by Sue Mercury
The door zipped open and he strode inside, his huge presence filling the room. His gaze remained dark and furious. His nostrils were flared and his muscles tensed. He looked murderous and she repressed a shudder. She was still racking her brain and still coming up empty—she had absolutely no clue what might’ve set him off.
But she didn’t want to cower. She’d come to Mars seeking a fresh start, a new life, and she didn’t want to be the scared little girl she once was. She lifted her chin and tried to summon her bravery. Whatever accusations he threw her way, she was prepared to meet them.
She drew in a deep breath, bracing herself for his anger.
But his next words made her blood run cold.
“You lied to me, Tyra. You lied.”
Chapter 15
Confusion washed through Tyra, as well as a deepening sense of fear. What in the world was Rem talking about? She hadn’t lied to him. Not that she could recall.
He stalked closer and thrust a tablet into her hand. She recognized the Martian Affairs emblem and began reading the short missive it contained, which was written in Galactic Common. She gasped at the contents of the message and backed away from Rem, almost dropping the tablet as her hands commenced shaking.
Oh God. She had lied to him, but she’d forgotten all about it. She’d told him her aunt and uncle didn’t own a video comm, but this memo from Martian Affairs was informing him that not only did they possess a video comm, but they’d had it installed in their home many years ago. The clerk in communication with Rem had even included their comm number.
Panic raced through her and for a moment, she felt as if she were back in her nightmare, on the bus headed for Fargo, only for her uncle to board the bus and drag her away.
“Rem, I can explain…”
“I’m waiting.” He loomed over her and the ridges on his forehead drew together, making him appear fiercer than ever. He looked as though he was ready to charge into battle and slay his enemies.
What could she say? She didn’t want to admit the full truth. The horrible truth. But she had to tell him something. She met his furious stare and inhaled a shaky breath, clutching the tablet harder so as not to drop it.
“I-I will admit I lied to you, and I am so sorry.” Tears burned in her eyes and she blinked hard, trying desperately to hold herself together. She despaired over the fact that she’d lied to her new mate, but at the time it had been necessary to protect herself. The full truth was a dark mark upon her soul.
Rem approached her, yanked the tablet from her hand, and tossed it onto a table near the window. It landed with a loud clatter and caused her to jump in place. He faced her and grasped her shoulders, though to her relief, he wasn’t hurting her. Considering the waves of anger she felt radiating off him, his touch was remarkably gentle.
“Tell me, Tyra. Tell me why you lied. I expect an explanation—a truthful one. Don’t you dare tell me any additional lies.”
She shivered at the coldness of his tone.
“I-I’ve never gotten along with my uncle. He’s not a very nice man. I don’t wish to speak to him ever again. And while my aunt usually treated me with kindness, she always made excuses for my uncle whenever he treated me poorly.”
His expression remained hard. He didn’t appear very convinced by her explanation. “Why didn’t you simply tell me about your poor relationship with your uncle when I first asked if you would like to contact your family on Earth? Why tell a lie?”
Her mouth went dry and she fumbled for a response. His grip on her shoulders tightened a bit, but he still wasn’t hurting her. He leaned down until his face was nearly level with hers. It took all her self-control not to take a step back.
“I came to Mars looking for a new life,” she finally said. “I didn’t wish to speak about my uncle with you, so… that’s why I lied. It seemed harmless at the time. I didn’t know you were going to check on whether or not I was telling you the truth.”
He growled. “I didn’t expect to catch you in a lie, Tyra. That is not why I contacted Martian Affairs in Zone 15. I contacted them because I wished to provide your aunt and uncle with a video comm so that you might be able to contact them. It wasn’t until Martian Affairs showed up to install one in their home, that they realized your family already owned one.”
“I…” Her voice trailed off as the gravity of the situation fell upon her. He’d tried to do something nice for her, only to discover she’d been dishonest with him. Oh, how she wished she could go back and retract the lie. Wished she could go back to the first day they’d met and just tell him the truth, even if doing so led to more painful questions she didn’t wish to answer. At least he wouldn’t be upset with her right now.
