3013: BROKEN/3013:TRINITY: 3013: The Series

By Kali Argent

*These books were previous released as part of the 3013 Anniversary Boxed Set.*

3013: BROKEN

Months after escaping the planet Tartarus, Cerys is settling into her new life on Alliance Space Station: X21. She’s tired, weak, and still trying to find her place in the universe, but she knows exactly what she wants when it comes to the handsome liaison officer who frequents the sanctuary.

From the moment he set eyes on the Tarin beauty, Liaison Officer Eli Eaton was mesmerized. Cerys is fragile, a little unsure of herself, but he doesn’t mind taking things slow. There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do to see her smile—even follow her to the ends of the galaxy.

As their relationship progresses, Cerys finds herself frustrated by Eli’s desire to protect her from everything, including himself. In fact, she’s beginning to worry that no matter what she does, he’ll never see her anything more than broken.

3013: TRINITY

Helios shifter Natalia Hess spends her life in the ring, moving from one fight to another, but she has always fallen just short of her dream—winning the grand prize at the annual Baxxtora Tournament. Maybe she’d have better focus if she wasn’t so distracted by a couple of gorgeous, persistent elites she can’t get out of her head.

More like brothers than friends, Commanders Oz Michaels and Quaid Jansen share everything…with one major exception. They refuse to share a female just because the Alliance declared it. Then, three years ago, a feisty Helios female waltzed onto their station, captivating them both, and nothing has ever been the same.

When they show up in Natalia’s locker room after a fight, asking her to decide between them, she doesn’t know whether to laugh or scream. Asking her to choose is like asking her not to breathe, and she’s never exactly been one to follow the rules.

Can she convince them that three is better than two? Or will their stubbornness ruin any hopes of a happy trinity? 

Includes the bonus short 3013: FAMILY.

• Language: English
• Publisher: PECCAVI PRESS
• Release date: Jul 19, 2017
• ISBN: 9781940637365

Kali Argent

Born with a silver tongue and a pen in her hand, Kali spends her days crafting scandalous romances filled with flawed heroes and kick-ass heroines. When she's not writing, she can be found curled up in her favorite chair with a good book and a steamy cup of coffee.  Self-proclaimed introvert and supporter of the selectively social, Kali currently resides in North Texas with her insane family, including two lazy dogs and one tragically misunderstood cat.  Seriously, though, the cat is evil. For More Title by Kali Argent, Visit: www.kaliargent.com/library

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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: BROKEN by Kali Argent

3013: EXODUS by Laurie Roma

3013: TRINITY by Kali Argent

3013: BROKEN and 3013: TRINITY

Copyright © March 2017 by Kali Argent

Covert Art by SW Graphic Designs

Published by PECCAVI PRESS

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.

3013: BROKEN

Months after escaping the planet Tartarus, Cerys is settling into her new life on Alliance Space Station: X21. She’s tired, weak, and still trying to find her place in the universe, but she knows exactly what she wants when it comes to the handsome liaison officer who frequents the sanctuary.

From the moment he set eyes on the Tarin beauty, Liaison Officer Eli Eaton was mesmerized. Cerys is fragile, a little unsure of herself, but he doesn’t mind taking things slow. There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do to see her smile—even follow her to the ends of the galaxy.

As their relationship progresses, Cerys finds herself frustrated by Eli’s desire to protect her from everything, including himself. In fact, she’s beginning to worry that no matter what she does, he’ll never see her as anything more than broken.

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

Well, hello, a Helios male slurred.

Cerys stopped walking and looked from side to side, then over her shoulder. Seeing no one other than herself, she blinked at the male.

Hello, she returned, struggling to make eye contact. Her heart raced, her ears started to ring, and a tightening in her throat made it difficult to breathe.

Giving up, she focused somewhere near his left ear instead. His golden hair was cut shorter than most of the other Helios shifters she’d met, with the back and sides shorn close to his head. He smiled, the tips of his fangs showing beneath his upper lip, as he watched her with glazed, unfocused eyes the same color as the dark ale that saturated his breath.

What’s your name? he asked, reaching out as if to touch her.

Cerys sidestepped, deftly but subtly fending off his advance. Since coming to work at the Krytos sanctuary, Asylum, on the Alliance space station Alpha Station: X21, she’d become proficient at fending off unwanted advances from inebriated customers.

Cerys, she answered in a voice just above a whisper.

He waved his hand in front of his face, curling his fingers, beckoning her closer. What else? What’s your last name.

Taking another step back from the table, Cerys folded her hands behind her back and shook her head. Just Cerys.

She’d like to say she was being coy, but in reality, she didn’t have a last name, not one that she could remember anyway. Her mother had died giving birth to her in a cold, dank, and dark room on Tartarus. As the daughter of a Tarin slave, her life hadn’t been worth much, but the other females in her mother’s harem had cared for her the best they could. They’d kept her warm and fed, and more importantly, hidden from Lord Keve.

