Shanelle said nothing to that, but her expression said a lot. Tedra sighed and came over to sit next to her on the bed.
“We’re going ‘round the block here, when the simple fact is that you were wrong, Shani, and your lifemate was right to point that out to you. Besides, it does absolutely no good to hold a grudge over that, for the simple reason that warriors don’t let their lifemates hold grudges-not for long, anyway.”
Shanelle still said nothing, so her mother took a different tack, albeit with difficulty. “I couldn’t bear to listen, but Martha said you made a horrible racket. Was it really that bad, Shani, or were you just overreacting?”
“Both.”
Tedra winced, but suggested, “I think you probably frightened the hell out of him, Shani. You really should have let him know mat you’re handy with a sword. Then he might not have been quite so-upset.”
“The word is ‘merciless,’ not ‘upset.’”
Tedra grinned at the tone that had turned to a mere grumble. “I doubt that. But even so, I think you’ve already figured out that you deserved what you got, so there’s really no point in resenting it, is there?”
In a small voice Shanelle said, “He won’t even let me use a meditech, mother.”
Tedra put her arm around Shanelle’s shoulders and squeezed. “I hate to say it, but I understand his motive, baby. As long as you already had the punishment, he wants you to have that little extra incentive that will hopefully make sure you don’t have to have it again. I, on the other hand, don’t think that’s necessary. Do you want Martha to take you to a meditech? It wouldn’t take more than a few minutes.”
“No, thanks. If Falon found out, he’d no doubt think he has to start all over again.”
“A good point. Feeling better?”
Shanelle had been choking on resentment and hadn’t even known it. “Yes. But you should have let me stay mad at him a little longer. I don’t want him wondering if he might have stopped too soon.”
“I’m sure you have no intention of letting him think that,” Tedra said with a half grin.
“Now that you mention it, I don’t think I will.” Shanelle grinned back.
“You’re teaching her bad habits,” Martha interjected at that point to warn Tedra.
Tedra snorted. “She’s joined to a warrior, which means she needs all the help she can get. Speaking of help, where’s that old teaching console you dug up for her new nephew?”
“Coming right up,” Martha replied, and the machine appeared on the floor at their feet.
Shanelle smiled widely. “Why, that’s perfect to get Drevan started on.”
“Sublims would be easier on the kid,” Tedra said, “but Martha tells me your lifemate has an aversion to them, so we didn’t bother looking for your old teachers. But are you sure you want to try educating him on a wider sphere than what these warriors are used to?”
“If he’s willing. Falon is already breaking ground on dealing with visitors again, so who knows what will happen in a few years. It won’t hurt to have a warrior here who will feel comfortable with visitors and can be of assistance in an advisory capacity.”
“I didn’t think of that,” Tedra said.
“I did.” Martha gloated.
Shanelle managed to keep from chuckling at the scowl the phazor combo got again. “Besides,” she said, drawing her mother’s attention back, “if I can do anything for that boy, I want to give him a feeling of worth, which his mother has tried her damnedest to take from him.”
“Let’s not mention that female, or I’m liable to seek her out while I’m here and challenge her myself.”
Martha chuckled. “Your mother appreciated your coming to her defense a number of times, Shani, but she was dying to pin that female to the floor herself.”
Tedra waved a dismissive hand. “She got hers by getting defeated so fast. I couldn’t have done it any better. Now let’s have a look at you before I go.” Tedra pulled Shanelle to her feet, then grinned as she took in her outfit. “Maybe I should move to Ba-Har-an. Who would have thought these warriors would allow a woman so many freedoms? I’m positively envious.” And then she frowned. “No wonder Challen didn’t want me coming here.”
Martha pulled out her impatience tone. “If he knows how things are here, I’ll turn my voice off for a month. You know very well he didn’t want you stirring up trouble for Shani by putting Falon in a bad mood. Or have you forgotten you’re on that young warrior’s blacklist as far as mothers-in-law go?”
“I’ll wager he’s forgotten all about that silly challenge, now that he’s won what he wanted.”
“Wanna bet?” came out in two different voices, though in perfect sync.
Tedra scowled. “Well, he farden well better get over it real quick. I’m not going to come sneaking in here every time I want to see my daughter.”
“I’m working on it, mother,” Shanelle assured her. “But maybe you better go back now, before you get yourself in more trouble.” And then she grimaced at that reminder. “I’m sorry you ended up with a challenge loss to father because of me.”
“Don’t be silly, baby. Challenge losses are no more than fun and games with my barbarian these days.”
“Then you didn’t get punished, too?”
“She sure as hell did,” Martha couldn’t resist saying. “And she’s still not talking to that warrior because of it.”
“Mother!” Shanelle exclaimed incredulously.
Tedra gritted her teeth before she snarled at the computer, “I’m not going to be talking to you anymore either, Martha, if you don’t learn when to keep your mouth shut.”
Shanelle shook her head. “I thought you said warriors don’t let their lifemates hold grudges.”
“Some warriors have no choice in the matter.”
“That’s just great. Now I feel even more guilty than I did.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Tedra scoffed. “Your father and I haven’t had a good fight in a long time. I happen to be enjoying myself with this one.”
“Well, for Stars’ sake, find some other way to enjoy yourself,” Shanelle complained. “And get rid of that phazor unit while you’re at it, before it gets you punished again. What are you doing with it anyway, instead of a regular unit?”
“I’m in a country I’ve never been in before. I decided not to take any chances. And a phazor is a perfect weapon, since it doesn’t actually look like one in its rectangular box, and stuns its target into immobility instead of killing them.”
“But if father sees that-”
“He won’t.”
But he would, for a moment later he arrived just as Tedra had, and Challen’s expression was about as furious as Shanelle had ever seen it. Stars, what next? It would be just her luck for Falon to return now.
He did.
Chapter 42
Shanelle didn’t know what to say first-“Hello, father,” or “I can explain, Falon.” Her lifemate stood in the doorway frowning at the uninvited crowd in his bedroom. Her father stood there frowning at her mother. Her mother was wearing an I’m-not-budging expression. Shanelle gave up and kept silent, not wanting to instigate what was sure to be a big blowup.
Martha wasn’t as circumspect. “What the hell, the more the merrier. I should have thought of it myself.”
Martha’s voice drew Challen’s eyes to the phazor-combo unit at Tedra’s waist, well recognized after all the trouble he’d had with it when he first met her. “Not only do you defy my wishes to come here, but you come armed?”
Tedra’s chin went up. “Weapons are allowed here.”
“You did not acquire that weapon here, woman, but in Kan-is-Tra, where it is not allowed.”
“If you’re going to nitpick about trifles, then the fact remains that you haven’t caught me wearing it in Kan-is-Tra, have you?”
“This is true, yet will you be wearing it when I take you home.”