She bided her time, desperately searching the small interior of the room where Theopolis had brought her. The house belonged to the McFarlands. It was nothing grandiose. The elderly couple lived modestly in a Victorian-style house with a wide-railed porch, considering the huge spread of land and cattle they owned before leaving Legend. She wondered how he knew about this place. This was something she considered and then tossed it in the back of her mind as insignificant. He hadn’t taken her home. Her parents were safe, and that’s what mattered most, if she had to reason through priorities. That, and how was she going to escape the lunatic unscathed.
Coolly, her eyes shuttered, she watched Theopolis stand at the window. If his back had been fully facing her, she would have put a bullet in him.
As if he read her thoughts, he turned around and settled frigid eyes on her. One time she caught a glimpse of a Txtrca, and the thing had been gruesome, snouted with protruding lips. But staring into the soulless eyes of the emperor, her preference would be to face two cretins right now.
“Ah, you are finally awake. For a moment, I feared my little slap had damaged you permanently.
She didn’t move.
Theopolis stalked over to her and gripped her cheeks between his fingers. She winced. He snickered. “There now, that is better. You do hear me.” Allura slapped his hand away. His eyes turned limpid before the paleness returned. He smiled and said solicitously, “Instead of your insolence, you should be thankful you and your brat are not dead.”
“Forgive me if I don’t bow down with gratitude.” Mockery dripped from her lips.
Smirking, he patted her cheek, hard enough to make her flinch, and then stood up. “You are one ungrateful bitch. But then, what females aren’t?” he said. He took his position back at the window, watching, and waiting. “Oh, don’t think my benevolence has anything to do with giving a damn about your lives. I just think it will be more exciting when that rabid husband of yours arrives and we play a little game.” He glanced over his shoulder, saying, “It’s called see which one Noor covets the most. His wife or son? It’s a decision I had to make, and you know what, there is nothing like tossing your son into the ravine and watching his tiny body break against the stones like plaster…all the blood…just wash away as if he never existed. Not that I chose my wife over my son, because world power was more enticing.”
“You’re a monster.”
Within a blink, Theopolis charged across the room and breathed down in Allura’s face. “Don’t test me, you infidel, sniveling, little bitch. You keep pushing me, and I swear things will go badly for you.”
She wanted to smirk, as if she wasn’t in a hell of a predicament now. He actually believed he was doing her a favor by prolonging the agony she felt at the hands of his manic mind. The thought made her stomach nauseated.
Zephyr wiggled, making little noises, and she knew he was hungry, but she didn’t touch him for fear if she showed him any consideration, Theopolis might take his vengeance out on him.
Zephyr began to whimper, his little hands fisted. He started to kick his legs and protest loudly. Maternal instincts drummed inside her. She hated to see him suffer. “He is hungry.”
“By all means, feed him. I want both of you healthy when Noor arrives.”
Allura cuddled Zephyr to her chest and slid the opening of the robe a sliver, just enough so her son could eat. She kept her attention on Theopolis, who eyed her like a starved cat would a mouse, his lips curled crudely, watching. She could only imagine what lucid thoughts raced inside his mind. The swell in his pants was obvious, and she wanted to turn away but that would be like showing her back to a predator.
Theopolis chuckled, a low murmur that sounded diabolical and raked over her like claws. “I know what you are thinking. It’s not as if fucking you hasn’t crossed my mind, but you see another part of the game is I wish for Noor to view your rape. Will he want you after he witnesses me plow your womb and implant my seed?” He laughed softly. “Perhaps after he watches us mate, the decision of who dies or lives will come easily to him.”
“Noor will protect his son.”
“We shall see shortly. I think you underestimate your husband. The fool will likely try and save you both. And in return, he will see you both suffer cruel deaths. After that, perhaps my conscience will allow him to live so that he can recall your torture and screams for the rest of his putrid life.”
“Why are you doing this?” She didn’t give a damn. She thought to waste time by feeding into his narcissistic ego and stall.
