CHAPTER SEVEN
The elevator opened up into Raze's penthouse apartment and he walked across the marble floor carrying the many bags of clothing he'd purchased for Affina.
"I'll put your things in your room," he said. "I'm sure you would like to rest."
"Actually I'd like to go back for my father and the rest of the clan."
He stopped and turned. "If they've survived they will come through the portal. Sending you back will do no good. They will have left the area."
"I can track them."
"Even you said the others had slaughtered almost all of our clan."
"It's better than sitting here and doing nothing with my life besides shopping and eating."
Raze blew out a long, slow breath. He didn't need words to know what she was thinking of right then, he could hear it in her voice, in the way she tilted her chin up and crossed her arms over her breasts, feet planted on the floor, just the way he'd seen her mother do a hundred times.
"I will put these in your room and order you some food. I have meetings to attend. I may be back late."
She grabbed the bags from his hand. "I can fend for myself. I'd hate for you to be put out by me asking you to do anything for me."
Affina stormed past him and slammed the door to the bedroom.
Raze ran his hands through his hair as his saber grumbled. A deep part of him wanted to go and apologize. To garner her favor and see her smile like he used to, to hear her laugh and see her full of life. But he knew it would do no good. He knew this side of her all too well. When she became offended it was better to let her have her space, like all sabers. Cornering or confronting her was more than likely to get him a fresh scar.
His phone buzzed and he looked at it. He had thirty minutes to get to his first meeting.
He walked to her door. "If you need anything call down to the front desk and they will get it for you."
Raze waited but she didn't reply. He listened to the sounds of her room, but heard nothing beyond her breathing.
****
Affina waited for the elevator doors to close before she slid to the floor and let go of all her pain. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks as thoughts of her mother, father, and clan members floated through her mind. Gone. All gone. Her home gone. Her life completely altered now. Worst of all... the one person she had considered her best friend was completely changed and all that time in her father's house he'd hated being there. She'd mourned his loss more than anyone- even her mother. That night she'd thought he'd been killed had almost broken her. She'd not eaten for days afterward. Following the group, wandering place to place, wishing her heart would stop beating so the pain would cease. And now, to find out that he'd been sent to this world to become a self indulged brat like all the other royal males she'd met. It was too much to take.
Affina shoved the tears from her eyes and her saber growled. This was not the way her father had raised her. She would not be weak. She would not be ordered around. She had told Raze she could fend for herself and she'd meant it.
Affina pushed to her feet and opened the door. She headed into the living area and scanned the cream colored furniture. So different from the colorful array of furniture her parents had furnished the palace with. So drab. Like all the other colors on Earth.
She strode to the kitchen and ran her hand over the dark black rock counters. Surely Raze didn't clean this place himself. She walked to the large metal refrigerator and opened the door. A whoosh of cool air washed over her bare arms. Inside sat small containers of various foods. She opened them one by one and smelled them. The scent of chemicals and various states of mold made her wrinkle her nose. How could he eat that?
She closed the door and opened the other cabinets one by one. Some held plates and cups. Others held metal cans of what claimed to be food but looked nothing like food she would eat. In the end she spotted a basket on the counter and picked up several pieces of fruit and scarfed them down.
She threw the peels in the trash and headed back to her room. This was unacceptable. She had to eat. She crossed the apartment to Raze's area and threw open the door. A huge bed weighed down by a million pillows took up the entire middle of the room. Her heartbeat skipped at the idea of him sleeping in the bed. For the first time she wondered if he'd shared it with anyone of consequence. She headed to his closet and opened the double doors. His scent permeated the small room, sending a wave of longing through her.
She stared at the long row of impeccable suits lined up meticulously. All muted, dark tones. She ran her fingers over the suit jackets and across the crisp white shirts to the end. She stopped as she felt a familiar leather skin jerkin. She pushed the shirts aside and stared at the deep tanned leather. Stepping in closer she inhaled its scent. The smell of Razor lingered on the skin. Not Razor now with his fancy hair products and smelly perfume. But the smell of Razor from back on Aurora. Musky and hard working, but with a hint of playfulness. She inhaled deeply once more and then dropped the soft leather. All of those smells no longer described Razor. He may be hardworking still, but not in the same way.
Affina walked out of the closet and looked around the room. He'd always been more organized than she was, but his room, as with his entire apartment was almost picture perfect. Like a façade. A show. She couldn't find even one touch of personality in the place. As if he purposely kept himself hidden from the world.
Her stomach growled and she clutched it in pain. She needed to eat. Affina walked to a table on the side of his bed and opened the drawer. Inside sat some bottles of colorful liquid and several boxes of items she didn't bother with. Underneath lay a gold clip with green pieces of paper folded inside. Money. She pulled it out and pulled out twenty, hundred dollar bills, shoved them in her pocket and tossed the rest back into the drawer.
