Page 31 of Possessive Alien Mate

“Do you truly mean it? Do you swear it?” she asked, her voice wavering with emotion. Her throat burned so fiercely that speaking was difficult. She swallowed hard and peered at him, awaiting his answer with bated breath.

“Yes,” he said. “I truly mean it, and I swear it on the Gods.”

She started to grin, but then felt her smile faltering. Even though he wanted her, she couldn’t imagine living with a male who thought about killing any other male who looked her way for more than two seconds. While Chexxa had followed her, it disturbed her that Rem apparently didn’t trust her. Otherwise, why would he have checked up on her and watched security footage of her trip into the city? Her heart started sinking all over again.

As if reading her mind, he said, “I was wrong to ever distrust you, my sweet mate, and for that I am sorry. I am sorry for accusing you of being tempted by another male, and I am sorry for my controlling behavior. I have treated you poorly.” He paused and his forehead ridges bunched together, making him appear as though he were deep in concentration.

“If you’re trying to figure out if there’s anything else you need to apologize for, might I remind you that you threatened to keep me locked up,” she said.

He drew her closer. “I am sorry for that, too, Tyra. Gods, how I am sorry. I-I am certain there is more that I owe you an apology for, my sweet mate, but know that I want you, I desire you, and I love you.”

Her heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t expected him to profess love. His words hung in the air between them, heavy but beautiful, and her spirits lifted at the sincerity in his dark gaze.

Hours ago, he had broken her heart, but as she stared into his eyes and his declaration of love echoed in her mind, the shards began to piece back together again. Well, he had been honest with her. Finally. Perhaps it was time she did the same. She opened her mouth to respond, only for him to place a finger to her lips, stilling her speech.

“It is all right if you do not love me, Tyra. I do not expect it. But if you stay here, stay with me, I vow that I will always take care of you and from this day forward I will strive to treat you with fairness. I vow that I will strive to make amends to you. I vow that I will never lock you up again, let alone threaten it. I vow that I will not accuse you of being unfaithful, or being tempted.”

“I do love you, you big ass,” she blurted out. “That is why this hurts so much.” She placed a hand over her heart. “If I didn’t love you, my world wouldn’t have gone so dark when you shouted the truth behind our mating union and then walked out that door. If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t have been so filled with despair when I thought you didn’t want me.”

“Oh, Tyra,” he said, pressing his lips to hers. “If I could take your pain directly into my own heart, know that I would. Gods, I am sorry for the despair I caused you. I am a beast.”

She smiled and stroked the side of his face. “You are a beast, Rem,” she said, pressing a kiss to one of his cheeks, then his other cheek, before she pulled back to stare into his remorseful gaze. “But you aremybeast.”

He clasped her hands, threading his fingers through hers and pulling her closer. “You aren’t leaving me,” he said, nodding at her suitcase. “This beast cannot live without you.”

At this moment, the doorbell rang, and the melodious tune reverberated through the house. A second later, the sound of pounding followed.

Rem growled and rose to his feet. It was early morning by now, in fact Tyra could see the first glimmer of dawn breaking through the trees. Who would come to call upon them at such an early hour? Worry for Rem suddenly filled her. Had he hurt Chexxa worse than he’d thought? Could he be in trouble for what he’d done to the young male?

The doorbell rang again and Tyra was fairly certain Rem cursed in his native tongue as he glanced over his shoulder, clearly torn between seeing who was at the door and finishing their conversation. She was just as torn. She didn’t know much about the laws on Mars. Had Rem broken the law by harming Chexxa, even though the young male had practically stalked her yesterday?

Rem’s wrist comm abruptly lit up and he looked down at it, then he broke into a smile. “Come,” he said, guiding her out into the hallway. “It is only an old friend. But I know he will not go away until I assure him that all is well.”

Confused, Tyra hurried downstairs with Rem.

* * *

Rem openedthe front door to find an anxious looking Jav standing on the porch. The huge, genetically enhanced warrior glanced from Tyra to Rem several times, his demeanor tense.

“Ah, Jav. You made it sound as though you would be gone for a long time, yet you’ve returned from your mission already. I hope I am the first to welcome you home,” Rem said in a derisive tone.

“My unit just arrived back on Mars,” Jav said, “and as I was walking home, I crossed paths with a doctor who was on his way to treat an injured young male by the name of Chexxa.” Jav’s forehead ridges rose higher. “I followed the doctor, wanting to see Chexxa’s injuries for myself, as the doctor described them as serious. I was worried that perhaps a wild animal had ventured into the city. Imagine my surprise when I learned the truth.”

“Are you here to scold me, old friend?”

“No. I am here to ensure the safety of your mate.” Jav narrowed his eyes at Rem, though when he glanced at Tyra, his gaze softened. “Has your mate mistreated you? Are you all right?”

“I am fine,” Tyra replied immediately as she placed a hand upon Rem’s arm. “We had a disagreement, but we are… working through it.”

“Did Chexxa tell you that he spent the day following my mate around the city?” Rem asked, his annoyance flaring. While he hadn’t had good reason to treat Tyra so harshly, he’d been justified in pummeling Chexxa into a bloody mess. The male had dared to covet what belonged to him and taken his infatuation with Tyra too far when he’d trailed her through the streets of Ressiktron.

“Yes, he confessed his misdeed to me.” Jav shook his head slowly from side to side. “I am shocked you didn’t kill him outright or challenge him to a fight to the death. Why didn’t you?”

Rem put an arm around Tyra, drawing her close. “Because I knew it would upset my mate, and I trust that the young male will not go near her again. I told him if he ever so much as looked upon her again, I will sever his testicles from his body.”

From his peripheral vision, he noticed Tyra’s head snap up as she stared at him. He looked down at her, meeting her shocked gaze. “I intend to keep you safe, my sweet mate. Do not worry though. I don’t believe he’ll be foolish enough to venture near you ever again.”

“I hope not,” she replied. “I suppose I ought to be relieved that you threatened to maim him, rather than kill him.”

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