Matched to the monster, p.10
Matched To The Monster, page 10
“Master’s gone to train with the other warriors,” Driki says, spreading out his hands in a fight stance and squatting, a huge grin on his face. “He says for us to bathe you, and feed you, and keep you company.”
“I’m to be her companion,” Bantu hisses. “You promised!”
Driki grunts at him. “Go prepare her breakfast, then.”
“You prepare her food!” Bantu screeches at him.
“Both of you go prepare it,” I say, yawning loudly. “I can bathe myself.”
Bantu glares at Driki who skulks out of the room. Instead of following, Bantu walks to the furthest corner of the room where he pulls a screen aside. There’s a sunken bath that looks like a hot tub and he flips on the faucets and pours a generous amount of oil in.
“Mistress is to wear these today,” he announces, riffling through my closet. I’m not even sure how he reaches the hanging clothing, but he brings a set of leggings out in a soft, tan shade. The shirt is black, sleeveless, and the entire back has a set of strings to tie with. “Your training starts.”
“My training?” I ask, excited.
“Yes,” he says, turning to me with a huge smile of excitement, too. “Not your crossbow yet. Master will be meeting with the weaponmaker for that. He wants it prepared to certain standards.”
Because I’m a weak human. But Bantu doesn’t say that.
“I’ll bring your breakfast in half a turn,” he says, pulling the screen back to hide the tub.
I’m not sure how much time that is, but I scramble quickly from the bed as soon as he’s gone and jump into the sunken bath. The water temperature is perfect and I let out a moan at the first dunk. I allow myself to soak for a few minutes, feeling brave with the screen in place. Finally I wash up and set the tub to drain before reaching for the towel to dry off.
I find panties in the drawer and pull them up before I try on the leggings, which fit perfectly. They have my measurements. The top goes on smoothly enough and I wonder how I’m going to tie the back. Should I take it off, tie it loosely, and then slide it back on? As I’m pondering my choices, Bantu enters, head-first, still the shy little Tiiblet that sneaks around the corners.
“Your breakfast is ready,” he announces. “Do you want to eat in here? Or do you wish to eat in the dining room? Because I need to change your sheets. It smells like sex in here.”
Instant heat floods my face, but he’s not paying attention as he scowls at the bed. Suddenly I want to giggle at his bluntness, but I stifle the urge.
“I’ll eat in the dining room,” I say hurriedly.
Bantu turns his attention back to me, noticing how I hold my top against the front of my chest. “Here, Mistress, I’ll tie those.”
I sit on the edge of the bed and hold up my hair as he nimbly ties the strings. I think since I’ll be working out, it’s best that I wear my hair up. Plus, it’ll show off the fancy back of the shirt.
“Women don’t wear leggings on my planet,” I say. “Not unless they’re working.” And only then because we lost women due to their skirts getting caught in machinery.
Bantu snorts. “Women here don’t wear leggings either.”
It takes me a minute to realize he’s joking—since the women don’t have legs. I laugh out loud and his grin stretches from ear to ear.
“Come, Mistress,” he says. He scoots me to the now-mirrored vanity and I blush at the memory of Juris sitting in the chair with me on his lap.
But Bantu pushes me onto the seat and reaches for the comb, running it through the strands of my hair carefully. “I wondered what this felt like,” he murmurs.
“I wondered what yours felt like.”
He snorts and bends over my shoulder, his head low enough for me to feel his “hair.” I run my hand over the top of his head. The knobby little hair-like protrusions are flexible, but thick, and feel fleshy. Like tiny nubs of fingers?
“Can you feel this?”
He snorts. “No. Can you feel this?”
He touches the end of my hair.
“No,” I admit. “Hair feels dead.”
“So does my hair,” he says, mimicking the word and wriggling the little knobs on his head.
We both giggle like loons.
“Yours is different than Driki’s,” I say, remembering his partner’s runs down the center of his head like a Mohawk.
“Is everyone’s hair on your planet the same?” he asks.
