Page 10 of Possessive Alien Mate

“You don’t have any skills, Tyra. You can’t even cook. Far as I see it, you’re only good for one thing. Unless you want to find yourself starving on the streets, you’ll do as I say.”

Her spirits fell as her uncle’s harsh words resurfaced in her thoughts. She closed her eyes and jerked her head to the side, wishing she could forever erase his voice from her mind. She reached for the locket and clutched it in one hand, trying to replace her uncle’s voice with that of her late father’s. Her father had been warm and kind, nothing like his younger brother. If he hadn’t died, Tyra would probably still be on Earth.

“If you would like to speak with your father,” Rem said, “I could arrange for you to contact him using one of my video comms.”

She opened her eyes and swallowed hard, then lifted her gaze to Rem. “I appreciate the offer, but he died fifteen years ago.”

“I am sorry for your loss, my sweet mate.” Rem reached for her hand and squeezed it. “What about your mother? Any siblings? You are welcome to contact them if you wish.”

She shook her head. “My mother died when I was three months old. I don’t even remember her, and I don’t have any siblings.” She forced a smile, even as her throat burned and her vision became blurry, her eyes filling with tears. She blinked rapidly to keep herself from crying. Rem’s apparent concern touched her, as did his offer to allow her to contact her family on Earth. If only she had family members she wished to contact.

“I am sorry to hear it, Tyra.” His gaze filled with concern. “Does that mean you were raised in an orphanage?”

“No,” she said, dreading where this line of questioning was going. She could just kick herself for suggesting they become better acquainted—that meant sharing facts about her life and right now she didn’t want to divulge such personal details.

“Then who raised you?”

“My-my aunt and uncle.” She pretended to study something outside the window as she drew in a deep breath. After exhaling, she turned back to Rem, determined to change the direction of their conversation. “What about you? Do your parents live on Mars? Are they nearby?”

“My parents live a short walk away. I am fortunate that my mother is alive and in good health—we lost most of our females many years ago when the Xieandans poisoned the water supplies on our home planet. My father was a palace guard at the time and we lived on the palace grounds in the capital city on Marttiaxoxalia. The palace drew water from a source so deep beneath the ground that the poison—which only affected our females—hadn’t yet reached it, but most females who lived outside the palace grounds perished.”

“I am glad to hear your mother survived. Did you lose anyone you cared about because of the Xieandans?”

A look of pure rage entered his eyes, causing her to draw away from him. Obviously, she had hit a nerve with this last question. She wondered who he might’ve lost and prayed he didn’t have any sisters who’d lived outside the palace grounds on Marttiaxoxalia.

He stood up and moved to the window, staring out at the flowering trees. “I lost someone I used to care about,” he said after a long, tense silence, “however, I do not wish to speak of it any further.”

“Of course. I’m sorry.” She clasped her hands together and sat unmoving, her shoulders hunched as she bent into herself slightly, as if she might ease his anger if only she were very quiet and very still. This method had sometimes worked with her uncle, particularly when he was in the midst of a drunken rage. If she couldn’t run past him and hide, she would be quiet until his rage ran its course, hopefully without any harm coming upon her. However, she wasn’t always so lucky.

“Would you like to contact your aunt and uncle, Tyra? To let them know you have arrived safely on Mars?” He turned to her, his posture still tense.

“I, um…” She fidgeted in place and fumbled for words. “They don’t have a video comm, but I will eventually send them a message.” God, she couldn’t tell him the truth and she hoped he forgot about her promise to send them a message. She wouldn’t mind speaking with her aunt, but she knew her uncle would never permit the contact. He would be furious when he discovered she’d fled Bismarck and ruined his big plans for her. It was best to close the door on this part of her life forever, even if it meant never speaking to her aunt again.

“Very well,” Rem said. “The video comm system in my abode is also capable of transmitting messages to Earth. You are free to use it whenever you wish.”

“Thank you.” She had a few friends she hoped to contact, but that was it.

“I’ll bring your suitcase upstairs now, and you can unpack while I clean up the kitchen.” His nostrils flared then and he pinned her with a heated look. “I will come find you when I am finished.”

A shiver rippled through her, even as heat quaked between her thighs. She hadn’t missed the note of promise in his voice, nor the desire in his eyes.

He expected to consummate their union—and soon.

Chapter 7

When Rem returned to his bedroom a short while later, he found Tyra curled up in a chair by the window, sound asleep. Though the day was warm, the breeze kept ruffling her hair, and he noticed her shiver as goosebumps rose on her arms. He quickly grabbed a cover from the bed and draped it over her, taking his time to tuck the blanket around her.

He had hoped to finally claim her as his mate when he came upstairs, but he found he was more than content to watch her sleeping. She appeared younger in sleep and peaceful, all traces of worry absent from her pretty, innocent face.

As he stood watching her, he mulled over her life on Earth. It saddened him that she’d lost her mother and father at such an early age, especially losing her mother when she was too young to remember her. How tragic.

He decided to contact the Martian Affairs offices in Zone 15 and arrange for a video comm to be delivered to her uncle’s home. Perhaps it would cheer her up if she were able to see her aunt and uncle and speak with them in real time, rather than only sending them messages.

He moved to the other side of the bedroom and made a quick call using his wrist comm. It took a while to get through to the Martian Affairs offices in Zone 15, but once he finally did, he easily arranged for a video comm to be installed at her uncle’s home. The clerk he spoke with promised him it would be taken care of within the next three days. Rem decided he would wait until he’d heard confirmation about the installation before he informed Tyra of the news. He wanted to surprise her.

After watching her sleep for a while longer, Rem pulled up information about Zone 15 on his wrist comm and discovered it was just after midnight in Tyra’s former home. Well, that explained her tiredness.

He took note of her suitcase sitting near a dresser and ventured closer, curious about the items she’d brought with her from Earth. He discovered she had unpacked her meager belongings and placed them in the top drawer of a dresser—mainly clothing items. A pair of well-worn boots rested against the wall beside the sandals she’d been wearing upon her arrival this morning.

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