by Laurie Roma
3013: SALVATION
3013: THE SERIES
Laurie Roma
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: SALVATION
Officer Skylar Aris is a woman with a troubled past. As a Class-A Conduit, she is beautiful and deadly, making her stand out among the rest of the elite soldiers. She has worked hard to succeed as one of the only female interrogators in the Security and Interrogation Division, but everything she has dreamed of is put in jeopardy when she’s given an ultimatum that will change her fate.
Strong and dominant, Director Dominic Stryker is a man who doesn’t let anything stand in his way. When he meets Skylar, he knows she’s the woman he wants to claim, but he never expected she’d also be destined to belong to his best friend, D’Aire Ambassador Arik V’Dir. Two Alpha males, Dom and Arik don’t want to share, but they realize that it’s the only way they can have Skylar...if they can get her to agree.
When a mission forces Skylar to deal with her past, Dom and Arik are determined to stand by her side. But discovering where she comes from changes everything. Will their love be enough to give her salvation, or will the truth shatter their bond and take her beyond their reach?
An Erotic Romance Novel.
3013: SALVATION by Laurie Roma
First E-book Publication: November 2014
Kindle Edition
Cover design by Sloan Winters
Editing by S.L. Whitcomb
Copyright © 2014 by Laurie Roma
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental. It is fiction so facts and events may not be accurate except to the current world the book takes place in.
DEDICATION
To my mother...one of the sweetest women in the entire world.
Thank you for being my most devoted supporter, greatest ally and my best friend. I am so grateful to have you in my life...thank you for being you.
***
Prologue
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…
***
Chapter One
“Oh, for fucking star’s sake. Not again.”
Skylar Aris glared at the two Alliance generals across the bar that were staring at her with looks of pure determination on their faces. Disgust and resignation filled her as she turned away, trying to dismiss the men for the moment, but she still kept them in her periphery just to be safe. If she was reading them right—and she was damn good at reading people—she was going to have a problem with them.
The type of problem that was going to get her on her commander’s shit list...again.
She and her friend Reva Golaris were sitting in a bar on Alpha Station: X7, one of the more isolated space stations in Alliance territory. Since it wasn’t located near Earth—or any of the home worlds the Alliance called allies—X7 was a station many used as a launching point for extended trips into unknown regions of space. It was large, but not as glamorous as other Alpha Stations scattered throughout the universe, with the majority of the levels being used as storage of goods that vessels could purchase for their journeys. Still, like all the stations, X7 had a few bars where travelers could relax and grab drinks or food...if they were courageous enough.
And the patrons in the bar were just as suspect as the libations.
The walls of the bar were a dingy gray, and the tables were dented in places that hinted at past bar brawls that had bent the metal where bodies had fallen on them. The chairs were uncomfortable, but in a place like this, one couldn’t expect much more. Regardless of the unwelcoming ambience, the bar was packed with people. Most of which were all too happy just to have a drink in their hand to give much notice to their surroundings.
It was a seedy joint, but that didn’t bother Skylar or Reva. Neither female worried much about where they were. As long as the drinks kept coming and they could talk in relative privacy, that’s all that mattered. In the past few days, Skylar and Reva had been spending a lot of time together and had gotten pretty close.
Of course, being kidnapped and helping each other kill their captors had a way of bringing people together. Talk about a bonding experience.
A week ago, Skylar and several other high ranking Alliance officers had left Earth and arrived on the floating pleasure palace, New Vega, as part of a mission to track down a traitor trying to sell stolen classified stealth technology on the black market. The stealth tech had been created by Skylar’s friend, genius Serra Spartan-Archer. A woman named Eloise Greer had been working as the assistant to Serra’s mother, Tania, and she had used her position to steal technology off of Serra’s data units. Eloise had tried to frame Serra for the thefts, but when that failed, her plan turned more sinister.
The investigation group had tracked down the potential buyers and a Strike Force Team had taken them down in a small camp in the Odalla Sector on the planet Reema, but before they could take Eloise into custody, the woman had drugged the entire group tracking her and had taken Skylar and Serra captive. When they had woken up, they had found themselves locked in a cell with Reva on a ship run by a bunch of mercenaries. Eloise had been prepared to sell the three women as slaves, and to say that they had been pissed off when they had discovered Eloise’s plan did not even come close to describing it.
Reva had arrived on New Vega with her mother, Ambassador Solange Golaris, and as part of her security detail had done rounds around the large vessel to make note of any potential threats. When Reva had seen something suspicious in the loading docks, she had gone to check it out and had ended up getting taken by the same people that had kidnapped Skylar and Serra.
