3013: ASYLUM: A 3013 Novella (3013: The Series) Read online

  She had intended to write the damn speech days ago, but Regent Marks had been correct. Axton and Zade had become a big damn distraction. After spending the night in their suite, however, she could no longer remain impartial or objective, and she couldn’t keep pretending they meant nothing to her. Besides, neither of them would believe her, even if she tried.

  Falling asleep in Axton’s arms hadn’t been part of the plan, nor had waking up later that night inserted between him and Zade. The stress had obviously gotten to her, and by the time she’d found something suitable to wear and snuck back to her own quarters, it had been nearly time to start her day.

  Something had changed, though. She could feel it, or more precisely, it was what she didn’t feel. When she thought of seeing the Krytos brothers, her head didn’t begin to throb, and her stomach didn’t twist itself into knots. Anxiety didn’t plague her, nor did her heart seize. Now, when she thought of the Tavish brothers, it made her…happy.

  And happiness had been missing from her life for far too long.

  Her office link chimed, and Olivia fell back in her seat, relieved for the distraction. “Blake, tell me there’s a meteor hurdling toward the station, and we’re all going to die.”

  “Speech going that well, Commander?”

  “Worse.”

  Officer Blake laughed through the link. “Sorry, ma’am, no meteor, just a visitor. Should I tell him you’re busy?”

  It was probably Axton, coming to yell at her for sneaking out earlier that morning. She didn’t want to fight with him, but she’d rather do that than write her damn speech. “No, it’s fine. Send him in.”

  A moment later, the doors slid open, and Zade strode into the office carrying a tray of meats, cheeses, vegetables, and sliced, hard boiled eggs. “I thought you might be hungry since you skipped breakfast this morning.”

  Olivia winced, but he hadn’t said it as an accusation. “About this morning…I…”

  “I’m not here to fight, love.” Sliding the tray onto the oval-shaped coffee table in the small sitting area, he motioned for her to join him. “You had your reasons, and when you’re ready, you’ll tell me. Right now, I just want to eat and spend some time with you, if that’s okay?”

  His sweet and giving disposition was in direct opposition to Axton’s demanding and dominate personality. Axton would banish her demons and fight all her battles if she’d let him, and Zade would be her comfort, her rock. Together, they’d be her safe harbor, her place to weather any storm, her family…her home.

  If she’d only let them.

  Beyond her command and her driving need to prove herself worthy, there was also the little matter of what the star on her face represented.

  “Zade, can I ask you something?”

  He nodded, holding his hand out for her when she rounded the desk. “You can ask me anything.”

  “What do you think about children?” Olivia eased into one of the armchairs and held her breath, waiting for his response.

  “Well, they taste good with ketchup.”

  The offhanded quip caught her off guard, and Olivia snorted in amusement. “That’s terrible.”

  With a sly wink, Zade settled into the chair beside her, angling sideways so he could take her hands. “Love, we’ve been around elites our whole lives, and we’re well aware of what that pretty little star means. That doesn’t change how we feel about you.”

  In Olivia’s experience, when something sounded too good to be true, that usually meant it was. “You didn’t answer the question.”

  “Fair enough.” To his credit, he didn’t answer right away, but took several moments to think about his answer. “I don’t have much experience with kids. I guess you could say Axton knows a little more because he helped take care of me when I was born, but beyond that, I suppose we’ve never thought of it.” Lifting her hands to his lips, he kissed each one in turn. “Now, answer a question for me.” He waited for her to nod before continuing. “Do you want children?”

  “I don’t see how that matters.”

  “Just answer the question, love. Can you see yourself as a mother?”

  Olivia didn’t need to dig deep to find the answer. “No, I don’t think so. I’m impatient, selfish, and inflexible. I like things to be a certain way, and I’m quite fond of my sleep.” She shrugged. “I like babies, I guess, but I’ve never really felt that maternal instinct women talk about.”

