Page 1 of Her Alien Beast
Chapter 1
AMIRA
“Your hair looked betterwhen it was longer.” Gregory lifts his eyebrows as he scrutinizes my appearance.
“I only got two inches cut off,” I say in a slightly defensive tone, angling my body away from my fiancé. I glance out the window and look at the three bright moons of planet Marryyn, lined up in a perfect arc across the sparkling night sky. It’s late and I hope Gregory goes home soon.
“Yes, well, you should’ve asked for my opinion first.”
“It’s my hair.”
“Don’t get smart with me, Amira,” he says, and I wince at the feel of his hand upon my leg. Sometimes, when he’s displeased with me, he squeezes my leg or my arm a bit too hard. His hand upon my leg is a threat and we both know it. “I do hope you’re planning a trip to the spa before our wedding ceremony. You could stand to get a rejuvenation treatment. There are bags under your eyes, darling.”
“My mother and I are planning to hit the spa tomorrow afternoon.” I meet his eyes and force a smile, even though I hate myself for it. Will I ever be brave enough to stand up to him? I swallow past the sudden burning in my throat. I’m not brave enough to back out of our wedding and disappoint both our families, but God how I wish I were. There are times I wish I could run away and never look back.
“Good,” he says, patting my thigh. “I know you will make a beautiful bride.”
At this moment, my mother walks into the sitting room. “Oh, she will be theloveliestbride,” my mother says with a wide smile, and my stomach sinks because I realize Gregory’s compliment was only intended to appease my mother. He must’ve heard her coming down the hallway.
My mother sits on the sofa that’s facing us and sips her post-dinner wine. She starts talking to Gregory about the wedding plans and I allow my mind to wander. I already know how many guests are coming—three hundred and seven, to be precise—and I already know how long the ceremony will take, the exact courses that will be served at the reception, the music that will be played, and so on.
The wind picks up and a cloud cover rolls in, blocking out the stars and moons. Through the nearby open window, the humid night air enters and ruffles my too-short hair around my shoulders. Heat lightning flashes outside, and I watch the wondrous display of light against the La’tkk Mountains.
My mind travels back two weeks ago, to my solo hiking trip on those mountains. I’d had an amazing time, exploring every trail, some of them twice, until my legs had ached and my sides had burned. Best of all, the hiking trip had allowed me to escape Gregory for a full day. I wonder how often I’ll be able to escape him once we’re married. My spirits sink.
On the surface, Gregory Whitworth is perfect. He’s rich and handsome and successful, but there’s a darkness inside him that scares me. He’s polite and sociable when others are around, but behind closed doors he’s ill-mannered and makes cruel remarks, often criticizing my appearance or my opinions. Sometimes, he makes me feel like the dirt beneath his shoes. Whenever I timidly call him out on his hurtful behavior, he says I’m sensitive or that he’s only joking.
I don’t believe him.
But my parents, particularly my mother, constantly drone on and on about how wonderful the entire Whitworth family is, Gregory included. Gregory’s father is an interplanetary shipping magnate and it’s his company my father has always used to transport weapons across the galaxy. “I would have never gotten my business up and running if not for his help,” my father has told me time and time again.
Our families are very close, so close that I remember being seven years old and listening in confusion as my mother announced Gregory would be my future husband.“One day he’ll ask you to marry him and you must say yes.”
A sharp throb begins behind my eyes when I think about Gregory’s public marriage proposal. He’d proposed on bended knee during my college graduation party, asking me to marry him in front of the dozens of guests my mother had invited. I’d hesitated for only a moment, glancing up to see all those eager faces staring at me, all of whom had expected me to sayyes. Expected me to be a good girl. So I saidyes, much to the joy of everyone in attendance.
And now, in two days, over three hundred guests will gather on the huge lawn behind the Whitworths’ lavish estate to witness the long-anticipated union between our families. Two business empires joining as one.
“Tell me about Amira’s wedding gown,” Gregory says as he grabs for my hand, drawing me out of my trance. I force a polite smile as I glance between him and my mother.
“Well, it’s a custom piece created by renowned designer Kasteen V’hok,” my mother says with enthusiasm. “It cost thirty-five thousand galactic credits and all the newsfeeds are saying it’ll be the most expensive dress worn by any bride on Marryyn. Just wait until you see Amira wearing it. She’s going to look like a fairytale princess.”
I sigh inwardly and return my gaze to the moons. I don’t feel like a fairytale princess.
“Cressic, bring another bottle of wine,” my father bellows as he enters the sitting room to join us. He plops down next to my mother and the servant soon arrives with an uncorked bottle of wine to refill all our glasses.
As I thank the young woman named Cressic, I’m unable to help the sudden surge of jealousy that rips through me. She recently told me she’s engaged to the love of her life. She’s getting married soon and will leave my parents’ house, though she hasn’t given them her notice just yet. I’m envious of her freedom to marry whomever she wishes, particularly the man she loves most.
Two days, I think. Just two days until I exchange vows with Gregory and become his forever. A sense of panic rises within me. The finality of our wedding ceremony fills me with sheer dread. I don’t want to become his, but I don’t have much of a choice. If I refuse to marry Gregory, I know my father’s business will suffer. What kind of daughter would I be if I allowed that to happen?
I glance at my father, who is currently boasting to Gregory about some new type of blaster his weapons manufacturing company is now producing. What would my father say if I told him how Gregory cuts me down? Would he still wish for me to marry the man? My heart sinks because I’m not sure. My father’s whole life is his business, the same company where I’m supposed to start working after my honeymoon.
An hour later, Gregory announces it’s time for him to go home. I breathe a sigh of relief and rise to my feet, preparing to walk him to the door like a dutiful fiancée. He insists I step outside for a few minutes, where he kisses me good-bye on the front porch. He grasps my breasts in a vulgar manner as he shoves his tongue down my throat, and it takes all my self-control not to push him away. Everything about him makes my skin crawl. What the hell am I going to do? I can’t go through with the wedding in two days. I can’t.
Except I’m in so deep that I don’t know how I would escape.
Not for the first time, I think about running away and hiding where no one could possibly find me. If only I were so brave.
