Page 9 of Possessive Alien Mate

He turned and hurried upstairs to dress quickly, then rushed to the kitchen, anxious to return to his mate soon.

But how long would it take to get to know one another? He didn’t like the uncertain time table and had to push aside his impatience to get her back into his bed. He reminded himself that the Wise One had already bestowed a blessing upon their mating union.

Whether he’d bedded her yet or not, legally, she still belonged to him.

Chapter 6

Though only minutes ago she’d run from Rem and attempted to escape his home, as Tyra sat on the sofa staring out the window, she now found herself anticipating his return to the sitting room. He’d seemed genuinely remorseful over his reaction to her locket, and her forehead still tingled in the spot where he’d kissed her so sweetly. Furthermore, he could’ve forced her to go back upstairs to resume their intimate activities, but he’d ceded to her wishes that they spend some time talking and getting to know one another better first.

From what she’d seen so far, she knew Rem had plenty of rough edges, but he also possessed a gentler side and she longed to see more of it. To see more of him. She had the sneaking suspicion that his hard exterior was a mask he’d taken to wearing, a defense mechanism of sorts, though she wasn’t yet precisely certain what particular experiences had shaped him and caused him to put on the mask.

But the fear she’d experienced when she’d run downstairs had now long faded and she was once again certain she’d made the right choice in becoming a mail order bride to an alien.

I’m finally free.

This thought kept flitting through her mind. She had finally reached Mars, the planet she had spent years dreaming about. Ever since she’d learned of the mail order bride program, she had longed to make Mars her new home. Now she was really here, sitting in a Martian house and staring at the most beautiful forest she had ever seen. The trees were tall and majestic, reaching up to the clear blue sky. The flowers were exotic and huge, some of them multi-colored and sparkling in the sun.

But even better than the natural beauty that was surrounding her was the fact that she no longer had to live in fear of her uncle’s vile money-making schemes. She was free of his power over her and safe from the future he’d been trying to force upon her. She repressed a shiver and tried to push thoughts of him aside.

She heard the clattering of dishes a few rooms away and a sudden warmth filled her, chasing away the dark clouds that had gathered during her musings about her life on Earth. She had come to Mars expecting that she would be required to cook, clean, and perform all the domestic chores in her new household, yet Rem was currently in the kitchen preparing a meal for them. No man had ever cooked for her before.

She straightened when she heard his footsteps approaching. He entered the sitting room carrying a large tray of food. In all her life, she had never seen food so brightly colored, and she couldn’t help but stare as her mouth watered. Most of her meals in Zone 15 had consisted of lumpy gray stews that contained whatever sort of meat her uncle had managed to catch—usually rabbit or squirrel. It was a rare treat to get fresh fruit or vegetables, but it would appear such food was easily found on Mars.

Rem set the tray down on the coffee table and took a seat next to her. “I wasn’t sure what kind of food you liked,” he said, his tone almost sheepish, “so I included a little bit of everything I had in the kitchen. This is all fresh, though I also have a food replicator that can make anything you desire.”

Tyra’s stomach rumbled again. “I don’t know what any of this is, but it looks and smells amazing, Rem. Thank you.”

He gestured for her to try something, so she reached out and plucked a piece of red fruit from the tray and popped it into her mouth. When she bit down, the sweet yet tangy flavor exploded in her mouth, dancing across her taste buds as she moaned with pleasure.

“Mm. This is good.”

Rem moved the coffee table closer and urged her to eat more. She gladly obliged and made a point to try at least one of everything he’d included on the tray. There were thin slices of flavorful bread, salted meats, spicy cheese, and round sweetcakes that practically melted in her mouth.

They ate in silence for several minutes, and she appreciated the informality of the meal. While food had been plentiful aboard the spaceship that had brought her here, she had spent most of her time gazing out the large viewscreen in the women’s quarters, anxious for her first look at Mars. She’d grabbed a small piece of fruit from the counter in the kitchen and nothing more, even though she’d heard the other women discussing the amazing variety of food available to them while she stared out at the stars, hoping for her first glimpse of her new home.

“I was told all the women aboard today’s shipment were from Zone 15,” Rem said, gazing down at her. “Is that correct?”

Tyra swallowed a bite of cheese and nodded. “Yes, we were all from Zone 15. Most of the women were from Fargo—that’s a city in the midwestern part of the former United States—but I was from a smaller city called Bismarck.”

Rem leaned back on the sofa, apparently finished with his meal, as he continued staring at her. She felt herself flushing under the intensity of his gaze and had a difficult time meeting his eye.

There was something about him, aside from his jealous side and his huge stature, that put her on edge. Perhaps it was the heat in his gaze, the unmistakable lust that was darkening his eyes. He looked as though he wanted to pounce on her and warmth quaked between her thighs at the image this realization provoked. Needing to cool herself off, she reached for a glass of water and took a long sip.

“Bismarck,” he said, his Martian accent thick as he repeated the name of a human city. “I fought several battles in Zone 15, though I am uncertain of the names of the cities I helped defeat during the war.”

A shiver ran through her. He had likely killed many of her fellow humans. All the terrible names the women on the ship had used to describe the Martians came rushing back.

Barbarians.

Unfeeling brutes.

Bloodthirsty savages.

But she quickly reminded herself that Rem hadn’t hurt her yet, not really, nor had he treated her with cruelty. She again reminded herself that he could’ve dragged her back upstairs and forced her to mate with him, but he hadn’t even protested her request that they delay the consummation of their mating union.

Would he expect her to mate with him tonight?

She pressed her thighs together and squirmed in her seat, unable to help the warm pulses that were affecting her more and more as she contemplated the particulars of sharing a bed with Rem. Given that she’d spent years trying to avoid the unwanted attention of men in her city, she was surprised she wasn’t more frightened of the physical act of sex. Perhaps it was because she’d made the decision to become a mail order bride to a Martian, rather than having a man forced upon her.

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