Chapter 5 #2
He hadn’t changed at all in the time Shanelle had been away, but then she hadn’t expected him to.
In all the years of her life, she had never noticed her parents growing older, because they just didn’t look like they were growing older.
But it was a known fact that the Sha-Ka’ani aged well.
And Tedra, though not a Sha-Ka’ani, was still a Sec 1 heart and soul, and she had always taken extremely good care of her body, which in a good many cultures was considered a lethal weapon.
Not in this culture, however, and not to her lifemate, who was just short of seven feet tall and had the strength to go along with such a large body.
Shanelle grinned up at her father now, craning her neck to do so. “I’m so glad to be home. And I thank you for the airobus. That was a wonderful surprise.”
“What airobus?” her father asked.
“Challen, I think we should get back to the pavilion now,” Tedra put in hastily.
“What airobus?” he repeated, looking down at his lifemate.
“All right, the one we bought her. That is why we sent her to Kystran, to learn how to pilot. That is what she wants to do, something useful—”
“Something her future lifemate is not likely to allow,” he calmly pointed out. “Did you consider that when you convinced me to let her go to Kystran?”
“No, but you obviously did,” Tedra grumbled. “Why did you agree, then?”
Challen put a hand to her cheek, suddenly grinning at her. “You can ask me that, chemar, after everything you did to get my permission?”
Hot pink cheeks, fortunately, went well with the blue of Tedra’s chauri and cloak. Only the cloak needed to be blue or white to denote whose house she belonged to, but she was honoring Challen by wearing all blue today, right down to her sandals. Now she wished she hadn’t.
She knocked his hand aside, but that just got a chuckle out of him.
Her embarrassment was a subtle punishment for buying that bus without telling him.
She knew it. She knew him too well not to know it.
And she could only hope that would be the only punishment she would be getting.
But a glance at Shanelle showed she was aware of it, too.
Farden hell. That was all Shanelle needed, one more reminder that warriors were not the easiest men to get along with, when she had yet to experience any of the benefits of trying.
And on top of that, to be told outright that her future lifemate wasn’t likely to let her fly… She could kick Challen right now.
“You don’t know what her lifemate is going to do—or do you?” Her eyes narrowed the tiniest bit. “You haven’t made a decision without telling me, have you, babe?”
Both women waited anxiously for his answer, Tedra ready to blow a fuse if it was the wrong one, Shanelle merely with dread, and it began by being not at all reassuring. “When a decision is made, woman, you do not need to be told of it beforehand. But no, such has not yet been decided.”
Shanelle let out a sigh. That had been too nerve-racking. “Father, I need to talk to you about this decision.”
“This you may do, yet is the decision mine to make, yours to accept.”
Shanelle gritted her teeth. “I know that, but does that mean you won’t take heed of my own wishes in the matter? What if I make my own choice?”
“Then it will be my hope that I can accept your choice.”
Shanelle blinked. “Do you mean that? You’ll really consider my preference?”
“Certainly, kerima,” he replied gently. “Did you think I would not?”
No, of course he would. He loved her. He wanted her to be happy.
But the key word was if. If he could accept her choice, then she could have her choice.
If he could not, then she would have his choice.
But that was still better than what she had been anticipating, that he would have made his decision before she found someone for herself, that it would then be if she could accept his choice.
“Stars, you people are absolutely depressing,” Martha chimed in with blatant disgust. “What happened to the happy homecoming?”
Tedra laughed. Shanelle’s frown was an exact copy of Challen’s upon hearing that.
“Mother, it gives me the greatest pleasure to give you back your computer.”
But Tedra stopped her from removing the computer-link unit from her waist. “Not yet. I’m sure you’re going to want to show those friends around that Martha told me about last night—”
“She contacted you last night without telling me?” Shanelle demanded.
“Well, I don’t know why she didn’t mention it, but yes, we had a long chat, and anyway, I’ll feel better if you have Martha with you in addition to Corth, and I’m sure your father will, too.
With Martha there to whisk you out of any trouble—not that I anticipate any—your father won’t feel it necessary to send his warriors along with you. Isn’t that right, Challen?”
But Tedra was still looking meaningfully at Shanelle, and Shanelle finally got the message, the unspoken message.
She didn’t want Challen’s warriors dogging her steps, not today.
Today was the one day she could be anonymous, but not with a full escort that would point out how important she was.
Only Challen hadn’t even heard the question.
Looking at the computer link had drawn his attention to what Shanelle was wearing, and his frown hadn’t changed any.
“First she will take herself home to find the proper clothing. She looks like a visitor.”
“Give her a break, damn it,” Tedra replied impatiently.
“She just got here. And so what if she looks like a visitor. A quarter of the people here are visitors. For once it doesn’t make any difference, and she is cloaked, which is all that really matters.
You wouldn’t really make her waste all that time going home when she has guests to see to? ”
“Your Martha could Transfer her—”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Tedra cut in dryly.
“You’d let her Transfer when it isn’t an emergency, when you hate Transferring?
” Challen was looking completely chagrined by now, so Tedra added, “And her friends have caught up with her. You’re not going to embarrass your daughter over something so minor, are you? ”
For that Tedra got a just-wait-until-later look. Shanelle got her cloak adjusted over her shoulders to cover more of her outfit, which she understood she was to leave that way—at least until she was out of her father’s sight.
“The competitions will continue this rising and likely several more,” he told Shanelle. “You may view them with your friends, but Martha is to Transfer you to me if you have any difficulties with these warriors who do not know you. Is this understood, Martha?”
“Crystal clear, big guy.”
Shanelle’s friends did arrive then, along with the nobles from Century III, who arrogantly demanded Challen’s attention even before Shanelle could finish introducing her friends. So her mother shooed her off with a whispered “Good luck, baby,” a wink, and a grin.
Martha was chuckling as they left. “My Tedra was in top form, wasn’t she? I love it when she talks circles around that warrior.”
“You told her about my desire to be incognito, didn’t you?” Shanelle ventured.
“Sure I did. I told her everything, kiddo. You knew I would.”
Shanelle’s sigh was loud and long. “All right, Martha, if I have to be stuck with you for the rest of the day, try making me forget it.”