Page 21 of Her Alien Beast
Chapter 13
VLANN
The next morning,I awake to the mouthwatering aroma of fresh pancakes. It’s a familiar smell, as one of the Minders from the orphanage was a human woman who cooked them frequently. I haven’t eaten them in years, though I suppose all the ingredients are in the kitchen cabinets. I get out of bed and head for the kitchen, a bit confused. Amira has told me she’s not skilled at cooking, though it doesn’t smell as if anything is burning.
I find her standing in front of the stove, a spatula in her hand. There’s flour on her shirt and a small dash of it on her face. She glances over her shoulder at me with a grin.
“My roommate at the university taught me how to make pancakes.” She stands on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek as I wrap my arms around her. I like the sight of her in my kitchen, cooking me a meal. I want her like this every morning, I decide, with her hair wild and mussed from a night of frequent lovemaking, streaks of flour on her face as she prepares breakfast.
“It smells delicious, little human,” I say, patting her bottom before taking a seat at the counter.
As we enjoy our breakfast, I can’t help but notice a shadow keeps crossing Amira’s face. But whenever I meet her eyes, she shoots me a broad smile. Her behavior confounds me, especially when I notice her constantly fidgeting and swallowing hard. A couple of times, she also blinks rapidly after a sheen of tears fill her eyes. I wish I had more experience with humans, but I don’t.
I decide to distract her though and say, “Let’s take a walk around the lake,” once the kitchen is cleaned up. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
She bites her lip and looks worried. “I have to talk to you about something too.” She takes my hand and once more appears on the verge of tears. “It’s time for me to go home now. I know it’s a day early, but I-I keep thinking about my family, and I-I can’t stay here anymore. I don’t belong here.”
I have the sudden urge to pick up a chair and slam it against the nearest window. But I don’t move. I don’t even breathe. The pain of her rejection is so acute that I’m left momentarily stunned.
“All right,” I finally say. “We can leave as soon as you’re ready.” I can’t fathom letting the little human go, but I also can’t keep her here against her will. I would rather she miss me instead of hate me. Except, I’m starting to think she won’t miss me. Maybe she’s like the other females on this planet, those who are repulsed by my unusual appearance.
“I’m ready now. I just need to grab my backpack.”
Too soon, I’m speeding away from the mountain in my hovercar, Amira in the passenger seat beside me. There’s no need for a blindfold this time. It doesn’t matter if she knows where I live. Pride keeps me silent as we drive toward the La’tkk Mountains. I know exactly where her home is located, having memorized the address from the information provided by Owen.
“You won’t get back together with Gregory, will you?” I inquire when we’re almost to her house. Though I despair over letting her go, I can’t stand the thought of another male’s hands on her, especially her bastard ex-fiancé who’s caused her so much pain. I’ll kill him first.
“Of course not,” she replies, looking straight ahead. I notice she’s clutching the armrests on her seat so hard her knuckles are white. She looks as if she’s in pain, but how could she be? She’s the one who’s decided to leave me. I try to push away the memory of our time spent together, when I’d fooled myself into thinking I would no longer be alone.
We reach her house and I park in the driveway, landing the hovercar with a gentle thud on the white pavement. “Good-bye, Amira.” I clutch the control wheel, feeling as though my world has gone dark. I can’t look at her. I fear if I do, I’ll lose control and drive away before she has a chance to exit my vehicle. I’ll hold her captive as mine forever, even if she hates me for it. I’ll finally give in to my desire to hold her down and bite her, tasting her blood.
She pauses with her hand on the door. “Aren’t you coming in?” she asks. “The reward…”
“…doesn’t appeal to me,” I reply, still staring straight ahead. “Go back to your family, Amira. Just tell them you got lost in the woods. I don’t care what you tell them.” I know I’m being needlessly cruel, lashing out at her because I’m hurt, and I push away the guilt that follows.
“Fine,” she mutters, and slams the door so hard the hovercar shudders.
I’m already off her family’s property before she reaches the front door of the brick mansion, guiding the hovercar away at a breakneck speed.
