A Barbarian Bonding (The Instinct Book 2) Page 12

  “We must stay to protect her,” Lore said. “What if there are other Earthers waiting to take her back to Earth?”

  “We’ll keep watch over her. But if she chooses to leave Ussed, you must let her.”

  “She’s with child,” Zehn yelled, losing his calm at the thought of losing his mate. “She’s ours. By the Maker, don’t be so dense. You would never let Skye go. Why are the rules special for you?”

  Xav stared from Zehn to Talzec, and Zehn knew he’d gone too far. But Mandy was his and Lore’s. She had to stay.

  Talzec clenched his fists. “Xaveht, arrange an escort to take Mandy back. Make sure to follow my directives.”

  “Yes, alpha.”

  Talzec glared at Zehn. “Then bring them back and work them until they drop.”

  Zehn wanted to argue, but Lore grabbed him by the arm.

  “Yes, alpha,” Lore said.

  Talzec stared at Zehn, his tattoos racing, his dominance irrefutable.

  Zehn met his gaze for a moment longer than he should have. He readied to be beaten to a pulp. Because without Mandy, he lost a part of himself that should have cared. Next to him, Lore grieved as well.

  The fight sapped out of him, and he bowed his head. “Yes, alpha.”

  He was surprised to feel Talzec’s hand on the back of his head. “Don’t worry, Zehn. She’ll come back to you.”

  But what if she didn’t?

  Chapter Twelve

  MANDY COULDN’T BELIEVE they were taking her back. She hadn’t been allowed to speak to Zehn and Lore, and the pair made no attempt to talk to her telepathically either. She was worried about them. They looked tired and heartsick, and she had no idea why.

  Zehn, Lore, the beta, and a half dozen warriors escorted her back to the resort. They paused within sight of the edges, and Xav called the procession to a halt. They’d spent a good two weeks traveling, this time with a litter the warriors carried, so Mandy didn’t have to drape over some hard-body’s shoulder.

  She’d had no time to say good-bye to anyone at the village either. One moment she’d been dressed and ready to eat the morning meal, the next, all her belongings had been waiting in a litter and she’d been tossed into it, then packed up and moved out like a mail shuttle.

  Xav, Arghet, Drotek, and a few others had been pleasant and polite. For all that the barbarians could fight like demons, they were surprisingly mannerly toward females. And the males made sure she wanted for nothing.

  Zehn and Lore watched her with hungry eyes but had nothing to do with her, kept away by four other men. She knew they were being punished, but she didn’t know what exactly for. So much had happened in so little time.

  “We’re stopping here?” she asked as Xav helped her step onto solid ground again.

  “Yes. You have a few moments to talk with Zehn and Lore. Then you will be taken to Welcome. You must be aware that what our warriors did is accountable. Taking an offworlder from the resort is a punishable offense. It threatens to break our treaty as well. So please, have a care when explaining your absence.”

  “Wait. I’m going to explain it? Not you guys?”

  Lore and Zehn joined her, finally, and the others walked away to give them privacy.

  “What the hell is going on?” She felt their sadness and began to really worry. “I get you’re being punished. Am I too? Did I do something wrong?”

  Zehn sighed. “No, tonan. You have nothing to apologize for.”

  “We are at fault.” Lore cupped her cheek, his eyes shining. Not you.

  Tell me what’s wrong, she demanded, relieved to find their mental link open once more.

  Mandy, we love you, Lore said. But that first time, when we were together, I lost myself in you.

  We had promised not to give you our second seed, and we meant it, Zehn said.

  But phelthar connected us, caused my instinct to tie you to us. Lore leaned his forehead against hers. The beauty of our joining will be something I treasure, always. I cannot be sorry that you carry our young. But I am sorry about how it happened. I would never have taken that choice from you, yet I did.

  As did I. Zhen said. The child you carry is all of ours.

  She had no idea how genetics worked, but she’d thought the barbarians were like the humans. Two parents, one child. And then what they’d said really penetrated. So you accidentally made a baby with me? You didn’t do it on purpose?

  Never, they said as one.

