Page 32 of Her Alien Beast
Chapter 21
AMIRA
Something isn’t right.I feel myself floating in a haze of fatigue. I’m trying to wake up, but the pull of sleep is strong. I hear noises, footsteps and voices, to be precise, though I can’t make out what is being said. I think I hear my name a few times, but I can’t force my eyes open just yet.
My throat hurts. So does my chest. It hurts to breathe.
Am I sick? I search my memory, but everything is foggy.
“Amira,” a familiar male voice calls. “Amira, my darling, wake up.”
It’s a struggle to open my eyes, but I finally manage, blinking against the bright lights of a familiar room. I’ve been here before, but I’m not sure when. I sit up and realize I’m on a large sofa in a sitting room.
I inhale a deep breath and lift my gaze. I gasp. Gregory is standing on the other side of the room, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.
Then I remember everything.
Oh God. Vlann. Where is he? Is he all right? The last thing I remember is the blaster fight in the forest and the toxic fumes that made us pass out. I remember Vlann picking me up and trying to outrun the fumes, only to collapse on his knees while still holding me in his arms. Then nothing, only blackness.
“Where’s Vlann?” I ask, gripping an armrest for support. Now that I’m awake, my strength is slowly returning, but I still feel woozy.
Gregory gives me a cold smile. “That huge green beast, you mean?” He laughs and shakes his head, as if in disbelief. “You ought to thank me from saving you from him.”
“That huge green beast is my lifemate,” I retort. “Where is he?”
Gregory approaches and sits next to me on the sofa. I try to scoot away, but he grasps my hand and pulls me close. Disgust rolls through me, but I’m too weak to fight him. The burning in my throat increases as I think about Vlann. Please let him be all right. Oh God, let him be alive.
Gregory reaches for me and strokes my hair with a tenderness that belies the coldness in his eyes. I shudder and lean away from him. He keeps reaching for me anyway, gently brushing his fingers through my hair. We’re inside his parents’ cabin on Tressik Lake, a place I’ve visited frequently.
My own parents cabin is next door, a short walk away, though I know they aren’t planning a trip to the lake for quite some time and their cabin is currently empty. There aren’t any other cabins nearby, not within reasonable walking distance. That means there’s no chance anyone will hear me if I scream.
“My sweet, sweet fiancée,” he says, his gaze turning apologetic. It’s an act though. He’s not sorry for anything. “I’m so sorry to inform you, but Vlann is dead. I had to protect you from the huge green beast, my love, so I did. I shot him in the head before I rescued you from the forest. You ought to thank me. Now we can be together again.”
He keeps talking, but as the grief consumes me, blinding in its intensity, his words fade into the background.
Vlann is dead.
Oh God, how could it be true?
I feel wetness on my cheeks and realize I’m crying, tears sliding silently from my burning eyes. I swallow hard and stare into the distance, out the nearest window, as my lightheadedness starts returning.
It’s as though a numbness of sorts has enveloped me. I can’t quite believe Vlann is dead, though logically I know Gregory is indeed horrible enough to shoot a man who’s passed out on the forest floor in the head.
Denial, I realize, as I hear my rapidly beating heart thumping in my ears. I’m in denial. It’s as though I’m watching myself and making observations about my own reaction to the situation.
“You’re a bastard,” I say, almost a whisper. My voice doesn’t sound like my own. I sound distant, as if I’m far away from this terrible reality.
He grasps my chin and forces me to look at him. He cups my face in a gentle manner, stroking his thumbs along my cheeks as he peers into my eyes.
“At least I’m a human,” he says. “At least I didn’t copulate with an alien beast.”
My hand shoots up but he captures my wrist before I can slap him.
“Next time you raise a hand to me,” he says in a warning tone, “I will make you bleed. You’re to be my wife and I expect you to behave properly, Amira. I hope you don’t plan to be as theatrical as your ridiculous mother.”
I almost try to slap him again, but instead I curl my hands into fists and clench my teeth together. “I know about your criminal history,” I say in a taunting voice, “I know about your expunged charges, too. Bribery, rape, assault, and more. I showed the report to my parents. They’ll never agree to let me marry you now.”
This shocks him. His eyes widen and he releases his hold on me. He stands up and crosses the room, running his hand through his hair several times. Despite my continued shock over Vlann, I revel in this small victory.
