FGI 7: The Siren Prisoner

JENSEN

“Well, he definitely looks the part, but will he play nicely?” The woman speaking sounds far in the distance, her tone warped.

I blink. What the fuck?

“I think he might be our wild card,” came a man’s voice, more familiar.

“Hmm, really? Interesting.”

“He’s waking up.”

My body reacts like a striking viper. It’s used to waking up in places I was unfamiliar with, having done so since I was little. I sit up so fast, I hear gasps and shrieks as my heart beats out of my chest.

And my hand around Pierce’s throat doesn’t help.

“Calm down,” the woman to my left says. “You are in no danger, Jensen. Easy…”

She used my name. I lock eyes with Pierce and lower my hand from his neck, controlling my breathing as I look around.

“Not possible,” I whisper as my gaze takes in the sheer size of the place. “What the…”

“Welcome to Fairy Godmother Inc.,” Pierce murmurs carefully, adjusting his gray suit that I had just assaulted. “Take a breath and know you are in no danger.”

I don’t say anything for a while as my gaze takes in the…corporation. Everything is too bright, and I half expect to feel a heavenly air current as if I really had died.

I see towering white walls with such revolutionary technology that it would have Elon Musk getting hard.

People in suits and white lab coats move around like they are all in a hurry or late for something.

I take another calming breath. I can’t miss the giant FAIRY GODMOTHER INCORPORATED sign over a massive receptionist desk, like we are in a gigantic lobby.

“Where am I?” I whisper.

But I know—moronic question. How the fuck this place is possible escapes me.

The woman next to me smiles. Her face is pretty and elegant, but older.

I quickly assess her and immediately pick up on how she holds herself with authority, and I know she is someone with heavy influence. Her gray-blue stare pins me, considering me like I am her.

“We are late, I’m afraid, so you’re just going to have to accept this process. You have read and signed the letter, so you already know what is asked of you.”

“The Fairy Godmother,” I say with a harsh smile, challenging her gaze with my own. “And here I thought you were just an old fat fairy out of a children’s book. I’ll be damned.” I wink at her, half mockingly.

She raises a brow and glances at Pierce over my shoulder. “He will do fine.” She grins. “Follow me, Jensen.”

“King,” I correct her, letting my annoyance show.

I follow Pierce as my eyes take in everything, feeling like I’m on a damn movie set. I ask how this is possible, and he gives me a quick summary of their history at Fairy Godmother Inc.

Zora is her name, the Fairy Godmother.

She has a name.

And the Universal Council is not a fan of hers—or Pierce, for that matter—which interests me.

There is a lot of family drama between Zora and her sisters, a dangerous power struggle. They’re all Fairy Godmothers, and all have different jobs on the board.

They watch FGI like a hawk, waiting for them to fail. I close my mouth and listen, absorbing all the information I can in this strange reality.

Rule number one in assessing any dangerous situation: Listen.

Zora’s sisters do not have jurisdiction to intervene or tamper with FGI as long as FGI follows the rules, which is vital. I quietly laugh as I walk and listen. My mind is blown.

What the fuck.

“You said you want my help,” I say, following them down a long white hallway. “This better not have anything to do with finding true love.”

Not happening.

Pierce looks at me, and a smirk spreads over his lips. “I need your help in other ways than falling in love. We have four other men ready to play for the target.

“But do you understand why we need you? Fate chose you, and we have no room to make mistakes. FGI could be at stake.”

I take a minute, glancing around. Four other men? I wipe a hand down my face.

“You want me for what then?” I narrow my gaze at Pierce. “And it’s only for three months, and I get to go back home with my millions intact and that cunt in jail?”

I look at the Fairy Godmother apologetically. “Sorry, but Jenna is a real bitch.”

She raises a brow, eyes twinkling. “It will take a lot more than that to offend me, Jensen.”

I frown at my name again. “King.”

Pierce continues. “Correct. What I want from you is what Fate wants.” Pierce side-glances at me as we walk.

“I need you to find the target because we have none yet. Once we meet the other men, I will get into details, but I will need your psychological abilities for this mission.”

“Find the target?” I ask, feeling very intrigued. I’m not an idiot. As the shock wears off, I’m finding this does sound exciting.

