Page 33 of Her Alien Beast
He turns and faces me. “Ever wonder why those videos of your little stunt in the restaurant haven’t hit the newsfeeds yet?” he asks, his lips curving in a cruel smile.
My stomach drops. I had wondered, but given that I was already mated to Vlann and with my parents’ blessing, albeit belated, I hadn’t worried about the reason too much. I had simply assumed the people who recorded the videos hadn’t gotten around to sharing them yet.
He chuckles. “It’s because I paid them off. They handed me their recording devices on the spot. Wealth can solve a lot of problems, Amira. Wealth and power go hand in hand, and I’m one of the most powerful men on this planet.”
“The newsfeeds shared a story about my mating with Vlann,” I say. “It’s public knowledge that I’ve become the lifemate of a Kaxxloran. How will you explain Vlann’s death and our sudden union? Not that I plan to marry you. I will fight you until my dying breath.”
He waves a hand dismissively. “The newsfeeds will proclaim that Vlann died in a hovercar accident, while you survived with minor injuries. I visited you in the hospital and we rekindled our love for one another. Oh, and you won’t feel much like fighting me after I drug you before the wedding. You’ll be happy and smiling and obedient the whole day, I can assure you that.
My heart sinks, but I try to maintain my composure. I don’t want him to know how frightened I am. “Your plan will never work,” I say. “The newsfeeds are hard to buy off. Marryyns value the truth and only employ the most honest journalists.”
“I’m holding the daughter of one of the most well-known Marryyn journalists captive as we speak,” he says, grinning wide. “If he wants to see his daughter alive again, he’ll write whatever I tell him.”
Another wave of disbelief surges over me. This can’t be happening. Vlann can’t be gone, and Gregory can’t be plotting to force me into marriage.
“Where is the woman you kidnapped?” I ask, praying it’s an adult he’s kidnapped and not a child.
“She’s in the basement,” he says. “Don’t worry, I haven’t harmed a hair on her head. Yet. As long as her father meets my demands, she’ll remain safe and unharmed.”
Well, he’s apparently thought of everything. Despair threatens to swallow me, a sharp painful wave that begins to supersede my initial shock. This really is happening, and at the moment, I can’t see a way out. How will I possibly escape Gregory and his awful scheming? I’m honestly not certain I can.
He grabs me and guides me upstairs, his grip hard and bruising. Whenever I struggle even the slightest bit, he tightens his hold and gives me a rough shake. When we reach his bedroom, the blood in my veins turns to ice. I try to become dead weight, but he drags me inside.
Does he plan to force me to sleep with him? I’m horrified at the prospect and I pray he’s only going to lock me in this room. He shoves me onto the bed and looms over me, and I brace myself, expecting him to attack at any moment.
“We will resume sexual relations tonight, my sweet,” he says. “However, given that you have defiled yourself by sleeping with that disgusting green beast, I need to make sure you’re clean first. My personal physician will arrive shortly to conduct a thorough examination.”
I watch as he leaves the bedroom and locks me inside.
After he’s gone, I try both windows, but they’re locked as well. When I attempt to break one of the windows, the chair I slam against it breaks, rather than the window. Vaguely, I remember overhearing a conversation about the building materials used for the cabins, how they would withstand the strongest ice storms. I suppose that means the windows are shatterproof. I curse and try the other window, slamming a lamp against it, but again, it’s the lamp that shatters and not the window.
I rummage through all the drawers in search of a weapon, but I don’t find anything. Eventually, I pick up a shard from the broken lamp and wrap a sock around one end, allowing me to grip it safely without cutting myself. I leave the sharpest end unwrapped, deciding if I swing hard enough, I just might be able to do some damage to Gregory.
I stand beside the door, waiting, unsure if the doctor or Gregory will be the first through the door. If they’re together, will I be able to overpower them both? Before I can further consider my attack plan, I hear a loud boom and the house shakes so violently, I fall to the floor.