The three of them had broken out of their holding cell and had held off the mercenaries long enough for Serra’s bonded to track their location with the Strike Force Team. Despite the danger, Skylar had loved the exhilaration of the situation. It had taken her years to gain a spot in the elite Security and Interrogation Division, and she was damn good at her job as an interrogator and investigator of crimes.
Yeah, life would be close to perfect if not for the fucking scroll mark on her face.
“I don’t suppose we can kill them,” Reva remarked with a sigh as she eyed the two men staring at Skylar from across the room. She took a sip of her drink, then scowled down at her glass. “By the Gods, that is horrible! What is this again?”
“It’s called whiskey. It’s a staple back on Earth. You’ll get used to it, although I don’t think they serve the good stuff here.” Skylar fought back a grin as she picked up her own glass. The dark amber liquid burned like battery acid as she took a sip,
then the blaze settle into a nice warm glow in her belly after a few seconds. Yeah, getting the good stuff just wasn’t possible in a place like this, but she could make do.
The two women sat in a dark corner they had chosen to keep from garnering attention from the men surrounding them.
Not that it did any good.
Skylar and Reva were both too beautiful not to gain notice wherever they went.
Reva Golaris was a Helios shifter from the planet Helix, an almost primitive jungle planet that was a perfect home for the beings that could shift into the form of massive saber tooth tiger-like creatures. Reva was a tall female, standing at a few inches over six feet and she had the golden skin of her race, with long hair a few shades lighter she’d pulled back into a tight braid that ran down the center of her back.
She was dressed in her usual uniform of tight brown leather pants and a matching vest that showed off her generous curves and corded muscles that had been honed from countless hours of training. By the looks men always gave her, they were obviously interested, but few were willing to take on the dangerous beauty who wore her primal nature for all to see.
As if on cue, Reva narrowed her amber eyes at three men looking at them from a table close by and let out a soft, menacing growl. The men quickly averted their eyes, smart enough to take her warning to heart.
“Apparently, I just need to keep you with me whenever I go out,” Skylar said, amused by the other woman’s casual display of hostility.
Reva let out a snort of derision. “You know as well as I do that we attract more attention together. At least most males know better than to bother a female Helios without invitation. I would rip them apart. You, my friend, are not so lucky having to follow the horrid rules that govern the women of your planet. That stupid mark on your face is like a beacon for the horny and stupid.”
Skylar couldn’t help but agree.
On Earth, all children under Alliance rule were tested when they turned ten years old. Only the strongest and brightest males and females were chosen for the biological enhancements to become elite soldiers. For males, the modifications gave them additional muscle mass, making them larger and more adept at fighting. For the girls it was to determine if they were to receive the scroll tattoo near their eye, marking them as one of the rare fertile females.
In the aftermath of the Alien Wars against the Zyphir—a colony race of insect-like creatures that stood on two feet—a virus had spread over Earth, altering the genetics of the survivors. More accurately, the virus seemed to attack the female reproductive systems, leaving most women on Earth infertile. No matter how advanced medical technology had become, the cause for the infertility remained untreatable, causing a divide between human women.
The scroll tattoos given to fertile females became darker with age, turning a mercurial black when the woman turned a claimable age. Fertile females were also implanted with nanotechnology that made it impossible for them to get pregnant until the birth control was deactivated after their eighteenth birthdays or later when they were claimed by a pair of elite soldiers.
It was a somewhat archaic system that was put in place by the United Federation Command Alliance, but it was meant to ensure the continuation of the human race. And so far, it was working. Although women were protected, strong, capable females were also given the opportunity to become elite soldiers, but they were given safe duties.
Skylar hadn’t wanted safe, nor did she need anyone’s protection.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t her decision to make. While the mark on her face gave her the added protection of all Alliance elites, it also made her a target for all unattached males who wanted to claim her. Skylar didn’t have Reva’s primal appeal, but what she did have was what she liked to call her curse. She knew exactly what men saw when they looked at her, and from a young age Skylar had learned to guard herself against all men.
She had been born with a natural beauty that made her stand out, with hair black as midnight and pale, ice-blue eyes that could steal a man’s breath with one look. As an extra bonus, the enhancements had only increased her appeal by giving her the body of a sex-droid. All men seemed to react to her, despite her efforts to mask her assets. It infuriated her that men wanted to claim her after taking one look at her face, even though they knew nothing about her.
It made her feel like she was just an object they wanted to possess.
Sitting in the bar wearing the standard Alliance steel-gray uniform jacket with black sleeves, black pants and black boots should have made Skylar blend in. With her face, there was never a chance of that happening.