This is real. If anyone can tell, it’s me. The movie Men in Black does not seem fictional at the moment.

“Think of this as a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, Jensen. You’re going to a different planet full of curses, magic, and mystery.

“You will get to experience something people could only dream about in their wildest fantasies. Have fun with this.

“I tell all my new agents this—I have never had anyone regret this experience. You will leave here a changed man for the better. You have my word, Jensen.”

I raise a brow. “You’re good at convincing people.”

Pierce smiles and winks. “Merely telling the truth.”

Zora glances back at us. “Jensen, you will take your seat with the other men through these doors. I will answer your questions, and you will also get your position for the next three months.

“That is entirely up to Fate and cannot be changed once given.”

I frown as I walk into a large room with elevated seating and suck in a breath. The back wall looks like the fucking solar system.

“Fuck. Is that real?” I whisper as my heart pounds, watching distant comets shoot across the back abyss. I grab onto the back of a chair for balance.

“Have a seat, Jensen.”

Have a fucking seat? Is she out of her mind?!

I see four other men staring up at me, and I don’t take in every detail for once. “What the actual fuck?” I whisper.

This is insane.

I sit slowly, swallowing as my eyes take in the vast solar system on display. “This can’t be real,” I breathe, pinching my nose, and exhaling slowly.

What the fuck did I get myself into?

“Hey. What’s up, dude?” a man to my left says.

My head turns as if my neck is made of plaster, and little pieces of debris fall to the ground in my effort to look at him.

“It’s not real, bro.” He smiles and nods in front of me. “Like some fuckin’ virtual tech. You look pale, so I’d thought I’d tell you.”

My brain quickly takes him in, hoping I’m not glaring, but he looks like a California tard, with his long, brown hair, beach shirt, flip-flops, and tan skin—very tall.

His Cali-surfer accent matches my assessment, and his easy, laid-back demeanor lets him accept this situation better than most. Good for him.

“Thanks,” I cut back.

He seems not to notice my disdain, the smile staying on his lips.

“Dude, this is wild, man. We all got here yesterday, so we have had time to adapt.” He pauses with a frown. “You look familiar.”

“Yesterday?”

“Yeah, man.” He adjusts his large frame in his seat. “Just take a big deep breath, bro.” He glances at me. “The name’s Claus Baar.”

He’s German. I don’t offer my name as the Fairy Godmother clears her throat.

“Now that everyone is here, we may begin this exciting journey.” She nods at me with a smile. “As you can see, we have our final player—Jensen King.”

I hear some murmurs and see knowing expressions. I’ve been in many magazines and the center of many news articles, so it’s not surprising they recognize me. I mean, I run some of the most luxurious casinos in Las Vegas.

She continues. “So many important details to go over. Here at FGI, we have three different levels of missions: A, B, and C operations.

“Pierce is in charge of the alpha missions and the design department.” She glances at him with a warm smile, then looks back to us. “Congratulations for being chosen. It’s a high honor to be here.”

Pierce speaks. “Though it does happen from time to time, having male agents is rare. We have a female target for this mission that needs to be taken down FGI style.

“Now,” he pauses as the virtual screen behind him changes and showcases a massive planet, “this is the planet of Tamesis that is a part of the fifth galaxy.”

Low murmurs. My mouth drops open.

Zora nods, pulling out her cat-eye glasses. “This planet mirrors Earth’s eighteenth-century era but is more gothic. You will get more in-depth details later, so don’t worry. This is just a brief overview.

“The planet is very dangerous, gentlemen, so you need to be as careful as possible with only three lifelines. It’s filled with extraordinary elements that will be very foreign to you.

“Yes, this gothic realm is beautiful and exciting, but a deep-seated evil is spreading.”

Pierce eyes the other men and me. “This world is dealing with a battle of power—a race to find the lost treasure, which promises untold power.”

Untold power. That makes me smirk and shake my head at this ridiculous scenario.

“If you’ve been in this business as long as we have, you will see that this power struggle is present all over the universe.” Zora sighs. “We can’t escape it, but we can control it.”

I listen, completely weirded out and intrigued. Honestly, I would not be surprised if a camera crew came out saying that they punked us. But another part of me knows that will not happen.