Some of the anger faded from his eyes, but the emotion that replaced it next broke her heart—disappointment.
“I-I am so sorry, Rem. Truly, I am,” she said, her voice wavering with anguish. It occurred to her that she had grown so used to telling little white lies over the years—to her aunt and uncle—that she hadn’t stopped to consider how Rem might feel should he discover the untruth. Except maybe this wasn’t a little white lie. They were mated now. Shouldn’t she open up to him? Tell him more about her past?
“Have you lied about anything else?” he asked.
“No, I-I don’t think so. Please, Rem, please don’t be angry with me.” She despaired over the way she sounded. She sounded weak and groveling, the way she had often sounded as she begged her uncle not to make her wait on a specific table—because certain patrons always got handsy with her—or as she tried to reason with him regarding the disgusting auction he’d planned.
Rem cupped her face and leaned closer. “Promise me,” he said in a serious tone. “Promise me that you will be completely honest with me going forward. No more lies.”
“I promise.”
Relief filled her when his expression grew more relaxed.
After a moment, he nodded. “Good.”
Although he’d grown calmer, tension still blanketed the room. She struggled for breath as a fresh wave of nerves overcame her.
Where did they go from here?
She had never had a boyfriend before and she didn’t have any real relationship experience. She didn’t know what else she could say to bring closure to this conversation. Should she apologize again?
“Tomorrow, I am due to return to work,” he said. “During my absence, you are not to leave this house, not even to go on a walk. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand,” she replied, even as her heart sank.
“Good. Now, it’s time for bed.”
Chapter 16
Tyra had broken his trust. Rem appreciated that she’d apologized and finally told him the truth, but he still had a difficult time understanding her reason for lying in the first place. To him, it seemed a simple thing to admit she had poor relations with her uncle and therefore had no wish to contact him or speak of the matter further. He would have accepted this answer, yet she’d chosen to deceive him.
Would she lie to him again?
Gods, he hoped not. He watched as she emerged from her closet, dressed in one of his loose shirts, which she’d taken to wearing to bed. Suddenly, he remembered her appointment with his mother. In two days, the two of them were supposed to venture to the shopping district together.
His throat rumbled under a low growl. The thought of her leaving their home without him was making him increasingly uneasy. He considered his dream about the ship and the storm. He’d already been hesitant to allow her off the palace grounds, but he hadn’t been able to deny her the opportunity to spend time with his mother, especially when she had looked so excited by the prospect.
But now… now he felt the overpowering need to know exactly where she was at all times and with whom. The shopping district was large and typically crowded. She might meet any number of individuals there, including a young foolish Marttiaxoxalian male who might try to catch her eye. Once officially joined in a mating union, the males of hi
s kind never cheated on their mates, but he’d heard of younger, unmated males attempting to attract human females into engaging in intimate activities. It was rare, but it still happened sometimes.
Whenever such a transgression occurred, the older, mated male usually killed the younger one during a battle to the death. He clenched his fists as he imagined repeatedly headbutting a male who’d dared to even look upon Tyra with desire.
He watched as Tyra approached with downcast eyes, her steps slow and hesitant. He tossed the covers back when she reached the bed. She mumbled her thanks and joined him, immediately reaching to pull the covers over herself. In fact, she pulled them up to her nose, as if she wished to hide from him.
Guilt settled upon him. Given her subdued demeanor, he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d been too harsh with her when confronting her about the lie.
He still worried if he could trust her, but as he looked at her, a tiny form beneath the covers, the last of his anger dissipated. Suddenly, he ached to hold her in his arms, longed to embrace her and feel her breathing onto his chest.
He was sitting up against the pillows, but he straightened further and began to peel the blankets off her. She shot him an alarmed look and he noticed her hands trembling.
“Would you like me to sleep elsewhere?” she asked. “I-I can leave the bedroom if you’d like.” She made to get out of bed, but he grabbed her and lifted her into his lap, circling his arms around her and bringing her snug against his chest.
