by Laurie Roma
“You…you mean you’re going to give it to me?”
Maddox wanted to groan, but he cleared his throat instead, then glanced at his brothers. After he got their nods of agreement, he said, “We aren’t giving it to you. You have a good plan, so I’d say you’re going to earn it.”
Her gray eyes sparkled with her joy. “This is so totally and completely iced! I’ve wanted this for so long…and now…I can’t thank you enough. I promise, you won’t be sorry.”
“No, I don’t think we will be,” Tavius murmured.
Mya was all but bouncing in her chair as she asked, “So, do you just decide where I get it, or do I get to choose?”
Maddox’s lost his ability to speak again as more lustful images danced gleefully in his head. He felt his cock jerk in his pants at that thought, and saw that both of his brothers had similar reactions to her words when they shifted in their chairs.
“She’s trying to fucking kill us,” Tavius whispered, and Maddox couldn’t help but silently agree.
Mya blinked. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“Nothing.” Tavius shifted in his chair again. “We have a few retail spaces available, so you’ll be able to take your pick of locations.”
She beamed at him. “Wonderful. I’d love to see that storefront on the third floor we saw when you met us earlier. Three is sort of a lucky number for me.”
“Three is definitely a good number,” Tavius agreed, barely holding back a laugh. He started to rise from his chair. “Why don’t I—”
“Daimon will show her the spaces that are available,” Maddox declared. The tone of his voice warned Tavius not to argue. His youngest brother sat back down with a frown as Daimon raised a brow at the order. Maddox glanced toward Daimon. “Have her fill out the forms we need after she decides which location she wants.”
Mya smiled at all three males. “Thank you again.”
Maddox nodded, then waited until Daimon had escorted her from the room before glancing over at Tavius. “I have some calls to make.”
“That’s it?” Tavius glared at him. “Come now, Maddox. What did you think?”
He knew what his brother was asking, but Maddox didn’t have an answer for him yet. “She is…interesting.”
Tavius huffed out a breath. “Watching a Helios shift is interesting. What did you think of her?”
“She’s beautiful, but it’s far too soon to tell if she is the one for us,” Maddox answered honestly. “Besides, it won’t matter what I think, unless Daimon feels the same as you do.”
“Which is why you sent him with her now.”
Tavius understood that his oldest brother wouldn’t allow himself to even consider getting to know Mya Spartan better until Daimon also expressed a wish to have her considered as their mate.
Maddox held his emotions under ruthless control, and he’d never allowed himself to fall for any female before, but Tavius had seen the interest gleaming in his brother’s eyes when he’d looked at Mya. He would give her a chance if both Tavius and Daimon wanted her, but more than that, Tavius was confident Maddox wouldn’t be able to withstand Mya’s charm once he spent some time with her alone.
Standing, Tavius stretched his arms over his head. “I have no doubt he will see what I did, but I’ll be interested in what Daimon says when he gets back. While we wait, I think I’m going to go—”
“No.” Maddox didn’t wait for Tavius to finish what he was saying. “What you are going to do is contact the commander of whichever space station those elites in the medical unit are stationed on, and explain the situation.”
Tavius scowled. “Why the hell do I have to do it?”
“Because right now I have to review the wait list for the TechCon vendors, and make calls to fill several spots for the humans that were too cowardly to come to New Vega. After that, I have to go talk to Kahla and explain why she can’t keep trying to kill the damn elites that piss her off.” Maddox paused for effect, then added, “Would you like to switch duties?”
Tavius held up both hands in a conciliatory gesture. “Oh, no. I will gladly contact the commander. You deal with our cousin.”
“I thought you’d feel that way.”
Walking backwards a few steps, Tavius said, “I’ll make the call from our suite, then I might head down to the gym to relieve some stress.”
“From what? All you’ve done today is meet a VIP guest at docking and have a meeting. How stressful your life is,” Maddox said dryly.
Tavius flashed him a grin. “You’ll understand once you spend some time with our little elite alone. Later, brother.”
Shaking his head, Maddox watched Tavius stroll off before he headed down the hallway in the opposite direction. He ignored the employees that tried to avoid his notice by keeping their heads down as they diligently worked at their desks. Although their pack members treated all of the Adaro brothers with the respect of Alphas, Maddox was the one they feared the most on an instinctual level.
He kept himself distant from most people, and he preferred it that way.
Climbing the stairs to the second level of the section of the ship they considered their headquarters, Maddox left the public area behind. The first level was mostly for show—with a bright cheerful reception area, elegant conference rooms, several offices that were designated for each of the managers of the different sectors on New Vega, along with other various employees that kept the inner workings of the ship running.
But the second level was where the real work was done.
Unlike the first level, the second level of their headquarters had a more sedate and serious feel to it. Maddox nodded curtly to the security officer that sat discreetly behind a high desk. There were two hallways on either side of the security desk. One led toward the brothers’ offices, while the other led to the elaborate security center that Maddox liked to think of as the heart of New Vega.
