Page 26 of Her Alien Beast
“I can’t have you trying to escape, little human. Consider yourself my prisoner, if you would like, but you’re coming with me and we’re going to talk in private.”
A shudder runs through me as he navigates the hovercar out of the restaurant hover lot. The last thing I see is Gregory exiting the diner and heading for his vehicle. Great, I think. I’m missing again.
At least this time it’s not my own fault. This thought brings me a bit of comfort, though it soon occurs to me that I won’t be considered missing for quite some time. Not until I fail to come home tonight and my parents begin to wonder where I am.
“Where are we going?” I finally ask, grateful that at least I’m not blindfolded this time.
“To take that walk we should’ve taken yesterday,” he replies over his shoulder.
It’s difficult to form a coherent thought over the pounding of my heart in my ears.What walk?I think. But then I remember… yesterday, before I told Vlann I wanted to return home to my family, he’d invited me to go on a walk with him. He’d said he’d needed to talk to me about something. In my sudden urgency to get home, I hadn’t realized we never got that chance. My curiosity grows the closer we get to his residence on the mountain.
“Will you behave if I take these off?” he asks once we arrive, tugging on the manacles as we stand outside his house.
“Yes. I promise,” I reply, barely a whisper.
He leans close and presses his thumb to the side of the manacles, releasing the lock. As he hovers over me, he’s so close I can smell his enticing masculine scent and memories assail me, little pulses of heat erupting in my core, causing me to ache unbearably.
I watch as he shoves the manacles into his pocket, then I glance at the tree line, but I know I can’t outrun him. Besides, I don’t think he’ll hurt me. He says he just wants to talk, and I believe him.
He takes a deep breath and grabs my hand, leading me toward the lake. I hurry to keep up with him as he pulls a small tablet from his pocket.
“What’s that?” I ask.
He guides me toward a large, flat rock along the lake. Once we’re seated, he places the tablet in my hands, his eyes apologetic. “Read it,” he says. “Read all of it.”
It’s a list of the specific crimes Gregory has been charged with over the years, including the dates the charges were dismissed or his record was officially expunged. The file I’m looking at is classified, but I don’t bother asking how Vlann got ahold of it. He’s a former Enforcer and a bounty hunter, and I’m sure he has his ways.
“Do you believe me now?” he asks.
“I believed you when you called me, Vlann, but at the time, there wasn’t much I could do to escape marrying Gregory. He threatened me and I-I didn’t think I had a choice.”
“Threatened you how?” he asks, a deadly edge to his voice.
I quickly explain about his threat to drug me into compliance, as well as his threats to harm my parents.
“I’m going to kill him,” Vlann announces, his voice cold. He strokes a hand through my hair, his touch gentle. Goosebumps rise all over and heat quakes in my inner core. Again, I can’t help the arousal I feel in Vlann’s presence.
I suppose Vlann doesn’t know I was at the restaurant with Gregory. If he had, I have no doubt the alien bounty hunter would’ve barged inside and attacked him on the spot. As much as I’d like to see Gregory suffer, I’m glad Vlann hasn’t harmed him yet. I don’t want Vlann getting into trouble on my account.
“Don’t kill him,” I say. “I would hate to see you in prison.”
He chuckles and continues stroking my hair. I like having his hands on me and I don’t want him to stop. I lean into his touch with a soft sigh. How could I have walked away from him without confessing my feelings? I was brave enough to dump Gregory in public, thus protecting myself and my family against any possible retribution, and now, I decide, I’m going to be brave enough to tell Vlann how much I’ve missed him.
But before I can form the words, a thought strikes me.
“Wait a second. Vlann, did you know I was at that restaurant? Or did you just randomly run into me and decide to carry me away?”
His nostrils flare and he stands taller, towering over me like a conquering giant. The aching between my thighs intensifies and my breath comes in rapid but short gasps. A longing like no other steals through me.
“I knew you would be there. I came for you, little human.”
Little human. I like it when he calls me that. It’s always felt like an endearment, and maybe he truly means it that way. God, I can only hope.
“How could you possibly know I was there?”
The corners of his mouth curve in a slight grin. “Easy, Amira. I tracked you by using your wrist comm number.”
My eyes widen and I glance down at the comm I’m wearing on my left wrist. “You what?” I want to be mad, but I can’t summon even mild annoyance. I don’t care that he tracked me down. In fact, a warm feeling spirals through me as I realize he pretty much stalked me.
