Page 22 of Possessive Alien Mate

She was still a bit shocked he’d offered to have her uncle jailed or killed in retaliation for his poor treatment of her and she now had a lot to think about. If her uncle was jailed, that would keep him from hurting anyone else. She’d recently overheard a conversation between him and one of his regulars, a man named Karl who was interested in auctioning off his step-daughter’s virginity. Karl had promised to split the winnings with Uncle Sebastian in exchange for the use of the bar’s secret back room.

As she recalled further details of the conversation, in which Karl and her uncle had discussed his step-daughter’s physical attributes, her stomach twisted with revulsion. But she soon came to a decision, one which she didn’t feel guilty over.

She turned at the sound of Rem’s footsteps. He was fully dressed in his black guard’s uniform and she thought he looked quite handsome this morning. He took her in his arms and kissed her forehead, then her cheek, before trailing a line of kisses down her neck.

“I thought you had to get to work,” she said with a laugh.

He straightened and peered into her eyes with warmth filling his. “I do, and I’d better go now so I’m not late. I’m putting the house into lockdown on my way out,” he said, and her spirits plummeted.

She had hoped that he would allow her to walk the grounds of the palace freely when he was on duty. She’d enjoyed the walk they had taken there several days ago immensely and had hoped to see Esmay and some of the other human women she’d met again soon. “What if someone stops by?” she asked. “Like your mother?”

“My mother is stopping by tomorrow morning to take you into the shopping district,” he said. “I doubt she will come today.”

“I’m still allowed to go?”

He nodded. “Yes, my mate. As long as you promise to stay with my mother at all times. You will also wear a wrist comm that will allow me to pinpoint your exact location in case you run into any trouble.”

Relief spread through her that she would still be permitted to go shopping with his mother, but she bristled at having to wear a wrist comm. Mars was supposed to be a safe planet, at least compared to Earth. What kind of danger could she possibly find herself in?

“No arguments,” he said, lifting his lower forehead ridges. The facial expression made him appear stern, but he soon resumed gazing upon her with affection. “If it makes you feel better, my father requires my mother to wear a wrist comm whenever she leaves the house without him. Many Marttiaxoxalian males put tracers under their female’s skin as well.”

She felt her eyes widen. She wasn’t certain if he meant his last statement as a threat, but she didn’t want anything inserted under her skin. Nope. No way.

“Very well,” she replied. “I will wear the wrist comm.”

“Good.” He paused and gave her a serious look. “Have you considered what we talked about last night? About the fate of your uncle? I am not trying to rush you, but if you have reached a decision, I am ready to take action on the matter at once.”

She drew in a deep breath, a sense of victory rushing through her. After years of listening to Uncle Sebastian’s taunts about what would happen to her when she turned twenty-one, after years of enduring his drunken tirades and watching him degrade her aunt with harsh words and frequent cheating, she would see justice prevail. As far as she was concerned, he deserved to rot in prison and never see the light of day again.

“Yes,” she finally answered. “I’ve come to a decision. I would like him to be jailed. If you need a good reason to have him arrested, there is a back room in his bar, a secret room, and he holds illegal gambling nights there every Friday.” She didn’t dare mention the auctions, for fear he might realize she was holding some truths back.

“Consider it done,” he said, leaning down to rest his forehead against hers. “What about your aunt? Will she manage to survive without your uncle’s income?”

Tyra flushed. She hadn’t thought the whole thing out. How would Aunt Tammy react when her husband was hauled off to jail forever? Would she feel sadness or relief? Tyra wasn’t sure, but she knew how to help her aunt remain in her home and keep paying her bills. “My aunt doesn’t work outside the home, but I received a deposit of ten thousand galactic credits in my account after my application to become a Martian’s bride was accepted. I wasn’t sure what to do with the money yet—I didn’t want my uncle to get his hands on it—but if he’s been put away for good, I can have the money transferred to her.”

“Are you certain that’s what you want to do?”

“Yes, I am.” Tyra’s relationship with her aunt would always be complicated, and she still wasn’t even sure if she wished to speak to the woman. But, she had some fond memories of her aunt. The woman had been particularly kind to her when she was much younger, before her uncle’s drinking had gotten worse and he’d forced Tyra to start working at his seedy bar.

“All right,” Rem said, pulling back from her. “You may use the video comm to complete the transfer into your aunt’s account whenever you would like. Your uncle will be jailed within the hour. I swear it on the Gods.” He gave her one last kiss, promised to be home in time for dinner, and finally left for work.

Within the hour. Would Tyra’s nightmares about her uncle stop once he was locked away where he would never hurt anyone again? God, she hoped so. She also hoped her aunt didn’t mourn his absence. She reminded herself of all the times he’d pushed Aunt Tammy down or worse during one of his rages. She was doing the right thing by locking him away, even if her aunt did miss him at first.

She soon departed their bedroom and entered the balcony on the far side of the house that had a perfect view of the city. As she gazed at the alien landscape, marveling at the ships that zipped through the clear blue sky, she started to feel a sense of purpose for the first time in a long time.

She was doing good by asking Rem to lock her uncle away, and she started to think about the other well-known criminals in Bismarck who’d gotten away with worse crimes than Uncle Sebastian. Fear had always kept her and everyone else in her town silent. But she wasn’t on Earth anymore. The criminals from her city couldn’t hurt her, even if they did find out she’d ratted them out to the authorities.

How would Rem react if she gave him a detailed list of the harmful and very illegal activities that had been causing her city to go downhill during the last few years? She’d seen and heard a lot of crazy things at the bar. She knew everyone’s name, who they worked for, and what kind of disreputable dealings they were involved in. The few friends she had in Bismarck longed to escape the city, but none of them had the means to do so, and she’d felt guilty leaving them behind, particularly the other waitresses who worked at her uncle’s bar.

She rushed to the stack of books she’d placed on the bedside table, searching for the diary she’d brought. She slipped the pen off the side, sat down on the bed, and ripped out a blank page, intent to get to work.

She only hoped Rem would help.

Chapter 18

When Rem arrived home, he was met with the delicious smell of… something. He wasn’t certain what Tyra was cooking, but he’d barely set foot inside his home and his mouth was already watering. He strode through the house in search of Tyra. He found her as she was placing a large pot on the dining room table.

She looked up with a smile when he entered. He rounded the table and opened his arms, and his heart warmed when she rushed into his embrace. He hugged her to his chest and pressed a kiss to her cheek, thankful to finally be home with his mate. He had missed her today and had caught himself staring at the time on his wrist comm more than once.

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