by Sue Mercury
“Yes, thank you for inviting us to dinner, Tyra,” his father said. “We enjoyed it very much.” He glanced at Rem’s mother and the lower line of his forehead ridges rose up. “But now it is time we depart. It is getting late and I am certain our son and his mate would appreciate their privacy.”
“But—”
“No arguments, Alissina. Remember what we talked about.”
Rem noticed Tyra repressing a smile when his mother sighed dramatically. “Very well. I suppose I am getting rather tired.” She straightened in her seat and smiled at Tyra. “I enjoyed spending time with you and getting to know you better today. I can already see that you’ve made our son a very happy male.”
“Thank you, Alissina. I enjoyed our time together, as well, and I really appreciate you taking me shopping.”
They finished saying their farewells and Rem’s parents finally departed. After the door shut, he guided Tyra upstairs as he called out a verbal command to put the house into lockdown for the night.
As she got ready for bed, he ventured to his library and scanned the security report of her travels today. It was an automatically generated report, made possible by the wrist comm she had worn, that displayed images of her in the city with his mother. There were thousands of security cameras on the streets of Ressiktron and in all public shops. He examined each image, telling himself he was only checking to ensure she’d been entirely safe during her trip out of the house.
Liar, a voice in the back of his mind whispered. He growled under his breath and continued looking at the images, even as he realized what he was truly doing—he was checking up on Tyra to ensure she hadn’t spoken to any young males.
But his growls deepened when he came upon an image of her in a bakery, smiling and waving at Chexxa and Frinik, then another picture of her looking at Chexxa, her eyes wide with surprise, or perhaps it was fear. He couldn’t be sure. But he knew one thing for certain—Tyra had smiled at the males and waved at them.
Alarm filled him when further images revealed Chexxa had followed Tyra and his mother for quite some time through the city as they’d continued their shopping excursion.
How could Rem have been so stupid? He should not have allowed his mate to travel into the city without him. She was young and beautiful, a prime target for a young and foolish male like Chexxa. Obviously, the male held some sort of infatuation for Tyra, otherwise he would not have followed her around for so long.
Rem proceeded to watch several video clips that the security report had included. The first video clip showed Chexxa and Frinik had smiled and waved at Tyra first in the bakery, before she had greeted them. This made him feel somewhat better, but not by much.
Several of the images and videos showed Tyra looking over her shoulder quite frequently, in whatever direction Chexxa was standing or hiding. If she knew she was being followed, why hadn’t she informed Rem of the matter immediately upon his return home?
With yet another growl, he pushed away from his desk and went in search of Tyra. Just as he would not tolerate lies, he would not tolerate omissions of truth. She ought to have said something to him about what had happened today.
Why had she kept quiet?
His thoughts took a dark, jealous turn, and suddenly he felt as though he were back on Marttiaxoxalia, on the night he discovered Bethamma’s betrayal. Coldness and fury gripped him. Tyra was leaving her closet just as he entered the bedroom. She was wearing a new garment, a sheer nightgown that left little to the imagination.
When his gaze locked with hers, she gasped and took a step back.
“Rem? What is wrong?”
He reached her in three long strides and grasped her by the shoulders. “I know what happened in the shopping district today, Tyra. You will not be permitted to leave this house until I can trust you. Know that I also intend to deal with the male who was tempting you. He likely will not live to see another sunset.”
Chapter 23
“Rem, I don’t understand. What are you talking about?” Worry and fear sliced through Tyra, making her shiver in her mate’s firm hold. It sounded as though he were getting jealous again, but she hadn’t done anything to warrant his suspicions. For heaven’s sake, she had been with his mother all day. Unless…
Her stomach flipped. Had he somehow learned that she had smiled, for about one second, at Chexxa and Frinik? That had to be it. She couldn’t imagine any other reason for his sudden anger. Her heart sank. Would it always be like this with Rem? Would she have to watch her every move, for fear that she might do one little thing to rouse her mate’s suspicions and cause him to accuse her, whether directly or indirectly, of being unfaithful to him?
“Rem, please, you must listen to me. I—”
“You will stay here and wait for me.” He released her and turned to the door, but she bolted in front of him and put her hands upon his chest.
“No! Don’t leave, Rem. We need to talk about this.”
He picked her up and set her down behind him, then strode out the door. She tried to follow him, only for the door to slide shut in front of her. She banged on it, but it wouldn’t open. Dread seized her.
He had locked her inside the bedroom.
And, apparently, he was on his way to kill Chexxa and Frinik. Except, now that she thought about it, he had specifically mentioned dealing with one male. Not two. But that didn’t make any sense, as she had smiled and waved at both brothers.
Know that I also intend to deal with the male who was tempting you. He likely will not live to see another sunset.
Those were his exact words. Tears burned in her eyes as she banged on the door, her frustration and utter sense of helplessness growing with each moment.
“Damn you, Rem! You cannot treat me like this! And you cannot force me to stay in your house! I will not stand for it. I won’t!”
