by Laurie Roma
“He…I…what?” Mya asked, wide-eyed. “Oh, wow.”
“Oh, yeah. The sparks between you two were scorching. Actually, they were the same as they were between you and Tavius earlier.”
“I don’t want to hear this shit,” Mikal complained.
“Then don’t listen,” Pia ordered without sympathy. She shot her bonded an amused glance as Mikal stomped across the room with his hands on his hips. Both he and Ryland thought of Mya like a little sister, and due to circumstances, they’d never had to worry about her love life before.
But they were going to have to learn to deal with it now.
The people in Mya’s life had always sheltered her, to the point of smothering her and keeping her from really experiencing everything life had to offer. Pia wanted more for her now…and this was her chance. With two Krytos brothers interested in Mya, Pia wondered if the third brother’s reaction had been similar when he’d met her.
If it was, Mya was in for one hell of a ride.
Walking over to join Mya across the room from where Mikal busied himself looking around, Pia lowered her voice as she said, “You interested in getting to know those Krytos brothers better?”
Mya bit her lower lip as she considered Pia’s question. “I…guess I am.” She let out a little laugh. “Stars, who wouldn’t be? You saw them.”
“Oh, yeah. They’re definitely hot,” Pia said with a grin. At Mikal’s growl of displeasure, she cleared her throat. “Perhaps we should wait to talk about this. Are you still meeting Reva later?”
“Yes, I’m supposed to contact her when we’re done here. I just want to take a few measurements and get some images to send to the crew before we leave.”
“Pia and I can get the measurements if you want to start imaging,” Mikal suggested.
Mya agreed and used her wrist unit to scan the rooms of the store as she walked through the shop. Daimon had given her the full tour earlier, and had explained that it used to be another clothing store until Maddox had discovered that the previous shopkeepers had been scamming their customers. They’d been using a siphoning program that allowed them to take an extra percentage of credits from their customers’ data chips each time they rang up a sale. After they’d been found out, they were booted off of New Vega, but the Adaro brothers made sure they regretted their actions before they left.
The set up was simple enough. There was the main showroom, where Mya would set up her designs on elegant displays for patrons to peruse through. The sales desk was located in the right corner, which Mya planned to remove and replace with a circular counter in the center of the room.
She left the main room and walked into a large dressing area that had been stripped. Mya would fill the space with plush benches and mirrors. There were four individual changing rooms, and Mya planned to take the ugly doors off and substitute them with thick curtains in bold colors.
After she finished scanning the dressing area, she went into the back room that would be for employees only. She made a few mental notes, then decided she had all she needed to get started. She forwarded on the scans to her crew, then sent a message to her friend Reva, asking where she wanted to meet. A few seconds later, she had a response, and Mya went back into the main room to rejoin Pia and Mikal.
“We’ve got what we need,” Mikal told her. “I’ll send the measurements out to the crew. How soon do you think we can get this place up and running?”
Mya bit at her lower lip. “When does the TechCon begin again?”
“In a little over two weeks.”
Mya nodded. “Then we’ll be ready in two weeks.”
Mikal whistled out a breath. “That’s…optimistic.”
“It’s doable,” Pia assured. “Are we done here for now?”
Mya nodded. They left the store and she relocked the door before they merged into the shopping traffic. “I’m supposed to meet Reva at the sanctuary called Sanctum in a few minutes. It’s been a long day and I think we deserve a drink.”
Mikal looked wary. “I don’t know if I want to be a part of that.”
Pia laughed. “You weren’t really invited anyway.”
He looked like he was going to argue for a moment, then he sighed. “I’ll escort you. You should be safe enough inside, but contact me or Ryland before you leave.”
His chosen glared at him. “I’m capable of guarding Mya by myself. I don’t—”
“Just do this for me,” he said, taking her hand in his.
They took the glides down, and Mya tried to block out the sound of their voices as her friends spoke softly to one another. It was an old argument, and one Mya didn’t need to listen to in order to know that there was never going to be a real winner.
