CHAPTER TWELVE
Affina disembarked from the plane gripping Razor's hand so tight she feared she might break it. Her father was alive. He'd lived. She'd spent the last hours on the plane ride in tense silence with Razor. His trepidation written all over his face. She knew his fear. The fear that her father would try to invalidate their mating. She'd tried to reassure him that she would not let that happen, but he'd been unconvinced.
He helped her to the car where Ario waited for them. Affina gave him a tight smile and Ario nodded to her.
"Where are we to meet them?" she asked.
Razor refused to meet her eye. "Gerri's place."
Affina reached for him. "I'm going to handle this."
He didn't look up.
The car drove out of the private airstrip and Affina looked out the window. She played in her head the things she would say to her father to make him understand. To help him see that she and Razor were meant for each other.
The thirty minute drive passed like a crawl and with each mile they drew closer to Gerri's building, Affina grew more and more tense.
When Ario finally pulled up in front, Affina's gut wound tighter than a veluvuan ceremony drum. Several large males stood at the front door of the building. They all appeared to be in various states of lounging, but all completely tense.
Razor breathed deep. "That's a lot of shifters."
She swallowed hard. "They aren't sabers."
"No. They're wolves." He stepped from the car, walked to her side and opened the door.
Affina exited the vehicle and took his hand. Together they walked to the door. All four of the shifters turned and their eyes tracked Affina and Razor as they strode forward. They sniffed the air and stepped back, inclining their heads to Affina in respect.
The doorman looked from Affina to the largest wolf. He nodded and the doorman opened the door.
Razor pulled her tight against him as they walked through. Though it was obvious the wolves weren't going to try something, having so many in the area made her itch. Something wasn't right. She could smell it. She didn't know what it was but a chill ran up her spine.
They headed for the elevator and again two more shifters stood by. One of them spotted her and pushed the button. The other pulled out his cell and informed Gerri that they were on their way up.
When the elevator doors closed Affina blew out a breath. "My father may be the king but I've not seen him act like this in almost a year. It surprises me that he is requesting a guard."
Raze stayed silent for a moment and then looked at her. "The wolves aren't here to guard your father. They're here for Gerri."
Gerri? Why would they be there for Gerri? A knot grew in Affina's stomach. The elevator door opened and Affina stepped out.
"There you two are!" Gerri stormed down the hallway flanked by several more male wolves. "What did you do, run back?" she demanded.
"We came as fast as we could." Razor's voice came out subdued but his grip on Affina's waist grew tighter still.
"Well it's about time. You two get in there, get this sorted out and get them the hell out of my building."
"Have they offended you?" Affina asked.
Gerri snorted. "Offended isn't the word I would use. Annoyed. Ordered. Threatened. Pissed off. Those are words I would use. To imply they have offended me would be to imply that I care one iota about them, which I don't." Gerri stepped right up to Raze and pointed her slender finger in his face. "You get them out of here. And be sure to let them know that if they ever set foot in my building again, I'll let my boys rip them apart."
Without another word Gerri turned and strode down the hall to her apartment. One of the wolf guards opened her door and she slipped inside.
Another wolf guard opened a door further down. Affina's legs carried her forward without thinking. She couldn't understand what her father had done to Gerri but she didn't care. She had to see him. She strode quickly to the open door and practically rushed inside.
"Father?"
The front room filled with bodies. She sniffed the air. Sabers. They turned as she entered. One saber limped forward.
"Incus." Affina ran to him and pulled him into a hug. He winced at her touch and didn't hug her in return. Affina stepped away, suddenly self-conscious. "I'm sorry, Incus. I didn't mean to invade your space."
He gave her a weak smile and a split on his lip opened and wept blood. "Think nothing of it, Princess."
She looked around the room. "Where's my father?"
Incus' gaze travelled to the other sabers. Affina looked at the other faces realizing that she didn't recognize them. This wasn't her clan.
Razor rushed to her side and pulled her away.
"Where is the king?" Razor demanded.
"I'm right here." The sabers parted revealing a large saber sitting in an oversized chair. His rust colored beard and shaggy hair were long and unkempt.
Anger surged through Affina as recognition struck her hard.
"You! You killed my mother!" She rushed forward but Razor caught her around the waist.
"Fina, don't," he whispered.
"And your father." The man stood from the chair making it groan.
Affina lunged at him, but Razor held her fast. "Murderer!" she yelled.
"I prefer king. It was your father that was the murderer." He stopped directly in front of her and grabbed Affina by the arm.
Razor lashed out and shoved him in the chest, stepping in front of her, fangs bared. "Touch her again and you'll lose a hand."
The other sabers rushed forward but the king raised his hand to stop them.