Pierce and Zora do not look nervous or like the type of people with enough patience to pull off a prank of this magnitude. The tech alone is enough to validate this.

“The war, gentlemen,” Zora murmurs, eyeing us all, “is a feud between races to find the treasure of the Dragon Heart.

“The medallion was destroyed long ago, and the pieces are scattered everywhere.” She looks at Pierce. “Five, if I’m correct.”

He nods at her, and she continues.

“Everyone is after the Dragon Heart medallion. The original descendants of the ancient dragons were shape-shifters, a mighty race that controlled this planet and kept the balance.

“These descendants still exist but cannot use their shape-shifting powers after the medallion was shattered from a long-ago war.

“Whoever possesses all the pieces and puts them back together will inherit the power of shape-shifting, which could be devastating if it falls into the wrong hands. You can imagine that this sort of thing is priceless.

“Yes, we have mermaids in this world, and they are not like in the stories and movies you’ve all watched back on Earth. They are scarce and extremely dangerous, being descendants of the extinct race of sirens.

“The mermaids that are full-bloods cannot shape-shift into humans, so the powerful full-bloods highly desire the medallion—it would double their power, making them land and water beings.

“With that being said, any human who wields this medallion will shift into a beast with untold powers.”

Mermaids? Did I hear her right? I wipe a hand down my face and take a calming breath. “Fucking insane,” I whisper.

So this is a treasure hunt for the medallion—with untold powers, of course. Can’t forget that part. It’s like we are in a damn fantasy movie.

“The rightful owners of the Dragon Heart are the bloodline of the dragons, the only ones who are meant to hold its power and not abuse it,” Pierce says. “But no one plays by the rules anymore, and the medallion is fair game.”

“Mermaids?” a Middle Eastern-looking man in front of me says. “Dragons?” He laughs.

Zora raises a brow. “Yes, mermaids. Gentlemen, these creatures are highly dangerous and will kill you.

“This brings us to the main threat. They have found the second piece of the medallion and only need three more. Cora Meg is the wife of King Triton—”

I hear a snicker from down in front. “Are you serious? Like Little Mermaid?”

Zora smiles. “As I said, these worlds mirror ours.” She pauses. “Where do you think all these fantastical tales come from?”

Murmurs. I mean, I want to laugh, but she has a point.

“I don’t know how it is done, but we think Cora Meg is working with someone of great influence. The only information we have is that our target is this person of contact.

“We know little about her. Only that she is one of the daughters of the Grand Duke of Bridgedell Manor.

“The duke has seven daughters, and only one is the mole, so pay close attention to each of them. You must find her and put a stop to her, FGI style.”

“FGI style?” Claus says next to me, then looks at me and raises his eyebrows. “Make her fall in love with one of us?”

“Precisely,” Zora confirms. “If you do not change her heart, she will never stop.”

I laugh, wiping a hand down my face. “Why don’t we just kill her?” I offer with a shrug, gaining looks from everyone.

What? Seems like the easier and less annoying solution. One bullet to the head and game over. Problem solved.

Pierce smiles, glancing at Zora. “Valid point, but that’s not how FGI works. This woman in question is the target for a reason. She must have a lot of sway and power in her own right.

“Killing her instead of mending her heart will only give way for another evil to rise up and take her place, putting us right back where we started.”

“Is she hot?” I ask, not caring how I sound. I hear a couple of muffled snickers.

“All of the daughters, from what I have seen, are very attractive, Jensen. But—”

“Looks are not everything,” I finish with an eye roll, crossing my arms over my chest.

Claus agrees, shaking his head, completely missing my sarcasm. “Tolly right, bro.” He touches his heart. “It’s what’s inside.”

Pierce eyes me intently, a smile pulling at his mouth.

“I was going to say these are alpha females, and they will chew you up and spit you out faster than you can check out their rack. The target being hot is one of many warning signs to be on your guard.”

I raise a brow.

Zora claps her hands. “All right, gentlemen, please line up for your positions. More details about the world and the mission will be given later—we are behind schedule!”

