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.
What kind of home had she lived in? Had she lived in a safe location? Had she ever gone hungry?
With a sinking heart, he recalled her reaction to the simple midday meal he’d served her and how her face had lit up as he carried it into the sitting room. Her eyes had gone wide and she’d appeared in awe of the meal, as if she had never seen anything like it before. Perhaps she hadn’t.
She would never go hungry again, he vowed, nor would she go without proper clothing and shoes. As her mate, it was his duty to take care of her needs and provide for her, and he would gladly do so. Though he felt honor-bound to care for his female, he also truly wished to see Tyra happy, especially considering that he was starting to suspect she’d had good reasons for leaving Earth.
As the sun shifted higher in the sky and better illuminated the room, he caught sight of three tall stacks of books resting upon the bedside table that he hadn’t noticed earlier. He moved closer to the books and picked one up. They must be written in English, for he couldn’t read the titles or the words within them. His home library contained thousands of books written in the Marttiaxoxalian tongue, as well as some in Galactic Common, but he didn’t own any books penned in any of the Earth languages. So, this was why her suitcase had been so heavy.
An idea began to form as he stared at his mate, still sleeping peacefully by the window, her long dark tresses ruffling in the breeze.
She needed new clothing and shoes, as well as undergarments. That meant a trip to the shopping district in Ressiktron. This area of the capital city contained over a dozen bookstores, some of which offered books written in various Earth tongues, catering to the human females who now called Mars home. He smiled to himself when he imagined her reaction to the bookstores and clothing shops. He had a feeling she would enjoy such an excursion deeper into the capital city.
She stirred in her sleep, releasing a soft sigh that floated away on the breeze. He approached her and carefully lifted her in his arms. If it was just after midnight in Zone 15, she would probably want to sleep for a bit longer and might be more comfortable in bed. He placed her upon his large bed and tucked the blanket around her again. After sitting on the bed beside her, he studied her features and couldn’t resist reaching out to touch the softness of her cheek.
He liked the sight of her in his bed.
Gods, she was beautiful, and she was all his.
Chapter 8
The bus swayed as it rounded a turn. Tyra shivered and peered at the sunrise. Her stomach flipped. Uncle Sebastian