3013: OUTLAW (3013: The Series Book 14)

by Kali Argent

  3013: OUTLAW

  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: FATED by Susan Hayes

  3013: GENESIS by Laurie Roma

  3013: REVOLUTION by Kali Argent

  3013: PRIMAL by Laurie Roma

  3013: OUTLAW by Kali Argent

  Novellas

  3013: SYNERGY by Laurie Roma

  3013: ASYLUM by Kali Argent

  3013: SCARRED by Susan Hayes

  3013: OUTLAW

  After being implicated in a murder she didn’t commit, Isla Blevins seeks sanctuary on the one planet where the Alliance can’t reach her. On Earth, she’s the heiress to a fortune, but on Xenthian, she’s an outsider without a single credit to her name. Heartbroken over the loss of her mother, afraid she could be next, and not knowing who to trust, she can’t imagine how things can get much worse.

  Krytos triplets Slade, Bastian, and Knox Cadell have a plan—find the human scroll wanted for murder, return her to Earth, and collect the bounty. It’s simple, easy, no muss, no fuss. After all, how much trouble could one female cause?

  Then the universe throws them a curveball in the form a beautiful redhead with a big heart and the sweetest smile. Unconvinced of her guilt, they set out to clear her name, but proving Isla’s innocence to the Alliance turns out to be more difficult than they could have ever imagined.

  With time running out and danger at every turn, can the brothers save the woman they love, or will Isla forever be branded an outlaw?

  3013: OUTLAW

  Copyright © November 2016 by Kali Argent

  Covert Art by SW Graphic Designs

  Published by PECCAVI PRESS

  eBook ISBN: 9781940637327

  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.

  DEDICATION

  To all the parents out there, this one’s for 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

  “Is that your castle, Vasera?”

  Staring through the porthole window of the Xenthian ship, the Astora, Isla Blevins looked out over a gorgeous stone castle surrounded by grand gardens, just like the ones in the fairy tales her mother had read to her as a child. Excitement flared, making her stomach flutter, but it ebbed just as quickly when she remembered why she was on a strange ship headed to an alien planet.

  “Please, call me Rya, and no.” Vasera Rya Clearwater swept her long, ebony hair over her shoulder and laughed, the sound enchanting. “This is Sommervail, and that bestiality belongs to our king, Vasili Kai Blackthorn.” Her nose crinkled, and she pressed one hand to her lips, the other to her stomach. “Excuse me. I’m afraid the journey isn’t quite agreeing with the unicorn.”

  Isla covered her mouth as well, and bit down on the inside of her cheek to hold back her giggles. The language converter implants had been updated to include the Xenthian language, but clearly, there were still a few technical issues. Likely, Rya had meant something closer to “monstrosity” when describing the king’s castle.

  Also, Isla highly doubted the princess would actually give birth to a unicorn.

  Absently, she ran her index finger over the scroll tattoo at the corner of her right eye. Bearing the mark of a fertile female afforded her certain privileges, and in many ways, she was luckier than most. She’d never want for companionship, since a fertile female was a coveted prize among the elites. She’d always be cared for and protected, and when the time came, she’d be able to have a family of her own.

  Some days, however, she envied the stars—the unofficial term for the infertile women on Earth. They may not be able to conceive or bear children, but at least their lives were their own. Isla had spent every day since her eighteenth birthday fending off the unwanted advances of male elites who’d sought to claim her as their own. From an early age, she’d known that at some point, she’d cross paths with a pair of soldiers who wouldn’t ask permission, who’d simply take her, mark her, and she’d have no say in the matter.

  Her mother had protected her as much as she could, but now, Katelyn Fielding-Covey was gone, dead, leaving Isla completely alone. Worse than losing her mother—her best friend, and the only person she could be herself with—was the fact that her stepfathers had implicated her as a murderer. Isla had never cared for her mother’s new bonded, but she still couldn’t believe the commanders thought she was capable of such a heinous act.

  So, she’d been on the run ever since, searching for some place where she would be safe until she could figure out how to clear her name. Fleeing Earth probably hadn’t helped her case, but on the bright side, most elites were too busy hunting her to want to claim her as their chosen.

  The Astora was a small vessel, not much bigger than a private shuttle, and it rocked gently as it touched down in a big, grassy field uphill from the castle. When the exit doors of the craft opened with a quiet whir, Isla hesitated, her heart hammering up into her throat.

  While tempting, she couldn’t stay on the ship forever. Since she didn’t see Rya anywhere, or the female’s brother, Garrik, for that matter, she took a deep breath, mentally preparing to meet the king of the entire planet. She didn’t have any luggage to bring to the planet—just a lot of baggage.

  Hopefully, her hosts wouldn’t mind.

  With her shoulders back and her fingers clasped together in a white-knuckled grip, she started down the exit ramp in the rear, but jumped back when an enormous Helios male stomped onto the craft, his eyes wide and searching, his nostrils flared.

