Free The X-Club (A Krinar Story) by Dima Zales, Anna Zaires

Chapter 1
 
    Two years since the invasion.
    Amy Myers couldn’t believe it had been two years since the invasion, and people still knew next to nothing about the aliens who had taken over the Earth.
    Frustrated, she removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes, feeling the strain from staring at the computer screen all day. Over the past two weeks, ever since she decided to prove herself by writing an insightful piece about the invaders, she’d poured over every bit of information available on the internet, and all she had were rumors, a number of unreliable eyewitness accounts, some grainy YouTube videos, and as many unanswered questions as before.
    Two years after K-Day, and the Ks—or the Krinar, as they liked to be called—were nearly as much of a mystery as when they first arrived.
    Amy’s computer pinged, distracting her from her thoughts. Glancing at the screen, she saw that it was an email from her editor. Richard Gable wanted to know when she’d have the article on conjoined puppy twins ready for him.
    Sighing, Amy rubbed her eyes again. She had no idea why all the fluff pieces landed on her desk. It had been that way ever since she joined the newspaper three years ago, and Amy was sick and tired of it. At twenty-four years of age, she had about as much experience writing about real news as a college intern.
    Fuck it, she’d decided last month. If Gable didn’t want to assign her real work, she’d find a story herself. And what could be more interesting or controversial than the mysterious beings who invaded Earth and now resided alongside humans? If she could uncover something—anything—factual about the Ks, that would go a long way toward proving that she was capable of handling bigger stories.
    Putting her glasses back on, Amy quickly wrote an email to Gable, requesting a couple of extra days to finish the puppy article. Her excuse was that she wanted to interview the veterinarian and was having trouble getting in touch with him. It was a lie, of course—she’d interviewed both the veterinarian and the owner as soon as she got the assignment—but she wanted to avoid getting another fluff piece for a few days. It would give her time to explore an interesting topic she came across in her research today: the so-called x-clubs.
    “Hey there, baby girl, any plans for tonight?”
    Hearing a familiar voice, Amy swiveled around in her chair and grinned at Jay, her coworker and best friend. “Nope,” she said cheerfully. “Going to catch up on some work and then veg out on my couch.”
    He sighed dramatically and gave her a look of mock reproof. “Amy, Amy, Amy . . . What are we going to do with you? It’s Friday night, and you’re going to stay in?”
    “I’m still recovering from last weekend,” Amy said, her grin widening. “So don’t think you can drag me out again so soon. One night of Jay-style partying a month is plenty for me.”
    Jay-style partying was a unique experience consisting of multiple vodka shots early in the evening, followed by several hours of club-hopping and a dinner/breakfast at a 24-hour Korean diner. Amy wasn’t lying when she said she was still recovering—the combination of vodka and Korean food had given her a hangover that was more like a bad case of food poisoning. She’d barely crawled out of bed on Monday to go to work.
    “Oh, come on,” he cajoled, his brown eyes resembling those of a puppy. With his thick lashes, curly brown hair, and fine features, Jay was almost too pretty for a guy. If it hadn’t been for his muscular build, he would’ve appeared effeminate. As it was, however, he attracted women and men alike—and enjoyed both with equal gusto.
    “Sorry, Jay. Another week perhaps.” What Amy needed to concentrate on now was her article about the Ks . . . and the secretive clubs they supposedly patronized.
    Jay let out another sigh. “All right, have it your way. What are you working on right now? The puppy piece?”
    Amy hesitated. She hadn’t