by Laurie Roma
3013: KISMET
3013: THE SERIES
A 3013 Novella
Laurie Roma
Table of Contents
Title Page
The 3013 Series
Novellas
DEDICATION
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
EPILOGUE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
For all titles by Laurie Roma, please visit
3013: THE SERIES
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: FATED by Susan Hayes
3013: GENESIS by Laurie Roma
3013: REVOLUTION by Kali Argent
3013: PRIMAL by Laurie Roma
3013: OUTLAW by Kali Argent
3013: ALLEGIANCE by Laurie Roma
Novellas
3013: SYNERGY by Laurie Roma
3013: ASYLUM by Kali Argent
3013: SCARRED by Susan Hayes
3013: EXODUS by Laurie Roma
3013: BROKEN/3013: TRINITY by Kali Argent
3013: KISMET by Laurie Roma
3013: REMEDY by Kali Argent
3013: KISMET
As one of the main protectors of the sanctuary in Zion, Helios warrior Trip is used to cracking heads and kicking ass. He is a male bred for action, but his need for a good fight is nothing compared to the hunger he feels for the woman who is able to calm the wild beast inside of him.
Emma Rage is a rebel, one of the few remaining humans surviving outside the edicts of Alliance law. As an outcast, she lives in fear of those who prey on the weak, but she’s never regretted the cost of her freedom...until it puts the male who owns her heart at risk.
Fate brought them together, but sacrifice could tear them apart. Is their love strong enough to withstand the secrets between them, or will their bond shatter before it truly forms?
3013: KISMET by Laurie Roma
First E-book Publication: September 2018
Cover design by Black Butterfly Designs
ISBN: 978-1-942979-11-1
Copyright © 2018 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, 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. It is fiction, so facts and events may not be accurate except to the current world the book takes place in.
DEDICATION
To anyone who has ever felt like they didn’t fit in.
Be a rebel...and stand out with style.
PROLOGUE
The world had changed in the year 3013.
Earth rebuilt their civilization after the Alien Wars ravaged the planet and an unknown virus nearly wiped out the entire population, but nothing could ever bring back what once was. A new age of mankind was born, but some of the edicts set forth for humans to survive have become obsolete in the ever-changing universe.
What fate has in store is uncertain, though, one constant is clear. In a cosmos filled with endless possibilities, love is the ultimate prize. Warriors from every species search the stars for love, and they will risk all to fight for those who hold their hearts. But danger is always present when worlds collide. As new challenges arise, all the known races must adapt and learn from their allies. However, not all desire peace, or to live in harmony.
And as a new year dawns, the battle for the future has only begun...
CHAPTER ONE
Trip loved the dawn.
There was something extraordinary about watching the sky as the light slowly chased away the darkness, until another rotation was complete and the whole cycle repeated. He enjoyed those quiet hours before Zion woke and the streets were once again filled with the sounds of people as they rushed about their daily business. It felt as though he were the only one in the entire city, and he cherished those moments of silence when no one was around to piss him off.
That kind of peace wasn’t easy to find in his world.
Since he lived and worked at Exodus, one of the largest sanctuaries on or off planet, he was used to being surrounded by chaos. In fact, he thrived on it. Nights were fun and filled with adrenaline kicks, though by morning, he was usually ready to leave the madness behind.
But sometimes, even the quiet wasn’t enough to help him relax.
Trip was a unique soul with a wicked temper and an extremely combative attitude. Some would say it was due to his unusual upbringing, while others would say he’d simply been born bad. He freely admitted he was a temperamental bastard at best, and a mean motherfucker when riled. Everyone had issues...he just didn’t give enough fucks to change what worked for him.
He didn’t particularly care what anyone thought about him, and truthfully, if fear kept people from bothering him, he saw it as a damn good thing.
His reputation as a skilled fighter made his job working security pretty easy. Those who had heard of him typically avoided him or made sure to stay on his good side. There were a few brave souls who tried to get a rise out of him, but as long as they followed the rules of Exodus, he mostly ignored them. He was still happy to meet them outside the walls of the sanctuary, but those instances were rare these days.
Lately, he’d found himself getting restless by the lack of action. Sure, he’d tossed his share of drunks out the doors and stepped into the occasional scuffle, but he hadn’t had a good fight in weeks, maybe even months. It was making him downright itchy. Ever since Jade Vyper had mated Rogan and Lucian Adaro, peace and harmony had reigned supreme.
The general public had feared the two Krytos brothers before they had been converted, but now that three Dragon Warriors owned the sanctuary, there were few people who wished to incur their wrath by stepping out of line. Even when they weren’t physically around, the danger they represented was always present.
