Supernova: Sci-Fi Romance (Far Hope Series Book 3) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Disclaimer

  Title

  Exclusive Prequel Offer

  Also by E.A. James

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Far Hope Series Wiki

  Arkadians

  Bandurians

  Rengar

  Telani

  Terran

  Vorion

  Zel'Dar

  Winter's Edge Preview

  Bonus Book- Aerdan

  Bonus Book - Tanak

  Bonus Book - Fate Sworn

  Bonus Book - Taken by the Alien Dragon

  Bonus Book - The Primal Billionaire

  Contents

  Disclaimer

  Title

  Exclusive Prequel Offer

  Also by E.A. James

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Also by E.A. James

  Far Hope Series Wiki

  Arkadians

  Bandurians

  Rengar

  Telani

  Terran

  Vorion

  Zel'Dar

  Exclusive Prequel Offer

  Winter's Edge Preview

  Bonus Book- Aerdan

  Bonus Book - Tanak

  Bonus Book - Fate Sworn

  Bonus Book - Taken by the Alien Dragon

  Bonus Book - The Primal Billionaire

  Bonus Book - Stolen by the Alien Dragon

  Bonus Book - The Billionaire Vampire King's Baby

  About the Author

  Copyright 2017 by E.A. James - All rights reserved.

  In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

  Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

  SUPERNOVA

  FAR HOPE SERIES - BOOK THREE

  E.A. James ©2017

  ALSO BY E.A. JAMES

  Far Hope Series Book One - THOR

  Far Hope Series Book Two - REDEMPTION

  Star Fall Series Book One - TANAK

  Zhekan Mates Series Book One - AERDAN

  Zhekan Mates Series Book Two - HUEN

  CHAPTER ONE

  The thought of leaving the Curio was somewhat unsettling for Kira. Sure, it needed repairs; it needed a lot of repairs. But, somehow after a few good life or death experiences with the flying heap of metal, she had formed an unexpected attachment to it. It felt strange to not be onboard. It felt strange to not need to be close to the ship to facilitate a quick getaway.

  It felt strange to know that it was safe for her to walk about in the open, away from her ship, with no worries in the world.

  Strange in a good way, of course.

  “Smell that?” Thor asked as he walked alongside her, his arm draped around her shoulder.

  “What? That group of Rengar over there?” Kira replied, eyeing the oversized rodents out of the corner of her eye.

  The beady-eyed, fur-covered traders were huddled together, more than likely trying to scheme their way into cheating their next customer out of a few hundred Galactic Credits.

  “No,” Thor said, his tone light. “Freedom, Kira! We did it. We’re free citizens again.”

  “I still only smell the Rengar,” Kira replied, looking up at him with a crooked smile.

  “You’re not the least bit excited about this?” he asked.

  “I am,” she admitted. “But…”

  “None of that,” Thor said firmly, cutting her off.

  He came to an abrupt stop; his arm still draped around her, and pulled her in close to him. Lowering his face to hers, he kissed her softly before pulling back and looking down at her with those dark brown, mischievous eyes and rugged, trouble-making grin.

  “No ‘buts’,” he said, his tone still firm. “None of that token Winter cynicism, not today.”

  “You know, it’s that cynicism that’s kept you alive for the last few months,” she pointed out.

  “I won’t argue with that,” he conceded. “But, being that I am still alive, and finally a free man again, I want to enjoy it. And, I think you should, too.”

  “I should enjoy you being a free man?” she asked.

  Now, it was her dark blue eyes that were sparkling with mischief. Thor laughed as he brushed a strand of dark brown hair from her face.

  Tilting his head to the side, his shaggy, dark brown hair falling into his eyes, he said, "you can most certainly enjoy that if you'd like. But, I think you should enjoy the fact that you, too, are a free woman again, Kira."

  “I’m just not good at relaxing,” she admitted, reaching up and brushing aside the hair from his eyes.

  “I think I could help with that,” he replied with a wink.

  “You do, do you?” she asked, pushing herself up onto her tiptoes.

  Thor leaned in and slowly pressed his lips to hers. An instant chill ran down her spine and almost all her natural preoccupations drifted away. There was something extra in the way he kissed her, something more than had been there before. There was more passion, more zeal, more of that fierceness that he possessed that she had grown to love so much.

