Page 16 of Kazzon's Human Bride
She blew out a rapid breath and prayed he kept his word, prayed no harm came to Wilson when she revealed all. “Well, Julie had to trick the scanner into thinking she was me, so it was necessary to produce a fake palm print that would identify her as me when she boarded theZenallia. You see, she looks just like me—honestly, we could be twins—so we weren’t worried about a guard realizing she appeared different from my picture, but it was the fake palm print we needed.”
His hand moved along her thigh, his fingers trailing precariously close to her center, where her hands currently rested as she attempted to keep her privates concealed from his gaze. Not that it really mattered anymore, she supposed. While draped over his lap with her legs spread, he had likely seen everything. Her face heated at the thought.
“Go on,” he said. “Tell me about the fake palm print. I assume the two of you didn’t produce the fake palm print yourself, but that you had help. I want to know who helped you and what kind of equipment they used.”
“You still swear no harm will come to anyone in New Leesburg? Even the person who helped us most?”
“I swear it, and I am a male of my word. Now tell me.” His intense gaze roved over her, making her feel more naked and exposed than she already was.
She couldn’t explain why, but she sensed he was telling the truth. Perhaps it was his uncanny ability to know when she told an untruth, but she trusted that he wouldn’t harm anyone she cared about, even if she did admit they helped her make the switch with Julie.
“My, um, brother helped us,” she finally said. “He scanned my palm and used a very sophisticated printer to create a fake palm print, which he then affixed to Julie’s palm.”
“I see. Thank you for telling me the truth.” He cupped her face in one hand and his eyes gleamed with sincerity as he spoke.
“How?” she asked, a bad feeling suddenly filling her. “How is it you always know when I’m lying and when I’m telling the truth?”
He dropped his hand from her face and appeared uneasy, though he didn’t glance away from her. He swallowed hard and looked as though he were carefully considering his response. She found his reaction to her question quite curious.
“Since you are my mate, Caylee, I suppose it is only right for you to know the truth about me.” He paused again, appearing deep in thought. Suspense hovered in the air and she found herself leaning closer, eager to hear his next words, whatever they might be.
Finally, he continued.
“When a person lies, I canseeit. The lie is a black mist that suddenly appears around their head. That is how I know when you speak an untruth. A black mist hovers about your face for a brief time.”
Her stomach flipped at his revelation, but then she reminded herself that it could always be worse. At least he couldn’t read her mind in any way. Though, she supposed if he could, he wouldn’t have had to wait for her to answer his questions.
Her relief was short-lived, however, when she considered the ramifications of his confession. Unless she wanted to risk another spanking, or worse—a thrashing with that leather strap he’d mentioned—she had to be completely honest with him all the time. She peered at the handsome, stern-faced alien who was now her husband, suddenly growing more curious about him.
She tilted her head and studied him for a moment, until her gaze traveled lower to his lips. Up close, Kazzon was unearthly in his beauty. He was truly beautiful, but also very, very terrifying.
“I’ve never heard of a Tarrkuan who possesses the powers you have,” she said, unable to quell her interest. “Are there others like you?”
He drew in a deep breath and appeared to hesitate. She got the sense he didn’t like talking about his powers and she started to think he had no intention of answering her.
But, at last, he spoke.
“I suspect there are others like me, though I am not completely certain.”
“So, you’ve never met another Tarrkuan who sees a black mist when someone lies?”
“No, I have not.” His hand remained on her thigh, caressing her in an intimate manner and causing goosebumps to erupt all over her.
“Do you have any other powers?” She suppressed a shudder and prayed the answer was no.
“No, I do not. The Gods have only cursed me with this one.” His lips curved in a brief smile that didn’t quite reach his dark eyes.
“You consider this skill a curse?”
He glared at her. Hard. “Would youalwayswant to know when someone was lying to you? Your mother? Your father? Your brother? Or your friends?” Bitterness edged his tone in a sharp jaggedness that revealed past hurts.
Oh. She hadn’t thought of it that way. Perhaps his special abilitywasa curse.
The truth wasn’t always pretty and sometimes people lied. She lied on occasion, even to her friends and family. Like when they used to ask her if she was nervous about leaving Earth, or when her mother casually asked if she’d seen her father speaking to Carol again (the neighbor woman he’d admitted to sleeping with several times).
Lies could spare hurt feelings. Lies could spare worry and heartache.
“I suppose I wouldn’t want your power,” she admitted. To her surprise, sympathy panged in her chest for the huge alien as she imagined all the times he must’ve witnessed people he cared about lying to him. “Does everyone know about your power? I mean, do all your family members and friends know about it?”