I reluctantly get up and in line with the other men, eyeing them. They are all attractive, I would say, but that’s not a concern. I’m not trying to win the viper’s heart—merely just going to have a good time.

A three-month adventure does not sound too bad after I just almost had millions of dollars fucking stolen from me by a stupid bitch.

I need an anger release.

“What is this?” The first man walks up and puts his hands into a metallic pool with a smirk.

He is tall, with highlighted blond hair and an arrogant sneer. He looks like a trust fund brat with his expensive slacks and cocky tilt of his head.

He does not hold himself in the confidence of a man who has sacrificed. I have met many men like him—entitled—who needs his fucking ass kicked.

I do have a lot of pent-up anger. Breathe.

“Felix Lowe,” Zora says in approval, not realizing what a twat he is.

He is easy to read, like most everyone I meet. The screen reads: Naval Captain from the Bridgedell Army.

Interesting. The little fuck probably just got a hard-on by his excited expression.

The next man—Mexican, looks like a pretty boy in his perfectly pressed clothes—seems normal. Not getting fucktard vibes. Yet.

“Juan Manuel de Herrera,” Zora announces, giving him a soft, encouraging smile.

He’s shorter than everyone else but still holds himself well enough. He might be too nice for what I’m hearing about this world. His hands are in the substance as we all wait for the results.

Juan smiles as he turns around to look at the display behind him. It reads: An explorer from the Cadaraan Tropics.

“Nice position,” Zora coos, clapping. “Next!”

“Bro,” Claus says behind me, “your turn.”

I exhale.

If I get a bitch position, I’m going rogue—fuck the rules. I walk up to the metallic water and feel every eye on me. This is really happening.

“It doesn’t hurt,” Felix quips with a rude grin, looking at me like I’m pussy.

He clearly has no idea what I do for a living.

I raise my gaze to his, my temper jumping to life. Finally, I sigh. “Imagine if your dad had only pulled out.”

Pity.

“Wait—what?” His face contorts, making him look like he has shit his pants.

“Jensen.” Zora nods to the metallic waters, giving me a look to play nice.

“What the fuck he say?” I hear Felix ask someone next to him.

I put my hands in the water, and it feels weird, cold—and I feel vibrations? It seems minutes go by—longer than the others.

I finally look back at the display, and my pulse jumps to life. I hold my breath as the screen reads: Captain Black Heart, Ruler of the Pirates of Boaba Bay.

I raise my brows, and a smile spreads across my lips that I cannot help.

I’m a fucking pirate.

A rush of excitement fills me as my mind runs wild.

“Dude,” I hear Claus behind me. “Badass, bro.”

Pierce claps, looking at me thoughtfully. Then, “Next!”

A pirate.

A thrill shoots down my spine, and this foreign excitement floods me. I want to laugh a little, feeling like a little kid again.

Pirates? Treasure? Mermaids?

I close my eyes for a second and move out of the way for Claus, feeling like I’m dreaming. Any minute now, I will wake up from this lucid dream feeling like a moron.

I dig my fingernails into my skin and feel the sharp pain.

I feel pain.

Fuck, this is really happening.

Claus puts his hands into the substance, and we all wait. The screen reads: Quartermaster to Captain Black Heart of the Pirates of Boaba Bay.

My eyes widen.

“Dude,” Claus says as he reads the screen, then looks at me. “Looks like we will be partners, bro!”

I don’t say anything as I take this new information in. It isn’t bad, Claus as my quartermaster. I could use him.

It could be worse, the other way around.

The last guy looks Middle Eastern and very casual with his gray sweats and backward red hat—decent clothes for workout gear.

From the serious and intense look on his face, I’d say he and Felix would get along just fine. Cute. They could measure their dicks to see who would bend who over first.

I chuckle to myself, wanting to witness that power struggle.

Zora nods to him. “Hamad Al-Masri.”

He doesn’t smile or show any emotion as he places his hands in the substance. I quirk a brow as I read the screen behind him. It reads: Earl of Salaam.

An earl.

From what I can tell, it looks like everyone has landed decent positions.

Pierce steps up on the platform with a large smile and eyes us all with that mysterious expression. He is one man that I have trouble reading, which is rare.

