heavy but beautiful, and her spirits lifted at the sincerity in his dark gaze.
Hours ago, he had broken her heart, but as she stared into his eyes and his declaration of love echoed in her mind, the shards began to piece back together again. Well, he had been honest with her. Finally. Perhaps it was time she did the same. She opened her mouth to respond, only for him to place a finger to her lips, stilling her speech.
“It is all right if you do not love me, Tyra. I do not expect it. But if you stay here, stay with me, I vow that I will always take care of you and from this day forward I will strive to treat you with fairness. I vow that I will strive to make amends to you. I vow that I will never lock you up again, let alone threaten it. I vow that I will not accuse you of being unfaithful, or being tempted.”
“I do love you, you big ass,” she blurted out. “That is why this hurts so much.” She placed a hand over her heart. “If I didn’t love you, my world wouldn’t have gone so dark when you shouted the truth behind our mating union and then walked out that door. If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t have been so filled with despair when I thought you didn’t want me.”
“Oh, Tyra,” he said, pressing his lips to hers. “If I could take your pain directly into my own heart, know that I would. Gods, I am sorry for the despair I caused you. I am a beast.”
She smiled and stroked the side of his face. “You are a beast, Rem,” she said, pressing a kiss to one of his cheeks, then his other cheek, before she pulled back to stare into his remorseful gaze. “But you are my beast.”
He clasped her hands, threading his fingers through hers and pulling her closer. “You aren’t leaving me,” he said, nodding at her suitcase. “This beast cannot live without you.”
At this moment, the doorbell rang, and the melodious tune reverberated through the house. A second later, the sound of pounding followed.
Rem growled and rose to his feet. It was early morning by now, in fact Tyra could see the first glimmer of dawn breaking through the trees. Who would come to call upon them at such an early hour? Worry for Rem suddenly filled her. Had he hurt Chexxa worse than he’d thought? Could he be in trouble for what he’d done to the young male?
The doorbell rang again and Tyra was fairly certain Rem cursed in his native tongue as he glanced over his shoulder, clearly torn between seeing who was at the door and finishing their conversation. She was just as torn. She didn’t know much about the laws on Mars. Had Rem broken the law by harming Chexxa, even though the young male had practically stalked her yesterday?
Rem’s wrist comm abruptly lit up and he looked down at it, then he broke into a smile. “Come,” he said, guiding her out into the hallway. “It is only an old friend. But I know he will not go away until I assure him that all is well.”
Confused, Tyra hurried downstairs with Rem.
Rem opened the front door to find an anxious looking Jav standing on the porch. The huge, genetically enhanced warrior glanced from Tyra to Rem several times, his demeanor tense.
“Ah, Jav. You made it sound as though you would be gone for a long time, yet you’ve returned from your mission already. I hope I am the first to welcome you home,” Rem said in a derisive tone.
“My unit just arrived back on Mars,” Jav said, “and as I was walking home, I crossed paths with a doctor who was on his way to treat an injured young male by the name of Chexxa.” Jav’s forehead ridges rose higher. “I followed the doctor, wanting to see Chexxa’s injuries for myself, as the doctor described them as serious. I was worried that perhaps a wild animal had ventured into the city. Imagine my surprise when I learned the truth.”
“Are you here to scold me, old friend?”
“No. I am here to ensure the safety of your mate.” Jav narrowed his eyes at Rem, though when he glanced at Tyra, his gaze softened. “Has your mate mistreated you? Are you all right?”
“I am fine,” Tyra replied immediately as she placed a hand upon Rem’s arm. “We had a disagreement,