3013: GENESIS (3013: The Series Book 11) (6 page)

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 has 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.”

“I
didn’t know Rogan and Lucian have a sanctuary on Earth,” Reva commented.

“It’s
called Exodus, and it’s located in Zion.”

“I’ve
been there!” Pia exclaimed. “Stars, that place was amazing.”

Kahla
smiled. “They would appreciate that you think so.”

“Do
you run this sanctuary by yourself?” Mya asked, curious to know more about
Maddox, Daimon and Tavius’ cousin.

Kahla
shook her head. “My older sister, Zorah, and her mates, Faust and Nyle Bomar,
run Sanctum, even though I’m considered a full partner. Our parents were killed
a few years after New Vega launched. It happened when a group of rogue Krytos
tried to take over the vessel. That’s why my cousins are so paranoid about safety
measures now.”

“The
security here is impressive,” Reva said before drinking some of her wine.

Pia
shot her a look. “You still think that even though you were kidnapped with
Serra and Skylar?”

Reva
shrugged. “People are assholes. It was greed and corruption that caused the
breach in security here on New Vega…not the actual protocols that are in
place.”   

“Things
have drastically changed over the years. Maddox, Daimon and Tavius continuously
do upgrades on the systems here to try to ensure everyone’s safety” Kahla told
them. “I think it was difficult for my brothers to stay here after our parents
died, even though they love New Vega.”

“I’m
impressed by what I’ve seen so far,” Pia said.

“I
love it here, too, but I wish I had more freedom,” Kahla added with a sigh. “It’s
hard to have any fun when the males of my family are constantly threatening to
break the faces of any males I get close to. I still manage to do whatever I want,
but I hate having to sit through lectures afterward.”

Mya
couldn’t help but laugh. “I know the feeling. Meeting men isn’t something I
really had a chance to do back on Earth.” She sighed wistfully as she picked up
her glass. “Sometimes I envy the D’Aire and Dragon Warriors for having fate
choose their mates for them.”

Reva
snorted. “Fuck that. I wouldn’t want anyone to determine my destiny but me. Can
you imagine if fate stuck you with someone you couldn’t stand?”

“I
don’t think that’s how it works, but I agree with you,” Kahla said with a laugh.

Pia
frowned. “I thought you guys could sense your mates or something.”

“The
Helios don’t have mates. We use our instincts to pick our companions. We rely
on our sense of smell, physical attraction, and personal preferences. If we
feel strongly about our companions, we can choose to life-lock with them. But ultimately,
the choice is still ours, just like it is for humans,” Reva explained.

“Same
with the Krytos,” Kahla added. “Some of my race may mate to form alliances,
some for political or financial gain, but most of us look for love. If our
emotions are involved, we are fiercely protective and possessive of our mates,
and that bond only grows stronger over time. But I’m not ready for all that
yet. I can have sex with a male without having to mate him.”

Mya
studiously avoided Pia’s gaze as she asked, “So, are Maddox, Daimon and Tavius’
parents still alive?”

Kahla’s
expression turned sad. “No. My uncles Dalcor and Kagan and my aunt Brita were
killed the same time my parents were.” She sipped some of the sweet wine before
she said, “I really wish my cousins would mate someone soon, even though they
say they aren’t ready yet. Maybe then they would stop worrying about me so damn
much.” She paused to look over at Reva. “I received another lecture today.”

Reva
winced in sympathy. “About what?”

Kahla
filled Reva in about what had transpired earlier that day. As she did, she
considered how similar her own situation was to Mya Spartan’s. Kahla never
would have thought she’d have anything in common with a human elite, but Mya
had escaped the confines of her powerful family the same way Kahla planned to
one day soon.

As
she finished explaining what Maddox had said to her during his lecture, Kahla
noticed that Mya looked down at the table and blushed every time she mentioned
her cousin’s name.

That
was an interesting development.

She
thought back to Maddox’s reaction at seeing Mya on the security monitors while
he’d been giving her hell for putting those stupid elites in the medical unit
after they’d harassed one of the servers. His attention had immediately
strayed, and he’d forgotten all about Kahla when he’d stormed out of the office
that was behind the wall of mirrors.

Maddox
hadn’t been angry to see Mya in Sanctum. He’d been concerned, and completely
focused on the little elite. Perhaps Kahla would get her wish for her cousins
to mate sooner than she thought. And if that was indeed the case, she’d do
everything in her power to help make it happen.

Interested
in getting to know the human better, Kahla asked, “So, Mya…what do you think of
New Vega so far?”

Mya
expression brightened as she animatedly spoke of her day. Kahla hadn’t realized
that Mya and Pia had only arrived, but they’d already experienced a lot in the
short time they’d been there. Kahla couldn’t help but be pleased with how often
Mya mentioned each of her cousins, and by the worried expression on her guard’s
face, she wasn’t the only one who noticed Mya’s fascination with them.

“I
can’t wait to see your new line of clothes,” Reva commented after Mya finished
telling them about her store.

“A
warrior line sounds interesting,” Kahla said as she refilled everyone’s
glasses.

Mya
flushed. “Actually, both of you could help me on opening day, if you have the
time...”

The
Helios and Krytos females exchanged a look, then Kahla asked, “What do you mean
by that?”

Reva’s
eyes narrowed. “This is going to be something that pisses me off, isn’t it?”

Mya
smiled mischievously. “No. It will be fine. You’ll see. Now, I propose a toast.”
She lifted her glass in the air. “To fashion, friendship and fun. And to
exciting new adventures, wherever we can find it.”

Kahla
smirked as they all tapped their glasses together. “And remember…what happens
on New Vega, stays on New Vega.”