I took a break from part three of The Loyalty Gene and wrote a Halloween story using my favorite characters. Chronologically, it fits between chapters eight and nine, but due to the plot, it won't be merged in.
My goal was to win the Halloween contest, and I wrote most of it before reading the rules. Then I read rule eleven. I couldn't hide my identity from the reader without making a lot of changes.
For what it's worth, most of my regular beta readers didn't like it. Not because it's a poor story, but because Natalie gets something going with Jason.
I'm happy with the character development and pacing. I think there is sufficient background info for readers new to The Loyalty Gene. Let me know what you think. I dislike info dumps and tried to add the necessary info where it fit.
Oh, if the person who voted it a "5" reads this, it would be great if you explained why. Maybe I missed something? Messages through the SOL message system are about as anonymous as you can get.