Usually, he could spend hours inside the security center even though he could access the security feed at his own desk, but right now he had other things to deal with. He walked down the hallway that took him to his office. Each of the brothers had their own private office space that reflected their own style, just like they did in their private quarters, which were also located on the second floor.
As he sat down behind his massive desk, Maddox scowled as he considered that Mya Spartan and her guards were also staying in suites on the second level. His mood darkened as he thought about having temptation so close. However, nothing was set in stone yet. He didn’t know Mya, and he wasn’t sure he even wanted to.
But change was in the air.
He could feel it.
Destiny was a fickle bitch. Still, Maddox had always been master of his own fate, and he wasn’t about to let that change now. Pushing aside thoughts of Mya Spartan and her lovely gray eyes, he got back to work.
Everything else could wait…at least for a little while.
***
CHAPTER FIVE
Daimon felt like he was being tortured.
Part of that had something to do with Mya’s light, sweet scent that teased his senses. It matched her personality, and made him want to get closer to her. Made him want to pull her into his arms, and press his head into the gentle curve of her neck just to breath her in. But that wasn’t all he wanted to do…
He’d never worried much about taking a mate before. In truth, he never thought that he and his brothers would ever find a female that would appeal to all three of them. Maddox would need a strong female who would be able to stand up to him and wouldn’t cower when he got all snarly, while Tavius needed someone playful, who would be able to understand his slightly skewed sense of humor, and who could see beneath the polished veneer he showed the world.
Daimon had agreed to their pact to mate the same female, but he was unsure that any female they chose would ever learn to love him the way she did his brothers. He understood the benefits of a group mating. Still, there was a little part of him that feared he would always be left
in his brothers’ shadows when it came to their mate’s affection. That would have certainly been the case if they had mated a Krytos female, since most of them were attracted to powerful personalities.
Quieter, more contemplative, and far more sensitive than he liked to admit, Daimon was different than his dynamic siblings. He carried all the traits of a strong alpha, however, he didn’t believe he had to be forceful to get his way. Because he didn’t talk much, when he did have something to say, people listened. His quiet nature was seen as a flaw by some—especially to the Krytos that didn’t know him—but it was a mistake to underestimate him. However, that didn’t make it easy for him to connect to people…which was why he preferred to spend most of his time alone.
Then he’d met Mya.
Walking around New Vega with her was an experience. At first, he’d been angry that Maddox had ordered him to show her around. He knew his older brother had set it up so Daimon would have a chance to get to know her better after Tavius declared that he wanted her to be considered as a potential mate. Still, the situation felt a little too much like an audition or something for Daimon’s tastes.
Mya had instantly appealed to him on a physical level, but the more time he spent with her, the more he liked everything about her. He enjoyed listening to her chatter about whatever she was thinking at the moment. The sound of her voice was pleasing. It was ultra-feminine with a husky, seductive quality that stirred his blood, yet he found he was actually listening to every word she said when he usually tuned others out.
Besides being beautiful, Mya showed that she had a backbone of steel when she’d come to the meeting earlier alone. She had a goal, and would do what she needed to in order to see it was accomplished. He could tell she was nervous about it, but her excited energy was infectious, and he found himself smiling as he listened to her.
After spending a few minutes in her company, it had been easy to see why she had captured Tavius’ interest. Her bright, bubbly personality would compliment his brother well, and there was something sweet about her that called to Daimon as well. He wanted to spend more time with her…alone, where he could have her all to himself.
“I think I’d like being on top.”
That drew Daimon’s attention with the impact of a comet. “W-what?”
Mya stopped walking and smiled up at him. Damn, she was really beautiful when her lips curved like that. He imagined her on top of him, smiling down at him as she rode them both to completion, and his body instantly hardened. But that couldn’t be what she meant. Hell, they were standing out in a public area and—
“Ah,” he said as he forced his brain to start working again. They were on the top floor of the shopping pavilion outside of one of the empty storefronts. He had to get his shit together, or she’d think he was an idiot. “Would you like to go inside?”
Mya peered through the window of the storefront, then shrugged. “Being on the top floor would be fun, but I think I like the location on the third floor better.”
“There are still several sublevels you haven’t seen yet. I can take you down—”
“No,” Mya said quickly. “I would rather stay here in the main area, if that’s alright.”
“Third floor it is, then.”
She beamed that smile at him again, and Daimon had to focus on not tripping over his own feet as he led her through the crowd of shoppers on the top level. As they walked, the crowd immediately parted for them. Daimon placed his hand on the small of Mya’s back to ensure that she didn’t stray from his protection. She didn’t seem to mind his touch, which pleased him, but what he really wanted to do was push her into some dark corner where he could kiss her until they were both breathless.
Mya noticed that several people nodded to Daimon as they passed, and she could see the respect in their eyes when they looked at him. She also saw their curiosity as they glanced her way, but she didn’t mind it. She sensed that Daimon wasn’t the type of male that was seen walking around New Vega with a human woman that often.
