Possessive Alien Mate(Savage Martians #2) - Sue Mercury Page 0,20

at the ship.

He peered down at Tyra. Was a storm coming?

Not for the first time since he’d met her, the need to protect her surged through him. He vowed to keep her safe, always, and he was now starting to reconsider his plans to take her into the shopping district. Perhaps they ought to remain closer to home and the palace until his dreams provided more clarity.

By the time Tyra awoke, it was nearly midnight. She blinked up at him and looked around, appearing a bit confused. The sound of nocturnal animals and insects echoed in the darkness outside, and she peered toward the window and then returned her gaze to him.

“I didn’t mean to sleep for so long. I’m sorry.”

“You need not apologize.”

“Have you been to sleep yet?” she asked.

“Not yet, but I will be fine. We’ll both try to stay up all night and as late as we can tomorrow. Hopefully that will help you adjust to the time difference and a new sleep schedule.”

She nodded and her attention was soon drawn outside again. He grasped her hand as he rose to his feet. The sound of the nighttime insects seemed to grow louder as he stared down at her, admiring the pretty sight of his mate with her disheveled hair and her sleep-clouded eyes.

“Would you like to see the stars?” he asked. “And the moons?”

Her mouth dropped open. “The-the moons? Oh, that’s right. Mars has two moons. Ph-Phobos and Deimos,” she said carefully, as if trying hard to recall the names. “I’d almost forgotten.”

“The night air is cool,” he said. “Let’s get you dressed in some warmer clothing before we venture out on the balcony.”

He grasped her hand and guided her to his closet. He knew she had some of her own clothing in the top dresser drawer, but he didn’t want to see her wearing the tattered clothing she’d packed away. He would dress her in something from his own closet for now.

He opened the door and guided her into the small room that contained his clothing. There were several empty racks, which he hoped to soon fill with new gowns in the Marttiaxoxalian fashion just for Tyra. He searched for a jacket he’d worn long ago when his father had taken him ice fishing on the northernmost continent of his home planet. Once he found it, he turned and gestured for Tyra to turn around so he might help her into the garment.

“I-I brought a jacket of my own,” she said, “as well as some sweaters and some pants.”

“I want you to wear this,” he said, his voice coming out a bit sharp. He offered her a smile to soothe any offence he’d just caused her with the bite of his tongue. He wasn’t used to his orders being challenged, but he reminded himself he wasn’t just speaking to a female, but he was conversing with his female. The mate he wished to keep safe. The human his dreams had apparently warned him about, though at the time he hadn’t realized the meaning of the ship attempting to sail into the bay during a fierce storm.

“Very well,” she murmured, a shadow falling over her face before she turned around.

He slipped the jacket on her and moved in front of her to close the fastenings, wanting her to be warm. She probably didn’t require a garment so heavy, but he didn’t want to risk her catching a chill outside. He searched for a pair of thick socks next, though after he helped her step into them, they reached to her upper thighs.

Once he had her dressed to his liking, he guided her back into the bedroom and toward the balcony. He pressed his palm to a panel next to the door and it soon slid open. He placed a hand to her lower back and urged her out onto the balcony. His eyes adjusted to the darkness at once, though he knew humans could not see so easily in the dark. She wouldn’t be able to make out the individual trees or flowers in the forest below, but she would of course manage to see the stars in all their glory, as well as the moons.

A gasp escaped her as she lifted her gaze to the sky.

“Oh my goodness.” She stepped closer to the railing. “It’s breathtaking. I’ve never seen a night so clear. Earth is heavily polluted and even in more rural areas like Zone 15, it’s not often we can see the moon very