He sniffed Razor and then sniffed again. "It's been a long time since someone has dared to threaten me and lived, boy."
"It's been a long time since I've been given the opportunity to practice. However I'm more than happy to back it up if necessary. I meant what I said. Don't touch her."
Affina put her hand on Razor's shoulder. Something wasn't right. The way the supposed king looked at Razor sent a chill up her spine.
The king chuckled. "What is your name?"
"Why do you care?" Affina blurted. "Do you want the name of every saber before you kill them?"
"Fina, let me handle this," Razor said in their native tongue.
"This piece of shit killed my family. I won't allow him to harm you or the others as well."
The king's gaze fell hard on Affina but she squared her shoulders and stared right back at him. She refused to allow the monster to cower her and if need be, she would fight to the death for both Razor and the others.
"My name is Razor's Edge. I was a guard in the Saber Mountain clan."
Whispers travelled around the group and the king looked Razor up and down.
"Who were your parents?"
"My father was a traitor, like you. He sought power and tried to overthrow Princess Affina's father. My mother suffered his fate as well for having gone along with his plan."
Affina placed her palm on Razor's back, lending him her strength. He never spoke of his parents. It would have been easy for him to simply say their names, but to truly believe that they were traitors had to run deeper than she even knew.
"Is that what you were told, boy?" asked the king. "Is that the bull this girl and her father fed you to keep you complacent?"
"We fed him nothing. I saw his parents come with my own eyes. I watched his father challenge mine for the throne."
The saber's eyes steeled against her. "I am Mandrake Silveredge, King of the Silver Edge clan." His gaze travelled to Razor. "I am your grandfather."
Affina blinked replaying the words in her head.
"My... grandfather?" asked Razor.
"Your mother Sheenar was my daughter. She mated Gregor your father. His family was the rightful heirs to the Saber Mountain clan."
"That's a lie," Affina spat.
Mandrake's icy gaze fell on her heavily. "Is it? Your grandfather Affrid overthrew Gregor's grandfather for the throne. He took control of the Saber Mountain clan, putting your father on the throne after him. But the rightful heir of the Saber Mountain pack is not you, girl. It is my grandson, Razor. It's why we came for you that night."
A chill ran down Affina's back. He had been looking for someone the night he'd shown up.
"Where is the kin that was taken," she whispered.
Razor turned to look at her.
"That's what you said. The night you attacked and took my mother hostage. You asked my father 'where is the kin that was taken'?" She looked at Razor. He was the one Mandrake had been looking for. The one her mother had died protecting the identity of. Her father had known all along that Razor wasn't a slave. He was royalty.
"Aye," replied Mandrake. "We'd been told the boy had been killed with his parents originally and I was ready to wipe out your clan just for that offense alone, but we didn't have the numbers you did. So I waited and I joined forces with other clans. Then the day came that news reached me of a teen who looked just like Gregor. A slave in the Saber Mountain clan. A slave named Razor's Edge. You. My grandson. So I came for you, but when we arrived, you weren't there. Again I thought you dead until that one finally broke." Mandrake pointed to Incus.
Affina turned and looked at the captain of her father's guard. Gone was the strong, imposing saber that he'd once been. Left was a shell of a saber, broken and beaten by who knew how many tortures.
"So you see," said Mandrake. "I have come to deliver you from them once and for all. To bring you home to the place where you were born to be. The throne of the Saber Mountain clan. All hail, Razor's Edge, King of the Saber Mountain clan."
"All hail, King Razor," the sabers intoned.
A sick brew churned in Affina's stomach and she stepped away from Razor. He was the rightful heir. Murderers were kings. Slaves were Alphas. Captains were liars. And she... was nothing.
****
Razor's mind tried to catch up with what was happening. Mandrake brought Incus forward along with Boramus, Medajon and Satia. The last of the Saber Mountain clan.
Their clothes were dirty and ragged. Blood stained their faces and arms. Each of the three, including Affina's handmaiden Satia were beaten and broken from their torment.
"Kneel before your king," Mandrake ordered.
The three sabers looked between each other and then to Affina.
Mandrake's men kicked them to their knees. Satia crumpled to the ground and Affina rushed forward and punched the saber in the chest, sending him flying backward.
"Stop that!" Affina shouted. "How dare you treat them so poorly. They've done nothing to you."
"Nothing but support my daughter's murderer," said Mandrake.
Affina jumped to her feet and stood nose to nose with him. "And what about you? You call my father murderer and yet you did the same thing."
"To kill a traitor is not murder."
"Then neither was my father. Your daughter and her mate were traitors to my family just as you claim my father was to yours."
Mandrake's fists clenched tight and his jaw worked hard for a moment. "When we return to Nova you will learn respect girl. You will learn what it is truly like to be a slave at my feet and in my bed."