Oh, come on, the Helios crooned, reaching for her again, you can tell me. He leaned forward over the table, his eyes heavy-lidded, his breath sour from his drink. It’ll be our secret.

I really need to get back to work.

It saddened her that one simple question could bring back so many painful memories. She remembered the day she’d come of age, the day the other females could no longer keep her away from Lord Keve’s grasp. She remembered the years that followed, the fear and loneliness, the self-hatred. She remembered the first time she’d tried to escape, and the punishment her disobedience had wrought.

Self-consciously, she ran her fingertips over the back of her shorn head, wincing at the feel of the soft, short hairs. It had been months since she’d been rescued from that hell on the dark planet, but still, her ebony locks refused to grow. On the other hand, it wasn’t too surprising, considering how tired and weak she felt all the time.

Tarins survived on the energy generated by strong emotions and rushes of adrenaline—energy produced from things like war, excitement, and sex. Cerys couldn’t even bring herself to make eye contact with a male, let alone permit him to touch her. With her energy reserves always near empty, her body now worked just to keep her alive. She needed to replenish, and soon, but she didn’t know how to fight, and the idea of offering her body to a stranger made her physically ill.

I’m good at keeping secrets, the shifter pressed, taking advantage of Cerys distraction to grab her by the wrist.

A broad, masculine hand landed heavily on the male’s shoulder, the fingers squeezing the shallow valley at the base of his neck. In the next heartbeat, the shifter’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he released Cerys’ wrist as his head bounced off the black tabletop with a heavy thud.

Looking away from the male passed out on his table, Cerys smiled shyly. Thank you, Eli.

Liaison Officer Eli Eaton was one of the only people on the entire space station who didn’t make her nervous. Quite the opposite in fact. Whenever he entered a room, she instantly felt better, calmer, and a little stronger.

Cerys, he said in his deep, rich baritone. How are you today?

Her stomach fluttered when he smiled at her, and she licked her dry lips several times before she answered. I’m well, thank you for asking. Would you like something to drink? Or are you still on duty?

She knew he wasn’t on duty, partly because he wasn’t dressed in the uniform that all Alliance elites wore—black pants and boots, completed by a gray jacket with black sleeves and an off-centered zipper. She also knew he wasn’t on duty because she’d made it a point to learn his schedule over the past few months. Not to spy on him, but so she’d know when he might be in Asylum, because his presence was the only time she seemed to feel a measure of peace.

Shift ended about half an hour ago. His smile stretched a little wider, and he rubbed his palm over the top of his shaved head. I’ll have a beer, if it’s not too much trouble.

Cerys nodded, her gaze straying to his chest, admiring the way the muscles flexed beneath his black T-shirt. Stars, he had so many muscles, all hard and rippling, encased in the smoothest dusky skin. She wanted to touch him, to see if his skin was as soft as it looked, but she didn’t dare. So, when her fingers twitched at her sides, she curled them against her palm and backed toward the gleaming bar on the other side of the room.

One beer. Anything else? Are you hungry?

Krytos brothers Axton and Zade Tavish didn’t offer a diverse menu at Asylum, but what they did offer was some of the best food on X21, or so she’d heard. It wasn’t as if she ventured out to other parts of the space station to find out for herself.

Just the beer, Eli answered without approaching her. He nodded at the Helios male. You might want to let Shay know to take out the trash.

A valley formed between her eyebrows, and she looked between Eli and the unconscious male several times. Humans spoke so strangely, and it seemed they never said what they meant. Since coming to the sanctuary, she’d picked up on some of their more frequent sayings, but this one still confused her.

I believe one of the other Krytos attended to the garbage earlier, but I’ll ask.

Eli smiled, his expression gentle and understanding. It was just a clever way of saying that you should ask Shay to escort this male from the bar.

Oh. Heat infused her cheeks, and she ducked her head in embarrassment. I’m sorry. I’m still learning...slang. Is that the correct term?

The Alliance had injected a language converter into the back of her neck after she’d left Tartarus, which translated the different races’ languages for her automatically. Unfortunately, it didn’t help her decipher their unusual ways of speaking.

Yes, ‘slang’ is the correct word, and don’t apologize. Still, Eli didn’t try to approach. He stood on the other side of the table, his stance open and relaxed. You’ll learn it. Just be patient.

Patient, like Eli. He never laughed at her or became angry when she didn’t understand something. He was endlessly kind, always willing to help her and teach her without ever expecting anything in return. At least, he’d never asked her for anything.

I’ll get your beer now. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at the Helios. I’ll also inform Shay to...remove the garbage.

What garbage? Shay Thuney asked, appearing at Cerys’ left shoulder. Then her gaze fell on the Helios, and she nodded. Oh, got it.

As if preparing

Reviews for 3013

[Missy Tapine-Tumu · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love reading this series of books all these authors are totally awesome with their writing so enjoying each and every story.Thank you authors and God bless you all Amen.