“Very interesting, indeed. This will be an exciting mission to witness. But, gentlemen, this is the time when you all go your separate ways to your briefing room and meet your FGI shifter agents.

“The next time you see each other will be in the world of Tamesis! I wish you all luck in this exciting journey.”

“We leave now?” I ask as we are all ushered quickly out of the massive room on the pretense that we are late. Why do I feel they are always late?

We are split up, and I’m led to a secluded room with a large pod in the middle. I take a second, feeling nervous. I glance around the sterile room with one desk in the corner.

“Right,” I whisper to myself, placing my hands on my hips. “I’m a fucking pirate.”

My pulse jumps as the door opens and Pierce walks in. Behind him is this small…

What the fuck is that?!

“Jensen!” Pierce smiles wide, holding his arms out in greeting. “Well done. Your position is very important for this mission. Bravo!

“I was very curious about what Fate had in store for you, and it did not disappoint. It would seem that Fate has major plans for you, just like I thought.”

I barely hear him as I lock eyes with what I would describe as a terrifying alien creature.

She is small, with blond pigtails like a child would wear, but she is clearly a full-grown woman. Her outfit is insanely slutty: ripped fishnets, rollerblades, and a hot pink leotard that barely covers her curves.

She’s like a stripper that has been dipped in some scientific substance and came out all sorts of wrong. Like that fucking movie Pet Sematary, but for strippers.

“What is that?” I hear the words come out of my mouth.

Pierce looks to his left like he forgot he was standing next to that creature. She watches me like she wants to eat me or chop me up into little pieces and put me into a trash bag, then dump me into the nearest river.

I can’t be sure that’s what she was thinking, but I found it admirable and alarming at the same time.

She looks up at Pierce, and I notice that her bright pink lipstick is smeared at the right corner of her mouth. “Ohhh, he’s a big daddy! Yummy! I want to play with him, Piercy!”

Pierce shakes his head, looking down at her. “Dolly, you were informed about the shifter agent rules from HR about male agents.”

She frowns. “Ohhh,” she whispers. Then she looks up at him, all innocent. “I can’t play with him?”

“No,” Pierce says sternly. “Look at me,” he orders, and the odd creature does. “Can you handle this?”

“Yes!” She claps her hands, then looks at me. “Me and Boss Daddy will win!”

Pierce glances at me. “This is your shifter agent, Dolly. Do not be alarmed by her impulsiveness and appearance. Dolly is very good at what she does and has won many missions for us.”

“She is my shifter agent?” I ask, feeling confused and slightly alarmed.

“She will be your guide for the next three months, Jensen. She will be your walking computer and your main source of communication to me at FGI headquarters.”

Pierce eyes me as he walks up to me. “You two will do well together. I have a feeling.”

“Shit,” I say, looking at the little Harley Quinn creature and seeing the crazy in her large gaze. Oddly, it’s not totally off-putting. Maybe because I see my own crazy in her as well.

“Okay, I have an alien as a partner.” I glance back at Pierce. “What now?”

“Piercy, tell Big Daddy,” she coos, looking at me with wild eyes.

“You’re of the ancient bloodline to the Dragon Heart. And so is Claus and a few other men under your rule at Boaba Bay.

“Therefore, you’re the rightful owners of the Dragon Heart medallion to reclaim your shape-shifting ability.”

“Shape-shifting?” I laugh. “You mean I will become a fucking dragon?”

Insane.

“Yes, the dragon’s spirit lives inside you. Technically, it’s him, which is also considered you.” Pierce shrugs. “It’s a feeling. It’s hard to explain. You will understand when the time comes, Jensen.”

“You’re going to be such a big, big boy!”

Dolly’s sultry and creepy voice makes me look at her, then at Pierce. “It’s a little disturbing hearing her call me a big boy,” I admit to Pierce.

Pierce nods and glances at her, then at me with a pained expression.

“She means well. You will get used to it—or learn to ignore it. We have tried shock therapy with her, but nothing seems to change her level of…creepiness. Just know that she is good in the field.”

He pats my back. “A small price to pay. Right?”

“Right,” I get out. This shit keeps getting crazier.

“I will leave you two together to figure out three traits to change about yourself. A physical one or an ability—the choice is yours.”

