Page 21 of Possessive Alien Mate

Would she lie to him again?

Gods, he hoped not. He watched as she emerged from her closet, dressed in one of his loose shirts, which she’d taken to wearing to bed. Suddenly, he remembered her appointment with his mother. In two days, the two of them were supposed to venture to the shopping district together.

His throat rumbled under a low growl. The thought of her leaving their home without him was making him increasingly uneasy. He considered his dream about the ship and the storm. He’d already been hesitant to allow her off the palace grounds, but he hadn’t been able to deny her the opportunity to spend time with his mother, especially when she had looked so excited by the prospect.

But now… now he felt the overpowering need to know exactly where she was at all times and with whom. The shopping district was large and typically crowded. She might meet any number of individuals there, including a young foolish Marttiaxoxalian male who might try to catch her eye. Once officially joined in a mating union, the males of his kind never cheated on their mates, but he’d heard of younger, unmated males attempting to attract human females into engaging in intimate activities. It was rare, but it still happened sometimes.

Whenever such a transgression occurred, the older, mated male usually killed the younger one during a battle to the death. He clenched his fists as he imagined repeatedly headbutting a male who’d dared to even look upon Tyra with desire.

He watched as Tyra approached with downcast eyes, her steps slow and hesitant. He tossed the covers back when she reached the bed. She mumbled her thanks and joined him, immediately reaching to pull the covers over herself. In fact, she pulled them up to her nose, as if she wished to hide from him.

Guilt settled upon him. Given her subdued demeanor, he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d been too harsh with her when confronting her about the lie.

He still worried if he could trust her, but as he looked at her, a tiny form beneath the covers, the last of his anger dissipated. Suddenly, he ached to hold her in his arms, longed to embrace her and feel her breathing onto his chest.

He was sitting up against the pillows, but he straightened further and began to peel the blankets off her. She shot him an alarmed look and he noticed her hands trembling.

“Would you like me to sleep elsewhere?” she asked. “I-I can leave the bedroom if you’d like.” She made to get out of bed, but he grabbed her and lifted her into his lap, circling his arms around her and bringing her snug against his chest.

“No,” he said in a calm voice. “No, my sweet mate. Your place is by my side. Always.”

Her breath hitched and she peered up at him, her dark eyes luminous and huge, reflecting every little emotion that flitted through her mind. Right now, he saw fear and regret and heartache, and Gods, he despaired over what he was reading in her eyes. He missed her spark of joy, the excitement that filled her gaze whenever she looked at the sunrise, tried a new kind of food, gazed at the flowering trees from the balcony, or glimpsed the stars and moons.

“But you’re mad at me,” she whispered. “Surely you don’t wish to share a bed with me tonight.”

He stroked her hair and inhaled her fragrant scent, his loins stirring at her nearness, despite the seriousness of their conversation, as well as the events that had preceded it.

“I’m no longer angry with you, Tyra.” He drew in a deep breath and braced himself, as the words that rested on the tip of his tongue felt as strange as the apologies he’d given her the other day. “I forgive you, and I want you in my bed. If you try to sleep elsewhere, I will follow you and lay down beside you, wherever you are.”

She blinked rapidly and swallowed hard. “Thank you, Rem.” Her shaking began to lessen, and gradually the fear and pain and heartache started to fade from her eyes. Relief replaced her immense look of worry, and soon he noticed a spark glimmering in her dark depths that he thought was hopefulness. At least he prayed it was. He didn’t want to see her upset for a moment longer.

“I know you don’t wish to speak of your uncle, however I cannot help but worry that he hurt you badly. Did he do something to you that caused you to leave Earth?”

She appeared hesitant to answer, but she eventually nodded.

“Yes. He drank a lot and was prone to angry outbursts. He made me start working in a bar he owned when I was only fifteen years old. He didn’t pay me and he always confiscated my tips, and he generally made my life a living hell.” She sighed and blinked slowly. “When I was seventeen, my friend Andrea told me about the mail order bride program. I immediately started planning to leave Earth, keeping it a secret from my uncle, of course, and I left Bismarck on my twenty-first birthday after my application to become a mail order bride to a Martian was accepted. I met you the very next day.”

Rem’s blood heated with rage as he learned the truth about her uncle. He repressed the growl building in his throat, as he didn’t wish for her to think he was angry with her. But he felt pure rage toward her uncle, a male who should’ve treated her with kindness and protected her. Instead, it sounded as though he had exploited her.

“I am sorry to hear of your upbringing on Earth,” Rem said. He stared into her expressive eyes, wishing he could erase the memory of her painful experiences on her home planet, especially when he still sensed she was holding back some darker reasons for leaving Earth. But perhaps he could give her something else—justice. “Would you like to see your uncle imprisoned? I can arrange for him to be detained indefinitely. He should pay for what he did to you, my sweet mate.”

She pulled back slightly, her eyes growing wide. “I-I don’t know.”

“Think about it,” he said, caressing her head. “If imprisonment doesn’t satisfy you, I would travel to Earth and end his life myself, if only it would make you forget the things he did to you.”

Tears brimmed in her eyes. To his surprise, she smiled at him.

“I don’t want you to kill him, Rem, but I really do appreciate the offer. I’m not going to lie—there are plenty of times when I found myself wishing he were dead—but I don’t wish to have a death on my conscience, even his.”

“I understand.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “If you ever change your mind, know that the offer still stands.” He was tempted to travel to Earth anyway and end her uncle’s life, but that would mean leaving her for a full day.

She covered a yawn and snuggled deeper into his chest. He held her until she drifted to sleep, until the soft sounds of her steady breathing lulled him into a restful state. He positioned her alongside him and curled his body around hers, draping an arm over her and tangling his legs with hers.

“Sleep now, my Tyra,” he whispered into her ear. “Sleep.”

Chapter 17

As Tyra stood on the balcony watching the sunrise the next morning, she felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. While she hadn’t told Rem the full truth about her reasons for leaving Earth, she had at least told him a large part of the truth. Not only had he listened, but he’d forgiven her for lying to him.

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