“Well, no,” I admit, realizing how stupid that sounded. “In fact, hair color changes over time. My father’s hair is gray with age now.”
“Ours grows brittle and the nubs break off,” he admits.
I smile widely. “Some people back home lose their hair and go bald, too!”
“We have that in common,” he says.
His nimble fingers twist sections of my hair and gather the multitude of pieces to the nape of my neck, where he twists it into a small bun. He wraps it around itself and I open the vanity drawer. My tray of hairpins is still there, preserved in the move by Juris.
Bantu’s fingers are more nimble than he seems as he reaches for one and plugs it into my hair, then reaches for another.
When my bun is good and tight, he takes a piece that he’d held out over the ear, twists it and wraps it across my forehead like a headband, tying it behind the other ear into the bun. My bangs flop loosely over it and it looks kind of…cool.
“Nice job, Bantu,” I say, peering into the mirror. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to my looks now that Juris has replaced the mirror.
He beams at the praise. “I will be a good mistress companion,” he says.
“You already are,” I say gently, because it seems really important to him.
He seats me at the dining table and brings me my breakfast, then sits with me while I proceed to eat. “Have you eaten, Bantu?”
“Long ago, Mistress.”
“Are you hungry? Would you like to eat again with me?”
Before he can answer, another voice cuts in. “I’ll eat with you.”
We look up to see a woman enter the room. She’s a vividly purple shade and struts gracefully, confident of her beauty. Her breasts are high and full, round, and encased in a deep plunging green silk top, the nipples bumping through the fabric.
“Go on, get!” she snaps at Bantu. “Fetch me a plate.”
My jaw drops at her treatment of him.
Bantu scowls before he turns and does as she asks, and I don’t blame him. It wasn’t a very nice way to ask.
“My name is Kym,” she announces, helping herself to a seat at the table. “I thought I’d come by and introduce myself before you hear the rumors.”
“The rumors?”
“Hmm. Of me and Juris, of course.”
I stare at her dumbly.
“We were pleasure mates.”
The food I haven’t touched looks unappetizing suddenly, but I refuse to let her see that she’s shaken me. From the mean streak in her eye, I think she’d derive pleasure from that.
Bantu enters, this time with Driki, while Driki carries a tray with two more plates. Both men are scowling and as Driki places the plate in front of her, I notice they’re a bit stingy with her portions. And they heard what she said, that much is apparent. Neither one calls her out on lying so I have to assume…it’s true.
“Those times are over, Mistress,” Bantu says defensively, placing a plate for him and Driki down.
“Well, of course they’re over,” Kym says. “Who told you that you can speak? And why are you eating at the table?”
Bantu looks down as if chastised. Driki looks like he’s about to gather their plates up.
“They’re eating at the table because that’s where I wish for them to eat,” I snap. “They are my companions, not your servants. You don’t get to command them to speak or tell them where to go or what to do.”
“Sorry,” Kym says. “I forget it’s no longer my place here and I obviously would run the household different than you.”
But she doesn’t look sorry. A small smile curves her lips. It doesn’t look genuine.
To encourage Bantu and Driki, I pick up my fork and begin to eat, as if her apology isn’t worth my response. The two guys follow my lead and begin eating.
“Anyway,” Kym says. “I just wanted to introduce myself so it wouldn’t be awkward. I imagine you want to find your place among the people.”
“I already know my place among the people,” I say. “Driki, will you pass the biscuits?”
“Do you?” Kym sneers.
“Of course I do.” I nod my thanks to Driki as he scoots the basket over to me. “I’m queen.”
Her mouth drops and I wonder what she’s been told. I wonder if she thinks I’m a timid mouse to be toyed with. That I’m unsure if my place in their community. That I’ll take abuse from others. But one thing that I am sure of is my status. Juris made that very clear. And whether First Daughter or Queen, I know how to play my part.
Bantu nods. “She is that. Our mistress is Queen. The ceremony performed and everything.”
Her eyes shoot daggers at me. Before she can respond, Shana walks in. Her little girl is nestled in her arms, her short little tentacles clutching her mother’s waist.