  “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, but given the emphasis your race has placed on breeding, I think you’re very brave to admit it.” Selecting a slice of one of the hard boiled eggs, he held it to her lips in offering. “Your favorite.”

  She really did have an unhealthy obsession with boiled eggs, but everyone had their vices. “My hero,” she teased, opening her mouth to accept the bit of food. “Thank you.”

  “Always.”

  That should have been the end of it, but Olivia couldn’t let it go. “Don’t you want a family one day?”

  Zade studied her for several moments before responding. “Family is very important to us.”

  Nodding, Olivia offered him a smile she didn’t feel while she struggled to hide her disappointment. “I thought you might say that.”

  “A few years after New Vega launched,” he said, referring to the floating pleasure palace owned and operated the Krytos brothers Maddox, Tavius, and Daimon Adaro, “a group of rouge Krytos tried to overthrow the Adaro pack. A lot of friends and families were lost, including mine and Axton’s mother and fathers.”

  Grief tinted his voice, and a darkness settled over his face. Sitting forward in her seat, Olivia reached over, covering his hand with her own in comfort. “I remember that. I didn’t know you were on New Vega when it happened.”

  Zade nodded solemnly. “We stuck around for a while after that to help the pack rebuild, but it just wasn’t the same. We tried travelling, but it didn’t really agree with us, so we ended up on Earth to help our cousin at her sanctuary. Still, we always knew we wanted more.”

  While Olivia didn’t understand where the conversation was headed, she kept quiet, waiting for Zade to get there in his own way.

  “We met Shay and her mates. Then more came. Then even more, until eventually, we had a pack without even meaning to.”

  “Is that when you decided to open Asylum?”

  “It is, but the point I’m trying to make is that we’re not always born to family. Our pack is our family.” Turning his hand over, he linked their fingers together and squeezed. “You’re our family, love. What right do I have to ask for more than that?”

  Touched by the sincerity in his words, Olivia smiled up at him, understanding exactly what he meant. “Yeah, okay, I get it.”

  After that, they ate in silence for a few minutes, feeding each other bites of meat, cubes of cheese, and slices of eggs.

  Eventually, Zade leaned back in his chair and asked, “So, what’s up with this speech Hannah mentioned?”

  Olivia swallowed the cheese she’d been chewing and whimpered. “It’s for the opening ceremony thing. I’m supposed to give some big speech to announce the official opening of X21.” She glanced over her shoulder at her data unit, and the muscles in her shoulders knotted instantly. “It’s not going well, to say the least.”

  Zade didn’t know much about speaking in front of a group, but he did know a little about people in general. Mostly, he just wanted to take away the fear shining in Olivia’s eyes.

  “Okay, we’ve got a couple of hours to come up with something.” Pushing the tray of food to the center of the table, he leaned back in his chair and opened his arms, beckoning her to him. “Come on, love. I don’t bite.”

  She hesitated for several seconds, chewing her bottom lip while the cloud of indecision settled over her expression. Finally, she pushed up from her chair and crawled onto his lap with all the enthusiasm of someone marching to their death.

  “I really shouldn’t be doing this,” she mumbled. “This is such a bad idea.”
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  “Are we still on that?” Spreading his legs wider, he settled her into the chair facing away from him. “Do you really think being miserable makes you a better commander?”

  “No,” she answered immediately, moaning when he began massaging the tense muscles in her neck and shoulders. “Old habits, I guess. Rationally, I know there’s no rule against a commander being bonded or mated or whatever. I just…I don’t know.”

  “Did something happen during your meeting with the regents?” He’d wondered for a while, and it felt good to finally be able to ask.

  “Regent Marks seems to think love and relationships are a distraction. I’ve only been a commander for a few weeks, and making enemies of a regent isn’t exactly how I wanted to start off my new position.”

  “Regent Marks is an asshole,” Zade declared, applying more pressure to the knotted muscles between her shoulder blades and her spine. “Great galaxies, love, I don’t know how you’re even walking right now. You’re a mess.”

