by Laurie Roma
Satisfaction surged through him as he watched his guests’ eyes go huge with awe.
“Oh, wow,” Pia said as Ryland and Mikal let out identical low whistles.
“I’ve seen images and vids, but I hadn’t realized just how massive this place really is. It’s like a full city in here!” Mya exclaimed.
“This is only the beginning. You haven’t seen anything yet. New Vega is big and there are a lot of levels here, but it’s pretty easy to get around once you get used to it.”
She flashed a grin at him. “We have a saying on Earth—bigger is always better.”
And Tavius would welcome the chance to show her just how true that saying really was. He lowered his voice. “I would be interested to see if you truly believe that…”
That got her attention, and she blinked at his seductive tone. They stared at one another, locked in an intimate moment where the sounds around them were blanked out. Tavius felt that strange sensation of falling under her spell again, and he wondered if she realized the power she held over him with her gaze.
Mya’s voice was breathless as she tried to speak. “I…”
“Hey, Mya, look! There’s an empty shop there on the third level, right in front,” Mikal said, breaking through the connection between Tavius and Mya.
From the look the other man sent him, he knew that Mikal had done it deliberately. Tavius wasn’t the type of male to let anyone get in his way when he wanted something…and what he wanted was more time to figure out just how he felt about the pretty little elite. When Mikal smirked, Tavius had the irrational urge to slam his fist into the guard’s face. Instead, he took a moment to gather himself while she spoke to her guards, taking deep breaths to fight back the anger surging through him.
Mya distracted him away from his brooding when she put her small hand on his arm. That small gesture seemed to calm him somehow, and it made him wish he would have worn something that left his arm bare so she was touching him skin to skin.
“It’s amazing,” she whispered. “Truly. Tavius, you must be so proud of what you’ve built. You and your brothers have something really spectacular here.”
Tavius was shocked at how much her praise touched him. He was a male who didn’t need anyone else’s approval. Well, except his brothers, and even then, Tavius still stayed true to his own heart and mind.
But her words made him swell with pride.
“This is the central shopping area, but there are more storefronts on the decks below this one. There are also several pools, fitness centers, theaters, gaming halls, clubs and other businesses scattered throughout New Vega.”
“What stores are on the lower decks?”
His lips curved into a smile. He could see the worry that clouded her pretty eyes, and instantly knew she was concerned about. “Don’t worry, little Mya. We won’t put your shop in the dungeon. The lower levels are for shops that cater to…more selective clientele, which is why they are located on the same levels as the bars, sex clubs, and mature-rated holo-galleries and VR stands.”
Mya’s cheeks flushed a little. “Of course.”
Tavius’ wrist unit buzzed, but he ignored it. He didn’t mind stopping their progress to let her look a little longer, even though he should get the hell away from her for his own peace of mind. Her sheer joy and wonder was something he found himself wanting to savor. It gave him pause to realize that he’d genuinely smiled and laughed more in the short time he’d been with her than he had in the last month.
That was definitely something to think about.
“We have a few hours before we have to convene with my brothers for our meeting. Why don’t I show you around a little?” The words were spilling from his mouth before he could think to hold them back.
Mya smiled up at him. “I would love a tour, but I really think I need to freshen up a bit before we have our meeting. It was really sweet of you to offer, though.”
Sweet?
Holy nova, when in all the worlds had anyone ever called him sweet before? Never, that’s when. Tavius didn’t know how to feel about her rejecting his offer. No wasn’t something he heard often. In fact, it never happened. Countless females would kill for five minutes of his time, and yet this little elite had waved off his invitation for a personal tour as “sweet?”
He didn’t know if he wanted to kiss her…or strangle her.
“I’ll show you to your rooms, then,” he said curtly, cursing himself for a fool.
Turning away from the shopping area, he headed straight for the elevators, leading them down a large hallway, past several gold elevators. At the far end were two private elevators with black doors, with a security panel on the right side of each.
“These elevators are for VIP access only. You’re on the second level, room two-oh four,” he told Mya. “The rest of you have the room across the hall. Two-oh-five.”
“Interesting that the VIP rooms are on the second floor,” Ryland commented.
Tavius didn’t usually share information about their protocols with strangers, but since Mya was related to some very powerful elites that already knew the details, he didn’t mind telling them a little. “It’s closer to the escape shuttles in case anything should ever happen. It’s also closer to security.”
He was about to press his palm to the scanner when a Krytos security officer hurried down the hallway toward them. Argos cleared his throat, then said, “I’m sorry to bother you, Alpha Tavius, but there’s been an incident at Sanctum. Again.”
Tavius sighed. “What has Kahla done now?”
“Ah…she put three elite soldiers down after a brief scuffle.”
It took effort to hold in the vicious curse that wanted to spill out. Damn that troublesome cousin of his. “Explain,” he demanded through gritted teeth. “Are they still breathing?”
“Yes, Alpha Tavius. The three males are currently in the medical unit.” Argos smiled. “But I think it’s safe to say they’ve learned their lesson.”