  “Holy nova. You scared the hell out of me.”

  She’d never seen the male before, but when he swept past her without a word, sniffing at the air as he marched through the ship, she guessed him to be Rya’s mate, Sion. She’d heard a lot about him during the journey, and he was exactly as Rya had described, so it was an easy deduction to make. Plus, as far as she knew, he was the only Helios shifter on the planet.

  Shaking her head when she heard the Vasera squeal and giggle, Isla carefully navigated the ramp, wishing she had something better than a pair of white, flowing pants and a plain, black T-shirt to wear when she greeted the king. It couldn’t be helped, though. Everything she owned resided in Jade City on Ea
rth, in the home she’d grown up in, the home where her mother had died.

  A deluge of emotions coalesced inside her as she crossed the rolling field, her slipper-like shoes swishing through the strange blue grass. Grief, panic, anxiety, anger—on and on, the emotions chased each other in an endless, damning circle. So, by the time she reached the front gates of the courtyard, she could barely breathe, let alone speak.

  “You must be Isla.” A statuesque woman with golden hair and warm blue eyes greeted her with an extended hand, while she rested the other on her swollen, pregnant belly. “I’m Vasera Ivy Blackthorn.” After a brief shake, she turned, motioning to the imposing male beside her. “My mate, Kai.”

  Isla didn’t know whether to offer her hand, bow, curtsy, or go down on one knee. She’d never met a king before, and she had little reference on such formalities. Standing an intimidating foot and a half taller than her, the king simply stared, his pale gold eyes regarding her, his expression impassive. He didn’t offer his hand, so in the end, she simply lowered her head.

  “Isla Blevins.” They already knew her name, but it felt rude not to introduce herself. Her voice wavered, and her lower lip trembled, but she added, “Thank you for allowing me sanctuary here.”

  The king still didn’t speak. The silver beams of the waning sun gleamed off the bronze streaks in his otherwise raven hair, and the odd marking on his arms and neck pulsed with a translucent glow as he continued to study her. Then slowly, his lips parted, stretching into a charming, lopsided grin.

  “Welcome to Sommervail, Isla Blevins. I hope you’ll be Caucasian here.”

  Isla tried not to laugh, but failed miserably. Some of her anxiety ebbed, and she bowed her head again. “Thank you. I’ll do my best.”

  Ivy, on the other hand, tilted her head to the side, her face falling into a mask of exasperation. “What did you hear?”

  “Your mate expressed his wish for me to be Caucasian here in Sommervail.”

  “Comfortable.” Ivy shook her head and sighed as she rubbed at the back of her neck. “He hopes you’ll be comfortable here. These damn language converters.” Sliding her hand from her nape to her right earlobe, she fingered a small, metallic device that looked a little like a pronged, square earring. “We’ll get you a linguistic translator while you’re here. It’s not as complete as the Alliance’s language converters, but at least it’s accurate.”

  Sighing, Kai turned and motioned to a female standing just a few paces behind him. “This is Captain Tira Meadowlark. Do everything she says.”

  “Excuse him. He likes to be dramatic.” Ivy’s emerald green eyes narrowed when she glanced sideways at her mate. The expression cleared as quickly as it had come, and she reached out to take Isla’s hands, giving them a comforting squeeze. “Tira will show you to your room and get you settled. You’re free to go anywhere in the citadel or the surrounding grounds, but it would be best if you didn’t wander too far. Just for now.”

  “I understand.” Isla didn’t want to cause any more trouble for the Xenon than she already had, so she’d follow every rule to the letter. “Thank you again.”

  The captain wore her ebony hair in a tight knot, the sides slicked back, not a hair out of place. She didn’t say much as she led Isla into the citadel and through the cavernous hallways, but Isla didn’t mind. It gave her a chance to study the female.

  Tira’s elongated ears curled slightly inward at the tips, and both were unblemished without any sort of piercings. On her left ear, she wore the linguistic translator, and around the right, an earpiece, but nothing more.

  The iridescent markings on her skin shimmered with an ethereal light, but they didn’t seem to have any discernible pattern. Some were mere dots, while others looked like splotches of water in the afternoon sun. The markings that crept up from the side of her neck and peeked out from beneath the black and silver tunic collar swirled and spiraled, but even those lacked any real shape.

  Still, Isla found them beautiful and interesting. None of the other races she’d met had such markings, and she herself could only boast a smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks.

  “This is where I leave you,” Tira announced, stopping so suddenly Isla nearly walked right into the female. “An attendant will meet with you shortly to measure you for new clothing. Someone will call you to dinner…unless you prefer to dine in your room.”

  “Thank you, Captain. I would like to join the others for dinner, but I will need someone to show me the way.” She’d been so intent on studying the female, she hadn’t been paying attention to where they were going. Hell, she didn’t even know which part of the castle she was in any longer.