“Kym,” Shana says. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Let me get you a plate, Mistress Shana,” Driki says, getting up.
She waves at him to remain seated. “No need. We ate. We just came by to walk Lilaina to the training field.” She turns her head to the baby. “Where we can give big, strong daddy kisses, huh?” She gives the baby a hip bump, which makes her giggle.
Shana sits down while we all finish eating and I’m surprised to see Kym become downright pleasant. She’s an entirely different person, even eating her food daintily, whereas before Shana arrived she simply glared at her plate disdainfully. Maybe she was just nervous? It must be hard to be an ex-girlfriend—possibly wanting more—and to run across your ex suddenly being married. Kudos to her for coming to introduce herself, I guess.
When we’re finished eating, Driki clears the plates and we wait for him to return from the kitchens. As soon as he does, all six of us head to the training field.
When the trail narrows at some point, Driki and Bantu walk ahead of us and they hold hands. It’s adorable to watch and my heart just melts.
When the fields come into sight, Shana points to where the five captains stand waiting.
“Okay, here we are,” Shana says. “We’ll just go sit on the ledge over there. You go seek out Stratek and crew.”
“We’ll walk the mistress,” Bantu says with a sniff. He seems perturbed that people don’t realize it’s his duty to take care of me. It makes me smile, especially when he and Driki break their own handlock and each slip a hand into mine.
Stratek is more serious than I’ve ever seen him.
“You’ve brought your Mistress safely,” he acknowledges to Driki and Bantu. The little Tiiblets look positively giddy as they grab hands and giggle, then head over to a rock to sit together.
Stratek turns to me. “You’ll start each day with Elex.” He points that way and Elex inclines his head. “He begins the warm up, and prepares you for each training. He will also be coaching you with instruction from the sidelines during ground fighting. Me and Jaire will teach you to shoot the crossbow, though it is not ready yet. Hopefully we’ll be able to begin that tomorrow if you’re not too sore from today.”
“Oh, I won’t be,” I say. If I have to sleep in the hot tub in our room, I will.
“This is your first day,” Stratek says easily. “Though we’ll take it easy on you, we have no idea how much of the work-out a human can take. That’s why you’ll start with Elex. He’ll gauge how easily you tire during your warm-up. After that, Jaire will teach you self-defense moves and you will practice on Maleek.”
I’ll be paired against Maleek? I gasp. “He’s huge.”
I look over at the scowling warrior, who I guess would be my brother-in-law.
“Technically, we’re all huge compared to you,” Stratek says. “But you need the largest to prepare with. Imagine how much easier it will be to spar with me after you’ve trained with that purple monster.”
Maleek grunts.
“Warm up!” Elex calls out and jogs toward us. I guess that’s the word to signal the start, but I stare at him dumbly.
“That means you jog lightly around the fence perimeter,” Stratek says, giving me a light push toward Elex. I start to jog, following a step behind him, as he shows me the perimeter. He’s talking easily the entire time we jog. It takes nearly fifteen minutes, but we’re pacing slow. I don’t dare try to talk and run at the same time.
As we pass the rock ledge where the spectators sit, I hear Kym snicker. “May as well be walking.”
So she’s back to being catty.
But Elex ignores her, though I’m sure he heard. So I do, too.
Jaire clicks a stopwatch. “Fourteen-forty-eight,” he says.
Elex nods and reaches for my wrist, where he’s silent as he feels for my pulse. I catch my breath with the brief respite.
“Where’s Juris today?” I ask.
“Out with the hunters,” Jaire says. “And visiting the site where he communicates with Mikhail.”
“The site?”
Jaire nods. “It is a cave that only his first captains know the location to. It’s sealed to wildlife and hidden from our enemies. The Britonians have their equipment set up in there for communication and portal opening. With the high concentration of gold on our beach, the portal can be opened there and excised nearly anywhere else the Britonians reside.”
I wonder what Juris is speaking to Mikhail about. Surely after last night, he’s telling him we’ve consummated? Maybe he’s telling him he’d like to keep me?
