by S. E. Smith
“You better hope to the Gods and Goddess’ that you were because if I find out differently, I’ll gut you myself,” Razor growled in a frigid voice. “I am in control of this area now. I will take care of the situation. You will no longer interfere.”
Badrick’s eyes flashed with fear and fury. He pushed out of the chair, turning as he did to put it between him and Razor. His eyes shifted nervously to where Cutter was now leaning against the wall by the door. A satisfied grin on his face.
“You were ordered to bring the humans under control. Instead, you have one of the rebels in your bed. I do not think that the Alliance Council will be pleased that you are protecting one of them,” Badrick argued. “I demand you turn the female over to me. Kali Parks could be used to end the conflict.”
Razor’s huge body stilled. A primeval urge to kill the male swept through him at the mention of Kali. Badrick must have sensed the danger he was in because he took a defensive step closer to the door. Razor followed the other male’s movements.
“How?” He gritted out in a low, dangerous voice. “How can Kali be used to end the conflict?”
Badrick swallowed nervously, glancing back and forth between Cutter, who raised an eyebrow at him, and the rigid face of Razor.
“She… Allen wants her. He will use her to force Parks to concede to him,” Badrick replied. “He just needs some way to force Parks into negotiating with him. He assured me that if he had Kali Parks, that her brother would cease fighting.”
Razor stepped forward. His fists clenched and unclenched at his side as he fought for control. His gut was telling him that Badrick was telling him the truth, but not all of it. There was more behind Allen’s desire to get his hands on Kali.
“I want a detailed list of all weapons given to Allen,” he snapped in fury. “You have put the lives of my men in danger by supplying weapons that can be used against us. I want to know what they have, where they got them and what you discussed with both men.”
Chapter 14
Kali blinked several times as she woke. A frown creased her brow as she tried to figure out where in the hell she was. She moved her right shoulder expecting to feel the intense pain in her back from the cut she had received when she went through the window but all she felt was a slight tenderness and...
She gasped when she turned her head and found a set of dark, yellow-gold eyes staring intently at her. Shock swept through her before fear and fury took its place. Razor... his name was enough to send a shaft of fear through her, as well as another emotion she didn’t quite understand.
She nervously licked her lips. “Where am I and what in the hell are you doing here?” She demanded in a husky voice.
She would have climbed out of the bed in fury when she saw his lips twitch in amusement, but another realization swept through her that froze her in place. She wasn’t wearing any clothes, none, nada, completely bare. That alone was enough to keep her frozen in place. Her eyes flickered down to his chest. A rosy blush flushed her face as she realized that she might not be the only one who was bare as the day they were born.
“You are at a temporary base set up for our use. You were going into shock from blood loss and needed immediate medical attention,” he replied, rolling onto his side so he was facing her.
“Fine, I’m healed. Now, explain what in the hell you are doing in the same bed as me,” she choked out as the sheet slipped lower.
Yep, something tells me he isn’t wearing anything below the covers, she thought with a combination of dread and curiosity.
She scooted further back until her back was pressed against the wall behind her. Pulling the sheet tighter around her, she rolled onto her side so she was facing him as well. Her eyes briefly flickered past him to scan the room. It was very basic. A small table, a couple of chairs, a bathroom and the bed. Overall, it was very simple and functional.
The corner of his mouth curved upward as he caught her covert scrutiny of the room. Even if she tried to escape, she wouldn’t get far with the weather outside. He raised his hand to brush a small strand of her hair that had fallen forward back behind her ear. A rumble of displeasure escaped him when she jerked away from him.
“You were cold, I was tired, the answer was simple,” he replied, dropping his hand to the bed between them. “You are in my personal quarters.”
“Why?” Kali asked with a confused frown as her eyes narrowed on his wrist that was lying against the pristine white sheets. She glanced at her wrist and her eyes widened even further. “What is this?” She asked, frightened, holding her wrist out in front of her.
*.*.*
Razor watched as she struggled to sit up. She kept the flat sheet tucked around her as she twisted until she was sitting on her knees. One hand held the sheet protectively against her while she stared at the intricate patterns of his language that graced her right wrist.
He twisted, sitting up on the edge of the bed as well. The bedspread fell to lay across his lap. Frustration ate at him as he studied her fearful expression. Dark brown eyes lifted to his. He could see the panic in them as she held her wrist up.
“What is this?” She demanded again. “What does it mean?”
Razor’s eyes hardened with determination as he gazed back at her. He rose to his feet, letting the cover fall away as he reached for his trousers laying across a chair near the table. He kept his back to her while he stepped into them and pulled them up. He didn’t bother fastening them all the way.
Running his hand through his hair, he turned back toward the bed. Kali had taken advantage of his turned back to slide off the end of the bed as well. The sheet was wrapped tightly around her and she was rubbing at first one wrist, then the other in an effort to remove his mark.
“They will not come off,” he replied quietly.
Kali raised her troubled eyes to his face. “What is it? What does it mean? Is it some form of alien tracking device?” She asked, worry and fear clearly evident in her expression and voice.