The door zipped open without warning and Rem immediately grabbed her. Shock and terror reverberated through her. She had thought he’d already left when she yelled out. Oh God. Had he heard every word? She really hoped not, but judging by the dark look filling his gaze, she had the sinking feeling that he had heard her tirade.
“I could force you to stay here forever,” he said in a stern tone, “here in this very room, and there would be nothing you could do about it.”
“I suppose you could,” she retorted, “if you want a prisoner instead of a mate.”
His nostrils flared and he leaned down, glaring at her with an intensity that left her chilled to the bone. “I will keep you locked up if I must,” he said, “but I will not allow you to betray me any further than you already have, nor will I be made out as a fool.”
Tears streamed down her face and her anger flared. “I’d say you’re doing a fine job of making a fool of yourself all on your own. Have you always been so prone to overreacting?” she hissed out.
“Females cannot always be trusted,” he said in a fierce tone, though there was an odd, faraway glint in his gaze. His fingers dug into her arms, but she drew in a deep breath and then stepped back quickly, yanking herself from his grasp.
She stared at him, aghast, as the pieces started falling in place. The conversation she’d had earlier in the day with Alissina about the female who’d broken Rem’s heart resurfaced in her mind. Apparently, not only had the female broken his heart, but she had also broken his trust. And now, many years later, the betrayal was still affecting Rem.
“What was her name?” Tyra asked as she backed up. Each time she took a step, Rem pursued her, until he had her pinned against the wall. He placed his hands on either side of her and leaned in to stare at her, though he didn’t make a move to grab for her again. “Tell me,” she pressed. “What was her name? The female who betrayed you and then died, the female whose ghost still haunts you. I want to know her name!”
“Bethamma!” Rem roared. His expression, already hard, morphed into a look of pure rage. “My mother told you. Didn’t she?” His nostrils flared and his body tensed further.
“Not directly, but she confided that you’d had your heart broken a long time ago.” Tyra breathed out slowly, trying to gather her thoughts. She didn’t wish to cause a rift between Rem and his mother, even if Rem was once again acting like a jealous ass. “Look, your mother was only tactfully answering my questions. I’ll admit, I was prying into your past a bit, but only after your mother mentioned she was surprised you had taken a mate. I wanted to understand you better and you’ve been keeping this part of yourself a secret. Please don’t be mad at her.”
“You had no right to pry.”
“No right?” She scoffed. “No right? I’m only your mate!”
“You’ve kept secrets from me,” he said in an accusatory tone. “I know there is more to your story to explain why you left Earth. You have not told me everything. I can sense it.”
Her stomach roiled. How did he know? And did he suspect the darkest secret she was keeping? The one that made her feel absolutely worthless. She blinked back a fresh wave of tears and returned Rem’s severe glare.
In her desperation to keep this one secret, she found herself yelling out, “Why did you even decide to take a mate?” It didn’t make sense to her. If he was so distrustful of females, why would he sign up to receive a bride from Earth?
“Because the king ordered me to take a human female!”
Chapter 24
Tyra’s breath left her in a painful whoosh. She stared at Rem, shocked to her very core. She didn’t know how to reply to his shouted confession, so she simply stood against the wall, keeping as still as possible, as her heart plummeted to the floor.
He didn’t want her. He had never wanted her. The only reason he’d taken her as his mate was because, for whatever reason, King Vaath had ordered it.
Her gaze dropped from Rem’s and he started backing away from her. She wrapped her arms around herself and tried to brace herself against the grief that was rushing toward her. It didn’t help. The agonizing emotion struck her with all the intensity of a blow to the stomach.
Rem turned and headed for the door. Even though she couldn’t see his face, she felt the waves of anger rolling off him. The door opened upon his approach and closed immediately after he exited. She didn’t follow to see if he’d locked her in again. She couldn’t force herself to move.
After a few minutes of stunned silence, her legs gave out and she sank to the floor, where the remnants of her shattered heart taunted her. She had been so stupid to think she could find happiness with a complete stranger, especially one who came from another world entirely.
Time passed slowly, each hour of separation from Rem dragging on like an eternity. Though he’d admitted to never wanting her, she still couldn’t help missing him and grieving the loss of their union. Marttiaxoxalians were said to always mate for life, but she couldn’t fathom any circumstance in which their relationship might continue.
Would he send her away?
Would she be shipped back to Earth?
Feeling faint, she finally forced herself to her feet when dawn began to break through the trees. She pulled her old suitcase from the back of the closet and dragged it across the floor to the dresser that still contained the tattered clothing she’d brought from Earth. She changed into a pair of pants and a t-shirt, then slipped into her boots. She set about packing up her belongings, careful not to include anything that she’d purchased on Mars with Rem’s galactic credits. She didn’t want any reminders following her to… wherever she found herself when this all ended.
The sound of Chexxa’s screams echoed in Rem’s mind, bringing him an unmistakable sense of satisfaction. His confrontation with the young male now over, Rem stalked through the darkened streets of Ressiktron as he headed home. But the closer he got to his house, the heavier his footsteps felt.
What had he done?
He paused as he replayed his argument with Tyra, as well as the confession he’d torn from Chexxa’s throat.
“She didn’t know I was following her! She never saw me!”
