by S. E. Smith
“Good luck,” Kali whispered as she brushed her lips next to Cannon’s ear in a display of affection. “He has a pistol in the left drawer of his desk.”
She still had her arms around Cannon’s neck when the double doors to the office burst inward. Her eyes froze on Razor’s furious face. Time stood still as they gazed at each other before speeding up as the Drethulan roared out in rage.
Kali felt her body being lifted at the same time as Razor, Hammer, Trig and Sword swept into the room with a terrifying war cry. Cannon swung her around and tossed her toward the Trusset who caught her and set her gently in the corner with a wink. Kali pressed her back up against the wall as the Drethulan started shaking and expanding.
This was nothing like what she was used to fighting. Her hand went to her stomach as it turned when a putrid smell poured from the creature. She covered her nose and mouth trying to minimize breathing it in. It was no use, her stomach rolled in rebellion.
She turned at the same time as the wart-faced bitch came through the door with a laser pistol. Kali opened her mouth and threw up all over the woman’s arm. The female screeched and stumbled sideways.
Kali fell back against the wall as another wave of nausea swept through her. She had to get out of the room. The other woman snarled at Kali as she shook her arms. A look of disgust twisted her ugly face before she switched the laser pistol to her other hand.
“I am going to kill you,” she screeched.
Kali was too sick to care at that moment. She leaned forward as her stomach heaved again as more of the nauseous odor filled the room. She lifted her hand in a feeble attempt to stop the woman. Her eyes closed when the Trusset saw what was happening and grabbed the female by the arm. He lifted her up and tossed her at the Drethulan.
The sound of bones breaking and the woman’s screams was too much for Kali. She stumbled forward and out of the doors of the office desperately gasping in fresh, untainted air. Sliding her hand along the wall, she slid down it just on the other side of the doors.
Soon the room grew quiet. Kali sat on the floor with her head on her knees uncaring if the world stopped at that moment. In fact, she hoped it did because it was spinning like a tilt-a-whirl on steroids. She moaned when a pair of hands tenderly cupped her face and forced it up. She closed her eyes to keep from seeing the room.
“Kali, fi’ta, are you alright?” Razor’s deep voice asked urgently.
Kali slowly opened her eyes and gave him a weak smile. She didn’t have the energy to respond verbally. She laid her cheek against his hand and closed her eyes.
“Jordan?” She finally whispered with her eyes still closed.
“Gone,” Razor said quietly. “Along with Dagger.”
Chapter 30
Almost a month later, Kali stood looking out of the viewport at her new home. The planet was slightly larger than the Earth. Where the Earth looked like a large blue and white marble, Rathon was a dark green with the swirls of white. Over half of the planet was covered by an emerald green ocean.
They had left the Tressalon star system shortly after discovering that Dagger had stolen Arindoss’ personal starship. Since there was no current new owner to The Hole and the starship had probably been stolen from its previous owner, there was no reason to stay once Trig had finally been able to talk with Dagger. The conversation must not have gone very well as Trig looked pissed and Razor infuriated. Razor finally told her that Dagger said he would return Jordan to Rathon… when he was ready.
“Do you think it is safe for Jordan to be with Dagger right now? I know Sword and Cannon were worried about his mental stability after being held for so long,” she had asked as Razor ordered the Journey to return to Rathon.
She remembered Razor’s aggravated sigh before he responded. “I do not believe he will harm Jordan. From what Hunter has told me, Dagger is very protective of her. It is obvious from her determination to find Dagger that Jordan feels the same. He refused to tell Trig where he was going, but I imagine it is to a safe place. I cannot see him putting Jordan in danger.”
“But, if he isn’t thinking straight,” Kali said before her voice faded and a small smile curved her lips upward. “You’re right. Jordan can handle him.”
Razor’s eyes narrowed at the look on Kali’s face. “Why do you think that?”
“Because she loves him,” Kali replied, tilting her head to the side.
Razor shook his head. “I am not sure even that will save him,” he had responded quietly.
