Page 38 of Tara's Warriors

And their husbands didn’t mind.

Tara still had a hard time wrapping her mind around that one. If she had to watch Phin and Karwin fuck some woman, even if it was to form a bond that would save her life in battle and keep her from going insane, Tara would have a very hard time with it. Her husbands, on the other hand, had been nothing but almost painfully aroused at the thought of watching her take her pleasure with her Warriors. They had no problem sharing her, which might have left her a little miffed if she didn’t realize the desperate situation the Kadothians faced with their low number of Matriarchs.

The soft wind blew through the pale pink and white-tinged leaves of the giant tree they were sitting on—and she did mean giant. The limbs of theValisiatrees were as wide as two football fields, and as thick as the Empire State building was tall. Her mind tried to reconcile the fact that she was, like, a thousand stories above the ground living in a gorgeous tree. Hundreds of birds and other flying creatures occupied the tree that held her palace, and a large public gathering area, and a series of administrative buildings and stables.

Actually, they were more like arias than stables because they housed flying mounts instead of terrestrial beasts.

They hadn’t had a chance to explore that part of her new home yet. Phin and Karwin wanted to be here to introduce Tara and Jillian to the animals themselves, and right then, either one or the other was constantly gone, trying to find Lacey. Pressing her hand to her sore heart, she focused on the little girls in an effort to keep from breaking down. Thanks to the wonders of her crystal implant, she now had an entire galaxy’s worth of information at her fingertips, and what she’d learned about slavers was not good.

Lacey could be anywhere—sold as meat, or as a pet, or as an object to clone. Human women had a reputation of being very mentally powerful, so some twisted collectors wanted one for their own private collection. For every planet full of good and compassionate people like the Kadothians, there seemed to be ten planets full of monsters who’d hurt anyone or anything that got in their way.

Like the Hive.

Last night, in bed after a vigorous round of lovemaking, Phin and Karwin told her stories of their various battles with the Hive. Phin had only run into them once on the battlefield, but Karwin had several encounters. His mental shields were naturally strong, and his bond with his former Matriarch had made his mind almost impenetrable. Because of that, he’d been put on the front line again and again, and he had six Hive kills under his belt. Each one had almost cost him his life, and the memory of his fear coming through their bond made her gut clench.

She shivered and right away one of the Warriors assigned as her personal guard—a man named Wythe with short pretty purple and red hair and pale, gold-tinted skin—knelt before her. “Are you cold, Matriarch Taylor? Shall I fetch something to warm you?”

Waving him away, she tried to keep from broadcasting her discomfort, but she failed once again based on Wythe’s crestfallen face. Wythe was an empath, similar to how Phin sensed people, but more emotional than physical-based. It made him a perfect bodyguard because he could sense evil intent behind a smiling face. Last night he, along with seven other Warriors, took some kind of ancient blood oath to protect and defend her to their last breath. She’d taken a similar oath to them in return. It seemed like the right thing to do. If they were going to pledge their lives to protect her and keep her safe, she should do the same. Phin and Karwin said they’d never heard of a Matriarch swearing anything in return, but this was Tara’s Territory, so if it didn’t go against the Rules of the High Council, then she was free to decree as she wished.

“Wythe.” She patted the space next to her on the squishy black stone bench that cradled her body in comfort. “Sit down.”

Glancing at the other guards, he cleared his throat. “My Matriarch, though you honor me, I cannot. I am on duty.”

“Well, can you at least stand? I feel weird with you kneeling before me.”

“Of course, my Matriarch.”

His face had closed down, and once again she got the sense she’d hurt his feelings.

“Let’s try this again. Wythe, are you going to be with me for a long time?”

“Until I find myalyah,” he instantly replied his chest swelling with pride. “I am yours to command.”

“Okay, then I command you to umm…what’s that term you guys use? I want you to treat me familiar.”

There was a gasp behind her, a rather comical one considering the small, scandalized sound had come from one of the big Warriors belonging to her personal guard.

Trying to hide a snicker, she met Wythe’s shocked gaze. “My Matriarch, that would not be proper.”

“Am I the Matriarch here? Is this my Territory?” She stood and put her hands on her hips, the black and purple dress she wore showing off her newly improved and enhanced figure. “Do you follow my orders?”

“Of course, my Matriarch,” Wythe said in a choked voice, the fading sunlight gleaming orange on his black armor. “But I am unworthy.”

“I decided who is worthy,” she said in the no bullshit voice she was learning the Warriors responded to best.

Not that she should be surprised. These guys were seriously lacking in female interaction in their lives. And the exchanges they had with Kadothian Matriarchs were far different from how Tara treated her Warriors. She got a feeling some Kadothian Matriarchs acted more like spoiled Queens than benevolent rulers. Then again, she shouldn’t be surprised. It seemed assholes were universal. She’d just have to convince the people of her Territory that she was more interested in how she could help make sure everyone was safe and happy than she was in whatever luxuries and tribute they could provide her.

Fingering the elaborate jeweled necklace she’d been presented with yesterday upon her arrival, she sighed. “Look, guys, I’m from a small town. I spent most of my life helping to run my family’s truck stop restaurant and raising my daughter and granddaughter. I’m really not used to…all of this. What I’m trying to say is I’m not a very formal person. I get that, out there, when I’m doing public figure type stuff, I’ll need to be a little more professional. But here, in my private garden, I’d much prefer it if you treated me like a person rather than untouchable royalty.”

“You would have us touch you?” one of the guards asked eagerly.

Wythe shot him a glare while Tara rolled her eyes. “No, I still expect you to respect my personal space, but you can call me Tara, not Matriarch Taylor. Also, feel free to talk to me. I mean, I bet you’ve got a lot of questions about me, right?”

Keeping an eye on the girls, she could practically feel the men’s desire to ask her about herself, but they held back.

The sun slipped beyond the horizon, ending another long, long Kadothian day. The implants they’d given her and Jillian had helped them adjust to the new forty-hour days, so she wasn’t tired exactly, just more like overwhelmed. She had so much on her mind, and her worry about Lacey was a constant ghost haunting her thoughts.

“Why are you so sad?” Wythe asked in a soft voice. “Have we offended you in some way?”

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