Tempest shook in both fear and rage.

This was all a big lie. She should’ve known better than to believe anything anyone on this planet had to say. For all she knew, everyone here was a liar. It wouldn’t be that much different from the people on earth.

She knew better than to intrude on Dron’s personal space, but what had he expected her to do? She was starving, and she didn’t know how to get any food for herself.

The light from the small tablet like device attached to her arm caused the closet she was hiding in to glow. It was only by chance that Tempest realized there was somewhere to hide. If she didn’t find the closet, she’d be running around the house like a lost animal. Maybe that was exactly what Dron wanted.

"Tempest, surely, he didn’t try to kill you." Mexyn stared at Tempest through the screen.

"Yes, he did!" Tempest whisper-screamed at the woman. She didn’t understand how dangerous this was or more likely, she just didn’t care.

"He laid a hand on you then?"

"No."

"Made a threat against your life?"

"No."

"Then I’m not sure what you mean by he is trying to kill you." Mexyn lifted her shoulders once and left them tense.

Tempest shook her head and breathed a few times through her mouth and out of her nose. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Mexyn was right. Tempest was overreacting.

"Okay, fine, he didn’t try to kill me, but I don’t think I can live here with him. He’s scary. I don’t feel safe." Tempest lifted her chin. She hoped that at least this would be taken seriously. She wondered how many women on earth had gone through something similar. How many were completely dismissed because they didn’t have any proof that their significant other was dangerous?

"Are you suggesting that you end the marriage?"

"Yes!" Tempest nearly squealed again. She looked up at the door, waiting for the second that Dron would rip it off its hinges and find her. She’d heard him calling for her, but there was no way that she was going to show herself. Not now. Not after what he showed her he was like in the bedroom.

"As you wish." Mexyn sighed.

"You don’t think that’s a good idea." Tempest bit on the corner of her lips. She was determined, but that didn’t mean she knew that she was right.

It just seemed like her only option at the moment.

"You’ve only just met him. I can’t say that I truly believe that you’ve given this your best shot. Still, if this is what you are requesting, I’ll start the process. Though if I could make a suggestion..."

Tempest squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to hear any suggestions. She didn’t want to think about anything besides getting as far away from Dron as she could.

The only problem with that is she couldn’t deny the fact that Mexyn had a point. She’d been in the house with Dron for less than a day. She really didn’t give this as much of a chance.

"What is your suggestion?"

"I’m sure the cultural differences have been a great hurdle for the both of you. Maybe we could start with a talk before you decide to abandon Dron."

Tempest groaned and pushed her fingers through her hair as she leaned back against the wall of the closet. "What will happen to Dron if I just leave now? I mean, how bad can it be?"

"If you were to leave now, his already tarnished reputation will be destroyed beyond repair. To be chosen by an omega is the greatest honor any alpha can hope to achieve. With Dron already being shunned by the community once they found out that he failed at keeping an Omega satisfied..." Mexyn huffed, and Tempest could see through the screen that she was severely disappointed.

She was about to destroy this man’s life. Was it really worth it? Tempest couldn’t decide. She wasn’t built for these kinds of choices.

"Fine, I’ll agree to a mediation. But I swear if he even tries anything, I’m not going to wait for you to get here." Tempest glared at the screen and was surprised to see Mexyn had a look of shock on her face.

"Me? Surely, you don’t think."

"I sure as hell do think. I’m not going to have this talk with anyone else. I don’t know anyone else. This is hard enough as it is."

Mexyn lifted her hand to stop me from continuing, "It’s fine. I’ll be over shortly. In the meantime, maybe you and Dron should try to come to a cease fire."

Was that what this was? A war between Tempest and Dron? That’s not what she wanted. "I’ll be nice." Tempest reluctantly agreed.

"Wonderful. I’ll see you soon." With that, the light from the holographic tablet cut off, and Tempest was once again in the dark closet, listening out for the monster that was Dron.

It was time she go out and face the beast.

"Woman, this is the last time I’m going to call for you. I’ll break down every wall in this house to find you." The alien’s voice growled through the air. It was close. Too close.

Slowly, Tempest opened up the door to the closet and gasped when she saw the large man standing right in the doorway. Each of his hands gripped the edges of the doorway as if he were indeed moments away from ripping down the walls to find her.

