3013: ASYLUM: A 3013 Novella (3013: The Series)

by Kali Argent

  3013: ASYLUM

  3013: THE SERIES

  A 3013 Novella

  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

  Novellas

  3013: SYNERGY by Laurie Roma

  3013: ASYLUM by Kali Argent

  3013: SCARRED by Susan Hayes

  3013: ASYLUM

  In a male dominated world, Alliance Commander Olivia Jacobson has spent most of her adult life clawing her way up the ranks, but her dream of commanding her own post has always been just beyond her grasp. With the discovery of a new planet, a new race, and the relocation of Alpha Station: X21, her dream is finally within reach. The last thing she needs is distractions, but the universe has a sense of humor, and complications arrive in the form of two Krytos males intent on claiming her as their mate.

  One night with the beautiful and passionate commander won’t be enough for Krytos brothers Axton and Zade Tavish. Choosing X21 as the home for their sanctuary, Asylum, had nothing to do with location, and everything to do with Olivia. The closer they try to get to the female, however, the more determined she seems to pull away, proving it will take more than charm and persistence to win her heart.

  When their tenuous relationship reaches its tipping point, Olivia is left with an impossible decision—to sacrifice love in the name of duty, or risk everything for a chance at forever.

  3013: ASYLUM

  Copyright © March 2016 by Kali Argent

  Covert Art by SW Graphic Designs

  Published by PECCAVI PRESS

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-940637-24-2

  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 the fans of the 3013 series. Thanks for taking this journey with us!

  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, come on, where is it? It has to be here somewhere.”

  Alliance General Olivia Jacobson stretched out on the floor, her naked breasts pressing into the thick carpet, and swept her arm under the bed in search of her bra. Pale sunlight filtered through the curtains, illuminating the room in the gray tones of early morning, but it did little to aid in her quest.

  Her normally golden hair fell into her face, the strands pallid, almost silver in the dusky haze of the room. It didn’t look terrible against her fair skin, she noticed distractedly. Maybe she’d consider making lightening it more permanently once she had some spare time to visit the hairdresser. Of course, she rarely had free time, and when she did, the last thing she wanted to do was sit in a chair and stare at her own reflection while some stranger buffed and polished her to a shine.

  Bringing herself back to the present, she choked down a groan when she noticed the time displayed on the alarm clock. With a sigh, she gave up finding her bra, and pulled on the thin chiffon dress she’d worn the night before without it. Hopefully, she’d be able to slip away from the visitor’s center and back to her quarters without meeting anyone important on the street.

  After finding her sandals, she spared one last, lingering look at the two Krytos males sleeping on either side of the king sized mattress, then hurried quietly from the suite. Part of her felt bad about sneaking off without a proper goodbye, but she just couldn’t bring herself to wake them. After her meeting with the Regents, she’d find them, explain, and give herself over to their mercy.

  Or she’d never see them again.

  A slight pang twisted her stomach at the thought. She hadn’t been looking for romance, or even sex, when she’d ventured out to Club Andromeda with her friend Morgan. From the moment Zade and Axton had walked through the doors, however, she hadn’t been able to take her eyes off them. After a lot of nudging from Morgan, she’d finally made her way across the packed dance floor, but before she’d been able to utter a single word, Axton had pulled her into his arms, sandwiching her between him and Zade.

  They had moved like liquid sex, grinding against her, priming her, making her body ache and throb in all the right places. From that instant, neither Zade nor Axton had acted as though any of the other females in the club existed. Living in the Capital, it wasn’t something Olivia was used to, especially not from other elites. The damn star tattooed near the corner of her right eye made sure of that.

  Earth barely survived the Alien Wars with the bug-like Zyphir race, but with the help of their allies, humans had rebuilt—bigger, better, stronger. They thrived, but the aftermath of the war would leave its mark for generations to come. While humans had made great strides in technology, they still hadn’t found a cure for the virus brought to Earth by the Zyphir, a virus that ravaged the female reproductive system.

  At the age of ten, girls were tested for fertility. Those who tested positive were marked with an intricate scroll design at the corner of their right eye, a mark that darkened over time until they turned eighteen. Scrolls, as they were informally called, were protected, prized, and elite males would do anything to claim one as their chosen.

  Girls like Olivia, girls who hadn’t escaped the effects of the virus, were marked with a simple star, broadcasting their deficiency to the universe. Some days, Olivia didn’t know which fate was worse—to be dismissed because of her defective womb, or to be claimed by two strangers and have no say in her future.

  Luckily, she’d shown promise as an elite soldier, and had been recruited into the Academy, given the genetically modified enhancements, and trained in the service of the United Federation Command Alliance.