Fluxx. Tyra hadn’t truly done anything to entice the young male into following her. Now that he’d had some time to calm down, he realized Tyra’s brief smile and wave to Chexxa and his brother didn’t signal an attempt at unfaithfulness on her part. Gods, how could he have accused Tyra of being tempted by Chexxa? She hadn’t known he was following her, yet he had reasoned she was being unfaithful just because she’d failed to tell him about Chexxa.
He thought of the images that had shown her looking over her shoulder. Given that Chexxa had been staring at her in the bakery, it was no wonder she’d been glancing behind her during the remainder of the shopping trip. She’d probably felt as though she were being watched. Marttiaxoxalians often possessed such intuition. He supposed humans were capable of it as well.
Guilt settled upon him when he recalled the rest of his argument with Tyra. He should not have told her about the order from King Vaath. At least not in the manner he’d done so, shouting it at her and then leaving the room before he could tell her the rest of the truth—that he desired her beyond all reason, that now that he had her, he could not imagine a life devoid of her sweet presence.
He couldn’t deny the truth any longer.
He loved her.
Even though he hadn’t wished to take a mate, the first moment he’d looked upon her, he had felt an inexplicable need to take the sweet human as his. To hold her and protect her and take care of her.
But he had failed her. He’d allowed Bethamma’s ghost into their lives and treated Tyra unfairly. He cursed himself and quickened his pace, determined to right his wrongs. But would Tyra forgive him?
He cursed again and broke into a run.
Alarm filled Rem when he found Tyra sitting quietly in their bedroom, dressed in tattered clothing, her suitcase at her feet. She didn’t look up when he entered the room, but continued staring out the large window that faced the forest.
“Tyra.”
She still didn’t lift her eyes to his.
He knelt before her, gently grasped her chin, and directed her gaze to his. Her eyes were red-rimmed, as if she’d been sobbing, and he hated himself for causing her such pain. He would spend the rest of his life making amends to her, if only she would give him another chance.
“Did you kill them?” she asked. “Or one of them? I-I am unsure if you went after Chexxa or Frinik, or both of them, since I greeted them both in the bakery, though you seemed to only be talking about one male when you left.”
Rem peered into her fearful gaze. “I went after Chexxa. There are surveillance cameras all over the city, and I saw security footage of Chexxa following you.”
She drew back slightly, appearing shocked. “I-I felt as though someone was watching me, but whenever I turned around, I didn’t see anyone. He really followed me?”
“Yes. It would appear he was becoming infatuated with you. In fact, he admitted it when I confronted him.”
“I see. And now he’s dead, isn’t he?” Her lower lip quivered. “I cannot stay with you, Rem, when you are so intensely jealous.” She reached for her suitcase, but he pushed it out of her reach and cupped her face.
“He’s not dead. I did not kill him.”
Her eyes widened. “What? I thought you—”
“I wanted to kill him, and I went to his home fully intending to challenge him to a fight to the death.”
“What stopped you?” Some of the color was returning to her face, and a glimmer of hope shone in her eyes, the tiniest spark of optimism, but he didn’t fail to notice it.
“You,” he answered. “You stopped me. I remembered that despite what your uncle did to you, how cruelly he has treated you over the years, you still didn’t wish to see him put to death.”
“You spared Chexxa’s life? Truly?”
“Yes. I did inflict some injuries upon him while I was questioning him, though I assure you he will heal quickly.” The young male’s broken arm had probably already been set by a doctor. Given the advanced level of his people�
��s medical technology, Chexxa would likely be completely healed within a day or two.
“I am relieved to hear it,” she said quietly, and his heart broke when he noticed her lip quivering again. “I-I am sorry the king forced you to take a mate when you clearly didn’t wish to do so.” Her gaze dropped to his chest and she made to reach for her suitcase again, but he blocked her movements and tightened his hold on her face.
“Tyra, look at me,” he commanded.
She pressed her lips firmly together as she obeyed, anger flaring in the depths of her soulful dark eyes, alongside the visible heartbreak. His feelings of guilt increased and he longed to mend the gaping rift between them. How could he fix their mating union? He wasn’t certain, but he knew he must apologize. He also knew he must close the door on the past, on the hurts caused by Bethamma. Tyra deserved his trust.
“You are my heart, Tyra, and I cannot imagine being parted from you,” Rem said. “You are my beloved mate.”
“But you didn’t want me,” she said, tears filling her eyes.
“I will admit I was angry when the king ordered me to take a human female as a mate. A long time ago, after Bethamma betrayed me by mating with another, despite our betrothal, my heart became hardened and I vowed that I would never enter into a mating union. But when I first looked upon you, Tyra, I was drawn to you with an intensity that defied logic. I thought I didn’t want a mate, but when I first stared into your eyes, it felt as though the world had ceased turning. All I wanted in that moment was you, my sweet mate. You. For as long as I live, I will never want another female. You are mine.”
He leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead, then he proceeded to brush the freshly fallen tears from her cheeks. To his relief, she didn’t pull away from him.
“Mine,” he whispered, in a tone as gentle as he could summon. “My sweet mate.”