Her saber paced uncertainly as she headed for the elevator. If this was her life now she had to show Raze she could take care of herself. She had to be self-sufficient otherwise how would she ever survive?
Affina stepped out into the lobby and walked across the wooden floor to the front desk. A petite brunette looked up at her and smiled. "How can I help you?"
Affina fanned the money over the counter. "Is it enough to get me some food?"
The woman chuckled. "That's two thousand dollars. You can buy enough food for months with that."
Affina nodded and put the money back in her pocket. "Where is a place here I can get food?"
The girl glanced around and then looked back at Affina. "Do you have a purse?"
"A what?"
"A purse? A pocketbook? A wallet?"
Affina shook her head.
"You shouldn't be walking around the city with that much money in your pocket. It's dangerous."
"I can take care of myself."
The girl nodded. "Here. Take my purse and you can give it back when you're done." The girl pulled a small black bag out from underneath the counter and poured everything inside into a drawer before handing it to Affina.
Affina took the bag and shoved the currency into it. "Thank you."
"What kind of food are you looking for?" asked the girl.
"I don't know. Meat? Fruit?"
The girl nodded. "Okay. Well there are several restaurants down the block. I can get you a driver-"
"I can walk," said Affina.
"Of course." The girl pulled out a card and handed it to Affina. "Here's my card. If you get stuck or lost or just need help, feel free to call me."
"I don't have a phone."
"Oh... well, keep it anyway. Just in case."
Affina shoved the card into the purse. "Thank you." She turned and walked to the door, bracing herself she stepped out onto the sidewalk. She could do this. She had to.
****
Raze sipped his wine and stared at the beautiful woman across from him.
"Thank you again," he said. "For securing the lodge for me."
She smiled and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Of course. And thank you for the nice commission."
He nodded. "It's only fair."
She slid her hand across the table and ran her fingertips down his. "So is this a thank you dinner, or did you want something more?"
"Actually I do need something more from you."
A twist in the corner of her mouth and the flush of heat that colored her neck and chest told him exactly what was on her mind.
"I'm more than happy to go back to your place and give you anything you might require." She pushed her breasts forward, exposing her cleavage.
Twelve hours ago he would have taken her up on that offer, but now the sight of her small perky breasts was barely enough to make his body twitch.
"I was thinking more along the lines of business than pleasure. Besides, I have a- house guest." Raze's saber growled and he pulled his hand away. He flipped on his phone and pushed it across the table. "I need this."
She picked up his phone and looked at it. "You just bought three hundred acres, you could build anything you want."
"But I want this piece. It comes with an additional five hundred acres."
"Is it even for sale?"
"Not yet." He flashed her a smile. "But I'm sure you can convince the owner to sell."
She stared at the phone for a minute and then handed it back to him. He wasn't sure why he still wanted it, knowing now that there was no one else left but Affina and himself. The only thing he could say was that it had been Affina's father's wish for him to find them a place and in his years here on Earth he'd not found anything that more closely resembled their home than these pieces of land.
"I'll find the owners in the morning but I can't promise anything," she said.
"I have faith in you- and the power of money."
She sipped her wine and gave him a sexy grin. "So you have a house guest."
"I do."
Her smile broadened. "I don't."
****
Affina strolled down the crowded street letting the city bombard her. She sniffed every person she passed in an effort to acclimate. She read the flashing signs. Watched the vehicles move around, squawking at each other and stopping for the red lights. Couples kissed, children cried, dogs barked- dressed up like babies and being pushed around in small wheeled baskets. Everything made no sense, yet in the chaos she felt the energy of the world buzzing and pulsing with life. Something that had been dying in her people for decades.
Music floated toward her from up ahead. Light and upbeat, in a style she'd never heard before. She headed toward it and found herself in front of a small establishment full of people moving in a gyrating seductive dance. Men stood on a stage in bright white puffy shirts and large colorful hats strumming brown instruments that looked like lutes only bigger. One blew a horn and another played something else she'd never seen. The scent of spicy food made her stomach growl.
Affina headed toward a large dark skinned man who stood at the door. He held his hand out as she tried to enter.
"I.D."
Affina blinked. "I'm sorry?"
"I.D." He pointed to a sign. "You have to be over twenty one to enter."
"I am twenty one." She stepped forward and he held up his hand again.
"I need to see your I.D."
"Barry, it's okay. I got this one." An even larger man with deep brown eyes walked up and clapped the first man on the shoulder.
