Page 12 of Possessive Alien Mate

She shook her head again and pushed herself against the window. This couldn’t be happening. She had been so careful. Except, maybe she hadn’t. She’d revealed to her friends on more than one occasion that she planned to apply to become a mail order bride.

Had one of her friends betrayed her?

This thought caused a tear to cascade down her cheek. Before she could wipe it away, her uncle chuckled and his eyes lit up with glee.

There was something seriously wrong with him, for him to enjoy the suffering of others. She had always thought so, had even hinted of her worries to her aunt on numerous occasions, only for her aunt to plaster a smile on her face and dismiss her worries. Aunt Tammy always dismissed Tyra’s worries and turned a back on her husband’s reprehensible dealings. The only time Tyra ever saw a glint of emotion in the older woman’s eyes was when she was faced with evidence of Uncle Sebastian’s cheating—namely, when he came home late reeking of perfume.

A haze began to hover around Tyra. She felt as if she were growing weaker, as if she were about to fall asleep. She still couldn’t force herself to stand up. Her uncle hovered above her, his head now thrown back as he laughed at her. When he finally quieted, he sat next to her and roughly grabbed her thigh, digging his fingers deep into her flesh. She winced in pain and tried to escape his hold, only for him to grip her more harshly. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes.

“You’re good for one thing only, niece, and that’s the prize between your legs.” He flashed her another broad smile. “You knew this day would come. I’ve raised you since your daddy passed away, took you under my roof and kept you fed and clothed. Times are tough, and this is what you owe me, girl.”

“No-no,” she stammered. “No, I don’t owe you anything. I-I worked every day. I waitressed in your bar without pay and gave you all my tips, and I also—”

She heard the slap before she felt it. She lowered her head and touched her stinging cheek, unable to help another tear from falling. It wasn’t the first time he’d struck her, but it still came as a surprise.

“I won’t do it!” she screeched as Uncle Sebastian proceeded to drag her off the bus. “I won’t do it! I won’t do it! I won’t do it! No!”

Somehow, she managed to push him down and she started running, though after a few seconds she could no longer find any traction upon the ground. She frantically treaded air as her uncle’s footsteps came closer.

“Tyra, my sweet mate. Tyra.”

She heard a familiar voice in the background, but try as she might she couldn’t place it. She drifted in a sea of confusion and pain, tossing and turning and trying to get away from the monster she was certain was at her heels. She needed to run faster. She needed to get away.

“Tyra,” the voice came louder. “Tyra, you’re dreaming. Wake up.”

A pair of strong hands shook her and suddenly her eyes sprang open.

For a moment, she stared at the concerned looking face of a green Martian, still uncertain of her surroundings and what was happening to her. A second later, her memories returned to her and relief filled her to overflowing.

It was only a dream. A nightmare.

Thank God.

Her uncle hadn’t actually tracked her down and prevented her from leaving Earth. She was currently on Mars, lying in bed next to Rem, her new mate. A shuddering breath left her, and then her eyes started burning and she couldn’t hold back any longer.

She burst into tears and tried to cover her face, but Rem lifted her onto his lap and cradled her face in his hands, wiping at her tears with his thumbs as he continued gazing upon her with worry.

“Tyra? What is wrong?”

Oh God. She couldn’t believe she was crying in front of Rem. But she couldn’t seem to stop the flood of emotions that were taking over her mental processes. She’d been so certain her uncle was about to drag her to the secret room in the back of his seedy bar and force her to stand on stage. She’d been certain she was about to be sold to the highest bidder, forced to surrender her virginity to a stranger.

Thank God her application to become a Martian’s bride had been accepted. Thank God the Martian Affairs building in Bismarck had had a bus waiting to take prospective brides to Zone 15’s departure site in Fargo, and that in real life the bus hadn’t stopped in the middle of the countryside to allow her uncle to drag her away.

“It was just a bad dream,” she finally said, praying he didn’t ask for details.

In all honesty, it was the most frightening dream she had ever had. She didn’t want to have to describe it to Rem. Besides, what would he think of her if he knew her own uncle had planned to auction her virginity on her twenty-first birthday? That he’d been planning it and advertising the event for years as a way to drum up business in his bar? Most of the residents of Bismarck thought she was trash just because she’d worked at the seedy bar owned by her disreputable uncle. She didn’t want Rem thinking badly of her too.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to his chest. He rested his chin atop her head and stroked her hair. When he began murmuring softly to her in his native tongue, she felt herself calming further as she settled deeper into his embrace.

Maybe Rem’s jealousy wasn’t such a bad thing. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about him putting her on display to other men. He would keep her for himself.

He would keep her safe.

She only hoped she didn’t end up feeling as trapped on Mars as she’d felt on Earth. Was the freedom to be her own person too much to ask for?

Back in Bismarck, there weren’t many options for women. Most of the factories in town employed only men and other jobs were scarce. Most women in Bismarck got married at a young age and depended solely upon their husbands for support. While she’d watched many of her friends and acquaintances get married, often to men who didn’t treat them with very much kindness or respect, she had been making secret plans to leave.

And, over the years, she had grown more and more excited about the idea of traveling to another planet, especially one as beautiful as this one. Every time she gazed at the sky, she had imagined the brand-new life that was waiting for her on Mars.

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