He spoke in a soothing voice that turned her insides. It was so chilling and attested to his state of madness. “This and that, but what it all boils down to is your husband couldn’t leave well enough alone. For a brief minute, my intentions were to leave him be and just settle in Legend and live out my life relatively comfortably—by backwater standards, of course—until I could resurface and seek out another unsuspecting planet to overthrow. But, being the insistent prick that Noor is…he wouldn’t stop coming after me. He just had to speak with the guardians, and the coward bastards allowed him to threaten him into putting a bounty on my head. There was no choice, things being precarious. There was no other option but to escape. So here we are.”
“How did you even find out about Legend?” The more he talked, the more time Noor had to come.
“As much as I would like to tell you the entire story, let’s wait until our company arrives. It will add more suspense and exhilaration that way.”
Allura’s nostrils flared. The reaction got an amused chuckle out of Theopolis. “You are so transparent. Go ahead and call me a beast, animal, alien hybrid…all those stupid names you wish so that it will make you feel better. It’s not as if I haven’t been referred to as such. In fact, that is the very reason at a young age my aspirations to rise above the discrimination of my own made me relentless in seeking justice and become an emperor.”
“Teasing? You blame what you have become on childish bullying?” He was unbelievable!
“If only that were the case,” he said ultralow. He stood rigidly still and gazed out the window a moment before facing her again. “Few know this, but I feel like sharing,” he said sardonically. “My mother is not cretin. That is how I’m able to maintain cloaking for more extended periods than most Txtrcas. That was information in case you were curious.” He waved his hand dismissively. “My mother was a whore, a female that men used without conscience because she allowed herself to be in that position. I don’t begrudge her, though. One must do what one must to survive. She was just stupid enough to get with child from a cretin, and even after she found out what I was and the thing growing inside her, she didn’t destroy me.”
“I would think you would appreciate her for that.”
“For what? Being a selfish bitch…my childhood was a living hell because I was different from all the other children in our small village. She could have moved to a larger planet, city, and we could have assimilated to whatever environment we were in. Learning you are different and unacceptable doesn’t take but one time. Around fifteen, the ultimate mistake was made, and I revealed my true self accidently. When I ran home distraught, my mother showed me that I was wanted. She showed me her affection by selling me to a customer whose sense of fraternal instincts and deviant taste were to rape me…night after night, I suffered under the agony until I grew weary of trying to fight off the advances. Then I just slaughtered them both,” he said softly with no hint of remorse. Theopolis’s eyes brightened at her disgusted expression. “Oh, I see my story has offended you.” He lifted a shoulder indifferently. “You needn’t hear anymore. It seems we have company.”
He opened the door and Caroline walked in. The first thing she did was stalk to Allura and slap her hard. She fisted her hand to deliver another blow, but Theopolis caught her wrist. “Now, now, my vicious bitch, we don’t want to damage her.”
Allura wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and glared at Caroline. She felt no surprise at seeing he
r standing there.
Caroline looked down her nose at Allura, her lips curved with amusement. “You don’t seem shocked at all. I was hoping for more of a reaction.”
“You don’t always get what you want,” she said, calmly fighting the urge to gouge Caroline’s eyes out for striking her.
“On the contrary, I’m getting everything my heart desires—an affluent lifestyle, money, and power. Wealth buys status, you know.” Caroline wrapped her arms around Theopolis’s neck and kissed him. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“How can you want a man who raped you?” Curiosity had gotten the better of her. “Are you that desperate?”
Caroline snarled, hissing. “Someone like you would never understand my position. You haven’t experienced the humiliation of an ignorant father who wasted away a small fortune, leaving us practically penniless.”
