by Kali Argent
Olivia hadn’t expected the sweet, shy lilt, and she could see how much the female struggled to even speak to her. Releasing her anger on a long breath, she softened her expression and smiled.
“Thank you.” As commander, she often made the mistake of forgetting she was also a human being. Instead of immediately dismissing the female, she placed a gentle hand on the Tarin’s shoulder and led her back toward the bar. “How are you settling in here?”
“It’s nice,” the female confessed. “I feel safe, which is something I didn’t think was possible.”
Her bronzed skin glowed beneath the simple, white tunic she wore, and the black, leather pants—likely Shay’s doing—hugged her thin frame like an old lover. Her inky hair stood out in short spikes, but at least it had begun to grow back after being shaved by her former owner. Considering the atrocities that had been inflicted on her as a former sex slave on Tartarus, however, she seemed to be adjusting more quickly than Olivia had anticipated.
“You’re safe here,” Olivia assured her. “Axton and Zade would never let anyone hurt you, but if you ever need anything, even if it’s just someone to talk to, let me know. I’ll help in anyway I can.”
The beginnings of a smile tugged at the female’s lips, and she lifted her head to meet Olivia’s gaze. “Thank you, Commander, that’s very generous.” She extended a shaking hand, her movements slow and timid as if afraid Olivia would cut it off at the wrist. “My name is Cerys.”
Olivia took the Tarin’s hand, clasping it in both of her own and nodded. “It’s nice to meet you, Cerys.” From the corner of her eye, she saw Zade step out of the office and start toward them. “I guess that’s my cue. Good luck, Cerys. I hope you find a home here.”
“Hello, love,” Zade greeted, winding his arms around her waist to pull her into a long, heated kiss. “I missed you.”
“I just saw you a couple of hours ago.” She rolled her eyes, but inside, her heart melted. “What the hell is going on here?”
“The bar was starting to feel a little cramped, so we’re expanding. Plus, there are three more Tarin females arriving next week, and there are only three bedrooms on the lower levels. Of course, they could double up, but Axton thought it was important for them to have their own space until they felt more comfortable here.”
Olivia’s chest tightened as her heart swelled with love and admiration. “I think that’s a wonderful idea.” She looked over her shoulder, back to the broken wall. “How in the galaxies did you…” Trailing off, she shook her head and laughed. “Regent Singer.”
Nodding, Zade winked at her. “Come on, there’s something else we want to show you.” Taking her hand, he led her around the bar, but he bypassed the office and pulled her toward the lift in the storage room.
“You should probably know that something happened on New Vega,” Olivia informed him as they rode the lift up to the suite above the bar. “I don’t know the details, but I thought you’d want to know.”
Bending, Zade kissed the top of her head. “Thank you for telling me, love. I’m sure the Adaro brothers have their hands full right now, but I’ll contact Tavius later this evening.”
“So, what are we doing here?” she asked, stepping off the lift and into their kitchen.
“Axton and I talked,” he explained, moving to block her way to the common room, “and we agreed that we want you with us all the time, but we also realize that isn’t practical. Shay and Doran might have brought up the point that even though you’re giving up your quarters, you’d probably still want your own space from time to time.”
“I was actually considering that earlier,” Olivia confessed, “but I think we’ll make it work.”
“I’m glad you think so.” Axton appeared behind Zade with an uncharacteristically bright smile. “Come, tava.” Instead of waiting for her to follow him, he simply lifted her into his arms, carrying her through the kitchen and into the living room. “What do you think?”
Like in Asylum, the east wall had been completed knocked away, opening the living room into the adjacent suite. “I think…I think whoever is staying in that room is going to be pissed.”
Zade snorted and tugged the ends of her hair where a few strands had escaped her neat bun. “Since we’re expanding the lower two levels,” he explained, “we decided expanding our quarters would be the next logical step.”
“We only need one kitchen, of course,” Axton added. “We can combine the common areas of both suites, and you’ll have your own bedroom.”
“We thought maybe you’d like to turn the other bedroom into an office.” Stepping over the debris, Zade wandered into the empty suite. “We want you to be happy here, so whatever you want, love.”
Moisture gathered in the corners of her eyes, and Olivia swallowed several times past the lump forming in her throat. It was more than she could have ever asked for, and probably more than she deserved. Still cradled in Axton’s arms, she held her hand out for Zade, motioning him closer.
“This is so sweet, and I absolutely love it, but I love you both more. I don’t need material things to be happy. I just need you.” Pressing her palms to each of their cheeks, she smiled through the tears that gathered along her lower lashes. “All I need to be happy here is you.”
EPILOGUE
Everyone in the bar erupted into cheers and growls as Axton completed the mating mark that ran from the corner of Olivia’s right eye, along the curve of her jaw, and halfway down her neck. The tattoo was bigger, darker, and more masculine than many of her fellow chosen received, but Olivia didn’t mind. After all, she hadn’t bonded with two elite males. She’d mated two Krytos warriors.
Turning, she admired her new markings in the wall-sized mirror behind the bar. Intricate, spiraling lines were interwoven with stars, circles, crescents, and the Tavish crest, creating a flowing pattern that disappeared into the collar of her uniform jacket. Best of all, they’d incorporated the star near the corner of her eye into the design, completely and permanently altering the mark’s meaning.
