Page 11 of Possessive Alien Mate

Unable to help himself, he examined the items of clothing in the drawer. Clearly, the yellow dress she was still wearing was the finest garment she owned, for he found everything else she’d brought in poor condition. As he touched a threadbare shirt, he glanced over his shoulder at Tyra, saddened that she had possessed so little on Earth.

What kind of home had she lived in? Had she lived in a safe location? Had she ever gone hungry?

With a sinking heart, he recalled her reaction to the simple midday meal he’d served her and how her face had lit up as he carried it into the sitting room. Her eyes had gone wide and she’d appeared in awe of the meal, as if she had never seen anything like it before. Perhaps she hadn’t.

She would never go hungry again, he vowed, nor would she go without proper clothing and shoes. As her mate, it was his duty to take care of her needs and provide for her, and he would gladly do so. Though he felt honor-bound to care for his female, he also truly wished to see Tyra happy, especially considering that he was starting to suspect she’d had good reasons for leaving Earth.

As the sun shifted higher in the sky and better illuminated the room, he caught sight of three tall stacks of books resting upon the bedside table that he hadn’t noticed earlier. He moved closer to the books and picked one up. They must be written in English, for he couldn’t read the titles or the words within them. His home library contained thousands of books written in the Marttiaxoxalian tongue, as well as some in Galactic Common, but he didn’t own any books penned in any of the Earth languages. So, this was why her suitcase had been so heavy.

An idea began to form as he stared at his mate, still sleeping peacefully by the window, her long dark tresses ruffling in the breeze.

She needed new clothing and shoes, as well as undergarments. That meant a trip to the shopping district in Ressiktron. This area of the capital city contained over a dozen bookstores, some of which offered books written in various Earth tongues, catering to the human females who now called Mars home. He smiled to himself when he imagined her reaction to the bookstores and clothing shops. He had a feeling she would enjoy such an excursion deeper into the capital city.

She stirred in her sleep, releasing a soft sigh that floated away on the breeze. He approached her and carefully lifted her in his arms. If it was just after midnight in Zone 15, she would probably want to sleep for a bit longer and might be more comfortable in bed. He placed her upon his large bed and tucked the blanket around her again. After sitting on the bed beside her, he studied her features and couldn’t resist reaching out to touch the softness of her cheek.

He liked the sight of her in his bed.

Gods, she was beautiful, and she was all his.

Chapter 8

The bus swayed as it rounded a turn. Tyra shivered and peered at the sunrise. Her stomach flipped. Uncle Sebastian would be awake by now.

Had he discovered her missing yet?

She repressed a shudder as she considered his reaction, but she also tried to convince herself that all would be well. She was safe now, finally out of his reach.

And soon, she wouldn’t even be on Earth anymore.

But the bus came to a sudden stop, and she braced her hands on the seat in front of her. Once she recovered her senses, she peered out the window. This wasn’t a bus stop and they weren’t even passing through a town at the moment, but traveling in between cities out in the wide-open countryside.

Why had the bus stopped?

An uneasy feeling spread through her when the bus driver opened the door. Tyra glanced at the other women aboard the bus, all of them mail order brides like her, but none of them appeared concerned. They were all reading, sleeping, or quietly conversing with their seatmates.

Why didn’t anyone else think this was strange?

Suddenly, she heard heavy footsteps as someone approached the bus, though she couldn’t see the person as she scanned the roadside. When she returned her attention to the front of the bus, horror filled her as she made eye contact with her uncle, who was now standing at the front of the aisle. Fury glinted in the depths of his dark eyes and she felt abruptly cold, chilled to the bone.

As he approached her, she tried to will herself to move, to bolt out of her seat and take the emergency exit in the back, but she couldn’t make her legs work. She couldn’t even stand up.

He approached her, a menacing smile upon his face. Once he reached her, he offered her his hand, nodding for her to take it. She managed to shake her head, but even that brief movement left her exhausted.

“Happy Birthday, niece.” His grin widened, revealing several gold-capped teeth.

Panic gripped her. It was indeed her birthday—her twenty-first, to be precise. The birthday she’d been simultaneously dreading and looking forward to for years.

It signaled the age at which her uncle’s nefarious scheme for her would come to fruition, but it also heralded the age at which she could legally apply to become a Martian’s bride.

It was the magic age that would allow her to leave forever.

But now he was here and her plan was ruined. Tears burned in her eyes but she blinked rapidly, not wishing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her tears. Even when she’d been a little girl, he had usually laughed at her or belittled her whenever she cried.

“Take my hand. You’re coming with me.” His jaw tightened.

“No, Uncle. I’m no-not going an-anywhere with you.”

“You don’t have a choice.” He sneered. “The auction takes place this evening and the event has already sold out.”

---