The sanctuary was located on the first sublevel, and Mya was struck by how different the area was from the golden splendor of the floors above. It reminded her of a dark alley, complete with cobblestone lining the floors and low lamplight. She worked her way through the crowd of people, heading toward the large bar off to the right.
Sanctum’s sign was done in black marble, and was back lit by glowing purple light. It hung over two massive double doors that were guarded by two hard-eyed Krytos males. The guards were huge, and wearing the traditional garb of black leather pants and matching vests, they were an intimidating sight.
“Maybe I should come in with you,” Mikal whispered.
Mya patted his arm. “We’ll be fine.”
At least, she hoped they would be.
“Are you seeking sanctuary?” one of the guards asked in a low, deep voice.
She shook her head as she walked closer. “We’re just here to meet a friend for a drink. I’ve never been to a sanctuary before, do we need to ask for sanctuary to be let in? I’m new here, and will be opening a store in the shopping area upstairs on the third level.” She smiled. “I’m Mya, and these are my friends Pia and Mikal.”
“Stars, Mya. They don’t want to know all that,” Pia whispered.
The guard ignored Pia as he smiled down at Mya. “Hello, Mya. We will have to make sure to stop by your shop once you open.”
“You don’t need to ask for sanctuary unless you need it,” the other guard added. “We were informed two Tarin females who are seeking sanctuary are coming in soon, so that’s why we’re waiting out here.”
“I’m not sure about this…” Mikal said with a frown.
The guard who had welcomed Mya shot Mikal a hard look. “All who enter these doors are safe. We ensure it.”
“We’ll be fine,” Pia stressed. “I’ll contact you when we leave, or perhaps Reva will come with me to escort Mya back to our rooms.”
Mikal relaxed a little. He knew that Reva Golaris was more than capable of guarding Mya and his chosen. She was a vicious fighter that few people would ever mess with. “Fine, but contact me if you need me.”
Leaving Mikal behind, Mya smiled at the guards again before walking through the doors when they opened them. Because the hallway had been dark, her eyes quickly adjusted to the dim lighting inside the bar. There were large black squares all over the ceiling that were back lit with the same purple glow that the sign had been.
A hard, throbbing beat played over the speakers with the techno music that the Krytos seemed to favor. To the left was a black bar, where dozens of patrons sat on bar stools, and to the right were two separate seating areas. The first area was more casual, with square tables and chairs, while the other area had comfortable black leather chairs and couches centered around small, square tables that were like glowing purple cubes.
Along the far wall were several booths that would ensure more privacy for the people who sat there. There was a wall of mirrors behind the high leather booths that reflected the purple lights coming from the ceiling. Small candles sat in the center of each table, but that section of the sanctuary still remained cloaked in shadows.
Mya noticed that the booth at the end was empty, so she headed over to it. Once they were seated, she saw by the tightness around Pia’s
lips that her friend was angry. “Does it bother you that Mikal and Ryland seem to forget that you’re also a guard?”
“A little,” Pia admitted with a sigh. “I was part of the security force on X3 before I met them. Back in the Academy, I excelled at hand-to-hand combat and weapons training. Now, they act as if I can’t do anything on my own. I guess it’s the price all chosen pay for being claimed.”
Mya let out a little laugh that was anything but humorous. “I wouldn’t know about that, but then again, I’ve had guards my entire life.”
“And that won’t change once you get claimed.” Pia paused for a moment. “Have you considered that getting involved with a Krytos male would be even worse than having a human man on your ass all the time?”
“I’m not getting involved with anyone at this point,” Mya insisted.
Pia blew out a breath. “All I’m saying is, this is your chance to finally have what you’ve never had before…freedom. Don’t waste it. Get to know some males. Human, Krytos, Helios, hell, maybe even try out a D’Aire.”
“The D’Aire don’t sleep with anyone beside their keepers.”
“True, but if they know you aren’t their keeper, they won’t go all possessive on you. What I’m trying to say is, just try to have some fun.”
