Marttiaxoxalian foot tap before ushering them out into the corridors of the ship.
Tyra’s breath caught in her throat as she studied the three males who remained. Two of them seemed somewhat pleasant, but the massive green one standing behind the others wore a deep scowl. He was taller and more muscular than all the other aliens she’d seen thus far, and his overly massive size combined with his fierce expression made her insides quiver. When the two males standing in front of him were matched with the other remaining women, Tyra couldn’t help but take a step back as realization crashed over her.
This angry looking brute was the only one left.
He was her mate.
She swallowed hard and tried to summon all the bravery she’d felt during the short voyage from Earth. She’d been excited and determined to make a brand-new life for herself on an exotic planet. She’d been hopeful and eager to meet her Martian husband, because surely the life awaiting her on Mars would be better than the one she was leaving behind.
Once the other couples filtered out of the room, the green male approached her, his gaze sweeping from her head down to her feet. She fought the urge to back up even further.
“Are you Tyra?” he asked, speaking in Galactic Common, his tone shockingly deep and gruff. His voice felt like a rough but intimate caress, and she found herself longing to hear him speak again, just to feel the vibration of his voice rumbling inside her chest.
“Yes, I-I am Ty-Tyra,” she replied.
He walked closer and tapped his left foot against her right one. She returned his greeting and tapped his foot in return, all the while holding his gaze, even though staring up at him made her neck ache. He had to be at least seven and a half feet tall.
Holy hell, what had she gotten herself into?
His eyes were dark and forbidding, and when he reached for her arm it was all she could do not to pull back and run for her life. Her instincts told her to flee, yet there was nowhere she could go. She’d already agreed to become a Martian’s bride. She’d signed a contract and she very much doubted she would be permitted to return to Earth even if she tried to refuse this alien male.
To her shock, he reached out to cup her face in one hand. His palm felt hard as steel, causing a pang of fear to tighten in her stomach. She remembered that Martians possessed armored skin that was impervious to most weaponry, one of the reasons they had so easily conquered Earth. He could crush her if he wanted to. He could hurt her worse than the monster she’d run away from.
Silence stretched between them as he peered into her eyes. He still wore a deep scowl and when his nostrils flared, he looked frightfully angry, like a beast on the verge of attack. But maybe she was reading him wrong. Maybe he wasn’t angry at all.
A feeling of inadequacy washed over Tyra. Perhaps he didn’t find her pleasing, or perhaps he wished he’d been matched with one of the other women, or maybe he simply didn’t like humans yet was taking one as a mate because he needed to help his people grow their numbers.
As all these possibilities swirled through her mind, she began to feel faint and hoped he said something soon. The silence became deafening and with each second, the tension in the air rose higher, making her sick to her stomach as a tremble spread throughout her body.
“My name is Rem.” He forced her face higher. “I am pleased to meet you, my bride,” he said, putting a strange emphasis on the last two words that sent a shiver down her back.
“Hello, Rem. I am pleased to meet you as well.” Somehow, she forced out the response, even though she was still shaking. All her enthusiasm from earlier had long faded. She couldn’t help but fear this alien.
How had she deluded herself into thinking this would be an adventure, let alone a fresh start?
In her haste to escape Earth, she hadn’t considered what she would do if her alien mate possessed a bad temperament. Instead, she had allowed herself to get carried away by visions of beautiful green forests, snow-capped mountains, and a resplendent alien city just waiting to be explored.
In addition to her dreams about the incredible new world she would call home, she had even fantasized about falling