  Zehn explained, While a child is a gift I would treasure, I would never force that upon my mate. I didn’t think it possible, anyway, as you swallowed my second seed. Yet I’ve felt our son and know he’s mine as much as he’s Lore’s and yours. He palmed her belly, and she felt tears burn her eyes. We know you wish to leave, to be free. We will not stand in your way.

  They couldn’t, not with Talzec’s ban.

  Will not, Lore corrected her. No matter what our alpha said, we could take you did we wish it. And we do, so much. He gave her a burst of love to pure it brightened everything around her. But we will not, for the choice must be yours.

  We love you, Mandy. Zehn’s sadness hurt. But we want you to be happy. If that happiness takes you offworld, then so be it. Live your life as you are, a warrior at heart. He kissed her, and she couldn’t stop her tears. Know we’ll be here, waiting. Your happiness is everything.

  Lore kissed her. Then the pair walked away without looking back. A door closed in her mind, but she forced it open a crack, and her heart broke at what she heard.

  I can’t do it. I can’t let her leave, Lore said, in tears.

  We must. Out of love for our mate, we must let her make her own choices.

  What if she doesn’t believe us? What if she thinks we’re lying to her?

  Mandy is smart, beautiful, and perfect. She’ll do what’s right for her, and we’ll accept it.

  Yes, I guess we will. Lore sounded hollow.

  She wiped her eyes and followed Arghet and Katan into the resort. Upon seeing her, a security bot sounded the alarm. Resort staff hurried her to the administration building, where armed guards, Natla, Mr. Franklin, and two other men in suits waited.

  “Mandy Jacobs?” one of suits asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I’m Victor Armlin. One of the owners of the resort and CEO of Armlin United.” He glared at her barbarian escort. “I need you to tell us exactly what happened when you left the resort a month ago. We had reports of a barbarian kidnapping, but when we tried to contact the witnesses, they too had disappeared.”

  Mandy wanted nothing more than to sink into Zehn and Lore’s arms. But now that she had the freedom she’d been after for so long, she knew she had to be smart about her choices. Because it’s not just you anymore. She put a protective hand over her belly, knowing she’d need to think hard about her new reality. A baby.

  She cleared her throat, realizing what she said next affected the relationship between the barbarians and the offworlders. “Well, Mr. Armlin, I don’t know what you’ve heard, but I was accosted by several men from Earth. They tried to kidnap me from the resort and ended up nearly succeeding. The barbarians protected me. It then took several weeks to deal with the humans and get me back here safely. I nearly died.”

  Armlin hadn’t been expecting that. Neither had anyone else, apparently. She saw the barbarians subtly relax.

  Natla was dying to talk her, all but dancing behind the counter as she watched events play out.

  “Later,” Mandy mouthed.

  Natla nodded, her eyes wide.

  Katan gave the Venetian a side glance and smiled. Nice to see some things never changed.

  “Oh, I see.” Armlin glared at Franklin. “I was led to believe the barbarians had broken the treaty. I know they assaulted several humans before you left.”

  “Yes, they did. After the humans assaulted me. The Francisco family arrived and—”

  “The Franciscos?” Armlin’s eyes narrowed. “In my resort?”

  Hell. She should have kept quiet. Especi
ally because she knew Red was somewhere on the premises, no doubt waiting to grab her. When he learned his son had died, she knew he’d come after her. Then the only way she’d be leaving the planet would be in a body bag.

  “No. Oh no.” Armlin turned to the others, including Franklin, and barked a set of orders she couldn’t quite make out. The next thing she knew, Franklin, the suit, and a few security guards left.

  “Natla kindly gave her testimony earlier, but Franklin said she’d made the whole thing up. Oddly, the name Francisco never came up.” Armlin frowned. “Probably because Red Francisco and I aren’t exactly friends.”

  “He’s here at the resort, sir,” Natla piped up.

  “Is that so?” Armlin smiled, and Mandy likened his grin to a shark’s. “Well, I’ll have to say hello, won’t I?” He turned to the barbarians. “Are you leaving today?”