“No,” he said in a calm voice. “No, my sweet mate. Your place is by my side. Always.”
Her breath hitched and she peered up at him, her dark eyes luminous and huge, reflecting every little emotion that flitted through her mind. Right now, he saw fear and regret and heartache, and Gods, he despaired over what he was reading in her eyes. He missed her spark of joy, the excitement that filled her gaze whenever she looked at the sunrise, tried a new kind of food, gazed at the flowering trees from the balcony, or glimpsed the stars and moons.
“But you’re mad at me,” she whispered. “Surely you don’t wish to share a bed with me tonight.”
He stroked her hair and inhaled her fragrant scent, his loins stirring at her nearness, despite the seriousness of their conversation, as well as the events that had preceded it.
“I’m no longer angry with you, Tyra.” He drew in a deep breath and braced himself, as the words that rested on the tip of his tongue felt as strange as the apologies he’d given her the other day. “I forgive you, and I want you in my bed. If you try to sleep elsewhere, I will follow you and lay down beside you, wherever you are.”
She blinked rapidly and swallowed hard. “Thank you, Rem.” Her shaking began to lessen, and gradually the fear and pain and heartache started to fade from her eyes. Relief replaced her immense look of worry, and soon he noticed a spark glimmering in her dark depths that he thought was hopefulness. At least he prayed it was. He didn’t want to see her upset for a moment longer.
“I know you don’t wish to speak of your uncle, however I cannot help but worry that he hurt you badly. Did he do something to you that caused you to leave Earth?”
She appeared hesitant to answer, but she eventually nodded.
“Yes. He drank a lot and was prone to angry outbursts. He made me start working in a bar he owned when I was only fifteen years old. He didn’t pay me and he always confiscated my tips, and he generally made my life a living hell.” She sighed and blinked slowly. “When I was seventeen, my friend Andrea told me about the mail order bride program. I immediately started planning to leave Earth, keeping it a secret from my uncle, of course, and I left Bismarck on my twenty-first birthday after my application to become a mail order bride to a Martian was accepted. I met you the very next day.”
Rem’s blood heated with rage as he learned the truth about her uncle. He repressed the growl building in his throat, as he didn’t wish for her to think he was angry with her. But he felt pure rage toward her uncle, a male who should’ve treated her with kindness and protected her. Instead, it sounded as though he had exploited her.
“I am sorry to hear of your upbringing on Earth,” Rem said. He stared into her expressive eyes, wishing he could erase the memory of her painful experiences on her home planet, especially when he still sensed she was holding back some darker reasons for leaving Earth. But perhaps he could give her something else—justice. “Would you like to see your uncle imprisoned? I can arrange for him to be detained indefinitely. He should pay for what he did to you, my sweet mate.”
She pulled back slightly, her eyes growing wide. “I-I don’t know.”
“Think about it,” he said, caressing her head. “If imprisonment doesn’t satisfy you, I would travel to Earth and end his life myself, if only it would make you forget the things he did to you.”
Tears brimmed in her eyes. To his surprise, she smiled at him.
“I don’t want you to kill him, Rem, but I really do appreciate the offer. I’m not going to lie—there are plenty of times when I found myself wishing he were dead—but I don’t wish to have a death on my conscience, even his.”
“I understand.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “If you ever change your mind, know that the offer still stands.” He was tempted to travel to Earth anyway and end her uncle’s life, but that would mean leaving her for a full day.
She covered a yawn and snuggled deeper into his chest. He held her until she drifted to sleep, until the soft sounds of her steady breathing lulled him into a restful state. He positioned her alongside him and curled his body around hers, draping an arm over her and tangling his legs with hers.
“Sleep now, my Tyra,” he whispered into her ear. “Sleep.”
Chapter 17
As Tyra stood on the balcony watching the sunrise the next morning, she felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. While she hadn’t told Rem the full truth about her reasons for leaving Earth, she had at least told him a large part of the truth. Not only had he listened, but he’d forgiven her for lying to him.
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 h
er 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?”
