Jaz's Warriors (Bondmates Book 2) (6 page)

“Can you not contact someone else to intervene for you?”

“No, Tandar. I mean I could, but I’m Lisa’s advocate and I want her to have her happily ever after with her husbands. Besides, it’s my job and if I don’t do it, no one will.”

“You mean it is your duty.”

“Yes, it’s my duty.” Before he could respond, she slid her hand into his and gave him a small smile that grew bigger when he returned it. “Ready to go experience the glamorous life of an Ambassador?”

Warmth replaced the impersonal coldness of his gaze, his slight smile sending a curl of pleasure through her blood. His nostrils flared as he scented her, but his gaze flicked to the Matriarch watching them closely. Instead of kissing her like she knew he wanted to, Tandar bowed to her without releasing her hand. “I am ever at your service, my Matriarch.”

Chapter

Lisa, her normally pale cheeks a blotchy red, waved her arms around in the air. “What kind of crazy woman just walks into her
married
son’s house using a
stolen
security code, then screams bloody murder when she sees him having sex with his wife?”

One of Lisa’s husbands, Mastrint, opened his big fat mouth and dug himself into even deeper shit with his furious wife. He was hot, with his red hair and full lips, but even his good looks wouldn’t distract Lisa from her anger. Anyone with half a brain could see that now was not the time to defend his mother, Matriarch Hilmini, but Mastrint obviously missed the memo. 

Giving his wife a pleading look, Mastrint said, “She just wanted to bring me some of my favorite wine from home for our date tonight. Really, she is just trying to be nice in her own way. She promised she would no longer interfere in our relationship and she was pleased to know we would be spending time together tonight.”

Jaz winced as Lisa growled at Mastrint, red blotches standing out on her pale cheeks. “You told her we were having a date? After I begged you not to?” Her nostrils flared. “I
knew
she would do something to screw this up. I knew it, and I told you so, but you didn’t believe me. I also told you we shouldn’t have sex in here because she might walk in, and I told you to change our security code after she barged in
last
night! But did you do any of these things? Nooooo, you went and told Mommy.”

For the first time, Mastrint looked slightly guilty as Lisa and her other husbands glared at him, the hint of a lilac hue tinting his face as he flushed. “I—it was not revealed to her on purpose.”

“I told you not to tell her because I knew she’d pull a stunt like this. Mastrint, she hates me. I don’t care what you say, that woman loathes me and does everything she can to sabotage our relationship. It’s like she doesn’t believe we’re really bonded.”

Lisa’s lower lip quivered as sadness overwhelmed her and the mood in the room turned deadly enough that Jaz found herself clenching her hands into fists. Goodness, these men got riled up when a woman was unhappy. Especially when it was their bondmate.

Normally Jaz was very calm in these situations; hell, she had a Master’s degree in couple’s therapy, she just never knew she’d be using that knowledge to help out alien relationships. One of the things she prided herself on was maintaining her cool, being an impartial observer. But much like Vungus, Matriarch Hilmini drove Jaz crazy. She could easily remember what a complete bitch Mastrint’s mother had been to Lisa behind his back, when Jaz had been at Lisa’s bonding ceremony to help her get ready.

At the time, Lisa had forbid Jaz from telling Mastrint; she didn’t want the old cow to ruin her wedding. But now Jaz was officially fed up with the meddling bitch’s tricks.

“You,” Jaz said in a stern voice, pointing at Matriarch Hilmini, “get out.”

“What? You can’t—”

“I just did.”

The older woman began to cry softly, big pretty tears, and Mastrint made a pained noise as his mother sent him a beseeching look.

“Uh-uh, do not try that manipulative crap on me. I’ve seen you turn those glittering tears on and off like magic. You think no one paid attention to the way you mistreated Lisa, but I did.”

At once, the older woman lifted her chin, her gaze clear and hard. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“Maybe this will ring a bell: ‘You will never be a true Matriarch’. Or how about ‘Mastrint will find his true bondmate, and when he does, everyone will know your bond was fake’.”

