HASH: Human Alien Species Hybrid Read Online Free

corridors. Occasionally, we passed through doors to offices or labs, and signs pointing the way to particular parts of the Institute.
    There were people, too—people who mostly stepped back when they saw me. I was used to that. Sometimes, it felt kind of like an honor, having the right of way everywhere, but more often, I knew it had more to do with them just not wanting Em to make a grab for their phone or their pager. It was probably just as well that she couldn’t stray far from me, or who knew what kind of trouble she might cause?
    I knew the way to Dr. Stevens’ office, to the small medical bay, the recreation room and the Institute’s gymnasium. I’d been to a few more of the labs over the years, too, as they tried different things to understand better what had happened to me. Today’s route was different. Up above the doorway, there was a sign that read “Outdoor Assimilation”—I had never seen that before.
    “Where are we going?”
    “Don’t tell her.” Em was practically next to the scientists as she said it, but they gave no sign of hearing her. “You’ll spoil the surprise.”
    “Sorry, Jade. Professor Ahern said she doesn’t want to risk influencing your reaction.”
    “Professor Ahern is the boss here now,” Em supplied from beside me. “It looks like, from her email, that Startech bought the Institute. I didn’t know you could do that, did you? Just buy a whole research program like that.”
    If Em was back to chattering again, it probably meant she’d forgiven me for wanting to get rid of her. That was one thing with Em: she never seemed to stay angry with me for very long.
    Although she still didn’t tell me where we were going.
    When we stopped in front of a door that read the same thing as before—“Outdoor Assimilation”—my heart began to pound hard against my chest. Em must have felt my anticipation because I heard her giggle from behind me.
    The scientist slid a card in a slot and then pounded at a keypad. A loud unlocking sound thunked and echoed before the sliding doors opened into a small room where Dr. Stevens and Professor Ahern waited, along with six other individuals in white suits.
    “What’s going on?” I whispered to Dr. Stevens, concerned. At that moment, she was my only friend, beside Em, in the room.
    “We have a surprise for you.”
    “I don’t want it.” I backed up and my shoulder blades hit the closed door.
    Dr. Stevens reached out her hand.
    Professor Ahern pushed down Dr. Stevens’ hand. “Oh, this is ridiculous.” She looked at me. “Don’t you know by now that you don’t have any choices here? You’ll do what we say and get your ass—”
    “Enough!” Dr. Stevens stepped in front of Professor Ahern with her back facing me and they had a brief stare down. After a few seconds, she turned around with that comforting smile that I had become accustomed to. “Jade, I’m here and I won’t let anything hurt you. Do you trust me?”
    I nodded.
    “I will be right in this room and once you’re in there, if you feel like you have to leave, just say my name and I will get you out of there quickly.”
    I nodded again.
    Em leaned next to me. “You really are being a baby. This is a good surprise, not a bad one. And Miriam is bending over backward for you. She could have lost her job after what she told the professor.”
    “Shut up, Em,” I snarled.
    When the doors leading into the next room opened, a waft of a strange smell smacked me in the face.
    “My readings tell me that the smell you smell is fresh air,” Em said from behind me.
    I tilted my head but didn’t say anything to Em. Once we were inside, the door closed and the light came on. Not just any light. It felt like the sun beaming down on my face. When I glanced around, I saw trees on either side with chirping birds perched on their branches. Real birds.
    In a distance, I saw a car with three heads inside the vehicle. It reminded me of the car in my dreams—the car that I was in the