There was something so serious about him. Some might have considered it a brooding silence, but she found a quiet comfort in being with him. His composed nature appealed to her. She also liked the way he looked at her when she spoke as if he was really listening. She liked being with Daimon, just as much as she’d liked spending time with Tavius earlier, but there was something about both of them that made her feel awkward and unsure of herself when she was with them.
A guard paused in front of them and bowed slightly. “Alpha Daimon.”
Daimon nodded at him before the guard moved on and continued to walk his rounds. Mya glanced up at Daimon curiously. “May I ask you a question?”
“You may ask whatever you wish.”
“I noticed that people address you as Alpha, and they did the same thing with Tavius earlier. Most of the Krytos I know back on earth only have one alpha per pack or family clan…”
“And you want to know how we can both be alphas?” Daimon finished for her. After she nodded, he said, “My brothers and I share the responsibilities of running both our pack and New Vega together.” He explained how their partnership worked as they walked. “We’re usually of the same mind when it comes to pack issues, but we’ve split the duties of New Vega based on our strengths. Maddox deals with most of the executive decisions, while Tavius handles the client meetings. I like to work with my hands, so I take care of most of the maintenance issues.”
Daimon stopped moving as she took his hands in hers. He was so startled that all he could do was stare down at her. His large hands were more than twice the size of her small, pale ones. The contrast should have highlighted their differences, but all he could think about was how gently she held him as she studied his palms.
“They are good hands,” she said softly. “Strong hands.”
He felt the stroke of her thumbs against his flesh zing up his arms, straight down to his cock, where it left him hard and aching. He shouldn’t want her like this, not so soon after just meeting her, but he did. He wanted her soft hands stroking all over his body, soothing his heated skin with her gentle touch.
“My hands are callused,” he said, his voice rough with his desire for her.
“So are mine. See?”
She flipped her right hand over palm up. He touched her skin lightly and felt the hardened areas between her thumb and forefinger, and on her fingertips.
“What are these from?”
“From sewing and from using my cutting shears.” Her gray eyes sparkled as she looked back up at him. “As I said in the meeting, I make a lot of my own designs.”
“I remember.” He frowned as he looked back down at her hands. He didn’t like seeing the tiny calluses marring her soft skin.
“So, should I call you Alpha Daimon?”
He wanted to tell her to call him whatever she wished, but ended up just saying, “Daimon will do.”
Confused by what she was making him feel, he dropped her hands and took a step back. He almost bumped into someone behind him, and when the shopper let out a sound of protest, Daimon turned and pulled back his lips in a silent snarl. The shopper squeaked in fear, then grabbed onto his companion and hurried off.
“Come,” Daimon growled.
Not giving her a chance to protest, he propelled Mya forward with a firm hand at her back, getting her moving again. He could feel the eyes of her guards on his back as they continued walking toward the glides that would take them down to the lower levels. Daimon didn’t like knowing they’d seen his unguarded moment with Mya.
Mya had introduced him to Ryland, Mikal and Pia as soon as they had left the conference room. She’d sent Ryland back to their suite to begin making vid calls to the crew that would come help get the store up and running while Mikal and Pia accompanied Mya on her walkthrough. The two elites had followed along as Daimon showed her several shop locations, but the guards had stayed a few paces away to give them a little privacy.
Daimon didn’t like that he’d forgotten he a
nd Mya were being watched, though.
They made their way down to the third level again, and he uncoded the lock on the door to let them into the shop Mya had chosen. She let out a little happy sigh as she looked around the empty space.
“This is perfect.”
“Fine. Good.” Daimon shoved his hands into his pockets. He pulled them out again and took a small tablet out of his back pocket and keyed in a few codes. “I’ve keyed you and your guards into the system for this location. You just have to use your palm print to work the lock on either side of the door.”
“That was quick.” Mya laughed a little breathlessly. “What about the other people I’ll have working here?”
“Once they’re cleared through security, you can authorize them.” Daimon fought the urge to shuffle his feet. Damn it, he needed to get the hell out of there. He had things to think about, and couldn’t do it around her since she clouded his mind with lust. “I have to go.”
Mya blinked at the urgency in his voice. “Don’t I have to fill out some forms?”
“I’ll send them to you, and you can get them back to me later.”
“Oh…okay.” Before she could say anything else, he was gone. She turned towards her friends after the door slid shut. “I’m not sure if he really had somewhere else to be, or if I just annoyed him.”
“Honey, you had that big, bad beast on the run,” Pia said wryly.
“What do you mean?”
“Sometimes you are the most oblivious person to the most obvious things. Really, Mya. How can you be so business savvy, yet have no clue about men?”
Mikal blew out a breath, then said, “Pia’s right. He bolted because you made him uncomfortable.”
“I didn’t mean to.”
Pia laughed. “It’s not something you did, silly. He wanted you.”