Olivia’s gaze strayed to her gray and black jacket, and she wrinkled her nose. She would have preferred to don something with a little more “wow,” but unfortunately, as commander, she couldn’t just take the day off, not even for her own mating ceremony.
The previous week had raced past in a flurry of activity, meetings, and vid calls. They’d made excellent progress on the renovations, but she hadn’t wanted to wait for completion before moving in with her mates.
Security officers patrolled the corridor outside Asylum more frequently, waiting for Isla to leave the sanctuary. Thankfully, none of them tried to forcibly remove her again, and there had only been one minor conflict with a visiting Helios since the official opening of X21.
It had taken three days for Ivy to finally return Olivia’s message. At first, she’d been reluctant to offer aid, but after hearing Isla’s story, she’d promised to find a way to get the scroll to Xenthian. In the meantime, Olivia did her best to run interference with security, while Axton and Zade kept Isla busy behind the bar or in the lower level of the sanctuary.
“You look badass.” Sidling up beside her, Shay bumped her hip against Olivia’s, pulling her out of her inner musings. “I like it.”
Olivia agreed, and best of all, it matched the markings Axton and Zade now wore, so no one would ever doubt they belonged to her. “Is everything ready?” she asked, keeping her voice low so as not to be overheard.
“You bet. The pussycats will be here any minute.”
“What are you two plotting?” Zade teased as he came up behind her, winding his arms around her waist and nuzzling the side of her neck. “Alpha for five minutes, and you’re already causing trouble.”
Spinning in his arms, Olivia rose up on her toes to kiss him, even as her brow furrowed. “You know, I think I’ll just stick with being a commander.”
“You can be whatever you want, tava.” Axton pressed against her back, locking her between the males’ hard bodies.
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br /> “Actually…” Pushing at them both, she managed to free herself, and turned to face Axton with her arms crossed. “I can’t really be an ‘alpha mate’ if I’m not mated to an alpha.”
Zade laughed without restraint. “She has a point, brother.”
Axton growled at them both, but jerked Olivia back into his arms roughly and slanted their mouths together. “Zade can be the alpha.”
From behind them, Zade began to choke. “Not on your life.”
“Well,” Olivia mused, “if neither of you want the job, I guess I could do it.” She pulled away from her mate and turned in a slow circle while tapping her chin with her index finger. “I think the first thing to do is redecorate. We can put white, lace curtains over there, and I think lavender lights would be better than the crimson, don’t you think? Oh, we could even put roses in the center of the tabl—”
“Stop,” Axton groaned, placing his hand over her mouth and shaking his head. “I’ll do it, okay? Just…no more.”
More cheers echoed throughout the bar, and Shay held up a shot of glowing, crimson liquid Olivia had never heard of, let alone seen before. “To our sort of new alpha and his mate! Oh, and I guess Zade.” Laughing, she ducked behind the bar when Zade growled at her. “Cheers!”
“She’s a menace,” Zade grumbled. “You’re not allowed to be friends with her.”
“Right.” Snorting, Olivia patted his chest. “Good luck with that. Let me know how it works out for you.”
Suddenly, the crowd parted, making way for the Torven twins as they carried in the painting Olivia had commissioned from Laesa. They’d covered it in a sheet of brown canvas, hiding it from curious eyes, and Olivia couldn’t have been more pleased. Their companion followed in behind them, her head down, as meek and mild as ever.
“Commander,” she greeted when she reached Olivia. “Congratulations on your mating.”
Noticing the twin sets of red starbursts on her neck, Olivia grinned. “Thank you, and I see congratulations are in order for you as well. I hope you’ll be very happy.”
Once the twins had propped the painting up on a table near the far wall, they joined their mate and offered their own congratulations. “Did you have a chance to inspect the shipment?” Sabar asked Axton cryptically.
Axton only nodded, but Zade answered, “It’s above and beyond what we expected.”
Before he’d finished speaking, Shay slipped into the middle of their group, carrying a large, black mug. Silver steam spiraled over the lip, and the fresh aroma of real coffee made Olivia groan.
“Oh, my stars. Is that what I think it is?”
“Better.” Shay winked. “A gift from your mates. Nexerion coffee.”
Carefully, Olivia took the mug and lifted it to her lips, sipping the rich, delicious contents as she moaned like a two-dollar prostitute. “Holy shit. That is fucking fantastic.”
Rhen Torven laughed and shook his head. “Your mate certainly has a way with words.”
Frowning, Axton rubbed the back of his neck while he watched her. “I think that means she likes it.”
Olivia couldn’t help but laugh at them. Careful not to spill her coffee, she grabbed the front of Axton’s shirt, and pulled him in for a kiss. “I love it.” Turning, she rose up to kiss Zade as well. “Thank you. I have something for you guys, too.” Placing her coffee on a nearby table, she led them over to the covered painting, smirking at the confused looks on their faces. “I thought you could use a little more sunshine in your life.”
