by Sue Mercury
Still, he would need to keep an eye on her. After what Bethamma had done to him, he could never be too careful, and he would never endure such agonizing humiliation and heartbreak again. He would ensure he always knew where Tyra was, as well as with whom she was keeping company. He vowed not to let his guard down. Not even once.
Gieannas stood before Rem and Tyra, clasping his hands together as he bowed his head. He began chanting the traditional Marttiaxoxalian mating blessing, the holy man’s deep voice echoing off the walls.
During the blessing, Rem stood facing Tyra while holding her hands in his. He maintained her gaze, and whenever she tried to look away, he grasped her chin and forced her to look at him again. Each time he did so, a full body tremble affected her and her face became flushed.
He breathed deep, savoring the scent of his female. She smelled like a flowering meadow and he longed to bury his face in her hair, to feel the softness of her dark fragrant locks brushing against his cheeks. His cock stirred in his pants, hardening as a fierce wave of lust swept through him. Despite his initial reluctance to take a mate, he now found himself desiring this small human female beyond all reason.
Mine. My human.
He released a deep growl, though he doubted Tyra heard him over the resounding chants of the Wise One, since she didn’t flinch once. As he stared down at her, he noticed a small smattering of light brown freckles on her nose and cheeks, and the markings made her look all the more beautiful and enticing to him. She was an exotic female from Earth, with creamy skin that was soft to the touch, and hair that was almost black. Her dark brown eyes contained golden flecks that seemed to reflect the light in the room.
Gods, she was stunning. He couldn’t tear his gaze from hers.
The Wise One finished chanting and an abrupt silence filled the house. Rem couldn’t be certain, but he thought he heard the rapid beating of Tyra’s heart.
When she parted her lips and inhaled slowly, the sight of her pink lips moving made his cock harden further. He imagined those lips wrapped around his length and his blood heated.
“I wish you a long, happy mating union,” Gieannas said as he exited the sitting room.
“Thank you, Gieannas,” Rem called out. He appreciated that the holy man was choosing not to linger.
When he heard the front door closing after Gieannas’ departure, a fresh wave of desire gripped him at the knowledge that he now had Tyra completely alone. He released her hands and reached for her hair, unable to stop himself from caressing his fingers through the silken locks. He leaned closer and breathed deep. The scent of her womanly essence, evidence of her building excitement, reached him as he drew her closer into his arms.
All his reasons for not wanting a mate faded as he embraced her, resting his chin atop her head as he continued petting her hair and running his hands up and down her back. She shuddered against him and the scent of her arousal increased in the air. His cock lurched into her stomach and he pressed his body closer to hers, allowing her to feel the evidence of his own arousal. A tiny gasp left her, but she didn’t attempt to escape his hold.
“That was a quick mating ceremony,” she said after a moment. She pulled back slightly to peer up at him, her face still flushed and her eyes shining bright with excitement. “Human wedding ceremonies are usually much longer.”
He cupped her face in his hands. Mine. My human.
Again, that fierce, almost violent, possessiveness for Tyra stole through him. He resisted the urge to grab her roughly and carry her upstairs. He took a deep breath, reminding himself that she was his mate. It was his duty to protect her and he must exercise self-control and refrain from harming her during their first mating.
But Gods, he ached to hold her down and ravage her right here and now.
He wanted her to feel that she belonged to him.
“Are you all right, Rem?” She looked concerned as she gazed up at him, those pretty dark eyes of hers searching his face. “You, um, you look strange, and you’re being so quiet. Is something wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong, my sweet mate.” That endearment. He’d just used it for the second time, without even thinking. The words had simply issued from his lips. He straightened and reached for her hand. “Come, and I will escort you upstairs.”
Her breath hitched and she glanced around the room, as if looking for an escape. Annoyance flared within him. She was his, and she wasn’t going anywhere but to his bed. He pulled her closer and tightened his hold on her hand.
“You aren’t going anywhere,” he said sternly. “You belong to me now, Tyra.”
“I thought we belonged to each other?” she said in a wary tone. “You are now my mate, as much as I am yours. At least, that is the way of mating unions, or marriages, on Earth.”
“You are no longer on Earth.” He guided her toward the steps that led upstairs. But he couldn’t deny he liked what she’d just said, about them belonging to each other. Did she truly view him as belonging to her? The very idea struck him as unusual. In Marttiaxoxalian mating unions, males led and females followed. Females obeyed. Would Tyra obey him in all things, or would she prove rebellious?
“I know I’m no longer on Earth,” she said once they reached the corridor that led to his bedroom. “I’m simply trying to explain to you how I view our union. You don’t have to be so grouchy about it.”
Grouchy? He paused in the corridor and stared down at her, completely taken aback. No one had ever called him grouchy before. At least to his face. No one would ever dare issue such an insult. Children were grouchy. Adult Marttiaxoxalian males who worked as palace guards were not.
“I am not grouchy,” he said.
A smile played about her lips. “Yes, you are. I realize I’ve known you for less than an hour, but I can already tell that you take yourself way too seriously, Rem. You need to loosen up. Trust me, you’ll have more fun that way.”