  “No. We’re staying to protect her.” Arghet nodded to Mandy. “We expect Francisco to come after her. His son is dead.”

  Armlin laughed. “Excellent. I’ll see that you three are given our VIP treatment. Mandy, take some time before you come back to work. I insist.”

  He left them, whistling on his way out, and Mandy sighed.

  Natla hurried around the counter, gave the barbarians a side glance, then hugged Mandy. “Girl, I was so worried about you. Where are Zehn and Lore? Are they okay? What happened? Did Mike really try to kidnap you?”

  “Come see me after your shift. We’ll eat, drink, and talk.”

  “Yes.” Natla hugged her again. “You’re in the cloud suite in unit six.” She smiled. “Appropriate, eh?”

  The barbarians grinned.

  Mandy burst into tears.

  ***

  Two evenings later, sitting by her private pool outside her suite in one of the most expensive units in the resort, Mandy dipped her toes in the water and stared up at the moons. She’d spent time with Natla the past two days, relating her adventures and catching up on gossip, and now felt nothing but longing.

  For her mates.

  She had everything she could want. Armlin would handle Red. Katan had informed her that the xechelln hides her mates had given her, along with the rest of the treasures they’d packed for her, would sell for a fortune in the resort. Natla had agreed. Mandy could go far away from Earth and live out a fulfilling life.

  With her baby.

  She had to make a choice.

  Nearby, Arghet stood guard. Despite her deluxe accommodations and a lack of danger, both men preferred to remain on guard, one in the suite, the other out here on the patio overlooking another large pool surrounding a tranquil fountain.

  “Arghet, what’s going to happen to Zehn and Lore?”

  Handsome, strong, and powerful, Arghet reminded her too much of her mates to stare at him for too long. His dark hair blew in the breeze, and every now and then his chest tattoos swirled with black markings. He seemed to sniff the air a lot, frowning.

  “Arghet?”

  “My apologies.” He shook his head, as if shaking free of his distraction. “Your mates will perform the tasks assigned to our newly trained warriors. They’ll also cover extra patrols. It’s a most lenient form of punishment.” He smiled. “Talzec went easy on them. No doubt pitying them because their pregnant mate means for them to suffer.”

  She gaped. “I do not.”

  “Oh? You carry their young. They are not here, protecting you. Do you have any idea how difficult it must be for them, not to be able to have you close, to know you’re safe?” He shook his head. “Sad for our males to be treated this way.”

  “Sad? Hey, I never asked for a baby, buddy. And I certainly never had any choices about where I lived or what I did. I’ve been dictated to for most of my life. Why is it wrong to want to be in charge of myself?”

  “You are not wrong. But you are running. You do not listen to your heart. What does it say?”

  That was the problem. It told her to go back to the men who loved and treasured her. To a place where the villagers looked after one another and took care of the world around them. And speaking of those caring villagers… “What ever happened to Watta?”

  He snorted. “That one is now clanless. What she did is an offense punishable by death, to collude with the enemy. But Talzec took mercy on her. She is a female, after all.” Mandy didn’t care for his tone. “She, along with the last Nasuhl we have found, will go before the Cloud leadership for direction.”

  “And Skehl? What about him? He helped me, and he fought against his own people.” She had a soft spot for the giant.

  An odd look crossed Arghet’s face. “The male is a mystery. He says little and does what he’s told. Talzec has not yet decided what to do with him. He would make a fierce fighter if we could trust him. Our alpha will decide.”

  At least Skehl wasn’t in any danger. One good thing to focus on.

  “Mandy, what is it that holds you back from your mates? Do you not feel the need to be with them?”

  “Yes.” She felt miserable.

  “So go.”

  “But what if I want to leave at some point? Can I go back with my mates, then decide later I want to see Venus 4?”

  “Our people have never left before. Why would you want to go when we have paradise right here? Do you not feel the joy in Ussed, even now, away from our glorious lands?” He cringed at the sight of artificial light from the suite. “The tech stings, but Ussed continues to breathe life into the world around us, in us. She is truth. Why would you leave this?”

  Why indeed.