Affina breathed in deep and caught his scent. Her spine snapped straight. An Auroran.
Barry looked at Affina and then disappeared.
The Auroran held out his hand. "I'm Stix."
Affina stared at his hand before taking it. "Affina."
He sniffed her and his eyes widened. "You've come from the homeworld recently."
She nodded. "Yesterday."
Stix looked around. "Where is your clan or escort?"
She shrugged.
His expression sobered. "Come in off the street. I'm sure you're completely overwhelmed."
"I'm starving."
Stix whistled and another large male took his place at the door.
She followed him across the dance floor to a private booth in the corner. Affina sat facing him. His striking features, wide high cheekbones, deep skin tone and plump lips all but told her his clan without her having to ask.
"If you just got here," he said. "What are you doing out alone? The city can be confusing even for those of us who've been here for years."
"I... do not want to be coddled. I'm used to doing for myself."
He nodded. "You're of the lion clan?"
"Saber."
His eyes widened. "Saber?" He looked her up and down. "I've never actually seen one before. Your clans tend to keep to themselves."
"We did." She swallowed hard. "Now I wonder if that was wise. Maybe if we'd allied with the other clans there wouldn't only be two of us left."
"Two?" He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "I'm so sorry. What happened?"
Affina looked down at his hand, large enough to cover hers completely. "Can I get some water?"
He gave her a crooked grin. "Of course. I'll be right back." Stix got up from the table and crossed to the bar. Affina scanned the dance floor. The people had slowed to a more intimate rhythm and she wondered how many of the couples would go off and have sex afterward.
Stix returned with water and a bowl of small flat food and red sauce.
"I know this isn't what you're used to," he said. "But it will get you started. I ordered you some tacos."
She picked up one of the small triangles. "What is this?"
"It's a corn chip. You dip it in the salsa." He picked one up and scooped the salsa onto it and then popped it in his mouth.
Affina did the same. She crunched down on the chip and it broke apart in her mouth. Heat rose from her tongue and she choked. It burned up the roof of her mouth and through her nose. She coughed and grabbed the water. She chugged it down in large gulps.
"Are you okay?" Stix asked.
She nodded. "Hot."
He chuckled. "Yeah. It's a little spicy I guess but I got the mild."
She sucked air into her lungs and laughed. The taste was explosive, but good.
"I like it."
Stix smiled and ate another chip.
The music stopped as the band took a break.
"What kind of music is that?" she asked.
"It's called Mariachi. It's from a different country south of America."
She nodded and dipped another chip in the salsa.
"So you're a saber. Are you staying with the lions?"
She shook her head. "No. Gerri Wilder set me up to stay with the other saber here."
He watched her for a moment. "I take it you don't like him."
Her chest squeezed. She dipped another chip. "We were close once, or so I thought. But... he's different now."
Stix nodded. "It happens. When I came everything was so..."
"Much more?"
"Exactly. The excess here. The food, money, lights, entertainment. All of it is just so much bigger, brighter, louder. It's easy to get caught up in it. Especially if you're on your own."
"How long have you been here?" she asked.
"I came with my parents when I was ten. So almost twenty years."
"Back home your friends would still be twelve."
He nodded. "It's weird to think of that."
Two large platters filled with various colors arrived on their table.
"If you aren't that hungry you can take what you don't finish home with you," he said.
She looked up at him. "Not finish? I was going to ask if I could get a second platter."
Stix laughed and shook his head. "Man I miss seeing women really eat."
"Is that why the humans are so small? Do they not eat?"
"Pretty much." Stix picked up a taco and took a large bite.
Affina followed suit. The flavors burst in her mouth.
"These are really good."
Stix nodded. "Thanks. I try hard to make sure our food is authentic."
"You own this establishment?"
Stix nodded. "Took over for my parents about five years ago so they could go to their forest home. We have four bar and grills across the city."
Her saber paced thinking of the forest. "A forest home? Sounds nice."
"I visit on the weekends when I can. You would be welcome any time if you need to escape the city and run. Or just get some peace and quiet."
Affina smiled. "I'd like that."
Stix returned her smile. "Of course we'd need to make sure your host was okay with it. I wouldn't want to start a clan war between the ursas and the sabers."
"I am Princess Affina Tigra of the Saber Mountain Clan. My host has no say over what I do."
Stix nodded. "Of course. But here on Earth it's common courtesy to ask."
The ways of Earth really were different. Back on Aurora her father was the only one she answered to. Now that he was gone, she answered only to herself. But Stix was right and she didn't want him to get in trouble with his clan.
"All right," she said finally. "You may talk to Razor, but in the end it is my decision, not his."
Stix chuckled. "I believe you."