Tavius turned back to Mya, ignoring her guards as he stared down at her. There was something that sparked between them again. “I have to see to this.”
“We can find our way upstairs,” Pia said. “Thank you for meeting us.”
He kept looking at Mya for another few seconds before saying, “I’ll see you soon.”
Mya watched as he turned on his heels and strode away, releasing the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “Ah…”
“Oh, yeah,” Pia said.
Ryland scowled. “That one is going to be trouble.”
“Oh, yeah,” Mikal repeated in a much darker tone than his chosen. He slapped his hand down on the scanner next to the elevator, then ushered their group inside when the doors opened.
Mya blinked as if coming out of a trance when the doors closed, obscuring her view of Tavius’ retreating form. Oh, yeah, she thought.
Things just got a whole lot more interesting.
***
CHAPTER FOUR
Maddox Adaro didn’t like being caught off guard.
In fact, he absolutely hated surprises, and this damn day had been full of them.
First, he’d been woken from only a few hours of sleep to a notification that some drunk assholes had managed to break one of the pools onboard. How anyone could bust through the reinforced plating of the pool was beyond him, but they did.
Damn those Helios.
Too bad the rumors about cats and water wasn’t true, because those damned shifters were always breaking shit in the pools that were designated for their use. They got rowdy as hell when they were playing around in their cat forms, and it seemed like a cleanup crew was always needed afterwards.
The broken pool had leaked down to the next level, soaking the gym below. That section of the ship had to be closed off until repairs could be made, but the crew was already hard at work fixing things.
A few hours later, Maddox got word that a few of the vendors that were scheduled to be part of the Tech Convention in a few weeks had backed
out. This was the first year the TechCon would be held off Earth, which made some people a little nervous. Everyone else seemed excited by the upcoming event, and New Vega would be filled to capacity for two full weeks while the TechCon took place. Maddox had no doubt he could fill the spots of the vendors who’d canceled since there was a waiting list a mile long of people who were interested, but it was a hassle he didn’t need.
Not to mention, he hated when people went back on their word.
Maddox had only begun looking over the list of potential replacements when Tavius had showed up in his office with news that their cousin had put three elite officers in the medical unit. Tavius told him that he’d reviewed the security footage, and had just come from speaking to the officers personally. He’d assured Maddox that Kahla had been justified in teaching the humans a lesson…even if it was a little more enthusiastically done than necessary. That meant Maddox would have to have another talk with Kahla about her temper sometime later today.
Lucky him.
There had been something about the way that Tavius had lingered in Maddox’s office that told him that his brother was up to something. He just hadn’t known what it was, and Tavius—the bastard—hadn’t offered any hints. Tavius had been quiet and contemplative, and when that happened, it was never good.
Whatever it was made the back of Maddox’s neck itch.
Now, sitting across the conference table from Mya Spartan, Maddox knew exactly why Tavius had been so evasive earlier.
As the oldest of the brothers, Maddox was the leader of their pack. Even though Daimon and Tavius were thought of as alphas by the rest of their people, between the three of them, Maddox’s word was law. It was something they had sworn a blood oath to when they’d decided to run New Vega together. Part of that oath had also included the promise they had given each other to mate the same female.
Since no male could be with their mate all the time, it was the Krytos way to mate in pairs or trios to ensure her safety. All three of the Adaro brothers were possessive to the max, and they depended on one another to protect what belonged to them. They would never be able to trust another male with their female, which is why it made sense for them to bond with the same mate.
But they hadn’t found a female that all three of them had been interested in.
Until now.
When Mya Spartan arrived for their meeting, Tavius made his interest clear the moment he’d introduced her. He’d looked straight at Maddox and said, “Alpha Adaro, may I present Mya Spartan to you.”
The words had been more than just an introduction.
They were a declaration of interest…for a potential mate.
It was something they had established when they’d made their pact. They had decided that only time Tavius or Daimon would ever address Maddox as ‘Alpha’ was when either of them found someone they wanted to bring into their family.
Not their pack…their family.
It wasn’t hard to see why Tavius was attracted to the little elite. She was a beautiful female, with lush lips that made a male think of kissing them, and pale, ivory skin that someone would want to touch just to see if it was as soft as it looked. Added to that, there was something almost mystical about her pretty gray eyes. Maddox certainly wasn’t the type of male to wax poetic, and the way he was doing just that made him uneasy.
Looking at her was enough to stir his lust, but there was more to a mating than just physical attraction. One of his greatest assets was the way Maddox was able to read people, and so far, what he could tell was that Mya Spartan was open, honest and had a sound business plan. That would have been enough for him to grant her the space for her store, but there was more at stake here than just business.
He really didn’t care about the details of what she was going to do, but he was interested in learning more about her…personally.
Maddox could tell she was nervous by the way she rambled on about her plans, trying to convince them to give her the retail space she wanted. They were used to people being edgy around them.
One Adaro brother made people tense.
The three of them together was enough to scare the shit out of anyone.
