3013: GENESIS (3013: The Series Book 11) (3 page)

It was their home, and they would protect it at all costs.

The
large ship was made of a
sleek, black metal and dark tinted glass so that it glittered
like a dark
jewel against the inky backdrop of space.
The
many lights that shone from the various levels were beacons of welcome for the visitors
that arrived on a daily basis, but they could also run on stealth mode when
needed.

As
he strode through the crowd of people in the main lobby, Tavius looked around
at the employees that mingled amidst the countless visitors. Since they had
launched New Vega, hundreds of Krytos had reached out to the brothers and had asked
to become part of their pack. Those members helped keep the vessel running
smoothly, but they weren’t the only people who worked there.

Over
the years, members of other races had asked the brothers for employment for the
simple fact that they’d wanted the chance to travel the stars in luxury. Others
had wanted to open up shops on New Vega, creating an eclectic collection of
places to enjoy while onboard. Currently, the waiting list for retail space was
a mile long, which allowed the brothers to be damn selective on who they
allowed onto their home.

Now,
Tavius had the irritating responsibility of meeting one of those visitors so he
could escort her to her room like he was some sort of freaking lackey.

Glancing
around again, Tavius briefly considered asking someone else to take on the task
of meeting their VIP guest and her entourage.
No, Tavius thought with a sigh. He couldn’t leave
this duty to anyone else, especially not his brothers. Maddox would say
something to the little elite that would probably make her cry, and Daimon’s
taciturn nature would be considered rude to the visiting VIP when he refused to
speak to her.

Why
the hell did someone like Mya Spartan want to start a business on New Vega
anyway? Well, it wasn’t like she was creating a business, really. Starlight
Designs was an established enterprise already, but Tavius couldn’t see the
reigning princess of the company coming to New Vega to be a shopkeeper.

The
mere thought was laughable.

Overall,
it was a wise business decision on both sides, though. Tavius had read the
report Mya had sent along with her request for a meeting with them. Opening a
shop on New Vega would give Starlight Designs a whole new clientele, while the
Adaro brothers would benefit from the well-known business increasing streams of
consumers onboard.

That
was, if the business was run properly.

Tavius
doubted that this would be more than just a passing hobby for the only daughter
of the Spartan-Rollins clan. Despite what people thought, Tavius and his
brothers worked their asses off to keep New Vega running. Because of that, he
valued hard work and dedication. He’d seen little of either from his past
dealings with the pampered elite scrolls that came to New Vega. They came to shop,
to visit the spa, to gamble and to party. Some of them visited with the goal of
hooking up with someone in one of the sex clubs or with another visitor who was
there for the same reason.

What
happened on New Vega, stayed on New Vega.

Hell,
he couldn’t count the number of times he’d been hit on by a scroll who wasn’t
happy with her bonded, and each time, he felt a little more jaded about
relationships. It made him angry when people cheated. Tavius had his share of
bed partners over the years, but he’d never made a true commitment to a female.
He’d certainly never lied to someone he’d been intimate with, and he always
made sure they knew not to expect anything serious before he touched them.

Krytos
males usually mated in pairs or trios to one female, and when they did, they
were completely devoted to their chosen mate. It wasn’t the norm, but Tavius
and his brothers had decided years ago that they would mate the same female since
they were so close. Each of them was fiercely protective of one another, and it
just made sense that they would only trust one another with the person that
would become the center of their world.

But
they hadn’t found their mate yet.

And
Tavius was beginning to doubt they ever would.

He
made his lips curve into a smile he wasn’t feeling as he passed by a group of
females that giggled foolishly as he walked past them. There was no point
thinking about any of this, since all it did was put him in a shitty mood. Besides,
it wouldn’t do him any good getting even more pissed off when he had to greet
the VIP in a few minutes.

Tavius
nodded to one of the New Vega security team that called out a greeting to him
as he passed the security checkpoint, then he made his way down the hallway
that lead toward the landing bays. Once he was there, the automatic doors slid
open, then shut behind him again after he’d entered, closing out the sounds of
laughter and music that he barely noticed anymore.