“I don’t need to have fun.” He tightened his hold on her hand and guided her into his bedroom. The sight of the bed made her steps falter, and he had to pause until she recovered her senses and continued walking with him.
He spun her to face him and gave her a severe look, wanting her to understand that he didn’t appreciate the turn their conversation had taken.
Who was she to tell him that he took himself way too seriously? If any male among his peers ever said such a thing, Rem would make the male suffer.
He couldn’t make Tyra suffer, however, nor did he wish to hurt her. If anything, he wished to prove her wrong, to show her that he wasn’t grumpy and that he could have fun, despite claiming only moments ago that he didn’t need to have fun.
A glint of worry shone in her eyes suddenly, as she glanced from Rem to the bed and back again. Was his outspoken little human nervous? When she exhaled a shuddering breath an instant later, he decided she must be at least somewhat anxious about being claimed by him for the first time. His cock thickened in his pants and his balls drew up tight. Fluxx, he wanted her now.
He leaned down to press his lips to hers.
Chapter 4
His kisses were making her delirious.
Tyra’s head swam as she clutched onto Rem’s shirt and began to tentatively kiss him back. He responded to her cautious efforts by holding her face and deepening the kiss, causing heat to surge through her in sharp, quaking waves.
The steady pulses of warmth between her thighs became more urgent, and she pressed her legs together, hoping to ease the needy throbbing sensation that threatened to drive her mad. If Rem didn’t reach down and touch her there soon, she feared she might combust.
In between kisses, he would pull back for a few moments to stare at her, before he dipped his head down again and resumed delving his tongue into her mouth and tangling it with hers. He held her in place, completely in control as he kissed her, and the knowledge that they would soon end up in bed together made her desire mount further.
It was pure physical attraction, she realized, but she didn’t care. She did
n’t know Rem well at all yet, and he didn’t know her very well either. But they were attracted to one another, and she was at least thankful for this as he lowered her to the bed and pressed his huge body to hers.
Oh God. He was on top of her. As his hard cock pressed to her thigh, she imagined she could feel the heat of his stiff appendage through the layers of their clothing.
Breaking the kiss, he focused on her attire. She was wearing a yellow sundress, and he slipped the straps over her shoulders and began tugging the garment down over her body. She lifted her hips to assist him, even as she felt her face heating. He was still wearing his black uniform, while she was now only wearing panties and a bra. His dark otherworldly eyes scanned over her body as he tossed her dress to the floor.
His nostrils flared and a deep growl resounded from his throat. Her stomach flipped. She had thought Marttiaxoxalian males only growled when angry, but apparently, they made such noises when sexually excited as well. But, though the animalistic sound had startled her at first, when he issued yet another growl, this time it caused goosebumps to rise on her arms and a fresh surge of heat to flare between her thighs.
As she squirmed around beneath him, she felt the wetness of her arousal pressing onto her panties. His nostrils flared every time she moved around, making her wonder if he could detect the scent of her essence. Her face flamed at the prospect.
“You are the most beautiful female I have ever seen, sweet Tyra.” Affection gleamed in his eyes, taking her aback. She liked this side of him much better than his jealous side. She hoped he treated her with warmth more often than he behaved like a jealous brute.
“Thanks. You know, you’re pretty good looking yourself.” She reached for the top buttons on his black shirt and unfastened them, revealing the top half of his muscular chest. Lord have mercy. The longer she stared at him, the more difficult it became to breathe.
He reached for her panties and she heard a tearing noise a second later. She gulped hard and watched as he tossed the ripped undergarment to the floor. Next, he focused on her bra, but before he could tear it off her, she quickly unfastened the front clasp. She’d only brought a handful of bras with her to Mars and she didn’t want any of them ruined so soon. She wasn’t sure what kind of clothing, let alone undergarments, were available to the females who lived on this planet.
As she revealed her breasts to him, he helped her shrug off the bra, then he took one nipple into his mouth, sucking and even dragging his teeth along her flesh. She arched into his touch, even as she attempted to undo more buttons on his shirt.
He ground his center against hers, allowing her to feel the fullness of the erection still encased within his pants, before he rose off the bed and started stripping his own clothes off. I’m really on Mars and I’m really about to mate with a Marttiaxoxalian. This realization struck her as she watched him undress. The sight of his naked body, so powerful and huge, made her mouth go dry.
But suddenly, he froze. She peered up at him, taking note of his tensed posture and the angry look in his otherworldly eyes. His nostrils flared and yet another growl left him, but this time he sounded decidedly angry. He wasn’t looking directly at her though, she realized, and she followed his gaze down to the necklace she was wearing. The locket had come open, revealing the picture of a young man smiling warmly for the camera.
“Rem?” She couldn’t believe this. Was he really getting jealous over a picture of another male? The least he could do was ask who the man was before he started growling at her. His sudden jealousy and the darkness entering his eyes was a splash of cold water. All the excitement and arousal she’d felt moments ago vanished. All she wanted was for him to get off of her and leave her alone—at least until he could learn to behave like a reasonable man.