Yeah, it was her curse.
“You are far too appealing,” Reva declared as she studied Skylar’s face. “Perhaps we should mark you. I could scar you with one of my claws. That might help dissuade unwanted attention.”
Skylar eyed her. “Thanks for offering, but I think I’ll pass.”
“For the Helios, the scar would be a badge of honor,” Reva said with a shrug. “They would be attracted to you, although most males know better than to approach a human female if she is not agreeable.”
“That still won’t solve my problem.” Skylar shook her head. “The mark on my face is a fucking nuisance. Most men see an unclaimed scroll and immediately want her, even if they know nothing about her. I can’t believe how many men have tried to claim me without even speaking to me once. They deserve to get knocked the fuck out, even if I do get in trouble every time I take one of them down.”
“Have you thought about claiming a bonding pair yourself to just be done with it all? You should make the choice instead of allowing the males to control the situation.” Reva gave the glass in her hand a dubious look before she took another sip and grimaced.
“I am allowed to choose for myself. The Council of Regents gave me special status after they found out what I could do, but that doesn’t stop men from trying. Plus, there is no one I really want to claim.” Skylar knew that was a lie as soon as she said the words, and she could see by the look on her friend’s face that Reva knew it.
“That is a lie. I know for a certainty you are attracted to Dominic Stryker and Arik V’Dir. I can smell it every time you are near them.”
“Damn you and your sense of smell!” Skylar hissed with embarrassment, making her friend laugh. It was true, she was attracted to Dominic and Arik, but the situation was...complicated.
“You cannot lie to me, my friend. Speaking of them, how is it that we are here on X7 for the day and they are not following you? Since I have known you, they always seem to be wherever you are.”
Skylar sighed. “Fine. I lied. They think I’m at a spa on New Vega.”
Reva let out a startled laugh. “They believed that tale?”
“Probably not, and that is part of the issue with them. Even if I’m attracted to them, they’re fucking smothering me, and we aren’t even together. Besides, Arik is a D’Aire. I don’t even think they can bond in pairs.”
“I have heard they only take one mate.”
“They call it the keeper of their heart. I’m not really sure what it entails, but I don’t think I even want to know. And Dom...he’s my commanding officer. The director of my division. He already bosses me around all the damn time, I can’t even imagine how much worse it would be if we were bonded. He’d probably lock me in our quarters and never let me leave.”
Reva nodded. “I see the issue. You would have to kill him then.”
Skylar didn’t agree or disagree, because she honestly couldn’t say for certain if he wouldn’t push her that far. She thought back months ago to the moment she had reported for duty to Director Dominic Stryker, the head of the Security and Interrogation Division in the Capital. The attraction between them had been instantaneous. It had been so strong she had been surprised there hadn’t been sparks crackling in the air between them as she had stood in his office. She’d had to fight her reaction to him, struggling not to give any outward sign of the turbulent emotions rolling around inside of her.
And she knew it had been the same with him.
His obsidian eyes had gleamed with hunger as they had looked at her for a few seconds before he banked the fires of his lust. At the time she had appreciated his control, even admired it. From then on, he had been careful never to act inappropriately around her, but he ensured he was never far. Over time, his constant shadowing got on her nerves, and he was always quick to censure her whenever she did something he didn’t like...which seemed to be all the damn time.
Skylar had wanted to be an interrogator for as long as she could remember. She had always been fascinated with solving mysteries, and was also driven with the need to find justice for those who couldn’t do it for themselves. With her particular talents, investigating crimes was the perfect outlet for her. The interrogation unit was one of the most dangerous divisions within the Alliance—outside of being a combat soldier in one of the task forces or security detail—but Dom made sure that Skylar was never too close to danger.
But it wasn’t just her safety at risk if she were to choose him.
It would mean her freedom.
Skylar knew she had her friend, High Commander Jax Spartan, to thank for finally giving her a chance to become a part of the Security and Interrogation Division. Given that she had known him since they were young, he knew she was capable and didn’t let the fact she was an unclaimed scroll get in the way of her dreams.
Most people in the known universe regarded High Commander Spartan with an almost unnatural fear, but Skylar knew Dom was just as dangerous as he was, if not more so. Jax Spartan’s temper was legendary, and it was quick to flash and burn, searing anyone unfortunate enough to be the focus of his wrath. On the other hand, Dominic Stryker was more subtle about his temper, and—in Skylar’s opinion—far more lethal for it. He was condescending, sarcastic as hell, and could handle most situations with a well placed warning. Still, Dom’s fury was slow to smolder, but when he did release it, the fallout was cataclysmic.