  “Of course.” Tira lowered her head a fraction. “In the meantime, it would be best if you didn’t—”

  “Wander?” Isla nodded. “I was informed.” She ducked her head, biting down on her bottom lip. “I know the decision to allow me sanctuary here wasn’t made lightly, and I don’t want to cause any more trouble than I already have.”

  “Ivy believes in your innocence.”

  She heard loud and clear what the captain hadn’t said. Ivy might trust her, or at least, trust in her innocence. Captain Meadowlark, however, did not. Not yet, anyway, but Isla didn’t blame her. Under the circumstances, she wouldn’t trust her, either.

  Tira took a step away from the door and lowered her head again. “Until our next meeting, Lady Isla.”

  “Until our next meeting,” she echoed, watching the captain retreat to a wide staircase at the end of the corridor.

  Alone, Isla pulled in a deep breath through her nose, held it for a moment, then released it on a sharp gasp when she pushed open the heavy wooden door to her assigned room. She’d grown up in a stunning house in the heart of Jade City with every luxury credits could buy. Her expertly designed and professionally decorated room on Earth couldn’t compare to the simple elegance of her new quarters.

  Smooth, stones in varying shades of gray and sand comprised the high walls, and matching slate tiles covered the floor. An enormous four-poster bed with a gold, satin canopy sat between two arched windows that offered a spectacular view of the green waters of the ocean. The fireplace in the corner was cold and dark, but she could easily picture it warm and glowing, logs crackling with dancing flames.

  Across the room, a set of curving glass doors opened outward onto a small balcony that overlooked the front gardens. Even as night settled over Xenthian, life still teemed within the lush gardens—birds, insects, and other things she couldn’t identify in the swelling darkness.

  Instead of ceiling, wall, or baseboard lights, frosted glass spheres hung from the high ceiling to illuminate the room in hues of soft amber. Magical flames spiraled and swirled, drawing intricate patterns across the glass.

  Awed by the sight, Isla sat on the foot of the bed and stared up at the ceiling, watching the light show until the last rays of daylight disappeared below the horizon. Outside her windows, stars twinkled to life, and a big, full moon hung low in the sky, it’s pale rays glistening across the rippling ocean.

  So mesmerized by the beauty of the planet, Isla jumped and let out a soft scream when a loud knock at the door echoed through the room. Rising from the bed, she pressed a hand to her chest, just over her racing heart, and laughed at herself as she crossed the room to answer the summons.

  She’d expected to find an attendant, or perhaps Tira. Instead, she found herself staring up at a handsome male with a broad smile and kind eyes the color of pure amethyst—eyes much more interesting than her own ordinary pale blue.

  “Hello, Garrik.” It was nice to see a familiar face, even if she’d known him for only a short while. “Is it time for dinner already?”

  Garrik Clearwater, Rya’s younger brother and Captain of the Eastern Guard, tilted his head to the side, just a fraction. “No, not yet. I can show you to the kitchens if you’re appetite.”

  Isla bit the inside of her cheek to hold back her giggles. “I am a little hungry, but I can wait.�
� If he wasn’t there to escort her to the dining hall, she couldn’t think of any other reason for his visit. “Is there…is there something else?”

  “I…well…it’s just that…”

  He was kind of cute the way he stammered, and the markings that slinked up the side of his neck shimmered just a little brighter when he became flustered. Isla just didn’t understand why he’d suddenly become uncomfortable. He wasn’t interested in her. She’d seen the way the elite males looked at her, with fire and lust. Garrik didn’t look at her the way a man looks a woman he wants to bed. He looked at her like…a puzzle, like something interesting he was trying desperately to understand.

  “Did the king ask you to keep an eye on me?”

  “What?” His brow furrowed as he shook his head. “No, nothing like that. You’re not a prisoner here, Lady Isla.”

  “Okay, none of this ‘Lady’ stuff. Just call me Isla.” Stepping back, she opened her door a little wider. “You don’t have to stand out in the hallway.”

  With his shoulders tense, he took a tentative step across the threshold, looking around her room as if he expected someone to jump out from behind a curtain and attack him. His unease made her twitchy, and though she’d already inspected her quarters, Isla glanced over her shoulder toward the balcony doors with trepidation.

  Of course, nothing was there, no monster or madman waiting to attack them. Feeling foolish, she huffed out a long breath and clasped her hands together in front of her.

  “Captain, you’re making me nervous.”

  “I apologize.” His gaze strayed to her right shoulder and down her arm to her elbow. “Your hair looks like fire in the light.”

  Absently, she combed her fingers through the locks. Her hair had been paler as a child, more like her mother’s golden tresses. As she’d grown older, the strands had changed to a coppery orange-red. It was such an unusual color, similar to but lighter than her grandmother’s, more orange, and people always felt the need to comment on it.