Affina spit in Mandrake's face. "I'll die before you take me anywhere."
Mandrake raised his hand to strike Affina but Razor's saber roared to life. He jumped in front of her and grabbed Mandrake's arm.
"Remember what I said about that hand? That hasn't changed. Grandfather or not, you'll not lay a claw on her."
Mandrake yanked away from him and his skin rippled with anger. "We came for both of you. To bring you home and to make her suffer as my daughter suffered. She must pay the debt that was done to you and our family."
"I don't know yet if I believe what you say. I know not you, nor your men. But for the sake of argument I will say I believe you. And if what you say is true, if I am king of Saber Mountain, then you have no say over my people or my clan."
"Incus, Boramus, Medajon, Satia, rise and join me." Affina helped Satia to her feet and the group huddled behind Razor.
"You obviously don't know how these things work, boy. My clan demands a tribute as payment for reinstating you to your position as king of Saber Mountain," said Mandrake. "We demand the life of Affina Tigra."
Razor's fangs lengthened as anger surged through him. "And you obviously don't know me. First of all, I haven't been anyone's boy for a long time now. Second of all, I don't give tribute where none is owed. I didn't ask you to come here. I didn't ask you to get the throne for me. You chose to do that for your own purposes. Therefore, I owe you nothing. And as for my clan, I think you've taken quite enough from them already."
Mandrake stared at Razor. Razor could see in his eyes the conflict. If he backed down he would look weak to his clan. If he didn't it would end in a bloody battle between them and one of them would not be coming out alive.
"You are right. You did not ask for this. Therefore I will forgive the customary tribute this once. Instead I insist you mate with one of our clan females and seal the rift between our people."
The offer was one Raze had seen many times before to ensure peace between clans. But it didn't matter. Mandrake was in no position to insist on anything.
"I cannot accept this deal," he replied. "For I have already taken the bond with another. I am already mated."
Mandrake shrugged. "Many sabers in our clan take more than one mate. It does not matter."
"It matters to me." Razor turned and offered his hand to Affina. She looked at it for a moment and then slipped her hand into his and stepped forward. "Affina is my mate and my queen. I will have no other."
Mandrake's gaze narrowed and he gritted his teeth.
"I will give you something you can return home with however, as both tribute and to seal the rift between the clans."
Mandrake folded his bulky arms over his chest. "And what is that?"
"I give you stewardship over Saber Mountain and all of its possessions until such time as I or one of my descendants returns to claim it."
Mandrake stared at him a moment, but the sparkle in his eyes and the slight upturn of the corners of his mouth told Razor the prospect was already agreeable.
"You are giving me Saber Mountain castle?"
"On one condition."
Mandrake growled. "You try my patience."
"Trust me, mine was spent the moment I walked in this room. If you find any more members of the Saber Mountain clan, you are to send them to Earth unharmed."
Mandrake nodded. "And..."
"And you nor none of the Silver Edge clan may ever return here again."
Grumbles sounded around the room. Mandrake held up his fist and the grumbles stopped.
"Agreed."
The promise had to be sealed in blood or there was no guarantee Mandrake would keep it. Razor shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to Affina. Then he unbuttoned his dress shirt and untucked it. His nails lengthened and he raked them across his chest. Blood welled to the surface and dripped down his pecs.
Mandrake ripped through his tunic, shredding it and staining it in blood. Both of them wiped their blood on the other's chest and then nodded.
It was done.
There was a sharp knock on the door and it pushed inward. Gerri looked around the room and spotted Raze.
"The portal is open if you are finished."
Raze nodded.
Mandrake's clan filed into the hallway one by one.
"I don't know which is worse," said Mandrake. "Not being able to take Rancor's daughter as a slave, or knowing you are mated to her."
Raze fought to keep his voice even. "While you and your clan are busy back on Nova keeping stewardship over my lands, take comfort in knowing that as long as you do your job, you will never have to see either of us again."
Mandrake's eyes softened and for a flash of a moment, Raze saw his mother in them. Then they hardened again and Mandrake stormed out.
The door closed and the group stood in silence for several moments before Satia burst into tears. Razor turned as Affina and the rest of the clan huddled together in desperate clinging need.
They whispered words of love and comfort to Affina as she kissed each one in turn and hugged them tight. Minutes passed making Raze feel more and more like an outsider. Finally Affina turned to him and bowed. The rest followed suit.
He reached for her. "Fina. Don't-"
"No." She stopped him. "You are our alpha. Our king. We owe you our allegiance and our respect."
The pain in her voice was all too obvious. But what she was doing was obvious. She was leading the way like always. The others would follow what she did. They would accept him or reject him based on her actions. She was making it clear, that she believed him to be the king.