Page 29 of Her Alien Beast
Chapter 18
AMIRA
The sun is settingover the green mountains, and I relax with Gregory’s criminal file in my lap in the passenger seat of Vlann’s hovercar, the tablet a cool but light object in my hands. Every now and then I turn it on, just to make sure all the information is still there. It’s the proof I’m eager to show my parents. The evidence is damning and I know there’s no way they’ll want me to still marry Gregory—not that it’ll even be an issue once they learn I’ve become Vlann’s lifemate.
Two hours ago, I’d called home to let them know of my whereabouts. When my mother had started asking twenty questions about Vlann, I promised to explain everything when we arrived back in the La’tkk human settlement. Butterflies flutter in my stomach when I think about the impending conversation and how I’ll make them understand.
“Nervous?” Vlann asks, smiling warmly over at me.
I take a deep breath and look at him. “No,” I say. “Well, maybe a little.” Whether they approve of my mating with Vlann won’t change anything in our relationship. We’re mated for life and they can’t break that bond. I’ll forever wear the marks of our mating on my shoulder, and I suppose nothing but death could vanquish the bond I feel for my sexy Kaxxloran mate.
“You still plan to tell the truth, don’t you?” His tone is half-scolding, half-teasing, but underneath it all I know he’s dead serious. He expects me to explain the entire situation to my parents, no matter how badly I feel for running away in the first place.
“Yes. I promise.”
“Good girl,” he says, resting a hand on my leg, and I melt at his praise. I might not be the good girl my parents think I am, but I’m Vlann’s good girl.
I’m mated to him now and I’m relieved there won’t be a huge wedding involved. I won’t have to wear the thirty-five thousand galactic credit designer gown and stand in front of hundreds of people. I have decided even if my parents try to force me to have a huge wedding with Vlann, I’m going to refuse. A small reception with my closest friends and relatives, sure, I could handle that, but nothing more. I don’t need a spectacle of a wedding to prove my love to Vlann. Thankfully, he doesn’t see the need for such an event either, though he’s told me if I ever change my mind on the matter, he’ll support whatever kind of ceremony I want.
I won’t change my mind, though. Ever since Vlann bit me and made me his in the eyes of his people, the mating bond forming between us, I’ve been in a state of peace, a sense of closure filling me. It’s a heady feeling, knowing I belong to this man, this huge alien I’ve known for but a week. But I don’t harbor a single doubt in my mind that Vlann’s the right mate, or husband, for me. The connection between us is strong, unbreakable. Sometimes, when I’m very still, I can hear his heart beating in tune with mine.
Finally, we arrive at my parents’ house. This time, Vlann comes inside, holding my hand the whole way into the sitting room, despite the peculiar looks it earns us. My father’s eyes widen and my mother looks downright horrified. Vlann speaks to my parents first, introducing himself before prompting me to speak.
“Your daughter has some things she needs to tell you.”
I squeeze his hand and compose myself on the couch, meeting the concerned gazes of my parents. I start by telling the truth of my disappearance and meeting Vlann on the hiking trail. My father looks ready to explode when I describe the frightening encounter with the criminal Flanz D’Prinza. When it’s time to speak of Gregory’s sins, both my parents appear disbelieving, until I brandish the report provided by Vlann, setting the tablet in my father’s hand.
“All right, so you ran away because you didn’t want to marry Gregory,” my father says with a hard glance at Vlann, “but why are you holding this bounty hunter’s hand?
“I’m holding his hand because we are mated now,” I say with a broad smile. “I love him and he loves me. We mated a few hours ago. It’s permanent, meaning an everlasting mating bond has formed between us. Vlann is Kaxxloran—the only Kaxxloran on this planet, mind you—and he bit me while we made love, which formed the mating bond between us, and now we’ll be together forever.” I speak quickly but clearly, determined to make them understand. I peek up at Vlann to see he appears surprised by my bluntness.
My mother starts to fan herself and looks as though she might faint. She grows increasingly pale and groans. My father shoots her a concerned glance and calls for a servant to bring a stiff drink. Vlann and I exchange a loving look while we wait for the brief chaos caused by my mother’s reaction to settle. Once she has a drink in her hand, she sips at it a few times as the color gradually returns to her face.
My father rises to his feet and glares at Vlann. “You bit my daughter?” His face reddens. “This is entirely unacceptable. Did you force her to become your mate?”
“I would never harm your daughter,” Vlann says, bringing my hand up to kiss it as his eyes lock with mine. “Amira is the most important person in the universe to me. I vow to keep her safe always, to protect her with my life, if I must. She’s the only female for me, from now until eternity.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet,” I hear a feminine voice say. I glance up and notice Cressic is hovering in the doorway, clutching her hand over her heart while wearing a faraway, dreamy look. Once she realizes she spoke aloud, her eyes widen and she bolts down the hallway. I suppress a chuckle. I’ve always like Cressic.
“Dad, I assure you that Vlann didn’t force me to mate with him,” I say, hoping to calm his worries further, though it appears Vlann’s heartfelt profession has helped somewhat, as my father’s face isn’t quite so reddened anymore. “I assure you I wanted it. I was happy when the mating bond formed between us.”
My mother downs the rest of her drink and places a shaky hand on my father’s leg. “Well,” she says, “I suppose congratulations are in order.” She exchanges a humorous look with my father, who’s once again sitting beside her. “They look happy,” she says to him. “And he already bit her, the bond has already formed. Nothing we can do but be happy for them, I suppose.”
“You’re probably right, my dear,” he says, patting her hand.
My parents proceed to ask Vlann question after question, demanding to know his life story and every little detail about him. I hold his hand and enjoy listening to him answer my parents, his tone patient and kind. Once that’s all out of the way and they’re satisfied that I won’t be living with Vlann in a shabby mountain cabin without running water, the topic takes a sudden turn.
“What about children?” my mother asks. “The two of you are so different. Will you be able to start a family together?”
“Mother,” I say, “that’s kind of personal, don’t you think?”
She gives me an affronted look, but before she can reply, Vlann jumps in to save me.
“I am unsure if we’ll be able to conceive children together,” he says honestly, and my heart sinks. “However, if we cannot, we will adopt a child, or two or three or maybe even ten. I love children and I would like to have a houseful of them.”
My heart soars. Adoption. Of course. Given that Vlann grew up in an orphanage, his desire to adopt makes perfect sense, and though we haven’t had a chance to talk about having kids yet, I’m suddenly eager to start a family as soon as possible. As I stare up at Vlann, I imagine he’ll be a wonderful father, protective and caring.
“You see?” I say to my mother. “It’ll all work out. We love each other and that’s all that matters.”
