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CHAPTER ONE
Affina prowled through the vibrant violet trees behind her father Rocnar's large bunched shoulders. The sweet scent of Ubla flowers wafted toward her on the gentle breeze. Not a sound emanated from the Untamed Forest - even the morta bugs had ceased singing.
The Obsidian Mountain clan was hunting them.
For the last year the Obsidian Mountain clan had stalked the Untamed Forest seeking out the last of her clan and wiping them out. Her mother had been in the first attack at the castle as had the youngest of their clan. The survivors had run that very night and slowly they'd wandered from place to place trying to entreat the other clans to come to their aid. Few had offered help and none had offered to shelter them.
All that remained were Affina, her father the king and a handful of other Sabers. If they couldn't make it to the portal and escape to Earth, they wouldn't make it through the winter.
Several of the clan members had tried to reach out to the other shifters for help. Wolves, dragons, bears. But the distrust between clans ran deep. As the only shifters that still preferred to keep to their solitude, there was a reason they were a dying race.
A branch crunched to the left. Affina's father's head whipped that direction. He sniffed the air and his muscles tensed. The stench of malice floated from a clump of trees.
Rocnar turned to her, his hand moving in several rapid signals telling her he was going to move into the clearing to set the transporter in place. Her clan had been forced to resort to thievery to obtain the portal device. Affina had heard rumors of the backward planet full of inferior, soft humans, but she'd never been there.
Rocnar stalked through the waist high rainbow of flowers to the middle of the clearing. In the glistening light of Nova Aurora's two moons the flowers shimmered with iridescence. A shiver raced over her skin as she wondered if the flowers on Earth were as beautiful. A new planet. She was going to a new planet. A skittering of fear shot through her and she shoved it away violently.
Behind her a cough broke the silence. Incus covered his mate Jershon's mouth and he grabbed a water container and pressed it to her lips.
A dozen pairs of bright orange cat eyes stared at her waiting for the signal. She motioned for them to stay quiet before training her eyes back on her father.
He pulled an egg shaped object the size of his large palm from under his cloak and threw it into the air. A whirring sound filled the grove and then a rippling picture appeared like the reflection of a pool. Through it a strange small room, the color of death floated in the air.
Rocnar beaconed Affina over. She ran toward him as an ear splitting screech cracked through the silence. Affina turned. A large creature lumbered through the trees.
"Affina! Meh ranook!" Her father yelled.
Behind her Jershon screamed and Incus roared. Bones broke as the rest of her clan shifted and the sounds of fighting ensued.
Fire coursed through Affina as her saber fought for control.
"Affina! Non! Meh ranook!" Her father commanded.
A saber cried out and Affina's saber clawed its way to the surface. She dropped her cloak and bag as anger boiled her blood. She turned to run back to her clan members when strong arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her off the ground, dragging her backward.
"Father no! We must help!"
"Go my daughter. Carry on my name. Carry on your mother's name. Don't let our clan die."
Propelled backward she clawed at his arms, her nails and teeth lengthening. The sounds of shrieks and growls floated out of the trees.
Teloren lumbered into the grove, his front leg hanging limp and useless. She reached for him.
"Father, let me help."
The whooshing sound grew louder and the scent of ozone and metal filled her nostrils just as her father whipped her around and shoved her forward.
Affina's feet stuck to the ground as the pool swallowed her and pulled her forward. She tried to turn and run back, but the portal gripped around her body like a giant sea octoid. She opened her mouth to scream but the tightly wrapping tentacles squeezed all air from her lungs.
Her father's voice floated toward her from over her shoulder. "Be well my daughter. Don't let our clan die!"
Affina's eyes stung with bitter tears and the fire that had burned inside her doused like a bucket of icy water as she fell forward to her knees onto a hard cold surface. Affina blinked several times and sucked in a ragged breath. Turning she jumped to her feet to see the portal shimmer. Giant shadows loomed into the grove. Her father's clothes shredded as he shifted and jumped at the shadow.
"Father!" Affina ran toward the portal. The scene thinned as she ran to it. She jumped and slammed into a death colored wall. Her head fuzzed over as she fell on her butt. The portal had disappeared.
Everything grew fuzzy and then darkness overtook her.
"Hey.” A hand shook Affina's shoulder. "Miss, are you okay?"