“It is my mark. It means you belong to me as I belong to you,” he responded in a soft voice. “I am Razor. I belong to Kali as she belongs to me. Forever will I tie my life to hers. I will care for, protect and give my seed only to her. She is my Amate. She is my life. I have taken you as mine, Kali. For always.”
A look of growing horror twisted her face even as she shook her head in denial. Her lips trembled as she stared at him. Her eyes darted to his wrists as he held them up for her to see the marks circling them before they dropped to her own.
“No,” she whispered in distress before raising her eyes to his again with growing anger. “No! I do not belong to you. I do not want you. I will not accept you,” she continued in a voice that grew louder as her anger grew. “I want you to have it removed.”
Razor strode forward, ignoring how she stumbled backwards. He pressed his hands on the wall on each side of her head. A burning jealousy ripped through him. He remembered the way the human male had held her and how she had called for him when he had taken her.
“I will not remove it. You are mine,” he said grimly. “You will come to accept me. I will do everything in my power to protect and care for you. No longer will you live in fear and danger. Twice! Twice I watched as you almost died. Three if I count that stupid stunt of yours the night we met. I will not allow you to put yourself in danger. I cannot.” His voice dropped to a darker, husky tone as he continued. “Nor will I allow another male to take you from me. You are mine, fi’ta.”
He swallowed her gasp of denial as he pressed his lips against hers. His hands moved to cup her face so she could not turn away just as his body caged her between him and the wall. He drank deeply, kissing her over and over until he felt her tremble and begin to respond to him. Only then did he change the kiss to one that was more exploratory. After several long minutes, he slowly released her lips and ran his hands down along her side to pull her against him.
“Yes,” he groaned as he ran his nose along her cheek. “You make me feel things ins
ide, my fi’ta. You have started a fire that is threatening to engulf me.”
It took a moment for him to feel the dampness against his skin as he rubbed his nose and lips along her cheek. His hand tightened slightly on her hip. He pulled back as the salty taste touched his senses. Tears glittered on her eyelashes. A second tear escaped to make a jagged path down her cheek. The single drop clung to her chin, drawing his hand up to capture it.
“No,” she whispered, gazing up at him with a heartbreaking despondency in her eyes. “No.”
*.*.*
Razor stood in his office staring out at the thick snow that was falling. The dip in the weather matched his mood. He raised the glass of dark red liquor to his lips and drank deeply. His thoughts on the human female in his quarters.
Her rejection of him felt like he had taken a blast from a laser rifle directly to his chest. If it wasn’t for the fact that he could feel his heart beating he would have wondered if he still had one. He raised the glass once more even as the reflection of Cutter came into view behind him.
“Information from the Journey states the storm should dissipate in three to four days. I’ve also put a guard on Badrick,” he commented as he walked over to the small bar and poured a drink. “The bastard is up to something.”
Razor didn’t respond at first. He already knew both pieces of information. Badrick had tried to leave, but the weather prohibited any transports from lifting off. At the moment, he was limited to ground transport and communications. He was being surprisingly silent about both.
“I want a meeting with Parks,” he said.
Cutter walked over to stand next to him. They both stood silent for several long minutes, lost in their own thoughts. Razor finished the drink in his hand. He needed information. Information on human females. Information on stubborn, hard-headed females who refused to listen, who were fierce and proud. He needed help from someone who had experience with such a female. He needed to talk to his younger brother, Hunter.
Turning, he glanced at Cutter. “I want you to go back through every transmission Badrick has made in the last two years. I want to know who he contacted, who contacted him and where he has been. You are right, he is up to something and I want to know what it is,” he ordered.
Cutter tossed back the drink in his hand. A dark smile curved his lips. He had never liked the bastard. It would be interesting to see what the male was trying to cover up.
“I’ll work on both. I may know someone who can lead me to Parks. I’ll also do some research on Councilman Badrick’s personal files,” he said, turning toward the door. “I’ll report my findings as soon as possible.”
“Very good,” Razor said distractedly. “Cutter.”
Cutter turned as he opened the door to look back. “Yes?”
“Ask Patch to stop by my office in an hour,” Razor ordered.
“Are you unwell?” Cutter asked in concern.
Razor glanced over his shoulder and shook his head once. “I am fine. I just need to speak with him.”
Cutter paused before he nodded his head. “I’ll let him know.”
Razor waited until Cutter closed the door before he walked over to his desk. Sitting down, he swiped his hand over the console before inputting his pass code. Touching the private communications link, he brought up his brother Hunter’s call number. It took several long minutes before the link connected through the communication stations that had been dispatched between their worlds.
“Speak,” Hunter’s deep voice ordered.
“I need your assistance,” Razor replied in greeting. His eyes narrowed on the sleeping form of the small child resting on his brother’s shoulder. “He is growing fast.”
Hunter shifted his son, Lyon, onto his left shoulder and gently patted his back. Pride and warmth shone in his eyes as he stared back at Razor. He was covering many of his older brother’s duties while he was gone, as well as his own duties as part of the founding family of Julumont. He was part of the governing board and oversaw the safety of the region.