The woman’s mouth opened, then snapped shut as she stared at Jaz.

“You didn’t,” Mastrint said in a tortured voice as he sagged against a dark green chair. “Please tell me you did not say those hurtful words; that such venom would not fall from the lips of the woman who gave birth to me. Tell me you did not insult my
alyah
like that…tell me!”

His mother flinched, but said nothing.

“You are dead to me. Until you right the wrongs you have committed against my wife, you are no longer alive in my heart and mind. I can only pray she forgives me for allowing my love for you to blind me to your malicious intent.”

Lisa reached out and embraced Mastrint, and the rest of her husbands followed suit, surrounding the beaten-looking man in a wall of comfort and protection while Mastrint’s mother stood there alone, her mouth opening and closing as she blinked in disbelief over her son shunning her.

Letting out a low breath, Jaz watched the older woman begin to realize the consequences of her actions. “Tandar, would you please escort her out.”

Without delay, he did as she asked, hustling the ashen-faced woman from the room and into the confused and waiting arms of some older men who had to be her husbands. Tandar said a few words to them and their expressions turned thunderous, making Matriarch Hilmini let out a despair-filled wail.

Jaz hesitated, not wanting to interrupt Lisa and her husbands as they came together to care for an obviously anguished Mastrint. “I’m sorry it had to end like that, but you did the right thing. Lisa, you know how to reach me if you need me, sweetheart.”

Nodding her thanks, Lisa pressed her lips to Mastrint’s head as she held him close, her expression just as tormented as his.

Jaz’s heart was heavy as they stood outside the suite.

To her surprise, Tandar pulled her into a supportive hug, allowing her to shift at least part of her physical burden to him. His large hands stroked her back and she pressed her cheek to his armor, wishing it was his velvety skin against hers instead. Just being around him relaxed her, and she smiled to herself, recognizing that as a sign of their bond deepening. There was something about bondmates that made their comfort more than just words; it was a physical sensation through their bond, which actually did help take away the stress.

Moving out of his arms, she stood on her tippy toes so she could give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, I needed that.”

His happiness made her smile. “It is my pleasure to serve you, bride. I did not realize how difficult and consuming your role as Ambassador is. Whatever you need to help lighten your burden, I would be honored to provide.”

Her heart lightened a little bit as she reached up and stroked his cheek softly. “Thank you. Come on, let’s head back before any more drama finds us.”

Motioning to Tandar to follow her, she sent her husbands a quick mental message that they would be arriving back home soon. Immediate happiness and anticipation rocketed from Mavet and Xentix, allowing her to relax further as they moved through the ship. They were nearing one of the training facilities now where the Warriors worked out to keep in battle-ready shape, but Jaz ignored the eye candy in the form of half-dressed men striding around in their silky black pants.

Shutting down her bond with her husbands so she could think, Jaz tried to push away the constant worries that came from being an Ambassador. If she dwelled on all the couples she was responsible for, all the women who relied on her, she started to freak out. But she couldn’t quit. This was her calling, and she knew in her heart of hearts God had put her here for his own reasons, and she tried hard to honor his love by being the best Ambassador she could.

For a while, they walked in silence, or at least physical silence. She was pretty sure Tandar was talking with Mavet, because she kept getting this sense like they were whispering together just over her shoulder. She was curious about what they were discussing, but gave them their privacy. Yeah, she could probably force the bond open and listen to them, but not only would it be incredibly rude, it would also indicate that she didn’t trust her husbands, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

Tandar returned his complete attention to her as they waited for a lift in one of the viewing galleries. Artwork from across the Bel’Tan galaxy filled the room, along with representations of various plants and animals. Around the room stood experts from the galaxy, eager to explain their treasures to any curious Earth brides. While the majority of the ship was designed for pairing up bondmates as quickly as possible, the rest was devoted to educating the Earth Matriarchs before they left for their new homes on Kadothia.