Affina opened her eyes and a middle-aged man with a round doughy face floated in and out of view.
"Where am I?" she croaked. Everything flooded back to her and she sprang to her feet. "Get me back. I must go back."
His eyes rounded with surprise. "Back?"
"Nova Aurora."
He stared at her for a moment and she grabbed him by the shirt.
"Send me back!"
"Okay. Okay. Calm down. Just calm down."
Affina let go of his shirt and stepped away. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't be here. On Earth alone while her clan died out back on Nova. She had to get back.
"I'm Steven," the man said. "Do you know where you are?"
"Earth. My father pushed me through. I need to get back to him. To my clan. Can you send me back?"
His lips drew into a grim line. "I can't. But I know someone who might be able to."
"Get them." She stepped forward, towering over Steven.
He took a step back and pulled something from his pocket. "Okay. Just... just give me a minute."
He backed toward the door and held the small device to his ear.
"Why don't you have a seat?" He motioned to the small chair on the opposite side of the room.
Affina stalked to it and sat heavily in the chair. She had to squeeze between the small arms on either side. Had it been made for a child? The chair barely seemed able to hold her weight. Back on Nova everything had been made of wood so heavy and strong that it was almost indestructible. But this... she feared even moving might break it.
"Hello, Gerri?" Steven turned toward the door. "This is Steven... great thank you. So... there's been a situation. We have an arrival from Nova Aurora."
"I'm not sure." Steven glanced over his shoulder at Affina. "What's your name?"
"Affina Tigra of the Saber Mountain clan."
"Affina Tigra?" he repeated. He looked at Affina again and gave her a mild smile. "Right... Right... Of course... Thank you."
Steven replaced the object in his pocket and smiled at Affina. "Do you know Gerri Wilder?"
"The matchmaker?"
"Yes. She asked if you'd mind waiting for her. She'll be here as soon as she is able."
"Will she get me back to Nova?"
"She's able to get you back, yes."
Affina rested her elbows upon her tanned bare legs and hung her head. Dead. They could all be dead by the time she got back. Why had he done it? Why had her father shoved her through and not gotten everyone through? What had he expected her to do here on Earth. No clan. No family. No money. Nothing...
"Don't let our clan die." Her father had said. But how was she supposed to ensure the survival of their species when she didn't even have another saber to mate with?
****
Affina's stomach growled. The sound of small heels clicked down the hallway outside the room she was trapped in, and then a sharp rap sounded on the door.
Steven pushed a button and the door swung inward. Affina stood as a petite, older female with bright eyes and a shock of white hair stepped into the small space. Affina sniffed the wolf shifting matchmaker.
Though she was the smallest shifter Affina had ever seen, the woman loomed large enough to take up the entire space with her presence. Her mother had been the same way. The feeling shot Affina through the heart.
Gerri's sharp eyes took in every inch of Affina, making her feel like a cub under the inspection of a new Alpha.
"How did you get here?" Gerri asked.
"Through a portal device."
Gerri nodded. "Why?"
Affina looked from Gerri to Steven. "Why?"
"Yes. Why did you come here alone?" Gerri tapped her foot and raised an eyebrow.
Affina's anger spiked. "My clan spent everything they had for a transporter so we could get here and start over. My people have been being killed off for over a year. Coming here was our last hope. But at the moment we went to enter the portal we were attacked. My father pushed me through before it closed." Affina's mouth dried. She'd been trying to not give voice to her fear, but she had to face the truth. "Since he has not come I can only assume he is dead. As are the rest of my kind."
Gerri's eyes softened and she walked forward and wrapped her arms around Affina, barely above her waist.
"My dear child. I am so sorry. I didn't know that the sabers were in such trouble."
Affina instinctively relaxed into Gerri's body and allowed the tiny woman's warmth to flow through her. Affina wrapped her arms around Gerri and bent her head, rubbing her cheek on Gerri's hair.
"You poor girl. Traveling by yourself into a strange world."
Affina held back the tears that threatened to spill.
Gerri let go and took Affina's hand in hers. "Don't you worry. I'm going to help you."
Affina nodded. "Thank you. I am the last of my clan. There is nothing for me to do here now but wait out my time and join my parents in the after life."
Gerri's eyes widened and then sparkled. "Oh my dear, don't fret. This actually explains a lot."
"Explains what? I don't understand."
"Not to worry. You will soon."