And yet, Mya seemed to be more anxious about whether or not they would accept her business plan than actually fearing being in the presence of three Krytos males. That was a good start if there was any chance of them taking her as their mate.
Maddox felt someone kick the back of his leg under the table and thought Daimon was trying to get his attention, but when he glanced over at his brother, he wasn’t even looking at him. No, Daimon was busy staring at Mya as if she were some puzzle he was trying to figure out. Daimon hadn’t said anything since Tavius had introduced Mya to them at the beginning of the meeting, but that wasn’t unusual. Maddox almost snarled when he was kicked again, but then he heard Tavius’ low voice.
“Stop glaring.”
“Kick me again, and I might just kill you,” Maddox growled back under his breath.
Mya was so nervous, she felt like she was going to throw up. And so, she kept talking, babbling to fill the void. She knew she was telling them far more than they wanted to know about her, but she couldn’t make herself stop.
Holy nova, these males were intimidating as hell.
She had made the decision to attend the meeting alone, much to her guards’ dismay. It had been important to her to show the Adaro brothers that she was a serious businesswoman, but she was regretting that decision right now. She wished Ryland, Mikal and Pia were there with her instead of waiting for her out in the hallway.
Mya had wound her long, dark hair up in an intricate chignon in an attempt to give herself an added boost of confidence. She had dressed with care for the meeting, wearing a perfectly cut suit the color of night fog. Underneath, she wore a sky-blue blouse that reminded her of the lake that rested behind her family’s estate back on Earth, and the matching heels that gave her a few added inches of height.
Not that it had mattered much. Mya was tall for a human woman, but all three of the Krytos brothers had towered over her by at least a foot when they’d met her at the conference room entrance.
Their harsh male beauty was similar enough to mark them as related, but their own personal style choices told her much about their individual personalities. She had been prepared to see Tavius again. Or so she’d told herself. But the sight of the three of them together made her heart pound and her pulse speed up.
Unlike the elegantly dressed Tavius, Daimon was wearing olive-green cargo pants with a black t-shirt that was stretched tight across his broad chest. His casual attire told Mya that he was most comfortable in an informal setting. Since he hadn’t spoken a word to her, she believed that Daimon would rather let his brothers take control while he sat back and observed.
Mya’s gaze flickered over to the male who sat directly across from her. While Daimon and Tavius had dark-brown hair, Maddox’s hair was black as midnight. He tied the long strands back at the nape of his neck with a thick leather strap. He was formidable looking in black leather pants and matching shirt that molded to his muscular frame. It might have been traditional garb for the Krytos, but on Maddox, it looked anything but ordinary.
She hadn’t needed to be told that he was the leader of the pack. It was something she could tell just by being in his presence. As someone who had been around powerful men all her life, she could sense that same magnetic energy from Maddox that she’d felt around the leaders of her world. In fact, all the brothers had that same vibe, but intuition told her that Maddox was the strongest of the group.
Mya rebuked herself. She was being fanciful, when she should have been focusing on the business at hand. Perhaps she should stop talking now.
Then she realized she already had.
Crap.
There were some whispered words between Maddox and Tavius that she couldn’t catch even with her enhanced hearing, and that only made Mya feel even more uncomfortable. They were probably trying to figure out the best w
ay to boot her out of the room so they wouldn’t have to deal with her any longer.
Folding her hands together on the table top to stop them from shaking, she tried to figure out what she’d been saying while she’d been studying them. It was no use. She couldn’t remember a word. Sighing, she said, “So, that’s my plan.”
There was a long pause of silence, then Maddox spoke. “And will you be happy living here on New Vega?”
Mya hadn’t been expecting that question. It took her a moment to answer since his deep voice had made her a little breathless. “Oh, yes.” She laughed a little. “Of course there will be things I miss, like my family and seeing the seasons change. I love watching the snow fall, not that I get to see it that often in the Capital, but there are cities further north that…and that’s not what you meant.”
She could feel herself flushing with embarrassment, and was eternally grateful when Tavius smiled at her.
“Acclimating to life on a space vessel can be difficult, but there are things that can make up for what you will miss,” Tavius said carefully.
Mya relaxed again. “Of course. I’m actually looking forward to all the new opportunities I’ll have here. I’m ready for a change, and I’m determined to make this work. New Vega seemed to have every luxury available. I’m sure I will be very happy.”
“You’re not planning to run this shop yourself, are you?” Maddox asked.
She shook her head and smiled. “I’ll spend some time in the store, but most of my time will be spent designing. I have a crew on standby back on Earth, waiting until I have approval from you. Most will come to help me get the store ready, but there are a few of them that will stay to work in the shop. With something as fun and exciting as this, it’s always better to do it with a group.”
“Well, it seems like you’re ready for it.”
Shit. Maddox’s own deep voice had roughened with invitation without warning as images of inappropriate group activities flickered through his mind. He watched her eyes widen, and he held back a vicious curse. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Tavius grinning behind his hand, while Daimon just looked at him with an incredulous expression on his usually stoic face.