*.*.*
Kali turned as the door slid open behind her. A smile lit up her face when she saw Razor standing silhouetted in the doorway. He had been busy all morning with Hammer in preparation of their arrival so she hadn’t seen much of him.
“It’s time,” Razor told her with a returning smile. “Now, I will take you to our home.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Kali replied, glancing back down at the planet. “It looks so beautiful from space.”
“It is beautiful down there as well,” Razor commented. “Come, the shuttle is ready.”
“You said that there are dangerous animals that roam the forests,” Kali said as she threaded her fingers through his. “Will we be living near them?”
Razor nodded his head. “Our world is different from yours in many ways, yet similar as well. We have only a few larger cities, such as Julumont which my brother Hunter oversees. Our ancestors believed that for future generations to survive, it was important to live in harmony with our environment. The Trivator males are not much different from the creatures that roam the forests. A part of our primitive ancestors still live within us.”
Kali laughed. “So you are still beating your chests and hopping up and down when you are angry,” she teased.
“No,” Razor replied, flashing his sharp teeth. “We hunt down and rip out the throats of those that annoy us.”
Kali’s breath caught at the reminder that Razor was not human. A shiver of desire swept through her as she remembered what those teeth felt like against her skin. The low rumble from Razor showed that he felt her reaction.
“I cannot wait to get you to our home,” he murmured as they passed by several warriors. “I have been dreaming of you naked in my bath.”
Kali blushed as two warriors walking toward them grinned. She silently cursed the Trivator’s enhanced hearing and shot Razor at warning glance. She was going to have to think of a good payback when she saw him grin even bigger.
*.*.*
An hour later, she wasn’t thinking of payback, but of murder as she stood stiffly glaring at the tall, elegant female that was standing in what was supposed to be the bedroom of her new home. Kali’s mouth tightened as the woman looked her up and down. The disdain on the woman’s face was enough to make Kali curl her fingers into a fist. It was hard to resist clawing the woman’s eyes out as she turned those same eyes to Razor who stood frozen in the doorway behind Kali.
“Razor, I have missed you,” the woman said, taking a step toward him and tilting her neck seductively.
Kali knew the bitch was expecting him to run his nose along it. She'd break it if he even tried. She didn’t journey halfway across the universe to be set aside while he had fun with his fuck-bunny. Kali had no doubts that was exactly what the woman was in her tight fitting gown and with her perfectly made-up, I’m-ready-to-be-fucked, face.
There is no way I will ever sleep in this room, Kali thought infuriated.
“I wouldn’t go any closer if I were you,” Kali growled in a low tone. “Who are you and what are you doing here?”
Rainiera’s eyes narrowed at the warning in Kali’s voice. “I am Razor’s… mate,” Rainiera responded. “And who are you?”
Kali refused to let the pain raking through her show. She reached for the calm mask that she had perfected, but she knew that the fury still showed in her eyes at the woman’s raised eyebrow.
“I’m obviously in the wrong place,” Kali snapped back.
“Yes, you are,” Raini
era replied in a haughty tone, looking at Razor. “Who is this female? Is she the new house help? I thought I told you I would take care of maintaining it while you were away.”
“Oh, fuck no,” Kali snarled, turning to glare at Razor. “Who is she and what is she doing here?”
Razor looked back and forth between the two females. His former lover stood looking back at him with a look of quiet challenge while his Amate, while Kali… looked like she was ready to disembowel him. He silently cursed Rainiera. This was not the way he wanted Kali’s first impression of his world to be like.
“Rainiera, leave,” Razor ordered, never taking his eyes off of Kali.
“Why? I am your lover. She is… whatever she is. We had an agreement,” Rainiera stated coolly. “We had discussed joining when you returned. I will agree to it.”
“Joining,” Kali repeated, glaring at Razor. This time, she knew that the mask hiding her true feelings had slipped. She stumbled back a step when he started forward. “Joining, as in this?”
