-human, half-Kryptid, is part of the Vanguard—an elite peacekeeping force determined to help the survivors left behind by war. New intel leads him to a remote research base where he discovers Creckel survivors—and a lone human woman named Janelle.

Janelle’s life hasn’t prepared her for the breathtakingly stunning, genetically engineered warrior. His words, filled with impossible promises, make her believe there is a place for her somewhere in the vast universe—with him by her side. Is it possible that dreams can come true, or will guilt for another man’s deeds shatter her new hope?

Originally published in the Pets in Space 5 Anthology.