Mya understood what Pia was saying, but as soon as she thought about being with anyone, the images of Maddox, Daimon and Tavius’ faces popped into her head. As if she’d conjured him up with a wish, Maddox appeared around the side of the booth from somewhere behind the wall of mirrors. She froze in her seat as their eyes met.
“What are you doing here?”
“I-we’re meeting a friend,” Mya stammered out, startled by his harsh tone. She saw a female emerge from behind him, and Mya felt her heart drop as she looked at the two of them standing together.
Maddox’s harsh male beauty was complimented by the gorgeous female. Her long, black hair was a riot of curls, with thick streaks of bright purple woven into the strands. She was wearing a tight-fitting black, leather-like corset top with matching pants. The look in her dark eyes was assessing as she studied Mya, and the proprietary way she hooked her arm in Maddox’s said it all.
Foolish, Mya thought. It had been foolish to think that a male like Maddox Adaro wasn’t already involved with someone, and the female Krytos was his perfect match. Mya was glad she was sitting down. She would have felt small and insignificant standing beside the taller female.
Maddox ignored the female at his side as he frowned down at Mya. “Did you make your choice already?”
“I did,” Mya said primly, trying to sound composed when his intense gaze made her pulse race. “Daimon was very patient with me, and he took me to several sites, but I ended up choosing the shop on the third floor.”
“Fine. Good.” He paused for a moment, and his eyes bore into her when he asked, “Who are you meeting?”
“Reva Golaris.”
Maddox seemed to relax a bit after hearing that. He turned to the female at his side and said, “Put their drinks on my tab.”
“Got it.”
“Enjoy your evening,” he said to Mya and Pia before he turned his head to press a kiss to the female Krytos’ forehead. “You behave.”
“Never.”
He snorted out a laugh as he said, “If only that wasn’t true.”
Maddox had already turned to leave when Mya remembered her manners. “Thank you for the drinks,” Mya called out. Before she could stop herself, she added, “It was nice seeing you again.”
He turned around and opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again before any words left his lips. He stared at her for a few seconds before nodding curtly.
Then he was gone.
***
CHAPTER SIX
“Well, well. Wasn’t that interesting?”
The female Krytos sauntered closer to their table and braced her hands on her hips as she studied Mya. After a long beat of silence, she said, “I guess I owe you for cutting my ass-chewing short.”
Mya blinked in surprise. “Excuse me?”
The female’s lips quirked up into a sly grin. “My cousin’s lectures usually last forever, but as soon as he saw you on the security feed, he forgot all about scolding me about my behavior.”
“You’re Maddox’s cousin?” Pia asked in surprise.
“Yes. I’m Kahla Adaro. And you’re the elite VIPs that Maddox told me about.”
Mya gasped as she looked at the beautiful female. “You’re the one who put those three elites in the medical unit?”
Kahla narrowed her eyes. “How did you know about that?”
“We were with Tavius earlier when he was given the news by one of the security guards.” Her mood considerably brighter than it had been a few moments ago, Mya asked, “Would you like to join us?”
“Sure, but first let me grab us drinks. I’ve got something in storage that will do.”
Mya shared a look with Pia as the Krytos female walked away. “I thought…”
“So did I,” Pia said. “And I’m a little worried about what she’d going to bring back.”
“How much you want to bet it’s something expensive since Maddox is paying for it?” Mya waited for Pia to stop laughing before she said, “So, what did you think of him?”
Pia let out a sigh. “You’re not going to take my advice, are you?”
“What advice?”
They glanced over as Reva Golaris walked up to their table. Mya had met Reva back on Earth at their friend Skylar’s claiming ceremony several weeks ago. Skylar and Mya’s sister-in-law, Serra, had met Reva when the three females had been kidnapped together. Since then, Reva had become a good friend to all of them.
From the jungle planet of Helix, Reva Golaris was a Helios shifter who could change into the form of a massive saber tooth tiger-like creature at will. She was a tall female, standing at a few inches over six feet, with golden skin and long hair a few shades lighter that she’d pulled back into a tight braid that ran down the center of her back.