“Three?” I ask in awe as he walks to the door, leaving me with so many questions. Pierce nods and leaves us, clearly enjoying this way too much.

I turn to Dolly and expel a breath. “All right, Dolly, what the fuck do I do?”

“You’re so handsome, Daddy!” she says excitedly, twirling in a circle with her rollerblades and pulling out a sucker from her cleavage. “No need to change anything physical. ~Yum~.”

“Can you not call me daddy?” I ask, hating how weird it sounds out of her mouth. She is ruining that phrase for me forever. I used to love when women called me that.

“Okay, Daddy,” she agrees, giggling, eyes looking empty like she didn’t understand my concerns.

I close my eyes for a few seconds. “What traits?” I look at her. “Like, sword fighting or some shit like that?”

“Perfect!” she agrees. “I’d also say to know how to read people to find that naughty little target. What a bad little girl.”

I frown at her. “I can already do that. Next.”

“Ohhh, okay.” She pops the sucker out of her mouth and points it at me. “You have to know how to run a pirate ship, Boss Daddy. So being a badass pirate and all that comes with it!”

That was actually intelligent, oddly enough. “Okay, wouldn’t get far without knowing that.”

“How’s your penis size?” she asks, a little too breathlessly.

I chuckle, looking up for divine help. “Holy fuck, you’re a blunt little creature. I have no problems in that area. Next.”

“Can I see?”

“No.”

She rolls her eyes. “Fine. Hmmm.” She thinks, sucking loudly on her lollipop, making me cringe as she makes a show of it. “Can you ride horses?”

“Yes,” I say, remembering all the extreme summers of English riding with Bruna’s filthy-rich family—which had acquired the most prized thoroughbreds through blackmail and threats.

“You’re talented, Big Daddy,” Dolly gushes. “What about reading ancient languages and symbols?”

I frown.

“Will come in handy when reading treasure maps!”

I raise a brow. “Not bad, Dolly.”

She grins, giggling. “She is going to pant like a little kitty when she sees you! You are sooo—”

“I’m not here for her,” I get out, annoyed that she thinks I’m competing for the target. I’m on vacation.

She starts laughing hard right as Pierce walks in, rolling up the white sleeves of his dress shirt. His blue gaze sparkles at me, excitement in its depths.

“Jensen—that will be your name still. We always try to use natural names when permitted, unless a previous life is being hijacked.”

I hate my name. “I would prefer to change it,” I grit out.

“Jensen, whatever memories you have linked to your name, in this world, it means nothing. Reinvent yourself.”

I bite my tongue. We will see about that.

Pierce winks at me and then activates the weird machine in the middle of the room by waving his hands, making me tense. “We have to hurry.”

He glances at Dolly. “You found three wishes that will aid him well?”

“Yes,” Dolly whispers. “Piercy, Big Daddy thinks he is not playing for the target.”

They both share a knowing expression and laugh like I’m the silliest fucking little shit. “I’m right here,” I say, annoyed that they think I’m a naive moron. “And I’m not.”

“Jensen, step into the pod. Quick now. Zora is always hard to deal with when we are late.” Pierce gives me an apologetic look.

“I know you’re not aiming for the target. We are just giving you a hard time because every time an agent says that, they end up winning the mission.”

He shrugs. I roll my eyes and exhale.

Right. The pod.

I take a moment, then do as I’m told, already in way too deep to back out.

Pierce asks me my wishes, and I tell him, and when the white light flashes, my body feels like it’s on fire. I get nervous for the first time that I might have made a grave mistake.

I stumble out of the large alien pod with a trail of smoke and try to catch my breath. “What the…”

“Piercy!” Dolly yells. “He’s be-yoo-tiful!”

I glance up with a frown, trying to catch my breath. I do not like to be called that. “Dolly, I like it when you call me ‘daddy’ better than ‘beautiful,’” I mutter, standing up to my full height.

Wait.

I look down at my arms and body, feeling like I put on twenty pounds of pure muscle.

“We do less airbrushing on our male agents, but you still get a small dose of it.” Pierce points to a long mirror to my left that I do not remember seeing before.

“Holy shit.” I take a sharp inhale as my eyes trace over my perfect body.