  “You get used to it.” She dropped her head and moaned again, the sound going straight to Zade’s already aching dick. “That feels really good.” Her shoulders bounced as quiet, feminine laughter filled the office. “Do you even know who Regent Marks is?”

  “Yes, he’s the asshole.” He didn’t know the regent from a black hole, but it didn’t matter. He had a name, he didn’t need more than that to take care of the matter. “Don’t worry.” Leaning forward, he brushed soft, tender kisses against Olivia’s nape. “He won’t be a problem for you anymore.”

  “Zade, don’t do something stupid.”

  “When have you ever known me to do something stupid?” Her snort didn’t inspire confidence, so he decided a distraction was order. “Don’t worry,” he repeated. “Now, tell me what you have so far on this speech.”

  “Alpha Station: X21 is officially open. Thank you for coming.” She sighed, and her shoulders tensed once again. “That’s it.”

  “Short, to the point, and it covers the information you want to convey. I don’t see what the problem is.” Carefully, he unzipped her uniform jacket and parted the fabric. “Think of it like clothing.” With one arm around her waist, he pulled the female against his chest and skimmed his nose up the slope of her neck. “Sometimes, less is more.”

  “Zade, what are you doing?”

  “If you don’t know, I’m clearly not doing it right.” Holding her chin, he urged her head to the side so he could claim her mouth in a lingering kiss. “I want you, Liv.” Releasing her chin, he cupped her breasts in both hands, rubbing his thumbs over her hard nipples where they tented the fabric of the black T-shirt she wore beneath her uniform. “I think you want me, too.”

  “I do, but…”

  Untucking the shirt from the waistband of her pants, he slid his hands beneath the hem to caress her silky skin. “But?”

  “We’re in my office.”

  “The door’s locked. Hannah won’t let anyone in without asking you.” He popped the button on her black slacks and eased the zipper down. “Any other concerns?”

  “I’m a commander,” she breathed, but her back bowed as she pressed into him.

  “Mmm,” Zade hummed, kissing and licking the fragrant skin along the side of her neck. “I’m not an elite. I don’t think it counts. What else?”

  Olivia moaned, and her breathing turned ragged when he dipped his hand into her simple, black panties to tease the crease of her pussy. “I…I’m supposed to be working on…on…something.”

  “Your speech,” he provided, grinning against her shoulder. “You’re finished, remember? Short and to the point.” He parted her lips, gliding his middle finger along her folds, groaning at the slick, wet heat that surrounded his digit. “Anything else?”

  Stars, he hoped not. Teasing her was fun, but his cock swelled inside his leathers, and every part of his being ached to be inside the female.

  “I…there’s…we should…no,” she finally conceded with a moan. “I’ve got nothing.”

  “Thank the stars.”

  Standing, he placed Olivia on her feet and spun her around, walking her backwards until they collided with the far wall of her office. She struggled to kick her boots off, while Zade fumbled with her uniform slacks. Their mouths crashed together, lips and tongues dueling as he and Olivia worked together to undress her. No sooner had her panties hit the floor, the office link chimed, and Officer Blake’s voice filled the room.

  “Commander, Regent Marks just called. He wants to meet with you. ETA, twenty minutes.”

  Zade bent, resting his forehead against Olivia’s, and cursed under his breath. “I’m really starting to hate that guy.”

  Olivia’s eyes widened and her face paled, but the fear lasted only a moment before the blue of her irises darkened with determination. Fisting her hands in his hair, she jerked him into another searing kiss, practically climbing his torso until she could wrap her legs around his waist.

  “Hurry,” she rasped, breaking the kiss to drag her teeth over the sensitive skin of his neck.

  Zade didn’t need to be told twice. Undoing his leathers, he pushed them midway down his thighs, anchored Olivia against the wall, and pressed the flared crown of his length to her opening, joining them with one swift plunge. He’d wanted to take her slowly, savor every moment with her, and a nobler male would have waited for another time, another place.