He’d
timed it right, and saw that the space cruiser carrying Mya Spartan and her
guards had just landed. Maybe she wouldn’t be as bad as he expected. Tavius
knew her oldest brother, Jax, and even liked the surly elite…most of the time.

His
mood lightened as Tavius considered just how pissed off Jax was going to be
when he found out his little sister was on New Vega. A few days ago, he’d received
a vid call from the lovely Serra Spartan-Archer. He liked and respected the
geeky little scientist, and he vastly enjoyed the way Jax Spartan and Sullivan Archer
both bitched and complained about the Adaro brothers’ friendship with their
chosen.

Serra
had explained that Jax and his other brother, Talon, hadn’t been told that Mya
was moving to New Vega. She and her mother-in-law had thought it was best to allow
the young woman to establish herself and her business before they were told.
Tavius thought the idea was daft, but he was always up for a little mischief,
and so he’d agreed to keep quiet about the subject…and to the other favor Serra
had asked for.

Usually,
he would have just laughed at such a request, but he owed Serra for when she’d
been kidnapped from New Vega by some crazy bitch and the mercenaries that
worked for her. Serra didn’t blame the Adaros for what happened, but they took
responsibility anyway.

Tavius
and his brothers always paid back their debts. And so, he had somehow found
himself talked into watching out for the little elite scroll while she was on
New Vega…like a damn babysitter.

Sometimes
having friends just sucked.

***

CHAPTER THREE

Mya
was so excited she was all but vibrating.

She
bounced out of her seat the second the space cruiser landed in the docking bay
on New Vega. Upon approach, she’d been mesmerized at the sight of the big,
black vessel, and she couldn’t wait to see if the interior of the pleasure
palace was as impressive as it looked from the outside.

“Come
on! Let’s go!” Mya pulled at Pia’s arm, making her friend laugh.

“Relax.
We still have to let them check the cruiser over before they let us disembark.”

Mya
huffed out a breath. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

Pia
stood up and stretched. “I spent the first couple of years based on Alpha
Station: X3 after I graduated from the academy. We had the same protocol
there.”

“That
was before you came back to Earth and met us,” Mikal said as he wrapped his arm
around Pia’s waist.

Pia
laughed. “True. I always forget you guys have never been off planet before.
Weird.”

“Not
really when you factor in that my family went nova every time I suggested it. And
these two poor guys were stuck with me, so they never got to go anywhere,” Mya
corrected.

Ryland
frowned at her. “Is that what you really think? Mya, we had vacation time. We
could have gone anywhere we wanted to, but we chose to stay with you. You’re not
just a damn job or duty to us. You’re our family.”

Mya
smiled up at him, touched by his words.

One
of the crew came to the door of their sitting room. “We’ve been cleared and can
leave the ship whenever you’re ready, Miss Spartan.”

“Thank
you, Officer Jones. We can head out now.” Mya waited until the officer hurried
out of the room before she sighed. “I still don’t understand why it’s so hard
for them to call me by my name. It’s been driving me crazy this entire trip.”

Mikal
snorted. “Yeah, like any elite is going to be so informal with you. They’re
afraid it will get back to your fathers or brothers. Just deal with it.”

Mya
glared at him. She knew that, and had dealt with the same formal treatment all
of her life back in the Capital. A little part of her had hoped that things
would ease once they boarded the space cruiser, but perhaps that had been
foolish of her. The crew still answered to the regents and higher ranking
commanders.

But
now that they had arrived on New Vega, everything would be different.

With
that in mind, Mya grabbed her small bag she always carried with her, and
followed Ryland and Mikal off the ship with Pia at her side. She couldn’t help
but feel disappointed as she looked around the stark gray landing bay. But then
again, it was a room that was more functional rather than for show. As she got
to the base of the ramp, Mya had the oddest feeling that someone was watching
her. Turning, she glanced over and found her gaze locked with a pair of penetrating
black eyes.

Holy
nova, the man was sinfully hot.

