Possessive Alien Mate

by Sue Mercury

  “Come, my sweet mate, and I will get you settled in the sitting room while I prepare an early midday meal. It sounds as though you’re hungry.”

  “I-I could eat. Thank you. That sounds nice.”

  He guided her through the lower level of his house, to the sitting room that faced the forest area around the palace. Though he lived in the center of the city, there was plenty of greenery, with small wooded areas in between clusters of houses. His house, in particular, wasn’t situated near any others, as most of the palace guards lived within the walls of the royal estate. As he recalled how much Tyra had enjoyed the walk from the landing platform, he was now glad for the remote feel of his home. He was also thankful that the large window in the living room showed a splendid view of the flowering trees and other greenery.

  “Wow, it doesn’t feel like we’re in a city.” She walked to the window. “Are Marttiaxoxalian cities usually designed this way? With little forests in between all the houses and buildings?”

  “This is our only city at the moment,” he said, “though there are a few smaller settlements in more rural areas on Mars. But, yes, before we were forced to leave Marttiaxoxalia, most of our large cities were designed this way. Even our most populated cities were not very similar to your cities on Earth.”

  “Oh?” She turned to face him, and the late morning sun spilling into the room bathed over her long locks, drawing his attention to the lighter strands in her otherwise dark hair. “Have you been to Earth, then?”

  He stared at her, unsure of how to answer. Of course, he’d been to Earth, and he’d killed many human soldiers during the short time he’d spent on the planet. Didn’t she realize most Marttiaxoxalian males, aside from the very youngest of them, had battled Earth during the war?

  “Yes, I’ve been to Earth.”

  “When? And what part of the planet?”

  “I was stationed in North America during the war,” he said. “Though the occasional mission took me to other locations on your planet, depending on where my unit was needed most during the fighting.”

  She paled. “You fought in the war.” She forced a strange looking smile and shook her head briefly. “Of course, you fought in the war. Silly me. It’s just that twenty years have passed since then, and I am too young to remember the war, that it sometimes feels as though it happened a hundred years or more before I was born. I’ve heard stories about it, and I’ve seen some videos of the battles, but it’s difficult to grasp it as a more recent event when I didn’t witness any of the fighting with my own eyes.” She shrugged. “I never experienced what life on Earth was like before the war. This reality is the only one I know, unlike the generation before mine. My father used to tell me I was lucky in this regard, claiming that I was born at precisely the right time in history, for I would never yearn for the old days as his generation and that of his parents’ were doomed to forever do.” She paused and flushed as she met his gaze. “Sorry, I guess I’m rambling.” She tried to turn back to the window, but Rem caught her in his arms, unable to resist touching her yet again.

  “You are unlike any female I’ve ever met,” he found himself saying, though perhaps this was because he rarely interacted with females. Tyra’s very presence, including her rambling, brought a much-needed lightness to his home. His house felt more open, the walls no longer closing in upon him. As he cupped her face and placed a gentle kiss to her forehead, he realized for the first time what was currently missing from his abode—the pervasive sense of loneliness that usually blanketed the entire place.

  “Is that a compliment?” Tyra asked, her face flushing yet again.

  “Yes, my sweet mate, it is.” He ran his hands down her arms and then guided her to sit near the window on a long plush sofa. “You can wait here. I’ll return shortly with our midday meal. I’ll be certain to put some clothes on first.”

  “Thank you, Rem,” she replied, blushing.

  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, salt
ed 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.

  “You don’t have any skills, Tyra. You can’t even cook. Far as I see it, you’re only good for one thing. Unless you want to find yourself starving on the streets, you’ll do as I say.”

  Her spirits fell as her uncle’s harsh words resurfaced in her thoughts. She closed her eyes and jerked her head to the side, wishing she could forever erase his voice from her mind. She reached for the locket and clutched it in one hand, trying to replace her uncle’s voice with that of her late father’s. Her father had been warm and kind, nothing like his younger brother. If he hadn’t died, Tyra would probably still be on Earth.

  “If you would like to speak with your father,” Rem said, “I could arrange for you to contact him using one of my video comms.”

  She opened her eyes and swallowed hard, then lifted her gaze to Rem. “I appreciate the offer, but he died fifteen years ago.”

  “I am sorry for your loss, my sweet mate.” Rem reached for her hand and squeezed it. “What about your mother? Any siblings? You are welcome to contact them if you wish.”

  She shook her head. “My mother died when I was three months old. I don’t even remember her, and I don’t have any siblings.” She forced a smile, even as her throat burned and her vision became blurry, her eyes filling with tears. She blinked rapidly to keep herself from crying. Rem’s apparent concern touched her, as did his offer to allow her to contact her family on Earth. If only she had family members she wished to contact.