“Your father is nowhere near destitute. How could he be? He tried to buy the McFarlands’ ranch, purchased cattle, property, and received bank loans…”
“You are so stupid. It was all pretenses to save his reputation. My father couldn’t scrape two pennies together on his best day. We owed everyone in town and twice as much to the bank. Our creditors were starting to come after us, and my father didn’t have the good sense to leave town. The coward bastard wanted instead to stay, pay off his debts, and try to rebuild his fortune. You do know the McFarland lands sits on oil? He found out about it by mistake. He borrowed enough money from family members to purchase the spread, but your husband beat him to it. The fool actually sat in his study and blubbered like a child over his misfortune. I found him ready to put a gun in his mouth and blow his brains out. Stupidly, he told me about the oil and railroad interest in purchasing the land and everything just fell into place from there. It was almost fate when I meet Denny and she brought me to Theopolis. By then, my dear emperor was in a crisis himself, and we concocted the scheme of all schemes to steal this place from your husband. With oil, we could go and live wherever we wanted like kings and queens. Doesn’t that sound marvelous?”
“Yes, absolutely, kind of like obtaining world power. You two are made for each other.”
Caroline slapped Allura again.
This time she had enough. Without thinking or caring, Allura reared back and smashed her fist in her nose. She heard a crunch. Caroline screamed, and blood ran freely down her face and dripped, ruining her blue dress.
“You bitch!” Caroline went to attack Allura. She was in her face, ready to strike…
Allura pulled the gun free, cocked it, and shoved it into her forehead. “I won’t hesitate to shoot you. God knows I will do it and not blink. Now, you back away and let me up, or you get a third eye. See how much your boyfriend admires you then.”
Caroline and Theopolis backed off and gave her some distance. She scooped up Zephyr and held him protectively while keeping the gun aimed at them. “You two deserve each other.” She started backing out the room and making her way to the door. She reached behind her, found the latch, and unhooked it when the door suddenly flew open.
Matt Graham entered.
Allura took one look at the shotgun aimed mid-high, and her stomach plummeted. “Oh, let me guess. You aren’t as stupid as your daughter believes?”
Chapter Fifty-two
Matt Graham had an odd look on his face. He faced Caroline. He fired.
Allura blanched, seeing Caroline’s horrified expression of disbelief before she crumbled to the floor. She stepped backward, protectively shielding Zephyr when Matt Graham advanced on her. “Stop. Stay back,” she warned and kept her gun aimed at his chest.
“I’m not your enemy.” Matt Graham stepped in front of her. “Harland and Caroline were bad seeds. I knew this from the day they were born. Tried everything I could to fix ’em. You can’t cure evil. You all right, Mrs. Rynoir?” She could only nod. “Sorry ’bout all this and the things my children did to you and your family. It wasn’t right, and I should have put a stop to it a long time ago, but it takes something to confess you have two sick children, as wicked as the devil and twice as nasty. Instead, through the years, you just go along and let the brunt of the blame fall on your head ’cause it seems the right thing to do. My covering for them made sense at the time. Shouldn’t a parent do everything he can to protect his children?”
“I don’t fault you,” Allura said. “Who could have known?”
“This property would have made me a rich man again. When I told Caroline, foolishly my mind told me she would appreciate what I was trying to do for her. Instead, she tried to kill me. It’s a sad day when your daughter can look you in the eyes and fire at gun at you. The shot grazed my forehead, I bled a lot, and she assumed I was dead. As soon as she left the ranch, I followed her here.”
Theopolis sidestepped Caroline’s body without a glance downward. “This sounds so heartwarming. Really—definitely a Kodak moment—however, I’m dangerously close to purging the contents in my stomach.”
Matt Graham pointed his gun at Theopolis. “I just killed my daughter. What do you think I will do to you?”
Theopolis didn’t appear fazed by the threat of two pistols positioned at his head. His entire persona was so blasé and indifferent to his situation that it alarmed Allura.
She didn’t hesitate and pulled the trigger. She heard the clicks, felt her finger squeeze the trigger, but nothing happened. When she looked up, Theopolis was lunging through the air. Seeing his swift movement and transformation must have shocked Matt Graham inert. He just stood there, mouth gaped, shotgun limp in his hand.
“Shoot him!” she shouted.
Matt Graham didn’t move.