“You dare to wear that around your neck, female?” A vein on his temple throbbed and the ridges on his forehead drew together, making him look even more menacing than usual. “You dare to carry the reminder of a former lover into our mating union?” He grasped her shoulders and gave her a slight shake.
Tyra snapped. She pushed against his chest with all her might and tried to wiggle out from underneath him. When he reached for the locket, she screamed “NO!” and cupped the precious item in her hands, shielding it from his grasp. “No! Get up! Get off me right fucking now!”
To her relief, he rolled off her, though he didn’t quite release her. He kept hold of her elbow, giving it a brief tug, as if trying to get her to surrender the locket.
But she wasn’t going to let go, not until she was certain he wouldn’t harm it. The locket was all she had left of the man on Earth whom she had loved most. A man she would never see again. It was a private pain, one which she didn’t wish to share with Rem or anyone else. She’d wanted a fresh start on Mars. Perhaps she shouldn’t have brought any reminders from Earth, but then she hadn’t expected her mate would be a jealous brute prone to overreacting.
He pinned her with a fierce look. “You are dishonoring our mating vows by wearing an image of another male around your neck.”
“The man in the picture is my father, you giant ass!” She wrenched away from him and shot off the bed. She grabbed her dress off the floor and ran for the door, determined to escape this house and the beast who lived here. Determined to run as far as her legs would carry her.
Oh God, what a horrible mistake she’d made in coming here.
Chapter 5
Rem cursed and scrubbed a hand over his face. Fluxx.
He took a deep breath and rose to his feet, his anger dissipating as quickly as it had fallen over him. He heard Tyra’s footsteps on the stairs and called out a verbal command to the security system, ordering the house to go into lockdown. She wouldn’t be able to escape him.
He stalked after her, realizing he must apologize and try to make things right between them. Still naked, he hurried down the steps as he searched for her. He followed her sweet flowery scent and found her trying to push open the front door. When it failed to open, she moved to the nearest window, but it didn’t budge either. She was wearing the yellow dress again, though in her haste to get dressed, it looked as though she’d put it on backwards.
He cleared his throat and waited for her to look at him. When she turned, her eyes went wide and she quickly looked away. “Jesus, Rem. Put some clothes on.”
He glanced down at himself. His cock was still hard and bobbed slightly with his movements. “I left my clothing upstairs.” He reached out a hand to her. “Come, Tyra. We are going back upstairs.” He wanted her back in his bedroom, where he could hopefully make a proper apology and then they could pick up where they’d left off. He still longed to make her his, to claim her as his mate.
She shook her head back and forth. Tears glimmered in her eyes and she blinked rapidly as she made another futile attempt to open the window. “Fuck!” she said, slamming a hand against the reinforced glass.
“Tyra,” he said, “I am sorry.” The apology felt strange on his tongue, as strange as the one he’d issued in the forest after grabbing her too hard. Before these instances, he couldn’t remember the last time he had apologized to anyone for anything. Perhaps when he was a child, or a young warrior. Gods. No wonder Jav was his only friend.
She exhaled a shuddering breath and stared at him, her expression wary as she remained pressed to the wall near the window. She made no move to step closer and he didn’t invade her space. He cursed his jealousy and the Marttiaxoxalian female who had caused him to harbor such distrust in his heart. Tyra didn’t look as though she accepted his apology. How could he mend the rift between them?
“I-I was wrong to react the way I did, my sweet mate. Please know that I am sorry.” He reached out his hand again, holding his breath and hoping she would take it.
“Rem, could we perhaps talk and get to know one another better before…” Her voice trailed off and her cheeks reddened. “Before we, um, go back upstairs.” She met his gaze and his heart clenched at the fear reflecting in her dark ey
es. Fear he had caused.
“Yes, Tyra,” he answered without hesitation. He certainly wouldn’t force her to go back upstairs with him, not until she was comfortable doing so, anyway. How could he calm her? How could he erase the worry that glimmered in the depths of her eyes? He was vastly inexperienced with females. It had been many years since he’d spent more than a short moment speaking to one, let alone engaged in a full conversation. Suddenly, he felt woefully unprepared to accept a mate into his life. And yet, he couldn’t fathom letting Tyra go.
He still felt possessive of her, still ached to claim her as his forever.
After a tense moment, she finally stepped forward and reached out to take his hand. When their fingers touched, warmth flowed through him, a river of emotion that couldn’t be tamed.
Why was he drawn to Tyra unlike any other female?
As he pulled her closer, he experienced an emotion he hadn’t felt in ages, one that startled him to the very depths of his being. Hope.
He gathered her closer and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to his chest as he stroked one hand through her hair. She shuddered against him but made no move to return his embrace. He couldn’t blame her, after the way he’d acted.
Her stomach abruptly grumbled, and he eagerly latched onto this distraction. He pulled back to stare down at her, still caressing his fingers through her soft tresses. He placed a finger beneath her chin, reveling in the silkiness of her skin. Were all human females so soft and delicate? Gods, he wanted to undress her again and run his hands all over her body. He wanted to examine every little part of her. He inhaled a deep breath, attempting to calm the desire that was rushing through him, and gave Tyra a brief smile.