  But she hadn’t been content to be a mere footnote in someone’s file. From the moment she’d entered the Academy, she’d worked her ass off, fighting and clawing for every bit of recognition, every promotion. In a male dominated world, it hadn’t been easy, and while she had no delusions of ever becoming a regent, she desperately wanted her own command.

  Since the discovery of Xenthian and its inhabitants, the Xenon—a magical, immortal, elven-like race—Olivia finally felt her goal might be within reach. Construction of Alpha Station: X21 was almost complete, and the Alliance had made the strategic decision to relocate the new space station closer to Xenthian airspace. Of course, such information was cla
ssified and kept from the general public. The only reason Olivia knew was because she’d miraculously made the short list of applicants qualified to take over command of X21. She knew it was an honor to be considered, but as the only female in the running, she also knew her chances were nearly nonexistent.

  X21 was a pipe dream, but not her only option. She’d gladly accept command of one of the outposts along the borders of the Badlands. Hell, given the opportunity, she’d take over one of the Beta stations. Whoever took command of X21 would have to leave their previous post, and the Alliance would need someone to fill the gap. With any luck, she could be that person. Anything to get away from the Capital and the judgment that seemed to dog her every move—all because of a simple tattoo.

  Olivia was no stranger to one-night stands. Plenty of human men wanted to take her to bed for a night, but never anything beyond a quick roll in the sheets that they’d deny if asked about in public. Stars, she didn’t know when she’d become such a magnet for assholes.

  Of course, not all elite males were dicks. In fact, most were quite decent, but even the best of them wanted to claim a chosen who could bear their children. Olivia didn’t blame them, but it did make finding her own happily-ever-after more challenging. So, she’d stopped trying, turned her focus to her career, and she hadn’t thought about love or long-term relationships in years.

  Until she’d bet Axton and Zade.

  As one of Earth’s oldest allies, the Krytos knew what the star on her face meant, but if it mattered to them, they hadn’t shown it. They’d only made her feel wanted, and for the first time in her adult life, she’d sensed a connection that went beyond mere physical release.

  And she didn’t even know their last names.

  As she thought more about it, she realized she knew very little about them at all, including what business had brought them to Earth. Every time she’d tried to ask, the males had steered the conversation back around to her, asking her a barrage of questions about her life, her job, where she lived, what she liked to eat, and on and on. Once they’d left Club Andromeda, they hadn’t done much talking at all, and suddenly her questions had no longer seemed so important.

  As she trekked the few blocks to her quarters, she smiled to herself, content to stroll the nearly empty streets alone. Despite their enormous size—both males standing well over seven feet tall with broad shoulders and rippling muscles—they’d been so gentle with her, almost reverent. Her body ached in all the right places from their attentions, and even if she never saw them again, she doubted she’d ever forget them.

  “Stop it,” she muttered under her breath as she unlocked the door and stepped into her quarters.

  Her meeting with the regents started in just over an hour, and she had to stop pining after those Krytos males like some lovesick fool. If she wanted to make commander, she had to get her shit together and put on her game face.

  After the meeting, though…after the meeting, she could be as foolish as she wished.

  * * * *

  Standing outside the meeting room, Olivia tugged nervously at the black sleeves of her uniform jacket, and double-checked the off-centered zipper that ran the length of the steel-gray panel covering her midsection. Her standard-issued black boots gleamed in the overhead light, and she’d pulled her hair into a neat bun at the nape of her neck.

  She took several deep breaths while giving herself a mental pep talk, and reached forward, pressing the glowing white button on the comm panel.

  “General Olivia Jacobson,” she announced when the comm beeped and the button turned green.

  The double doors slid apart, and a stern male voice beckoned her inside the room. Stopping just beyond the threshold, she straightened her spine and fisted her hand over her heart in salute. “Regents, thank you for meeting with me today.”

  Regent Adira Singer smiled warmly, her pale-gray eyes full of kindness and compassion as she motioned toward an empty chair on the other side of the conference table. “Please, General, sit.”

  Though Regent Singer had to be in her mid-forties now, she still looked every bit as beautiful as Olivia remembered from when the woman had been an instructor at the Academy. A few streaks of silver ran through her ebony hair, but otherwise, no one would have guessed her to be a day over thirty-five. She wore the scroll tattoo of a fertile female near her right eye, and at the corner of her left, another delicate, inky mark that proclaimed her as part of a bonded unit.

  “General Jacobson, do you know why you’re here?” Regent Everett Marks asked, his tone somehow bored and disgruntled at the same time.

  Olivia blinked twice as she eased onto the edge of the chair Regent Singer had indicated. “To discuss my possible promotion, sir.”