Trip was glad his friends had found their mate, but their happiness was seriously messing with his daily stress relief...and his fun. Added to that, his other friends had started refusing to work out with him in the gym. No one was willing to let him beat on them, so he could work out his aggression issues. Even his best friend, Jais, had declined to spar with him, saying that friends didn’t give friends concussions.
In his defense, that had only happened once.
If he couldn’t settle down, the best alternative was to shift into his cat form and run for miles. He’d spent hours in the desert, but it was easy to get bored with the monotonous landscape. He enjoyed running by the ocean, though, that naturally meant there was a greater chance of bumping into people. It was better if he went right after the sanctuary closed down in the mornings, but recently, he’d been doing something else with the time before he finally allowed himself to sleep.
Now, as he stood cloaked in the shadows under a concrete overpass between two buildings, he cursed himself for a fool.
He was earlier than usual since he had snuc
k out of cleanup duty. He didn’t feel bad about that, not after he’d worked the last three days straight without sleep. He’d taken on extra shifts since Rogan, Lucian, and Jade had left to visit friends in the Capital. Another trio from the bar had taken off on a vacation to New Vega, leaving a lot of gaps in the schedule to cover.
At least, he hadn’t been left in charge, thank the fucking stars. That duty had been dumped on Jais’ shoulders, but the male actually liked the additional responsibility. Then again, the sick bastard liked people, so that wasn’t saying much.
Delirium was beginning to set in, but Trip simply ignored it. Not only had the dark gray sky robbed him of his view of the sunrise this morning, the storm clouds had begun unleashing a torrent of rain down on him a few minutes into his walk. It was enough to make him wish he’d stayed home after the bar had closed.
Hell, he knew that for a lie as soon as he thought it.
No matter how tired he was or what he told himself, he still would have come.
Across the street was the real reason he hadn’t missed his morning walk. The small donut shop was the only building lit up on the entire block. With his superior senses, he could still smell the scent of fried dough and sugar through the rain, though, his love of sweets wasn’t what kept drawing him back that particular location.
Behind the glass front of the shop, a human female was busy sliding trays of artfully iced donuts into the display cases. Emma Rage was beautiful, with bright blue eyes the color of a clear sky on a perfect day and full, lush lips that were made for kissing. She radiated with light, as if the compassion and kindness in her soul could barely be contained.
Her golden hair was twisted up on top of her head using a clip that looked like some sort of torture device, but he knew that her hair fell to the middle of her back when it was left down. She was a good foot shorter than him, since she wasn’t modified with the enhancements that made human soldiers stronger and faster. He was fascinated by her intriguing curves, soft skin, and addictive scent that was more alluring than the sweets she created.
If he were ever lucky enough to get his hands on her, he would spend hours exploring every inch of her. He would memorize every sensitive area through touch and taste, ruthlessly using that knowledge to keep her so well pleasured that she would never want to leave his side.
“You know, some people would definitely consider this stalking.”
Trip tensed, more in reaction to the words that had been spoken than to the voice. Yeah, he knew skulking in the shadows watching Emma could be seen as being a little creepy, but he would never hurt her. Since the day he’d met her, he’d found himself becoming a little obsessed with her safety. He didn’t like that most mornings she was alone inside the shop until one of the other workers came to relieve her. And if he’d followed her home on occasion, it was merely to make sure she got there safely.
Not taking his eyes off the shop across the street, he sighed as his friend came to a stop beside him. The massive Krytos was soaking wet, but the rain didn’t seem to bother him, either. Still, the two of them weren’t exactly being stealthy lurking in the alleyway.
As much as he worried about being spotted, there really wasn’t any way to hide Jais. While Trip was a strong Helios male in his prime, his Krytos friend had seven or eight inches of height and a good sixty pounds on him.
If Emma happened to glance out the window and saw two large males watching her from the shadows, it would certainly scare her. Still, Trip remained where he was, risking detection for the chance to observe his little human for a few more minutes.
“I’m not stalking her.”
“Sure you are,” Jais countered cheerfully as he reached up to slick back the dripping strands of his black hair. “Why else would you have walked over here in the pouring rain after being up for seventy hours? I don’t believe a simple craving for donuts is what brought you here this morning.”
“What are you doing here?”
He shrugged his big shoulders. “You weren’t the only one who wanted to skip out of cleanup today. You should have noticed me following you since you left the bar.”
“I’m too tired to argue with you about my observation skills right now,” Trip grumbled.
Yawning, Jais nodded. “It was a long, busy weekend, but we managed to get through it without killing anyone. Speaking of, you should lay off the new kid. I found him crying in the kitchens a few hours ago after you yelled at him.”
“I didn’t...wait, did you say he was crying? Well...fuck.”