She searched the faces of people from the Bel’Tan galaxy talking with Earth women, not seeing any open animosity or fear. Then again, no one wanted to offend a Kadothian Warrior by being openly afraid of his Matriarch.

“I don’t get it, why are people from the Bel’Tan galaxy so uneasy about Earth women?”

“Pardon me?”

She glanced over at the tall man with his lovely blond- and brown-striped hair, unable to believe she’d been blessed once more with a wonderful man to love. “One of the girl’s I helped during their acclimation period to the ship turned out to be an empath. No one can hide their emotions from her, and she told me nearly everyone she runs into from the Bel’Tan galaxy are super wary of Earth women at first. Most of them quickly get over it, but there are some who downright hate or fear us on sight. Lisa’s mother-in-law is afraid of her, I can see it in her eyes, but I don’t understand why. Lisa’s never hurt anyone, she’s a veterinarian who works with abused animals at a shelter, a kind and sweet woman. But because she’s from Earth, her mother-in-law is convinced she’s a monster that’s out to devour her son. Why, Tandar? What do you think is going on?”

To her surprise, he didn’t try to dodge her questions. Her husbands did that, hating it when she got upset about things they couldn’t fix. They thought they were protecting her, through their bond she knew that was true, but that didn’t change the fact she hated information being withheld. She couldn’t protect the girls she was supposed to safely guide into their new lives if she didn’t know how to diffuse the instant tension between the mothers of the Warriors and their new bondmates.

They entered the empty lift, the transparent walls giving them an amazing view of the ship as they went up two hundred and eighty-eight floors and over fifteen sectors to the area of the immense vessel that Jaz lived in.

Tandar looked down at her. “There are rumors on Kadothia that the Earth Matriarchs are everything from lazy and vapid creatures, to being no better than the Hive.”

She clasped her hands to her mouth, totally appalled. “They—they think we’re like those monsters?”

Panic filled his handsome face as he knelt before her. “Forgive me, Matriarch, I forgot myself. I would never compare you to one of them.”

“Jeez, Tandar, get up. I’m glad you told me the truth. Just because I’m a little…shocked, doesn’t mean I’m mortally offended. Unless you believe that bullshit.”

His head crooked to the side after he stood, giving her a puzzled look. “I do not understand.”

“Do you believe Earth women are evil?”

“No,” he said instantly—then looked away as he clenched his jaw. “That is not exactly the truth. I almost fell for the rumors, but it only took a few moments in your presence to know the gossip was untrue. Most Kadothians are thrilled to have new, and powerful, potential brides for the sons of Kadothia, but there is a subtle anti-Earth Matriarch campaign. It is nothing but mean-spirited gossip at this point, so do not be alarmed. At least not yet. The…what is the Earth word…yes, the xenophobia is slowly growing in strength.”

“Crap,” she whispered, then sent reassurance through her bond to her husbands, who were becoming upset, before shutting it down completely. “I mean, yeah, there are some bad apples, but the vast majority of the Matriarchs I’ve met from Earth and the Bel’Tan galaxy have been nice, normal women.”

“I do not think that you are lazy, or sadistic.” He took a step closer to her and raised his hand, pausing before he touched her cheek. “I will admit, I had my doubts before we met, but it relieves me more than you can imagine to say those doubts are gone. You are kind, honest, brave, and your spirit shines so bright it is like you have been blessed by the Lord of Life to share his divine love with the Universe.”

People walked around them as they stood still, locked in each other’s gaze. Due to the rather carnal nature of the bond-forming, all kinds of PDA were constantly going on around them, so no one paid their heated stare any attention. Tandar studied her with an intensity she found highly erotic, and she knew he brought that same concentration to the bedroom. His nostrils flared and his low rumble of pleasure let her know he’d already caught the scent of her arousal. Damn Kadothian men were pussy hounds in every sense of the word when it came to their bondmates. Something about a Matriarch’s pheromones turned them on like crazy if they didn’t fight their reaction.