Rainiera’s eyes widened when she saw the dark markings around Kali’s wrists as she lifted her arms and slid the sleeves of her shirt back. Bitter disappointment and rage at being denied such a powerful position as being Razor’s Amate flooded her. She reached out and wrapped her hand around Kali’s wrist so she could read the markings.
“Don’t touch me,” Kali snapped, jerking her arm away and stepping closer to the door leading to the large bathroom. “Is it true? Did you promise her you would ‘join’ with her when you returned?”
“No,” Razor said, ignoring Rainiera’s outraged gasp. “We discussed it, but I made no promises.”
“Well, obviously she thought you had,” Kali said bitterly, tears of hurt and anger making her eyes glitter. “How could you? How could you bring me here, knowing she was waiting for you?”
“I brought you here because this is my… our home,” Razor said in a quiet, intense voice. “I did not know Rainiera would be here. I sent her a message stating that I no longer wished to consider joining with her.”
“You broke up with her through an email?” Kali whispered in shock and disbelief.
Razor growled in frustration, shooting a menacing look at Rainiera. The self-satisfied look on her face proved that she had planned this. When he had contacted her before, she swore she would not make his decision easy on him. He had underestimated her desire for revenge.
“Get out,” Razor snapped in fury.
“Razor,” Rainiera whispered, paling at the cold look of rage on his face.
“Now before I do something I might not regret, Rainiera. You’ve had your revenge. You can smell her pain,” Razor growled. “You are fortunate that I do not kill you for that.”
Kali’s eyes flashed at his mention of her pain. She hated that they could smell so damn well. Well, neither one of them could smell her if she was not there.
“Don’t bother. I’ll take my smell and leave you two love birds alone. You both deserve each other,” Kali interrupted through clenched teeth.
“Kali, my fi’ta,” Razor said in exasperation as she moved to step around him.
“Don’t,” Kali whispered when he reached for her. “Just… don’t.”
“Razor, if she wishes to leave, let her,” Rainiera said. “Surely you see now that you are back that such a weak creature could never stand by your side the way I could.”
Kali might have been able to ignore the comment if Rainiera had kept her disdain and satisfaction to herself. Her hands clenched into fists again. This time, though, she didn’t do it to keep from clawing the woman’s eyes out but to punch her. Kali rubbed her fist as she glared down at the woman now lying on the floor with a bloody lip.
“That, bitch, is just a taste of how weak I am,” Kali growled in a low, menacing voice. “If I ever see you again, you’d better run the other way or I’ll show you what happens when I really get pissed.”
Without another word, Kali turned sharply on her heel and strode from the room. She didn’t stop until she was out the front door. She picked up speed as she ran down the steps. As soon as she hit the long pathway leading up to the front of the house, she started running. She didn’t have a clue where she was going, but it wasn’t going to be here.
She turned the corner of the path and skidded to a stop to prevent running into an older couple coming up the path. The old man’s strong arms steadied her when she almost fell on the loose gravel. She pulled in a deep breath to apologize. Her eyes flew up to meet a set of dark gold eyes similar to Razor’s. A low sob exploded from her as she swayed from the pain washing through her.
“Oh child,” the woman’s soft, sympathetic voice was too much for Kali.
She turned into the woman’s open arms, uncaring that she was a stranger. Harsh sobs escaped Kali as her heart broke. She should never have come to this suddenly horrid world.
*.*.*
Razor stood stiffly over Rainiera. He didn’t help her to stand as she struggled to get her feet under her. He daren’t, for fear he would wrap his hands around her neck and snap it. He wanted to follow Kali, but first he needed to get Rainiera out of his home and out of his life once and for all.
“I told you we were over,” he said harshly.
Rainiera touched her bottom lip and winced as her fingers came away with blood. She glared at Razor for a fraction of a second before paling when she realized that she had never seen him so angry. At that moment, she feared she had pushed him too far.
“You did not mention you had taken an Amate,” she whispered defensively. “I… I thought you were simply unsure of how I could fit in your life.”
“You do not ‘fit’ in it at all,” Razor replied brutally. “I told you that we were over and not to return to my home.”
