Page 4 of Possessive Alien Mate

His eyes were dark and forbidding, and when he reached for her arm it was all she could do not to pull back and run for her life. Her instincts told her to flee, yet there was nowhere she could go. She’d already agreed to become a Martian’s bride. She’d signed a contract and she very much doubted she would be permitted to return to Earth even if she tried to refuse this alien male.

To her shock, he reached out to cup her face in one hand. His palm felt hard as steel, causing a pang of fear to tighten in her stomach. She remembered that Martians possessed armored skin that was impervious to most weaponry, one of the reasons they had so easily conquered Earth. He could crush her if he wanted to. He could hurt her worse than the monster she’d run away from.

Silence stretched between them as he peered into her eyes. He still wore a deep scowl and when his nostrils flared, he looked frightfully angry, like a beast on the verge of attack. But maybe she was reading him wrong. Maybe he wasn’t angry at all.

A feeling of inadequacy washed over Tyra. Perhaps he didn’t find her pleasing, or perhaps he wished he’d been matched with one of the other women, or maybe he simply didn’t like humans yet was taking one as a mate because he needed to help his people grow their numbers.

As all these possibilities swirled through her mind, she began to feel faint and hoped he said something soon. The silence became deafening and with each second, the tension in the air rose higher, making her sick to her stomach as a tremble spread throughout her body.

“My name is Rem.” He forced her face higher. “I am pleased to meet you,mybride,” he said, putting a strange emphasis on the last two words that sent a shiver down her back.

“Hello, Rem. I am pleased to meet you as well.” Somehow, she forced out the response, even though she was still shaking. All her enthusiasm from earlier had long faded. She couldn’t help but fear this alien.

How had she deluded herself into thinking this would be an adventure, let alone a fresh start?

In her haste to escape Earth, she hadn’t considered what she would do if her alien mate possessed a bad temperament. Instead, she had allowed herself to get carried away by visions of beautiful green forests, snow-capped mountains, and a resplendent alien city just waiting to be explored.

In addition to her dreams about the incredible new world she would call home, she had even fantasized about falling in love with her handsome Martian husband. Well, he was handsome, in a hard, fierce warrior sort of way. But he didn’t appear capable of tenderness or affection. This frightened her more than she would have liked to admit, and she prayed her first impression of Rem was wrong.

“A Wise One is waiting at my abode,” he said, interrupting her thoughts. “Let us depart the ship and seek the holy man’s blessing upon our union.” He released her and grabbed the suitcase that rested near her feet. “I assume this is yours?”

“Yes, thank you.” It was heavy and she appreciated that he was apparently going to carry it. Perhaps he had a gentlemanly side, after all. God, she could only hope.

With his free hand, he grasped her upper arm and guided her out into the gleaming silver corridors of the spacecraft. He didn’t say a word as they disembarked, and by the time they reached the bottom of the landing ramp, she didn’t see any sign of the other couples. The city stretched out large and majestic in all directions, and she wondered if she would ever see any of the women again. Even though she hadn’t particularly gotten along with any of them, she abruptly felt their absence and prayed she made at least a few human friends on this planet.

She lifted her face to the sun and breathed in the fragrant air. Tall green trees lined the perimeter of the landing platform. She peered into the surrounding forest and marveled at the thick underbrush and flowering vines that flourished upon the land. Beyond this forest area, she glimpsed the rooftops of reddish-orange houses and other impressive looking structures, including the huge palace that she realized must house the royal Martian family. Now that she was out in the open, her sense of adventure began to return.

“Wow,” she said. “I’ve never seen so much green in my life. This place is magical.”

As they left the ramp and continued down a white stone path that curved through the trees, he pulled her closer and gave her a quizzical look. “Magical?”

“Don’t you think it’s magical?” She grinned and gestured around the woods. “Why, I feel as though I’m walking through an enchanted forest at this moment. Everything is so green and lush and there are thousands upon thousands of flowering plants, some of which are glimmering in the sun—just look at that flower patch over there—and the little animals that are flitting amongst the trees are adorable.” She spotted a creature that looked like a mixture between a squirrel and a chipmunk, but before she could point it out to him, she heard footsteps approaching and Rem’s grip on her arm tightened painfully.

She tried to wrench out of her mate’s hold, but he didn’t loosen his grasp. He pulled her closer and she glanced ahead to see two Martian males approaching. They were dressed in black, like Rem, and it occurred to her that they were all dressed like the guards who’d been aboard the spacecraft. She supposed that meant Rem was also a guard or maybe an enforcer, like those Martians who patrolled the streets on Earth.

The approaching males paused and greeted Rem with foot taps, though they spoke in their own language, which Tyra couldn’t understand. From what she’d heard, few humans could speak, let alone comprehend, the Marttiaxoxalian tongue.

She peeked up at Rem and her stomach lurched at the murderous glint in his eyes. What was wrong with him? She got the sense that he didn’t like these two males, but she didn’t understand why he was being so rough with her. Every time she tried to escape his grasp, he tightened his hold on her, and sometimes a low growl would escape his throat.

Her fear started to return, causing a shiver to rush through her, despite the heat of the day. What was Rem’s problem?

She eyed the two males openly, wondering who they were. While Rem’s skin was a bright green shade, which she loved because it reminded her of the beauty of a lush green forest, the newcomers were both a bright purple color. In fact, the longer she looked at them, the more she suspected they were brothers. The markings on the horns that curved over their heads and down their backs were almost identical, and the ridges on their foreheads were similar as well.

Finally, Rem switched to Galactic Common and introduced her to the males.

“Tyra, this is Chexxa and Frinik. Chexxa is a warrior in training, and Frinkik is a guard who also works at the palace.”

Alsoworks at the palace? She shot Rem a questioning look but decided she would ask him about his job later. Recovering her senses, she smiled briefly at both men, only for another growl to leave Rem. Seriously, what was his problem?

“Hello, Chexxa and Frinik, it’s nice to meet you,” she said, still smiling, even though she was beginning to suspect that her friendliness toward these males was pissing Rem off. Ugh. She really hoped her impression of the situation was wrong and that her mate wasn’t the jealous type. Just in case he was, she allowed her smile to fade.

“Welcome to Mars,” Chexxa said.

“Yes, welcome to our planet,” Frinik said, “and may I wish you both a happy mating union.”

“That’s most kind of you. Thank you.” Tyra nodded at each male and forced herself not to smile again, lest it anger Rem any further.

Once the males said farewell and resumed walking by, Rem loosened his hold on Tyra’s arm. She took the opportunity to physically pull herself from his grasp, putting all her strength into her movements. She rubbed her upper arm and glared up at him.

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