  At least, she thought that had been the purpose of the meeting. The way Regent Marks glared at her, however, it felt more like she’d walked into a disciplinary hearing.

  From the other end of the table, Regent Roman Newgate cleared his throat, his body language tense, and his eyes narrowed at Regent Marks. When he turned his attention to Olivia, the harsh lines around his mouth softened, and he leaned forward, clasping his hands together on the tabletop.

  “General, are you still interested in the command position on Alpha Station: X21?”

  Olivia’s heart hammered against her ribcage, and her hands began to tremble. “Yes, sir.”

  “And you are aware of the possible risks associated with the command?”

  “You mean the Xenon.” Olivia nodded. “I’m aware.”

  “You are…” Regent Marks trailed off as he flicked his finger across his wrist unit. “Unattached,” he finally finished. “Is that correct?”

  She didn’t like the way his lips twisted or the condescending tone, but she kept her spine straight and her shoulders back when she answered. “Correct, sir. I’m not bonded.”

  They couldn’t seriously be considering giving her the command. Yes, she wanted it more than anything, but she’d never dreamed she had a chance. Her pulse raced even faster, a tingle sped up her spine, and her stomach began to twist itself into a pretzel.

  Holy nova, it was really happening.

  “There’s no one?” Regent Marks asked, his brow furrowed skeptically.

  Thoughts of Axton and Zade flickered briefly through her mind, but she shoved them away ruthlessly. She couldn’t deny there had been something between them, but she’d only just met the Krytos males. She’d been working her whole life for her own command.

  “No, sir,” she answered firmly, meeting Regent Marks’ gaze. “No one.”

  “Good, good.” He returned his attention to his wrist unit and began scrolling once more. “What about family?”

  Confused by the question, Olivia tilted her head to the side and frowned. “I have one.”

  Regent Newgate snorted, but quickly turned his laughter into a cough. Regent Singer maintained a pleasantly neutral expression, but Olivia could have sworn the woman winked at her when no one else was looking. Regent Marks, however, didn’t appear amused in the least.

  “If given the post, will your family interfere with your duties, General?”

  Olivia still didn’t understand, but she shook her head. “No, sir.”

  “Your fathers are highly decorated,” he continued without even acknowledging she’d spoken. “That doesn’t mean you’ll be given preferential treatment, though.”

  “Of course not,” Regent Singer agreed, her smile a little too pleasant as she turned pointedly to Regent Marks. “We don’t promote just anyone because of their last name.”

  Since Olivia didn’t know what the hell to say in response, she sat quietly, her hands clenched together in her lap, and waited for the final verdict.

  “Considering your exemplary record,” Regent Singer continued, “as well as your impressive work within the Security and Interrogations Division, I’d say you’re more than qualified. The position is yours…Commander. That is, if you still want it.”

  “Yes,” Olivia practically shouted
at the table of regents while she gripped the arms of the chair to stop herself from propelling out of her seat. “I mean, yes, ma’am. I definitely want it.”

  “There will be the usual amount of red tape, of course—”

  “When can you leave?” Regent Marks asked, interrupting his fellow regent.

  Olivia’s “highly decorated” fathers were off patrolling the edges of Alliance space with her mother, and no one else in the Capital would miss her, apart from maybe Morgan. Growing up as the daughter of three Sentinels hadn’t always been easy, and she’d spent the majority of her holidays at the Academy instead of home, but she’d never complained. Her parents loved her, but they’d never coddled her, and it had taught her to be strong and self-reliant. Without their particular brand of nurturing, she likely wouldn’t be sitting there accepting command of a new, state-of-the-art space station.

  “I can leave tomorrow, sir.”

  Regent Marks nodded. “There’s a ship departing from Docking Bay C this evening. You’ll be on it.”

  Thankfully, she led a minimalistic lifestyle, and didn’t have much to pack. “Yes, sir.”

  “Because of the relocation of X21,” Regent Newgate added, “the Alliance has restructured the station.”

  Olivia furrowed her brow. “I’m sorry, sir, I don’t understand.”

  Regent Marks cleared his throat, drawing her attention. “You’ll contact the three-hundred and twelve shop owners who have contracted retail space and convince them to cancel their leases.”

  Great. As her first official duty as a new commander, she had to piss off over three hundred people. “Understood, sir.”

  “That is all.”

  Caught off guard by the abrupt dismissal, Olivia popped up from her chair and saluted, but at she turned to leave, Regent Singer called her back.

  “Actually, we have a meeting in a few minutes with a couple of Krytos who wish to open a sanctuary on X21. As the new commander, I would like to have your opinion. Would you be able to stay for the meeting?”