“He is,” Hunter replied in a voice that was softer. “What do you need? I have everything under control here. The fighting in the Tellamon region is under control.”
“What of Dagger? Has he been located yet?” Razor asked.
Hunter’s face tightened into a stony mask. His eyes flickered over his shoulder as another figure came through the doorway. Razor watched as his brother turned toward the female entering the room. Shy eyes glanced at him and a nervous smile crossed his new sister’s face as she brushed a kiss across Hunter’s lips.
“Hello Razor,” Jesse called out quietly. “How is Earth? Is there still a lot of conflict?”
“Greetings, Jesse,” Razor said, bowing his head. “There are fewer and fewer each day. Lyon is growing. Is he walking yet?”
Jesse’s face lit up as she turned her gaze on her son. “Yes and he is into everything! We have to watch him constantly or he’ll disappear.”
Razor studied the changes in his new sister’s face. He had been doubtful when he first heard that his younger brother had taken a human as an Amate. While he’d had limited contact with her, his parents frequently kept him abreast of what was going on. The pride and admiration in their voices laid to rest many of his doubts about the success of their union. A smile curved his lips as he remembered some of the amusing tales of his youngest new sister.
“How are Jordan and Taylor doing? They have settled in well, I hope. Father said Taylor had graduated from her basics and applied for advanced training,” he remarked politely.
Jesse’s eyes grew sad and she bit her lip, looking at Hunter for several seconds. A silent look passed between his brother and his Amate proving that all was not well. Razor’s eyes sharpened as he noted Jesse’s suddenly pale complexion and Hunter’s stony look.
“What is it?” He demanded sharply. “Has something happened to the little one?”
“No, nothing has happened to Taylor though I am expecting Saber to strangle her any day,” Hunter replied heavily. “Jesse, please take Lyon while I talk to Razor.”
“You’ll ask him?” She responded in a hesitant voice, reaching for their sleeping son. “You said he could help.”
“I will ask him, Jesse,” Hunter promised, brushing his fingers along her cheek. “I promise.”
Jesse turned worried eyes to Razor before she gave a brief nod and a strained smile. Both Razor and Hunter watched her walk out of the room; one with a look of love and worry on his face and the other with a speculative look.
Hunter turned back to look at Razor. He gave a tired groan as he sank down into the chair. He cursed that he was still having problems with weakness when he was overtired.
“What is wrong?” Razor asked bluntly.
“It’s Jordan. She’s gone,” Hunter responded in a tired voice.
“When and where?” Razor asked, getting to the point.
“A month ago,” Hunter admitted. “We believe she is safe. She is with Trig.”
Razor’s face darkened at the mention of Dagger’s older brother. Neither one of the brothers were someone he would want around a female, especially one as fragile and delicate as a human one. Jordan’s serious face flashed through his mind. He had only met her once, but she had a quiet vulnerability to her that had brought out the protectiveness in all the males in his family. Hell, she brought it out in any male who came near her.
The thought of her being with Trig sent a chill through him. He knew what Trig was capable of because he had used his services many times over the past fifteen years. Dagger wasn’t any better. Both males had a dark, dangerous edge that qualified them as among the elite warriors often used for impossible missions. Trig had been in his class while Dagger had been with Hunter.
“What happened?” Razor asked harshly.
Hunter rubbed his hand over his face and leaned back. “I told you about Jordan finding a vidcom of Dagger in a fight ring. Trig went to get him, but he arrived too late. Dagger had already been moved. T
he previous ‘owner’ of the fight ring did not know where he was taken. He just wanted to get rid of Dagger because of how dangerous he was and the fact that Dagger had already broken one of his legs. A month ago, Trig returned after losing Dagger’s trail. That same night, Jordan disappeared. I’ve been sending word to Trig, but haven’t had a response yet.”
“Surely Jordan left some type of clue behind,” Razor replied in disbelief. “She can’t have just vanished.”
“She left a brief vidcom saying she had a lead as to where Dagger might be,” Hunter admitted. “She said she had to go, that she knew she could find him if they moved him again. She…” Grief darkened Hunter’s eyes as he thought of the pleading tone of the vidcom. “She refuses to give up. I have a lead, Razor. One of my sources says Trig was sighted heading for the Tressalon galaxy. I need you to go after Jordan.”
Razor’s mind calculated the time it would take the Journey to reach the galaxy. There were only a handful of habitable planets in the star system, but it was littered with Spaceports. The area was known for its hostility toward the Alliance and was a haven for those living on the outer edges of the civilized planets.
“I am bound here for at least a fortnight,” Razor replied. “I will leave as soon as possible. I have one last city here to secure before I leave.”
“I understand,” Hunter said with a nod. “It will take Trig at least that long to get there considering his last location. That is one of the reasons I was hoping you could help us. Your Flagship is the fastest, most advanced warship in the Alliance. If anyone can get her out safely, it would be you. Now, what did you need my assistance with?”
Razor released a sigh and rubbed his jaw before leaning forward to stare intently into Hunter’s eyes. He knew little about Hunter’s Amate, other than she had saved his brother’s life on more than one occasion. How such a delicate creature as Jesse could do something like that amazed him.