  He was truly happy to be free. And standing there with him amid the hustle of traders and merchants, military personnel and everyday citizens going about their business, she finally let the complete realization set in. It didn’t matter who saw them; it didn’t matter where they were. They were free. No one was searching for them; there were no bounty hunters after them, or pirates looking to hit it big on ransom money. They were free and safe and together.

&nb
sp; And she was happy. Happier than she had been in a long time—happier than she imagined herself ever being again at the start of all of this. So much had changed since she first met him, especially her feelings toward him. But now, feeling his arms draped around her made her stomach flop excitedly. Feeling his lips graze softly against hers made her heart race.

  She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer to her. Just as he began to slide his hands down her back, slowly inching them lower and lower, a chorus of taunts quickly forced them apart.

  “Is that what you two were doing all those hours up on the flight deck alone?” Bron asked. “That’s rather unprofessional, Captain Winter.”

  “We would never…,” Kira started.

  "At least we didn't have to see it then," Vinnie said, cutting her off. Wrinkling his nose, he continued, "maybe we should just leave them with the ship. Clearly, they need their privacy."

  “It was just a…,” Thor began.

  “I think it’s cute,” Alaria chimed in with a giggle.

  “I’m so glad you all have something to say about our personal affairs,” Kira said, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “They’re not very personal when you’re getting it on in the middle of a commercial space station,” Vinnie said, elbowing Bron in the side as they both chuckled.

  “We were just…,” Thor started.

  “There’s no point,” Kira said, looking up at him. “They’re just overgrown children.”

  She couldn’t help but notice that there was one individual in their group that didn’t join in the banter. While Dario was one to generally remain outside of the quick back-and-forth that the others so often engaged in, there was something about his mannerisms that told her his mind was somewhere else completely. His eyes remained fixed on the ground, and his shoulders were hunched forward just slightly. She didn’t need to ask. She knew what he was thinking about. He would bring it up when he was ready, though. She knew that, as well.

  “To be fair, one of us still is a child,” Bron quipped.

  “You better be talking about yourself,” Vinnie replied, glaring up at his Bandurian guardian.

  “I think we should be going,” Kira said, rolling her eyes as she marched forward.

  There was energy among the group. It was excitement and relief all balled up into one. She noted it in the permanent smirk spread across Bron’s face, the extra bounce in Alaria’s step, and the cocky swagger that Vinnie was attempting to acquire. Even Thor walked a little taller.

  Even amid the cloud of concern hovering heavily over Dario, Kira noted a slight air of relief in the older man’s movements. It had been a long time since Dr. Dario Marner was able to walk around a Terran vessel without the weight of a bounty on his mind.

  “The Repair Bay is this way,” Alaria informed them as she turned down one of the many long, brightly lit hallways leading off of the TFS Arbiter’s main gallery.

  After their meeting with Artanis, the crew had agreed that their first course of action as freed individuals would be to get the much-needed repairs done on the ship. Freed individuals or not, it was clear that they were not completely in the clear. Grimm was still out for blood, and chances were, they were pretty high up on his list of most-hated people in the Galaxy. They would want to make sure their ship was ready if and when the disgraced Colonel and coup leader finally showed his face.

  “And, here we are!” Alaria announced as she led them through a large, sliding door.

  “Damn,” Bron announced as he walked into the large repair bay. “This place is bigger than the Hangar back on Vandor.”

  “Well, no shit,” Vinnie quipped. “That place was a hell hole located square in the middle of a larger hell hole. This is the TFS Arbiter!”

  Bron was right—it was bigger than the Hanger. It wasn’t just bigger than the Hangar, though. It was nearly four times the size of his private shipyard he abandoned back in the Galactic Bazaar. Despite the size of the repair bay, it didn’t take Kira long to locate their beloved Curio.

  “Always easy to find her,” Kira said as she led the group toward the large vessel. “She’s easily the ugliest thing in here.”

  “Besides Bron, of course,” Vinnie added with a laugh.

  Bron’s response to his side-kick's remark was the same as it always was when someone said something he disliked—a deep, guttural grunt.