  “I am sorry to hear it, Tyra.” His gaze filled with concern. “Does that mean you were raised in an orphanage?”

  “No,” she said, dreading where this line of questioning was going. She could just kick herself for suggesting they become better acquainted—that meant sharing facts about her life and right now she didn’t want to divulge such personal details.

  “Then who raised you?”

  “My-my aunt and uncle.” She pretended to study something outside the window as she drew in a deep breath. After exhaling, she turned back to Rem, determined to change the direction of their conversation. “What about you? Do your parents live on Mars? Are they nearby?”

  “My parents live a short walk away. I am fortunate that my mother is alive and in good health—we lost most of our females many years ago when the Xieandans poisoned the water supplies on our home planet. My father was a palace guard at the time and we lived on the palace grounds in the capital city on Marttiaxoxalia. The palace drew water from a source so deep beneath the ground that the poison—which only affected our females—hadn’t yet reached it, but most females who lived outside the palace grounds perished.”

  “I am glad to hear your mother survived. Did you lose anyone you cared about because of the Xieandans?”

  A look of pure rage entered his eyes, causing her to draw away from him. Obviously, she had hit a nerve with this last question. She wondered who he might’ve lost and prayed he didn’t have any sisters who’d lived outside the palace grounds on Marttiaxoxalia.

  He stood up and moved to the window, staring out at the flowering trees. “I lost someone I used to care about,” he said after a long, tense silence, “however, I do not wish to speak of it any further.”

  “Of course. I’m sorry.” She clasped her hands together and sat unmoving, her shoulders hunched as she bent into herself slightly, as if she might ease his anger if only she were very quiet and very still. This method had sometimes worked with her uncle, particularly when he was in the midst of a drunken rage. If she couldn’t run past him and hide, she would be quiet until his rage ran its course, hopefully without any harm coming upon her. However, she wasn’t always so lucky.

  “Would you like to contact your aunt and uncle, Tyra? To let them know you have arrived safely on Mars?” He turned to her, his posture still tense.

  “I, um…” She fidgeted in place and fumbled for words. “They don’t have a video comm, but I will eventually send them a message.” God, she couldn’t tell him the truth and she hoped he forgot about her promise to send them a message. She wouldn’t mind speaking with her aunt, but she knew her uncle would never permit the contact. He would be furious when he discovered she’d fled Bismarck and ruined his big plans for her. It was best to close the door on this part of her life forever, even if it meant never speaking to her aunt again.

  “Very well,” Rem said. “The video comm system in my abode is also capable of transmitting messages to Earth. You are free to use it whenever you wish.”

  “Thank you.” She had a few friends she hoped to contact, but that was it.

  “I’ll bring your suitcase upstairs now, and you can unpack while I clean up the kitchen.” His nostrils flared then and he pinned her with a heated look. “I will come find you when I am finished.”

  A shiver rippled through her, even as heat quaked between her thighs. She hadn’t missed the note of promise in his voice, nor the desire in his eyes.

  He expected to consummate their union—and soon.

  Chapter 7

  When Rem returned to his bedroom a short while later, he found Tyra curled up in a chair by the window, sound asleep. Though the day was warm, the breeze kept ruffling her hair, and he noticed her shiver as goosebumps rose on her arms. He qui
ckly grabbed a cover from the bed and draped it over her, taking his time to tuck the blanket around her.

  He had hoped to finally claim her as his mate when he came upstairs, but he found he was more than content to watch her sleeping. She appeared younger in sleep and peaceful, all traces of worry absent from her pretty, innocent face.

  As he stood watching her, he mulled over her life on Earth. It saddened him that she’d lost her mother and father at such an early age, especially losing her mother when she was too young to remember her. How tragic.

  He decided to contact the Martian Affairs offices in Zone 15 and arrange for a video comm to be delivered to her uncle’s home. Perhaps it would cheer her up if she were able to see her aunt and uncle and speak with them in real time, rather than only sending them messages.

  He moved to the other side of the bedroom and made a quick call using his wrist comm. It took a while to get through to the Martian Affairs offices in Zone 15, but once he finally did, he easily arranged for a video comm to be installed at her uncle’s home. The clerk he spoke with promised him it would be taken care of within the next three days. Rem decided he would wait until he’d heard confirmation about the installation before he informed Tyra of the news. He wanted to surprise her.

  After watching her sleep for a while longer, Rem pulled up information about Zone 15 on his wrist comm and discovered it was just after midnight in Tyra’s former home. Well, that explained her tiredness.

  He took note of her suitcase sitting near a dresser and ventured closer, curious about the items she’d brought with her from Earth. He discovered she had unpacked her meager belongings and placed them in the top drawer of a dresser—mainly clothing items. A pair of well-worn boots rested against the wall beside the sandals she’d been wearing upon her arrival this morning.

  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.