  As Olivia wound herself around him, moaning and whimpering, undulating her body against his, he forgot about being noble. Her inner walls clamped around him, her silky heat milking his cock and pushing him dangerously close to the edge. Snapping his hips, he thrust into her wildly, his hands touching and groping every inch of smooth flesh he could find.

  Holy nova, the female was intoxicating, utterly addicting, and definitely Zade’s new drug of choice. Her passion consumed him, her touch ignited him, and without warning, he found himself struggling to stave off his orgasm. His hips jerked as he thrust wildly, plunging into her welcoming heat with abandon. A tingle started at his nape and sizzled down his spine, and when Olivia dropped her head back and moaned his name, he lost his tenuous grip on control.

  Her silky channel tightened, massaging his throbbing length, and her fingers dug into his shoulders as she rolled her hips, riding the waves of her release. Satisfied that he’d taken care of his female, he covered her mouth with his own, swallowing down her sweet moans, and gripped her close as he shuddered through his own explosive climax.

  The need to bite her, to sink his fangs into her supple skin, hit him so hard and fast he stumbled to the side, nearly taking them both to the floor. Only by sheer will was he able to pull away, leaving her smooth skin unmarred. Soon, he reminded himself. He just had to be patient for a while longer, because no matter how much he wanted her, it had to be her choice.

  “I’m never letting you go,” he whispered, kissing her lips chastely as he slipped from her relaxed body and lowered her to the floor.

  “There’s something I need to do first, but I’m going to hold you to that, Zade Tavish.”

  “If I had realized all it would take to change your mind was some boiled eggs and great sex, I’d have tried it weeks ago.” His heart pounded, thudding painfully against his ribs, and every inch of him wanted to sweep her up and carry her back to his suite for the rest of the day, but he kept it light. “I guess I should go before your regent arrives,” he added reluctantly, dragging his pants up and buttoning them. “I’ll find you after the ceremony.”

  Olivia shook her head as she finished pulling her own clothes on and zipping her uniform jacket. “If you want to go, that’s fine, but you and Axton aren’t some dirty little secret to be shoved into a closet. You deserve better than that, and frankly, so do I.”

  Damn, he didn’t know what had gotten into her, but the fire blazing in her eyes made him hard and aching once more. He would do anything for her, be anything she needed—friend, lover, protector, confidant. He’d always back her play and take her side, but he also un
derstood that some battles had to be fought alone, especially for someone like Olivia.

  “It’s your call.” Crowding against her, he tilted her head up with a finger under her chin and brushed their lips together. “Whatever you want, love, I’ll follow your lead.”

  She stared up at him, her eyes soft and filled with an emotion he couldn’t quite name. Then she rose up on her toes and kissed him again, sweet and tender.

  “Give me five minutes and then we can go.”

  “Go?”

  “I’m commander of this station. I can’t be expected to spend all day in my office, can I? If Regent Marks wants to speak with me, he’ll just have to wait.” Her grin turned downright wicked as she hurried toward the tiny bathroom in the corner of her office, pulling her uniform off as she went. “Besides,” she called from the other side of the door, “I really do need to finish that speech before the ceremony.”

  “I’ll help,” he promised, fighting the urge to join her in the small shower. If he did, they’d never make it out of her office.

  Olivia’s laugh echoed through the door. “With your brand of ‘help,’ I’ll never get the damn thing finished.”

  As promised, five minutes later, Olivia was showered and dressed, walking with him through the corridors toward Asylum, her hand clutched firmly in his as they talked about inconsequential things. When they reached the sanctuary, she pulled away and strolled over to the bar, climbing right up on the polished metal, and greeted Axton with a kiss.

  “Hello, handsome.”

  Axton’s eyebrows drew together, and he didn’t say anything for several heartbeats while his gaze flickered back and forth between Zade and Olivia. With a brief nod as though confirming something to himself, he wound one arm around the female’s waist and slid her across the bar before bending to give her a proper kiss.