No,
not a man, she corrected herself. He was male Krytos in his prime, with a face
almost too perfect to be real framed by long dark-brown hair that fell to his
broad shoulders. The old-fashioned dark-gray suit he’d paired with a lighter gray
shirt did nothing to detract from his muscular frame. There was something in
his piercing black gaze that hinted of the savage nature he hid beneath his
civilized attire, but it only added to his appeal. The intensity of his dark
gaze made her palms go damp, stirring something inside her she’d never felt
before.

It
was…unnerving.

 Mya
realized that she’d stopped at the bottom of the ramp when Pia bumped into her.
Grateful for the distraction, she pulled her gaze away from the sexy Krytos and
focused on the elite soldiers that were beginning to unload her belongings.

“Careful,
I think you might be drooling,” Pia whispered.

“Shut
up.”

Pia
chuckled softly, then said, “Brace yourself, hon. He’s coming over here.”

Mya
stiffened slightly and made herself turn back around. Stars, he was even better
looking up close. That was so not fair. She wanted to groan, but smiled
instead.

“Ms.
Spartan? I’m Tavius Adaro. Welcome to New Vega.”

Crap.

She’d
been lusting after one of the owners of this massive space vessel. That was so
not good. How the hell was she supposed to have a meeting with this male in a
few hours and focus on work? And if he was this good looking, what did his
other two brothers look like? She was going to be a rambling idiot, she just
knew it.

That
is, if she could speak at all.

Mya
had never gotten so tongue-tied by a male before, and didn’t know what to think
about her reaction. Usually, she couldn’t make herself shut up, but right now
her mind was completely blank. She’d noticed his fangs when he’d spoken, and
imagined how it would feel to have them scrapping over her skin. Just the
thought made her body quiver. Fangs shouldn’t be sexy…but they were on him. Her
eyes widened as she realized he was simply looking at her as he waited
patiently for some sort of response to his greeting.

Double
crap!

“Hi!”
The word burst out of her. “It’s just Mya. I mean, please call me Mya. I’m
sorry. Since this is my first time off planet, I guess I’m just a little
overwhelmed.”

“Really?
I’d think someone with your status would have traveled the stars.”

“Ah…well,
I work a lot.”

Tavius
was intrigued by her response, but he kept his face expressionless as Mya
introduced him to her guards. He’d been told she’d been bringing a protection
detail with her, so he wasn’t surprised by Ryland, Mikal and Pia’s presence. But
the easy way they acted with one another told him they were close, and they
weren’t just there because of duty. Although they carried blasters at their
sides, they weren’t dressed in uniforms. Then again, elites in uniform tended
to stand out on New Vega, since most humans that came there were on vacation.

What
did surprise Tavius was his reaction to her. All enhanced elite females were
physically attractive, but there was something special about Mya Spartan. The
second her eyes had locked with his, he’d felt as if she could see into his very
soul. The thought was slightly disconcerting, but he hadn’t been able to tear
his gaze away from hers.

By
the gods, she was lovely.

Those
crystal clear gray eyes were mesmerizing, and Tavius knew they’d haunt him
after he left her presence. Her beautiful but delicate features made her seem
almost fragile. However, instead of disgusting him as weakness usually did, it
roused his protective side so that he felt the beast within him stir to life.

Uncomfortable
with the turn of events, he focused on the various containers the elite
soldiers were unloading from the cruiser. “I see you were serious about moving
here.”

Mya
let out a laugh. “I am, but most of that isn’t my stuff. Well, it is, but it
isn’t.”

“That
makes it clear.” His lips twitched, but he held back his grin when she blushed.

“Sorry.
I meant it’s mostly for my work.”

“Your
work?”

“I’m
a designer, which means I make clothes. In order to do that, I need equipment,
material and a whole slew of other things. The blue containers are filled with
work stuff. The rest are personal items.” Her gray eyes sparkled with a hint of
mischief. “Did you think I just slap my name on my designs and let someone else
do the real work?”

Tavius
found himself smiling down at her. “I have no idea what goes into what you do,
but I look forward to learning more at our meeting later.” Calling out to one
of the males standing watch over the unloading, he said, “Joran, see that the
blue containers are moved into a secured storage area near the shopping
pavilion. The rest goes up to Ms. Spartan and her guards’ living quarters.”