  “Well, once I get done with her, she’ll look a lot more menacing,” Bron said as he shouldered his way to the front of the group.

  “Wait. What does that mean?” Alaria asked, following closely behind Bron.

  The two of them standing next to each other was a sight that always brought a smile to Kira’s face. Bron, the large, muscle-covered, stern-faced Bandurian next to Alaria, the dainty, bright-eyed Telani made such a dramatic contrast that was as endearing as it was striking.

  “It means that I’m going to load her up with more firepower than any of the sleek, shiny, high-end models you’ll find around here,” Bron replied.

  “Firepower?” Vinnie asked, walking up next to Bron and crossing his arms over his chest as he stared up at him defiantly.

  Yet another scene that always made Kira smile—the small Terran boy standing up to the mighty Bandurian. If it weren’t for Bron’s good-hearted nature, the young teenager wouldn’t stand a chance. But, Bron had a soft spot for the kid. All of them did. His spirit was contagious, and his smart-ass personality was always good for comic relief.

  “Yes,” Bron answered, matching Vinnie’s stance—arms crossed over his chest—and squaring off to face him. “You got something to say about that?”

  “Other than the fact that it’s completely idiotic? No.”

  “This should be good,” Thor muttered with a chuckle.

  Kira laughed as she nodded in agreement. They had learned long ago that Bron and Vinnie communicated this way. It was always done out of a place of love—no matter how unloving it appeared.

  “And what would you suggest?” Bron asked.

  “We need to upgrade the hull and improve the shield systems,” Vinnie replied.

  “The hull could use a make-over,” Dario agreed.

  “No one is going to worry about what the hull looks like if we can’t defend it,” Bron said.

  “If we don’t upgrade the hull and shields, there won’t be anything to defend! She’ll be done after one good, square hit,” Vinnie replied.

  “That’s the pilot’s job, isn’t it? To not get hit?” Bron said.

  “Don’t bring me into this,” Kira said, holding her hands out in front of her.

  “We need more guns,” Bron insisted. “More guns, more power.”

  “We need better shields,” Vinnie countered again. “Don’t be so damn stubborn! You know I’m right.”

  “He is,” Alaria said softly, walking up behind Bron and placing a soft hand on his shoulder. “The hull needs a major overhaul. And the shields… Well, they’re almost as bad as the ship itself looks.”

  Bron’s shoulders slumped forward slightly, although there was a little sparkle in his eye that Kira couldn’t help but notice. No one else seemed to, though. Especially not Vinnie, who was about to jump out of his skin waiting for Bron to admit that he was right.

  “See?” Vinnie asked, his eyes wide and grinning from ear to ear. “I’m right.”

  “I won’t admit it,” Bron said, looking back at Alaria. “But, I will concede that the hull and shields need work.”

  “And we’ll work on them first?” Vinnie asked.

  “Yes,” Bron said, his jaw clenched slightly. “We’ll work on them first. But, when we get our asses handed to us in combat because our weapons array is shit, don’t blame me.”

  “No, that’s when we’ll blame the pilot,” Vinnie said, spinning on his heel and marching triumphantly toward the Curio.

  “I said don’t bring me into this!” Kira called after him.

  “Kid was never good at taking directions,” Bron said with a chuckle. “W
e’ll get started on all of that, then, I suppose.”

  “How long will it be?” Kira asked.

  “I’d say at least a day or two,” Bron replied.

  “That’s not too bad,” Kira said with a nod.

  “All ready to get back out there, are you?” Thor asked.

  “That can’t be true,” Alaria said, bouncing over to Kira. “You have to celebrate! No thinking about missions or flying or Grimm or any of that for two days.”

  Just as the last words escaped her lips, the view screen hanging over her head, tucked into the corner of the repair bay, caught Kira’s attention.

  “I think that’s going to be harder than it sounds,” Kira said, pointing so as to direct the others’ attention to what she was seeing.

  There, illuminated in all his menacing glory, was Grimm.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Just the sight of him made a shiver of fear ripple down Kira’s spine. Even though the image was just a frozen picture taken from the broadcast Grimm had transmitted across the Terran Empire, she felt as if his eyes were somehow capable of seeing through the screen and burning right into her.