  “A good point. But I need to have answers. To know about me before I can be a part of them.”

  He shook his head. “You are an odd female. Most pleasing,” he said hurriedly, as if to not offend, “but strange. You are an offworlder for certain.”

  She frowned at him.

  He snorted. “Me? I’m never mating. Females are nothing but problems.”

  She opened her mouth to retort, but something inside her pinged in warning.

  At the same time, Arghet grabbed her and raced inside. He shoved her to Katan, who caught her and pushed her behind him. She heard shots fired. Arghet fell into the suite, crashing through a glass table. He rolled and threw a dagger back at his attacker, knocking the gun from the stranger’s hand.

  But the damage had been done. Arghet panted, bleeding from a wound in his thigh and another in his side. “Mother night. I hate alien tech,” he growled.

  Katan stayed in front of her, prepared to fight.

  Four men clad in black surrounded Arghet, who had regained his feet.

  “You good?” Katan didn’t sound worried in the least.

  “Yes, stay out of it,” Arghet warned.

  “Aren’t you going to help him?” She tried to push Katan toward Arghet, but Katan refused to budge. A stubborn, obnoxious mountain of muscle.

  Katan blinked at her, as if surprised. “I would not insult Arghet so.”

  Sure enough, Arghet made short work of three of the men, who were humanoid in appearance but not human, exactly. The fourth hung back. Before Arghet could attack him, another fighter, this one a serpentyne from Vorhun-Takse, slithered over the back patio and flared its hood, hissing in warning.

  “Hells.” Katan took a step forward.

  The serpentyne got their name from a resemblance to snakes, and because offworlders couldn’t pronounce their actual name, an amalgamation of hissing and spitting that made little sense. The serpentyne assassins were infamous throughout the Five Galaxies. Typically male, agile, and fast, the morphed from man-shape to snake-shape and carried a toxin in their fangs that paralyzed their prey before they swallowed them whole. The same size as Arghet, the giant serpentyne seemed to be playing with him.

  Arghet stumbled twice, bleeding profusely from his wounds.

  “Before I give the order to finish him,” said the remaining man, standing back, watching. “Know that you brought this on yourself.” He shimmered, and suddenly the partially humanoid male took on Red F
rancisco’s form. “You’re mine until the day you die, bitch. I own that ass. And for what you did to my son, I’ll make sure you live a very long time.” Red smiled. “Come with me and we’ll kill your friends quick. If not, I’ll make sure we—”

  A woman wielding a sword landed on the back patio from out of nowhere. She sliced the head off the serpentine and stabbed Red through the heart in a matter of seconds. “Ah. Good.” Long black hair, purple eyes, and full lips that turned up in a smile showed a face many would consider beautiful. She wore long black trousers, a blank tank, and fitted black boots.

  The tattoo under her left eye blazed red, and Mandy wondered if this woman was in fact a barbarian, despite her odd attire.

  The female warrior stared at Arghet as she returned her thin, very sharp blade to the scabbard on her back. “Perhaps,” she said, and tilted her head, still watching him. Then she saluted Arghet, winked at Mandy, and ran over the edge of the balcony.

  Arghet hurried after her. “What the hells? She’s gone.”

  “I’m so confused.” Mandy leaned back against the wall, not sure what to do. But at least, with Red gone, she was officially a free woman again. “What do I do now?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  ZEHN AND LORE had spent the last month feeling as if something in them had died. The tie to Mandy was so thin as to be nonexistent, and they knew she’d left the planet. Grief didn’t begin to describe their loss. The only thing keeping them sane was their tie to each other, and to Ussed itself.

  They continued to train new warriors, while Lore kept a close eye on Skehl. Talzec had decided to add Skehl to the clan, and since Skehl had no objections, they planned to officially celebrate his addition in another month, when the mother moons aligned.

  Skehl seemed as lost as Lore and his bond-mate. The male did what he was told, ate and slept, but seemed to have little excitement about life. For all that he’d been Nasuhl, and had the scars to prove it, he had a gentleness of spirit all the females had taken to. Many of them had offered to warm his pallet, but he never responded.