“Yes,
Alpha Tavius. I will see it done.”

Tavius
gestured to Mya and her guards. “Your things will be brought to you. I’ll show
you the way to your rooms now.”

Mya glanced back at the containers. “Oh, but…”

Amused, he said, “I assure you, your things will be safe
until you need them.”

She glanced up at him through thick lashes. “I still haven’t
gotten permission from you and your brothers to open my shop. Do you think it’s
wise to store my stuff so close to temptation? Are you trying to drive me
crazy?”

Tavius grinned at that. “I’m sure you won’t have a problem
convincing us.”

“I hope not,” she said softly as she walked with him toward
the automatic doors.
The sedate gray of
the landing bay gave way to the opulent cream and gold interior of New Vega as
the doors opened. Laughter and music drifted through the perfumed air, and
Tavius found himself watching Mya for her reaction.

He
wasn’t disappointed.

Mya’s
eyes went wide, and she tried to take in everything at once as she and her
detail were led toward the security checkpoint. It made her a little nervous as
she and her guards were checked in and their biometrics were put on file so
they would be able to access the bio-locks onboard, but the process was quick,
and they were soon heading out into the main lobby. The sight of it made her
jaw drop in awe.

She
glanced over as another set of doors slid open down a hallway, then watched as
several people entered. Male and female greeters waited to welcome the
newcomers. The male greeters wore sarongs wrapped around their waists, and their
bare chests were oiled to a gleaming shine. They greeted the female guests with
leis of pale-pink flowers, while the female greeters placed leis made of white
flowers around the male visitors’ necks. The female greeters’ ample breasts
were on display through the semi-transparent sarong dresses they wore, and they
flaunted their considerable assets as they pranced around the group.

“What
the…?”

Tavius
turned back to see Pia scowling at the two men beside her who were staring at
the female greeters. He’d noticed the star mark on Pia’s face near her right
eye, but also saw that she had the initials of both of her males on the other
side of her face, signifying that she’d been claimed.

Mikal
winced as Pia’s elbow plowed into his solar plexus, and Ryland cursed softly as
he was given the same treatment. Mya coughed to cover her laughter, and
amusement sparkled in her eyes when she grinned up at Tavius.

“Your
employees are certainly…friendly here. And impressive.”

Tavius
laughed. “Indeed, they are.”

“Yeah,
they are impressive,” Pia said as one of the bronzed-skin muscular males lifted
up one of the giggling female visitors and carried her away from the group.

Mikal
and Ryland scowled down at Pia, and the three of them started arguing in
whispered voices. To give them some privacy, Mya took a few steps away from
them. Tavius followed, then o
ne
of his eyebrows winged up in surprise when she spoke.

“So,
don’t I get lei’d?”

“How
remiss of me,” he murmured, feeling his blood begin to heat at the double
entendre. “I assure you, that can be arranged.”

She
smiled. “The surprise factor is gone now. I do love flowers, though. They look
so pretty.”

That
gave him pause. The way she was innocently smiling up at him made him think she
hadn’t meant her words as they’d sounded. Or perhaps he’d just been hoping that
she was issuing an invitation. “I’ll have to remember that.”

“Okay,”
Pia announced as she and her bonded stepped over. “We’re done being stupid. We
can go now.”

Mya
laughed. “I love how your fights always last for less than five minutes. I
don’t know how you manage it.”

“Easy,”
Ryland said. “We argue for a few minutes, then Mikal and I tell her we’re sorry
and that she’s right, and all is well again.”

“And
sometimes we grovel,” Mikal added.

“Exactly,”
Pia agreed with a grin.

Tavius
couldn’t imagine groveling for any female. Dismissing the ridiculous notion, he
started walking again, leading them across the massive lobby. A few seconds
later, he heard Mya gasp. From their position, they were finally able to see
where the lobby opened up into the shopping pavilion. There were five tiers
various shops and restaurants, with gilded gold balconies lining each floor.

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.”