Pierce pats me on the back. “You are in tip-top shape because of being the descendant of Dragon Heart. It’s a rare freebie because of your birthright.”

“Damn.” I exhale, flexing, feeling so much power. I have always been in great shape, but this is superhero level. “I think I’m starting to really like this—a lot.”

Dolly purrs beside me. “We are so winning! I’m so excited!”

“Dolly, I’m not here to win—just to help,” I say, glaring at her in the mirror.

I just want an escape.

She winks. “Okay, Boss Daddy. But you have not seen the target. Our alpha missions are intense. She could have you begging for her pu—.”

“Dolly,” Pierce interrupts with his eyes narrowed on her. “I do not like you being crude.”

“Yeah,” I agree with a frown. “Me either.”

Disturbing as hell.

“Captain Jensen Black Heart, it’s now time you spin so I may put you into your position’s clothing.” Pierce motions with his hands for me to spin. “Hurry, please.”

“Spin? Like fucking Cinderella?” I chuckle at how dumb I feel. “For real?”

“Yes.” Pierce smiles. “The magnetic particles that we create and import with sonic waves need movement to attach the nanoparticles to form solid matter from the slight energy created.”

He smiles at me. “So spin.”

We stare at each other. I raise a brow. “All right then,” I say and start to turn, not wanting to argue with that.

I tense as I see another flash of white, and everywhere on my body tingles.

“Shit!” I suck in a breath as I look in the mirror. “Holy…”

I stare at myself, touching the eye patch covering my left eye.

“You have one silver eye, which is a giveaway to your Dragon Heart bloodline. It would be wise to keep that a secret, for no one knows if the bloodline of Dragon Heart still exists.

“If that information gets out, you might be a target, making your time in this world more dangerous.”

“I see,” I whisper in awe.

Everything had just become real.

Like, fucking real.

I look like a fearsome pirate—extremely intimidating. Holy fuck, if I saw myself, I’d run the other way.

I’m solid muscle, and it’s quite the daunting look with my height and weathered skull and dragon jewelry.

My clothes were all black and leather, which felt authentic and durable.

I’m wearing a billowy black shirt under a leather vest, which gapes at the neck and chest, giving me a certain level of dark sex appeal. I could see lots of mysterious tattoos underneath peaking through.

I glance at my tight black pants, which do not hide my junk at all, and roll my eyes.

I never had a problem getting women in bed—never. In fact, all women threw themselves at me, not even trying to hide their desire.

After a while, it got boring. Because if there’s one thing that I find irresistible in a woman, it’s the chase.

I want to fucking hunt her down and follow the trail of blood from the wounded prey. Make me work for it.

I’m not violent in bed and I’d never force a woman, but I do like resistance and roughness.

Unfortunately, that’s just a fantasy of mine; that shit never happens in real life. I tell them to jump, and they say how high.

But the thought of a woman from a different world? Yeah, I’m getting excited about that.

“So, this look is how I win the target?” I ask mockingly. “Girls there dig this shit? The whole bad-boy pirate?”

I bet they do.

Pierce comes to stand next to me. “If you’re lucky. You have three months—that’s not long. And remember, other men actually want to win the target.

“These missions are hard and will make you second-guess everything you know about yourself.”

I laugh, thinking this world might not know what to do with my level of crazy. “Is getting laid by hot chicks breaking the rules? Asking for a friend.”

Dolly snorts with laughter.

Pierce looks at me thoughtfully. “As long as you remember the mission. Stay focused. I need to know who the mole is, Jensen. Find that out for me. Then you can have your fun.”

“I find the mole, then I get the women? No-strings-attached women?”

“Yes.” Pierce grins at me, and it reminds me of a damn fox. “Find the mole, Jensen.”

“Easy enough.”

“Ready?”

My heart jumps. “Now?”

Pierce touches his ear. “Ready. April—April, stop talking so fast. We are ready for extraction in five.”

Five…minutes?

FUCK.

I take a steady breath.

“Five,” Pierce says while still holding his earpiece, pointing at me. “Get ready, Captain Black Heart. In—three! Two! One!”

One…

I want to say something, but I can’t. Everything goes black way too fast.