Chapter Twelve
Juris:
I CAN’T TELL MY mate I love her.
She’ll never understand that I’ve known her—or known of her—longer than she knew me. I’ve too much pride to admit how much it hurt when she scorned me upon first glance. Too much pride to admit that I prepared for her, purchasing language implants for every person of my clan so she can communicate with anyone and everyone in her own language. She now has shelves of books, including her own from Earth. Closets of clothing, and now, because it seemed important to her, she is having self-defense training.
My mate spends several hours a day getting sweaty with other males.
Granted, they are my most trusted first captains, along with my own brother and brother-in-mate. But still, she enjoys their company and it makes me feel…dispensable. Especially as she avoids nearly everyone but them. Perhaps she now has a penchant for tentacle sex and anyone with tentacles will do. Unfortunately, they are plentiful here.
For that reason, I avoid her, too.
I have plenty to keep me busy and I assure myself it is necessary.
It’s only in the night that I can’t resist her. We come together, exploring each other’s bodies until we can’t tell where I end and she begins. I love how open she is to me, a far cry from when I met her. In fact, I’m still surprised that she requested as high a bride price as she has. Not that I mind, but her curiosity about the gold we have on the beach makes me wonder if that is enough to make her decide to stay.
I also wonder if her desperate quest for our wealth is because of her upbringing. It’s not unnoticed that she is rail thin and dresses in rags.
I want to keep her. I’m desperate to keep her. I just need her to need me back. And I’m not sure how to accomplish this.
“Juris.”
The feminine voice is soft and at first my heart races, thinking it is Lilaina. But no, instead Kym stands in the doorway of the parlor.
“What do you need?” My voice is growly, perturbed at the interruption. Maybe a bit let down that it isn’t my mate seeking me out.
“To help you,” she purrs. “Talk to me. Why are you drinking alone on such a fine eve?”
“I’m just settling down after a difficult day.”
“There are other ways to unwind, Juris.” Her voice is still soft and I’m not at all confused as to what she means.
“I know that. I’m a mated male, right?”
My directness shocks her. Does she really think my mate is untouched?
“If you’re not with her right now, there’s a reason why,” she continues. “If there is something else you need, I will offer it.”
“I decline your offer. Go now.”
Kym’s jaw drops. Surely she did not think I needed sex so desperately I was willing to get it elsewhere? To her credit, she leaves and I continue drowning my sorrows. But it is not without regret.
Perhaps I should have taken her up on her offer. Lilaina will not be here forever. The best way to get over a broken heart would be in the bed of another. But the thought of laying again with Kym disgusts me. It was only one night, but it was a night I regretted ever since. It made her territorial. She wouldn’t stop trying for my attentions until I firmly told her I was not interested in continuing.
“What is a newly mated male doing drinking by himself?”
I down my whisky before answering Relion. “I’m giving my mate time to herself. Everything is overwhelming and new to her. She is finding herself. She learns to fight each day, she has her Tiiblet companions, she learns to run the household.”
He pulls a chair and sits, taking a glass from the centerpiece and using the decanter to fill his own. “Do you give her personal time every day?”
I nod. It’s not that I drink whisky every night, but there are plenty of other reasons to stay away until Lilaina is in bed.
“Did she ask you for time?”
“No.” I snort. “But that is the problem. She doesn’t ask for anything.”
“She’s from a different culture. It must be hard to go elsewhere and try to figure things out.”
“I know,” I say, feeling like a selfish ass. “That’s the problem. I convinced myself she was greedy and vain and considered humans superior. That it wouldn’t work out. And when I met her, it seemed my fears were confirmed. No one had told her we would look different and she was horrified by her first glimpse of me. But now that I’ve gotten to know her, I realize things aren’t as they seem. Things are…backward on their planet. Females are abused and it’s so common, they don’t see it. Have you seen her hands? She works sun up to sun down and believes it’s warranted because the males of their planet went to war and died for them. So the rest of the males are waited on hand and foot by females.”