Already laughing, Sabar and Rhen removed the canvas with a flourish, revealing the mural beneath it. And, it had the exact effect Olivia had anticipated.
Zade looked as though he’d been clubbed over the head as he stared dazedly at the vivid colors. “You’re joking.”
Crossing his arms so that the sleeves of his black T-shirt strained around his biceps, Axton growled and shook his head. “No. Absolutely not.”
Adorable, fluffy puppies frolicked in a rainbow field of intricately detailed flowers set to a backdrop of a cerulean blue sky with cheerful clouds and a glorious, radiant sun. Olivia didn’t know how Laesa had accomplished it, but in the dim lighting of the bar, the sun actually seemed to glow, and the masterpiece was better than she could have ever hoped.
“But it’s a gift.” Poking out her bottom lip, Olivia pretended to pout. Inside, however, she could barely contain her amusement.
“We can hang it in the extended suite,” Zade offered.
Olivia shook her head. “No, I had it made for the bar. See?” She pointed to the beautiful script at the bottom of the painting that proclaimed Welcome to Asylum.
As it had turned out, having lived her entire life on Tartarus, Laesa had never actually seen a puppy…or a rainbow for that matter. The rainbow had been easy enough to describe, and when Laesa had recommended creating a field of rainbow flowers instead, Olivia had been ecstatic about the idea. The puppies had been a bit more challenging.
When she’d first gone to check on Laesa’s progress, she hadn’t been able to hold back her laughter at the pointed fangs protruding from such cute little faces. She didn’t know what kind of images Laesa had taken inspiration from, but in the end, she found it too damn comical to ask the Tarin to change it.
“No,” Axton repeated, shaking his head.
“Laesa worked really hard on this.” She jabbed a finger at her mate’s chest. “You’re hurting her feelings.”
Laesa ducked her head when everyone turned to look at her, but not before Olivia caught the corners of the female’s lips twitch. The Torven brothers, on the other hand, fell against each other, laughing openly at the distress etched into every line of the Krytos males’ faces.
“You know,” Shay interrupted, “as alpha, you don’t really have to ask permission.”
Turning his head, Axton glared at her. “Not helping, Shay.”
“Okay, love.” Zade sighed as he tugged Olivia close and kissed her forehead. “You win. Thank you for the gift.”
Axton seemed more reluctant, but only a heartbeat later, he relaxed his stance and bent to rub his cheek to hers. “I’m sure I’ll learn to love it. Almost as much as I love you.”
Olivia nearly caved and told them they didn’t have to hang it in the sanctuary, but before she could speak, a loud crash drew everyone’s attention to the bar.
“Oh, no. Oh, stars, I’m so sorry.” Cerys stared down in horror at her empty tray and the broken shot glasses covering the floor.
Everyone began to move at once, but a handsome elite with mocha-colored skin and a shorn head reached her first, crouching down to stop her from touching the shards of glass. “Careful, you don’t want to cut yourself.” His deep voice was quiet, calm, gentle, and his amber eyes held so much warmth and kindness. “Here, let me help you.”
“Who is that?” Axton demanded, ever the protector.
“Eli Eaton, the new liaison officer.” She’d met with the elite just that morning, and after only five minutes, she knew he was going to be an excellent addition to the station. “He’s an empath like Morgan, and from what I can tell, he’s a damn nice guy.”
Zade studied the officer for a long time before finally nodding. “Cerys seems okay with him.”
Olivia shrugged. “Like I said, nice guy.” It was selfish and completely irresponsible, but standing between her mates, she had no desire to return to her office or her duties. “No one’s paying attention to us. I bet we could make a break for it.”
“I like the way you think, love.” Grinning wickedly, Zade grabbed her wrist and practically dragged her toward the lift in the storage room.
“Good choice,” Axton praised. “Everything will still be waiting tomorrow.”
“Whoa, tomorrow? I never said anything about taking the whole day off.” When Zade began nibbling at her neck, and Axton’s hands cupped her heavy breasts, she forgot why it was a bad idea. “This is crazy.”
“Well,” Zade muttered, “this is Asylum.”
“We�
�re all mad here,” Axton added as he unzipped her jacket and pushed it off her shoulders. “You’ll get used to it.”
She didn’t want to get used to it. She wanted every day to be new and exciting, and she looked forward to the chaos and unpredictability that came with being mated to two Krytos males. They’d given her everything she’d been too afraid to hope for, and while she couldn’t know what the future held, she looked forward to sharing the adventure with them.
“Okay,” she relented breathlessly, shivering in the chill of the lift as her mates finished undressing her. “Work will still be there tomorrow.”
“And so will we,” Axton promised.
“Always,” Zade agreed.
Pulling both males to her, Olivia kissed them, one after the other, and sighed happily. She had everything she needed right there in her arms, and she was never letting them go.
“Forever.”
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Born with a silver tongue and a pen in her hand, Kali spends her days sleeping (she's part vampire) and her nights crafting scandalous romances with larger-than-life heroes.
Self-proclaimed patron goddess of reclusiveness, Kali currently resides in North Central Texas with her oddly supportive family and tragically misunderstood cat.
Seriously, though, the cat is evil.
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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