Page 49 of Lacey's Warriors

Gwarnon reached out and clasped his blood brother’s hand, anger at his mother speeding his heart as he mentally caught Chel up on what he’d learned.

“That bitch,” Chel growled then turned to Lord Rell, “Please tell me she will be punished for this.”

“I swear to you, I will go after her with everything I have, but as I said, she is powerful and crazy, but also very smart.” Lord Rell exchanged a look with Commander Trenzent before nodding, “We do not believe she will bother you for some time to come. She will be too busy trying to control the damage Lady Jelizel’s accusations cause.”

“Lady Elsin,” Lorn said, “is especially interested in anything that can take Lady Melissi down. My mother has loathed her for years but has been unable to legally go after her. She will keep Lady Melissi quite busy, I assure you.”

“That is one small relief,” Gwarnon muttered, “but what about the group that tried to kill Lacey? If I had not activated her belt, she would have died despite my body absorbing the majority of the blast. The shooter was aiming for her head and would have taken it clean off. The anti-Earthers do not like how she has become a hero to many, a Matriarch who fought the Hive and won. It has made her an idol many Warriors, and there are Kadothian Matriarchs who resent Lacey for taking way attention from them.”

“We believe she would be safer on Madre Tierra,” Phin said with sadness shining in his expressive eyes. “The greedy part of my heart wants you to stay, to spend more time with our new daughter and granddaughter, but it is for Lacey and Jillian’s sake that we suggest you accelerate your plans for your new Territory. As much as it pains and shames me to say it, Lacey is safer on Madre Tierra than Kadothia.”

“Thankfully,” Cormac said with his trademark trouble making smile, “Like our own wife, your Matriarch is, to quote Roxy, ‘rich as shit’, which will benefit you greatly in helping to settle and build your Territory.”

“And Roxy will be sending a group of slaves she freed after winning them from the Baladium to your Territory on Madre Tierra as well,” Nosa added. “Many of them are gifted craftsman and artists, they will help you with building your new home.”

Lord Rell glanced at his husband, then said, “Paige is also committed to helping Lacey, and has offered to send a contingent of our people to help and plans on personally helping out as well. She is greatly looking forward to visiting you on Madre Tierra.”

“I think,” Karwin said as he looked out the window of the parlor, his gaze distant, “our women are all homesick. While Madre Tierra may not be an exact replica of Earth, they are all entranced by the idea of being able to visit a place that is almost like their home. I predict that Lady Lacey will have many visitors in the future. Right now, the girls are all trying to figure out when Christmas would be on the Kadothian calendar so they can have a big party.”

“I will need to research this holiday,” Nosa said, looking intrigued. “Our guide says one of the creatures associated with the holiday is an elf. Roxy called me an elf the first time she saw my ears.”

Lorn gave a loud laugh, then sent them all a mental image via their implants. It was the portrait of a man with short curly hair and the soft body of a baker who liked his sweets, wearing an ill-fitting green jacket with shabby fur at the collar and sleeves. He also wore an odd-looking hat that was too small for his head with a red feather. The bright yellow tights were equally garish, and his shoes were black with twisted points at the tips. The color combination was jarring, and he stared at the word Elf above the image of the curly haired man…then imaged Nosa wearing that outfit and burst out laughing as well.

Right away he clutched his side, his healing internal organs sending shards of discomfort through his nervous system.

“You are in pain,” his blood brother said in a low voice as the men continued to tease Nosa about being an Elf, and making a promise to all watch the movie together at Christmas.

“I am fine,” Gwarnon said, knowing lying to his bondmate was stupid.

“Sure you are,” Chel said as he stroked Gwarnon’s hair, then pressed a button on his chair.

Gwarnon glared at Chel, then sighed as the sleeping serum hit his system, making everything relax as he drifted, floating on the love coursing through their bond.

Chapter 14

Lacey

Five Kadothian Months Later

Leaning against the fence railing made to mimic the wood of Earth, Lacey watched the two dozen or so horses milling about inside the large corral. Ranging from deep brown touched with black to a vibrant red and white paint with a sassy attitude, the horses all seemed to be doing well despite their journey to another galaxy. Her attention was caught on a pretty bay trotting past, with her foal bouncing around her as she inspected the arena with a snort.

“Thank you for taking care of the horses,” Michelle, a newly bonded young Earth Matriarch from Wyoming said as she placed her booted foot on the railing. “I can’t believe they’re being such assholes about my Territory.”

Lacey sighed, tearing her gaze from the horses to consider the freckled young woman standing next to her. “Well, we have plenty of room on Madre Tierra. We’d be happy to have you and your family here helping us settle the planet.”

“Thanks,” Michelle said with a distracted smile, “but my bondmates worked too hard to win their Territory to just give it up because some Kadothians are anti-Earther assholes. I’m going to get my Territory, even if I have to strangle the Regional High Congress myself.”

Lacey gave the other woman’s shoulder a pat, both of them quiet as they watched the horses grow bolder, to begin to run around and whinny beneath the eyes of an adoring crowd.

If Lacey had been asked a year ago where she thought she would be today, it certainly wouldn’t have been standing in her Territory, on a newly forming planet, hanging out with a cowgirl from Wyoming and the wild horses she rescued from a government horse slaughter. Across the arena, a large group of Kadothian males, scientists mostly, stared and pointed at the horses like a bunch of excited little kids. Michelle’s husbands were both biologists and they were fascinated by Earth creatures.

“You got this place built pretty quick,” Michelle said as she took in the large red Earth style barn and the cottages still being constructed for the people that would be learning to work on the horse ranch. “Wish it only took a day to build a barn back on Earth.”

Lacey nodded in agreement as she took a slow look around the land, at once familiar yet different than the Earth she’d grown up on. Only half of Madre Tierra was habitable at the moment, the Kadothian engineers responsible for transforming the frozen moon into a livable planet were still working on some of the trickier terrain. But the oceans and ice caps were in place and functioning, and the weather was at times a little temperamental, but seemed to be settling into a normal pattern.

“I have to head back up to the manor,” Lacey said as she gave Michelle a hug. “My men know that they’re to assist you in any way you need. Just give me a call on the old head phone,” she tapped behind her ear where the crystal implant was, “if you need anything.”

Michelle hugged her again, harder this time as she whispered, “Thank you. I hated the idea of the horses being kept in stasis for maybe years while the Territorial Congress debated allowing Earth animals in their Region.”

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