"My name is Tempest, by the way."

Dron narrowed his eyes as she walked out of the closet. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared back at Dron. She didn’t want to let him know just how much she was intimidated by him.

"Tempest?" Dron practiced the word in his mouth, "That’s unusual. A strange name for a strange Omega."

Tempest scoffed and took another step closer to him.

"Tempest Riverrun. I don’t know what my folks were thinking when they named me."

"Tempest... Maybe temptation?" Dron raised an eyebrow at her. "It would make sense."

"Are you saying you find me to be tempting?" This conversation had quickly taken a strange turn.

"I’m not blind, woman. You’re the most tempting omega I’ve ever come across. Your scent alone is intoxicating enough to have me willing to crawl through the deepest layers of hell just to breathe you in one more time. You are by far the most perfect woman I believe I’ll ever come across."

Tempest was shocked, and her cheeks raised slightly at the intensity of his words; that was until he continued.

"And that’s where whoever sent you messed up. You’re too perfect for this kind of work. There was no way that someone like you would ever want to be with someone like me. You’ve failed before you’ve even had a chance to start this plot."

Tempest shook her head, clearing the emotional whiplash that Dron had just put her through.

"What plot? What are you even talking about? There is no plot going on here. Unless you’re the one with the plot."

Dron finally let go of his hold on the doorjamb to move closer to Tempest. "I don’t want you here. I don’t want to be part of this, but I don’t have a way out. If you are who you say you are, then you should know better than to hitch yourself to me." He turned and started to walk out of the room before he turned, "Either you’re too good to be here or you’re too dumb to know you shouldn’t be."

Tempest gasped and struggled for the right words to say, in retort. She had none.

It took Tempest all of thirty seconds for her to remember that she promised herself that she would never let anyone talk to her like that again. She’d had more than enough of Sam talking down to her to last her several lifetimes.

She stormed out of the room trying to catch up to Dron. His long legs made it so Tempest almost had to jog to keep up.

"Who the hell do you think you are talking to me like that?" She grabbed hold of him, and once again he issued a hiss. But this time, instead of shrinking away as she had the last time.

"Don’t put your hands on me." Dron snarled at her.

"You are just determined to make this difficult for the both of us, aren’t you? Did you ever take the moment to think that maybe I don’t want to be here either? Maybe this is as much of a hardship for me as it is for you."

Dron’s shoulders dropped slightly. She was getting to him. "You’re wrong. You’re lying."

"Dron, I’m not even from this planet. How would I even be part of any type of plot against you? Listen to what you’re saying." Tempest tried her best to soften her voice.

Dron’s eyes squinted slightly as if he were truly trying to understand what Tempest was telling him. "No! You won’t..."

Tempest dropped her head back. It was like talking to a wall all over again. For the briefest second when she realized that he understood what she was saying, she’d been happy, but that emotion flitted out of her mind just as soon as it slipped in. Just because they can converse doesn’t mean that it would be any easier.

"Dron-" Tempest started but was immediately stopped when the lights in the house started to pulse softly and a melodic bell vibrated the walls. "What the hell is that?"

Dron rolled his eyes at Tempest as if the outburst was more than enough to get on the last of his nerves.

Tempest couldn’t care less. Her entire world was new. What Dron perceived as being natural, Tempest didn’t know if it meant that something was about to blow up. Ever since she woke up on the planet, she was in a state of ever-readiness.

Being in fight-or-flight mode was really draining.

"Someone is here for a visit." Dron grumbled and walked away from her.

Tempest sighed and followed behind him. She already knew who it was. Mexyn had just promised that she’d be there shortly.

It was time for Tempest and Dron’s first round of marriage counseling.

Tempest laughed. She couldn’t hold it back. She tried to press her lips together to keep the sound from leaking out, but all that forced her to do was to laugh harder. Just as Dron activated the door and Mexyn walked in, Tempest doubled over with laughter. Both Dron and Mexyn looked at Tempest as if she’d lost her mind.

Tempest couldn’t stop laughing.

All of her life she wanted to be married. She’d had dreams and fantasies about what her wedding would look like. What kind of person her husband would be. Now here she was about to sit through therapy because she and her new husband had communication issues.

She’d skipped through all of her dreams and somehow ended up married and on the verge of divorce. All of this in a matter of hours.

So much for her white picket fence.