Dressed in a brown leather vest and matching pants that showed off her generous curves and corded muscles, Reva looked like a warrior, but few knew just how deadly she really was. As one of her mother’s guards, Reva had been trained in all forms of combat. Her mother, Solange Golaris, was one of the Helios Ambassadors that worked closely with the Alliance, and it was Reva’s duty as one of her guards to protect her mother as they traveled to various space stations.
Reva took a seat on the bench beside Mya without waiting for an invitation. Mya moved over to give the other female more room and smiled at her. “It’s good to see you again, Reva.”
“It took you long enough to get your asses out here. It’s going to be so much fun having you both on New Vega. My mother has said we are going to remain onboard for the next several months and make day trips to the space stations when necessary, so we will have plenty of time to cause mischief together. Mya, is it true your brothers don’t know about your move yet?” Reva asked with a grin.
“Nope, they haven’t been told,” Pia said gleefully.
Reva threw her head back and laughed. “By the gods, I wish I could be in the room when Jax finds out.”
Mya silently thought that was a horrible idea, but didn’t bother saying it out loud. “I’m sure he’s going to be…angry.”
Pia rolled her eyes. “That’s putting it lightly. His head is going to explode.”
Reva nodded in agreement, then glanced down at their empty table. “Why don’t you have drinks yet?”
“Kahla is bringing us something.”
“You’ve met Kahla? Good. Actually, she is the reason I wanted you to meet me here. She is a good ally to have here. I’ve gotten to know her well since I’ve been on New Vega. If you ever need help or have any questions, you should ask her. So, what advice are you disregarding?”
Pia leaned forward and whispered, “Advice about males.”
Reva grinned. “Ah! Have you found someone who ha
s sparked your interest, little Spartan?”
“Maybe,” Mya hedged. “What about you? Last time I saw you at Skylar, Dom and Arik’s claiming ceremony, you didn’t seem too eager to meet anyone.”
Reva kept her expression blank as she thought back to her recent visit to Earth. She’d spent most of her time there hanging out with Mya, Pia and a few other females instead of finding a male to entertain her.
In fact, she hadn’t really been herself since she’d gotten back from her trip to Tartarus a few months back. Still, Reva wasn’t about to admit to her friends that no male had caught her interest in quite some time, except for one stubborn, irritating Tarin lord with an attitude.
Finally, she said, “I’ve been too busy with my duties to focus on being in a relationship. Males are annoying, and take too much time to deal with.”
“Damn right,” Kahla agreed as she walked back to the table carrying a slim sapphire blue bottle and four long stemmed glasses. “Males are a pain in the ass…figuratively as well as literally.”
Mya glanced at the three snickering females as Kahla sat down on the bench beside Pia. She obviously didn’t understand the joke, but chose not to ask about what she’d missed. Instead, she glanced at the bottle and smiled. “Is that a bottle of ahava?”
Ahava was a wine made from the ahavanni berry found on the D’Aire home world. Because the D’Aire weren’t effected by alcohol, they rarely made the brew, but other races had learned to love the sweet, dry wine.
Kahla nodded as she opened the bottle and begun pouring the pale-blue liquid into the glasses. “One of the shopkeepers on level two has a cousin who makes it back on their home world, so we’re able to get shipments whenever we travel by there.” She looked between Reva, Pia and Mya, and asked, “So, how do you know one another?”
Reva explained how she’d met Mya and Pia as Kahla passed out the glasses of wine. A spark of interest entered Kahla’s eyes when Reva mentioned who Mya’s family was.
“Ah, so you’ve suffered the same fate as I. Having a powerful family can be both a blessing and a curse.” Kahla sighed. “My two brothers, Rogan and Lucian, have always been fascinated by humans. So, when they left to open up a sanctuary on Earth, I thought my circumstances would get better, but nothing has changed since my three cousins are far worse about watching over me than my brothers ever were.”