“Razor, I apologized for disobeying you, but do you really believe that… that creature is better suited for you than I am?” Rainiera whispered.
Razor lifted his arms so that Rainiera could see the markings surrounding his wrists. His face was set in stone as he fought to contain his temper. Each second he delayed making sure Rainiera understood her mistake meant a second longer Kali thought he did not want her.
“She is my Amate, my life, not a creature,” Razor hissed out. “The question is not whether she is fit to stand at my side, but if I am fit to stand at hers! She is a warrior. She saved my life not once, but twice. She is the mother of our unborn child. Kali is my family!”
Rainiera shook at the intensity of raw emotion in Razor’s voice. His words left no doubt to his feelings and commitment. The markings around his wrists eliminated any hope that she had of ever winning him back.
“I… forgive me, Razor,” Rainiera choked out in a hoarse voice.
“Get out.”
Razor stood stiffly as Rainiera nodded. His eyes followed her as she grabbed her wrap and walked by him. She bowed her head when he glared in warning at her when she hesitated as she did. Only after he heard the front door seal behind her did he release his breath.
He briefly closed his eyes as the picture of Kali’s pain filled eyes flashed before him. Turning on his heel, he quickly left the room praying Kali hadn’t gone far. The thought that she might have veered from the protected paths pushed him forward. He swept through the front door only to come to a sudden stop when he saw his father sitting on the top step waiting for him.
“I can’t…,” Razor began.
“She is with your mother,” Scout informed him.
“Where?” Razor asked in relief.
“Your Amate refused to return to the house so your mother took her to Hunter and Jesse’s,” Scout replied.
“Kali told you who she was?” Razor asked.
“Your markings did,” Scout replied dryly. “She is not happy with you right now.”
“No, I imagine she is not,” Razor replied heavily.
“Did she give Rainiera the bloody lip?” Scout asked, a glint of humor in his eyes as he stood up.
Razor’s lips twitched. In spite
of the heaviness he felt at causing Kali pain, his relief combined with her punching Rainiera in the mouth drew a reluctant chuckle from him. He would have to remember that Kali threw a wicked right hook.
“Yes,” Razor admitted. “Rainiera called her weak.”
Scout chuckled and slapped Razor on the shoulder. “I bet Rainiera doesn’t do that again.”
“No, I hope she never comes near Kali again,” Razor agreed following his father back down the path to where his transport was. “I just hope Kali will listen when I explain that I had no idea Rainiera would be here.”
Chapter 31
“Kali, please talk to me,” Razor begged in frustration outside the bedroom Hunter and Jesse had given her. “Please, my fi’ta, please let me in.”
It had been two days since the incident with Rainiera. Two days since he had seen Kali. She refused to talk to him, to see him. The sounds of her quiet sobs tore through him like knives.
He splayed his hands flat against the outside of the bedroom door. His mother had made him promise not to break it down. Leaning his forehead against it, he closed his eyes as another smothered sob escaped from Kali.
“I miss you, Kali. You are my Amate. You are my life,” Razor said quietly, knowing that she could hear him. “I would never cause you pain. I… I love you so much, Kali. Please, let me in.”
Emotion choked him when her tortured cry sounded through the door followed by silence. He turned when he felt a gentle hand touch his shoulder. He turned his anguished gaze to look into his mother’s sympathetic eyes.
“Go,” Shana instructed quietly. “I left you a plate on the table. Go eat. I will see to your Amate.”
“She will make herself sick,” Razor whispered. “What can I do to prove to her that I see no other but her?”
Shana’s eyes softened at the pain and grief in her eldest son’s face. “I will talk with her,” she said. “Go, have a drink and eat. Your father is waiting.”
Razor turned back to stare at the closed door for several long seconds before he nodded his head in resignation. He ran his hand down his face. He hadn’t eaten or slept since they returned to the planet. The idea of sleeping in the same bed that he had shared with Rainiera sent a wave of distaste through him. It had been so bad that he had pulled the mattresses off and burned them.