Shock had Trip feeling unsure what else to say. The kid they were talking about was an eighteen-year-old Krytos male who was as tall as Jais. While the older Krytos was built like a stack of boulders, the younger was as large as a whole damn mountainside.
“Apparently, the kid has a gentle soul. I know he’s Gabi’s cousin, but Rex isn’t like her,” he said, mentioning one of the fiercest Krytos females they had on staff. “He’s lived on a Beta Station his entire life, and they hardly had any visitors. He’s curious about everything, but naïve as fuck.”
A few years ago, Gabi had ended her relationship with most of her relatives when they hadn’t accepted Elis, her Reema mate. The exception to that family drama was Rex, who had begged her to allow him to come to the sanctuary to work with her. She had a soft spot for her young cousin. Since his arrival, the crew at Exodus had welcomed the male into their dysfunctional family, but real trust would take time to form.
Earlier, Trip hadn’t even been his usual surly self and had tempered his words. He hadn’t tried to scare the hell out of the kid since he had a feeling that beneath the wide-eyed wonder, the young male might have been a little homesick. He had no idea how to relate to the teen, and he really had no clue how to deal with a male who cried after being spoken to harshly.
“I caught him trying to talk to a few of the new Tarin females we moved in last week. They were hanging out with one of the elite females we took in, but they were still a little freaked out until I called Secret over to talk to them. I didn’t mean to scare the kid, but he’s got to remember that we don’t speak to the females unless they initiate it.”
Secret was one of the few D’Aire residing at Exodus, and one of the only known members of her race to ever have been kidnapped. She shared a similar background with many of the females, especially those who had been enslaved on Tartarus. The Dragon Warriors had offered to remove all of the traces of her time in captivity, but she chose to keep the scars on her face and body as reminders of what she’d endured in her past. She didn’t talk about what happened to her, but the marks seemed to help the other females trust her in a way that words couldn’t.
Jais sighed. “I think Rex likes one of them...one of the Tarin females.”
“Son of a—I don’t want to hear about this.”
“Too bad. Rex looks up to you, to us. That’s one of the reasons he was so upset. He was sorry he disappointed you, but he also might have some sort of empathic ability we’re not aware of. I think he can’t help reaching out to the females.”
“We should probably ask Gabi about it,” Trip said with a sigh. “Perhaps she can talk to him. If that doesn’t work, Jade will figure Rex out when she gets back.”
No one could keep a secret around Jade for very long, not that it was her fault. She didn’t go digging around in people’s heads for fun, at least, he didn’t think she did. She just knew things. It could have been a basic Dragon Warrior skill, or because she was part Ilius, but either way, she had an uncanny way of reading people.
“That’s what I was thinking. But you should sympathize with him about his crush, though. You obviously know how it feels to have feelings for a female beyond your reach,” Jais teased, making a point to look back at the shop across the street. “I can’t fault you for your taste. The view really is lovely.”
“Stop looking at her,” Trip ordered harshly.
Amused, Jais laughed as he said, “You are so predictable. She’s all yours. You may be my best fri
end, but you and I could never share a mate. We’d end up killing each other since both of us are far too possessive. Besides, I have no taste for human females. They are too fragile, and I would hate to constantly worry about crushing one.”
Since that was something Trip also worried about, he couldn’t fault the logic of staying away from humans, particularly one who wasn’t enhanced. Not that he really had a choice. He couldn’t seem to stay away from Emma, no matter how hard he tried.
“Who said anything about mating?”
“You’re not stalking her because you want to be her friend. Helios are not supposed to have fated mates, but maybe Rogan, Lucian, and Jade’s happiness has infected you somehow. You could be under the influence of Dragon Warrior magic. Or that enchantment Jade’s brothers put on the sanctuary could have some freaky side effects.”
“It was just a protection spell, you idiot.”
“That is what they told us, but how would we really know? You know what I mean?”
“The lack of sleep is clearly messing with your mind.”
“This is very true. Now, can we go in, or do you just want to continue standing out here watching her like the mentally unstable male you are? I suggest you try to hide your insanity until at least the third date. I have it on good authority that is when dating usually goes to shit anyway.”
Trip sighed. “I really want to punch you sometimes.”
“So, you inform me daily.” The Krytos raised a brow in challenge. “You can also hate me for not letting you leave here today until you ask her out. You’ve spent the last three months visiting her almost every morning, which has been cutting into your own sleep cycles. You’ve also been even more irritable than usual since you haven’t been able to see her for days. It’s time to take this stalking to the next phase.”
“I told you, I’m not stalking her,” he snapped.
But that was exactly what he was doing. When she disappeared from view, he immediately wanted to rush across the street to make sure she was okay.
