3013: GENESIS (3013: The Series Book 11) (5 page)

“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 and 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.”

“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.