Read i 0e57392105b539eb Online
Authors: Unknown
i 0e57392105b539eb
3013: ALTERED
3013: THE SERIES
© by Kali Argent
The 3013 Series
3013: MATED by Laurie Roma
3013: RENEGADE by Susan Hayes
3013: CLAIMED by Laurie Roma
3013: STOWAWAY by Susan Hayes
3013: SALVATION by Laurie Roma
3013: MENDED by Kali Argent
3013: TARGETED by Susan Hayes
3013: CHAOS by Laurie Roma
3013: ALTERED by Kali Argent
3013: ALTERED
Commander Ivy Dalton doesn’t believe in luck or chance. Everything in
her life—her career, her ship, the respect of her peers—she’s worked
hard to earn. When she and her crew are attacked during an exploration
mission, sending her ship crashing onto an unidentified planet, her only
concern is finding a way to contact the Alliance. She never expected a
single, tiny incident in the infinite reaches of space to challenge all she
thought she knew about fate, destiny, and…love.
For thousands of years, King Kai Blackthorn has ruled over the people
of his planet with selflessness and compassion, never taking anything for
himself. Recently, however, he’s grown weary, malcontent, and the
loneliness that has plagued him for centuries has become too
pronounced to ignore. Then all that changes with the unexpected arrival
of one sassy blonde with luscious curves and a dangerously sharp
tongue.
Caught in the midst of intolerance and corruption, two strangers from
different worlds struggle to find a way to coexist. Kai can’t abandon his
people, and Ivy can’t imagine a life grounded in one place. But fate will
not be ignored. Decisions must be made, compromises that will change
the course of their lives. For no matter which destination they choose, the
journey will leave them forever altered.
3013: ALTERED
Copyright © October 2015 by Kali Argent
Covert Art by SW Graphic Designs
Published by UnScripted INC
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The unauthorized reproduction or
distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal, except for the case of brief
quotations in reviews and articles.
Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is
punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to
actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
To everyone who has ever felt like they’re not good enough—even when you
don’t believe it, you’re worth it.
The year is 3013.
Earth barely survived the Alien Wars that have ravaged the planet,
and an unknown virus had nearly wiped out the entire population. On
the brink of extinction, humans struggle to rebuild their civilization,
although nothing would ever bring back what once was.
Enforcing martial law, a new age of mankind is born, where warriors
rule and women are the ultimate prize. Only the elite earn breeding
rights and are granted leave to claim a woman in pairs. Men dream of
the day that they will be able to claim a woman to love, but for those
chosen being claimed means the end of their freedom and a beginning to
a lifelong bond with two strangers. The warriors may have the choice,
but the battle for their woman's heart has only begun…
Alarms blared throughout the ship, their harsh, electronic tone inciting
panic in everyone aboard the
Dreamweaver.
Colored lights blinked and
flickered from the computer consoles on the command deck, while the
video display flashed system failure warnings in red across the monitors.
“Lock target! Get me a visual!” Commander Ivy Dalton barked orders
at her crew over the wailing sirens. Sitting on the edge of her seat, she
gripped the arms of her chair when the ship shuddered violently from
another impact. “Tombs, status update?”
“Shields at twenty-eight percent,” Officer Anson Tombs responded,
turning away from his station to address her. Perspiration beaded at his
temples, darkening his chestnut hair, and his bright green eyes—eyes
nearly the same shade of green as Ivy’s—widened with anxiety. “Life
support systems failing. Significant damage reported in cargo bays three
and four.”
“Target locked,” another of her officers called from the weapons
panel at the front of the deck.
“Life support systems at thirteen percent.”
“Visual on screen, Commander. All communications are down.
We’re unable to establish contact with the vessel.”
“Seven evacuation shuttles launched. Two standing by.”
Her crew continued to call out stats and updates, but Ivy’s full
attention had turned to the small ship on the display. It wasn’t an
Alliance ship, nor did it belong to any of their allies. No bigger than a
shuttle, it likely wouldn’t hold more than three or four members,
possibly a scouting vessel. Emblazoned on the helm was an unfamiliar
emblem—a cluster of three dots situated in the middle of a simple circle.
Whoever they were, wherever they’d come from, they definitely
weren’t friendly.
“Fire on target,” she ordered. With their power systems failing,
they’d only get one shot. “And make it count.”
“Aye, Commander.”
Even as they unleashed their payload, reducing the unknown ship to
a scrap heap of twisted metal, the
Dreamweaver
lurched sideways. The
sudden shift threw Ivy from her seat so that she rolled and bounced
across the command deck. Coming to a painful stop when she crashed
into one of the computer consoles, she remained crouched on the floor
as the ship continued to sway.
Long strands of blonde hair stuck to her face, damp with
perspiration, but she swiped them out of her eyes roughly and released
a frustrated breath.
“Tombs! What the hell is happening?”
“We’re falling,” the officer called back.
“How?” Ivy demanded. “We can’t just fall through fucking space.”
“We’re caught in a gravitation pull, Commander.”
“Tombs, we’re at the edge of nowhere. There’s no fucking planet,
moon, or even an asteroid even close to our location.”