“My god—shoot!” she said and grabbed the rifle, trying to pry it from Matt Graham’s fingers, while also trying to hold Zephyr and keep him out of danger. “Shoot—him,” she cried desperately, seeing Theopolis was on them. She tried to aim the rifle, but couldn’t get it free in time.
A low growl emanated from the emperor. He snapped his huge jaws, eyes blazed…his hands were now long and spiked with claws. His snout widened and spittle ran down the crease of his crude-shaped thick lips. He howled, a sound that sent shivers racing through her veins, and then Allura screamed and turned her head. She buried Zephyr in her arms and wanted to hold her ears to block out Matt Graham’s horrible screams.
She heard feasting and skin ripping free. She smelled the blood.
Seized with fear, Allura forced herself to turn around and face the ghastly sight. She gulped, and then turned away from the sight of Matt Graham dead with his throat torn open. She shuddered, and Zephyr must have sensed her fear and started crying. She hugged him close and cooed, “It’s okay. Shh, everything is going to be okay. I promise. I promise.”
“Did you think I was stupid enough not to find your gun?”
Allura started stepping backward. The door was open wide. Freedom was in reach, maybe if she ran fast…
Against him? The thought was insane. Any effort she made to escape would be futile, and surely any attempt he would thwart easily. And not to mention his plan to wait and taunt Noor had changed to something immediate. She could see it in his eyes—bloodlust. His innate nature to hunt and kill had manifested.
Survival was her goal now. She refused to die. No matter what he did to her, she was going to live. Determined, she whirled around and dashed, thinking if she made it to one of the horses outside she would have a chance.
As soon as she stepped over the threshold, a powerful arm caught her around the waist. Allura struggled, swinging, swiping air.
“It’s me, sweetie. I’m here,” Noor said.
Allura froze, and then she sobbed uncontrollably, looking up at his face. A flood of relief washed over her until Theopolis bound down the steps and charged like a ram intent on bulldozing them over.
Noor pushed her and Zephyr behind his back. He raised his leg and smashed it hard into Theopolis’s chest, causing him to grunt and stumble backward. Refusing to stop, Theopolis steadied himself, gr
owled, and leaped forward, trying to knock Noor off his feet. Their bodies crashed, and a loud thud sounded as solid muscle met hard flesh. Falling backward, they tumbled and rolled on the ground, locked in a death grip.
Theopolis had his hands squeezed around Noor’s throat. He got an elbow in the face. Noor kept driving his arm down, grinding, digging it hard into his skull until he broke the chokehold. He sucked in air. Theopolis tried to knee him in the chest, but he blocked the maneuver. He rolled to his side, lifted his knee, and jabbed in the fleshy part of the emperor’s throat to crush the vulnerable, exposed windpipe.
The bastard, built like a bull, seemed inflexible, as much as Noor seemed determined to win. They ran toward each other and collided again. A sound like a sudden clap of thunder echoed…as pound for pound, the herculean strengths fought to the death.
Allura sat Zephyr down. She ran toward the fight to help Noor. She found a decent-sized piece of wood and slammed it against the back of Theopolis’s head. She thwacked him good.
“Little bitch!” Theopolis snarled, swung around, and backhanded her across the face.
Allura fell backward and hit the ground.
The sound was so unnerving that Allura thought an animal was nearby, before realizing the audible shrillness came from Noor. She stared, immobilized, having never witnessed such fury, as Noor stalked up to Theopolis and head butted him. The emperor buckled. Noor grabbed him by the neck, and his arms bulged under the exertion as he applied pressure and continued to squeeze him in a boa constrictor grip.
Noor didn’t stop, not even when Theopolis’s arms dropped limply to his sides. He kept the firm hold and leaned in and spoke with a dulcet murmur in his ear, saying, “You can fuck with the world if you want to, you bastard. I don’t give a damn. But you put your hands on my wife and child, and that was your most fatal mistake.” He jerked upward and twisted, and a sick crack sounded. Theopolis’s head lolled to the side. Noor stepped back, raised his foot, and shoved him over.
Pure Desire [Pure 3] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 38
