Page 5 of Her Alien Beast
“Has your family mistreated you, little human? Is that why you wish to remain hidden?”
“I, er, no, they haven’t.” Despite my parents’ expectation that I marry Gregory, I can’t in good conscience claim that they’ve mistreated me. Especially when I haven’t been honest with them regarding my distaste for my fiancé.
Vlann’s nostrils flare and he leans closer, as if he’s smelling me. “You shouldn’t be alone in the woods. It’s dangerous for a lone female out here. I will return you to your family.”
“Please,” I beg. “Please let me go.” If Vlann returns me to my family now, they’ll coerce me into marrying Gregory. Though last night I’d promised myself I would be brave and never again sayyeswhen I meanno, I’m worried I’ll crumble under the pressure. Especially when I see the displeasure in my parents’ eyes as I confess that I ran away.
“Not a chance,” the alien bounty hunter says. And with that, he pulls me onto the trail, holding my backpack in his free hand.
“I can carry my own pack.” I don’t want him holding onto my belongings, just in case the opportunity to escape presents itself. To rent a cabin on the other side of the mountain, I’ll need the silver credit coins that are in my backpack.
“It’s a long hike down to the hover lot. It’ll just slow you down. Besides, it’s heavy with all the items you stole from me.”
I have no choice but to continue. His grip on my arm is painful, and he keeps urging me to move faster.
“Please… Mr. D’Zorr… you must listen to me.”
“You have until we reach the hover lot,” he says.
I glance at him and cringe. He’s so tall compared to me. And dreadfully muscular. There’s no way I can overpower him physically, so I opt to negotiate. “My name is Amira Swan,” I say, and immediately feel stupid. He already knows my name. “I’m supposed to get married this afternoon, but I don’t want to marry my fiancé. It’s difficult to explain, but…” My voice trails off. I don’t even know what kind of alien he is, nor to which culture he belongs, so when it comes to explaining my reasoning to him, I’m at a particular disadvantage.
Vlann stops and glowers over me. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-one, sir,” I reply, and then wonder where thesircame from.
For a moment, his eyes soften and I feel hopeful. “That’s awfully young to be getting married. For a human, anyway,” he replies. “But you’re a missing person with a reward on your head, and I intend to return you to your family. You’ll be safer with them. No female should be alone in the forest, even if you are on a well-marked hiking trail.” He shoots me a disapproving look, muttering something about the strange human custom of hiking in dangerous locations.
Safer with my family? Is he daft? Doesn’t he understand that I’m trying to runawayfrom them? I certainly don’t wish to go back. Not yet, anyway. I need more time. A full week would be optimal, but even a few days are better than none.
When Vlann turns to continue down the trail, his footing slips slightly on the loose dirt, causing his grip on my arm to falter as he finds his balance, propping his free hand against a tree for a moment. I seize the opportunity to escape, kicking his shin and wrenching away with more strength than I realized I possessed.
With no sense of direction, I zip through the forest, my heart pounding in my ears. Less than an hour ago, a criminal had been choking me and trying to steal my backpack. Now I’m being chased by an alien bounty hunter. There is no way my day could get any worse. Unless, of course, I had to marry Gregory Whitworth.
Just when I think I’m in the clear, Vlann snatches me from behind a tree. Somehow, the huge alien has managed to outrun me. Startled, I summon my remaining strength for the struggle, angry that his hand is once again covering my mouth.
“Stop fighting me!” the huge alien growls into my ear, pressing me down upon the ground. He’s straddling me with his massive legs that are like tree trunks, and I’m helpless underneath him.
I try to scream, but his hold remains firm. I’m belly-down on the forest floor, with Vlann all but sitting on me, preventing my escape.
“Hold still right now, little human, or I’ll make you sorry.”
Though I’m not exactly sure whatmake you sorrymeans, I doubt I’ll like it. With a drowning sense of defeat, I cease fighting him and remain as still as possible, hoping he’ll let me stand up. I’m ever aware that I’m at his complete mercy. He can do whatever he wants with me and I can’t stop him.
“Good girl,” he says, whispering gently into my ear.
Good girl. I want to scream at him that I’m not a good girl, I’m a very bad girl, but I keep my mouth shut and press my eyes together, determined not to cry.
“Now, the next time you give me any trouble,” he says sternly, “you’ll be going over my knee for a sound spanking.”
A soundwhat? My mouth parts on a gasp. Surely, I’ve misheard him. He wouldn’t dare do such a thing.
Or maybe he would. I again wonder what his alien race is called. Some aliens are rather barbaric, and there are plenty of alien races that subjugate women. Perhaps he’s from one of them. A shuddering breath leaves me and I brace myself, half-expecting him to strike me. Instead, he rises up and guides me to my feet, though his harsh expression leaves me trembling.
Then, to my complete shock, as I stare at this unique but handsome looking alien, a quaking warmth affects me between my thighs. When he spares a few moments to help brush the dirt and leaves from my clothes, the pulses of heat only strengthen. My face flames with embarrassment. What the hell is wrong with me? How could I feel any sort of attraction to this man who’s captured me?
A sudden breeze tangles with the short locks of his black hair. But his gold-flecked blue eyes remain hard as he glares down at me. For a reason I can’t fathom, I suddenly find myself yearning to please him. Though I’m stupid to crave it, I want to hear him calling me a good girl again. When he said it, I almost believed it, if only for the briefest moment in time.
“Please, Mr. D’Zorr,” I say, as respectfully as possible. “Please listen to me for a moment before we continue.”