“Life support systems at seven percent,” another officer called.
“Switching to auxiliary power.”
“No.” Pushing to her feet, Ivy gripped the back of the chair bolted to
the floor and steadied herself. “Divert auxiliary power to the thrusters.
Then, everyone get to the shuttles.”
“Commander?” several of her crew members asked in unison.
“Do it! That’s an order!”
“Commander.” Officer Tombs shook his head. “We can’t launch two
shuttles and maintain the thrusters.”
“Yes, we can.” Staggering onto the command deck, Chief Engineer
Tariq Navarra grabbed Tombs by his shoulders and hauled him out of
his seat. “Get everyone to the shuttles. Now!”
As the crew stumbled and pushed their way off the deck, Tariq folded
his six-and-half-foot frame under one of the stations and ripped off the
metal paneling to reveal the bundle of tubes and wires. His cat-like eyes
narrowed, and he pushed his blond mane away from his face before
pulling a sharp, serrated dagger from his belt.
“Navarra, what the hell are you doing?” The ship lurched hard to the
right, throwing Ivy back into the computer console once again.
“If we’re lucky, saving our fucking lives,” the Helios hybrid muttered
in response as he began cutting and splicing the thick wires.
“A more literal answer,” Sion Jabari added as he appeared at the
doorway of the deck, gripping the frame for stability, “is that he’s
diverting power directly from the jump drive core.” The other Helios
smiled, the scar that ran from his temple to the corner of his mouth
distorting his upper lip. Revealing his elongated canines, he lifted his
massive shoulders as if he found the situation entertaining. “I’d tell you
to make for one of the shuttles, but you’re too stubborn for that, so I
won’t waste my breath.”
“Good thinking,” a small, feminine voice answered from behind him.
Ivy closed her eyes and groaned as she righted herself once again.
“Cami, you shouldn’t be here.”
“Stubborn,” Sion repeated, bobbing his head so that his auburn hair
bounced around his scarred face. “The whole lot of you.”
Shoving past the cat-shifter, Tariq’s mate, Camille Navarra, fought to
keep her balance as she maneuvered to the nearest monitor. “The last
evacuation shuttle just launched,” the tiny raven-haired female
announced.
Ivy had never been so simultaneously terrified and pissed off in all of
her thirty-two years. “You shouldn’t be here.” Her heart beat up into her
throat as she looked at each of her friends in turn, and the muscles in her
back tensed with anxiety. “I gave you an order!”
“And we’re not technically Elites.” Sion shrugged as his lips twisted
into a smirk. “In other words, you’re not the boss of us.”
“Everyone shut it!” Tariq barked. His nimble fingers spliced three
different wires together before he capped them with a titanium
connector. “Done. Sion, set forward thrusters at full.”
“It worked.” Cami’s storm-gray eyes rounded as white halogen lights
flickered to life, replacing the red glare of the emergency beacons. “We’re
going to be okay.”
Ivy wished she had the same confidence, but from the wall-sized
window at the front of the deck, she watched as flames engulfed the hull
of her ship. The
Dreamweaver
hurdled through the blackness of space,
gaining speed in its descent, and she still didn’t know how or why.
“Life support systems at three percent,” Cami called, her voice
trembling only slightly on the last word. “It’s not going to matter if we
have thrusters if we can’t breathe.”
“We just need to breathe long enough to land.” Sion punched at the
onscreen keyboard on the navigation panel and slammed one of the
levers forward.
“Land on what?” Ivy demanded, staring through the window into
the void beyond.
“Everyone strap in and hold on to your asses.” Taking his own
advice, Sion fastened the chair’s safety harness over his shoulders and
around his waist. “I think we’re about to find out.”
* * * *
Blackthorn examined the long, thin streaks of bronze that grew
throughout his otherwise raven hair. In a few thousand years, his dark
tresses would vanish, replaced entirely by the slowly multiplying bronze
strands, and eventually, the locks would fade to a pale, shimmering gold.
Beyond the color of his hair, though, he’d still look the same. The
amber-gold of his irises wouldn’t change. His fair skin wouldn’t wrinkle
or thin with age. Even his physical strength wouldn’t diminish over time,
nor would his mental acuity. Until his last breath, he’d be forever
unchanged.
Except his hair.
Sighing, Kai dropped the spoon onto the long, narrow table in the
cavernous dining hall, leaned his head back against his chair, and closed
his eyes. His body hadn’t changed since his twenty-eighth year, yet
lately, he often felt ancient. He was tired, not physically, not mentally,
but weary in a way he couldn’t quite describe.
For more centuries than anyone could remember, the Xenons had
hidden themselves away from the rest of the galaxies. Utilizing their
advanced technology—and even a touch of their ingrained magic—
they’d cloaked their home planet of Xenthian with an undetectable
shield, leaving them invisible to the universe and its inhabitants.
The elders had made the decision to protect their home and their
people, to safeguard their secrets, during a time when violence and war
raged throughout the star systems. As immortal beings, the Xenon elders
had welcomed new members into their Court on only two occasions, the
most recent addition being Kai’s father, Elder Elorfindarian Blackthorn.