Page 7 of Kazzon's Human Bride
“I’m glad to see you’re finally telling me the truth aboutsomething.” He leaned closer, his breath a hot, intimate caress against her cheeks. “Let’s go.”
The triphomewas far too quick. Caylee longed for more time to think, but unfortunately, she didn’t get it. Five short minutes later, she found herself pausing in front of the green house on Washington Street, her heart lodged so painfully in her throat she couldn’t utter a word.
She nodded at the walkway leading up to the house and her fear skyrocketed when the big alien all but dragged her inside.
To her surprise, he locked the door behind him once they stood in the narrow entryway. She shot him a pleading look, only for him to guide her further into the house. Once he shepherded her into the living room, he released her arm and gestured for her to take a seat. She all but collapsed on the couch, no longer able to stand on her shaking legs.
In all her life, she’d never been so terrified.
A huge Tarrkuan male, one who apparently intended to interrogate her, stood in her living room, staring down at her with a suspicious gleam in his dark, alien gaze. She still didn’t know how he’d sensed her lies. Her mouth went dry as she fumbled for something to say, anything, in order to make him go away and leave her alone.
Unfortunately, his look of determination increased, and his gaze sharpened.
“Julie isn’t your real name, is it?” He crossed his muscular arms over his chest, appearing quite stern.
Shit shit shit.
She glanced around the living room and struggled for a response. “It-it’s the name people call me.”
“The name people call you,” he said thoughtfully, “but not your real name.” He uncrossed his arms and looked around the living room. When his attention landed upon a framed family photo, an image showing two smiling parents and their two daughters, his eyes momentarily widened. He looked from the photo to her, then back and forth again. “That’s not you in the family photo, little human. That’s notyourfamily, yet you’re living here in this house. Alone.” He lifted a thick dark eyebrow at her in question.
All the air left Caylee’s lungs in the next moment, and her hands trembled harder as desperation filled her. Her worst fears were coming true. She’d remained hidden—in plain sight, no less—for approximately six months. But this inquisitive Tarrkuan was about to blow her cover.
What would he do when he learned the full truth?
Fear for her family—herrealfamily—made her stomach tighten with despair.
Before she could choose her next words, a look of understanding dawned on the alien’s handsome face, and his dark eyes glittered with excitement. He moved closer and inhaled deeply as his nostrils flared wide. He’d done that several times in her presence—took a long breath as if he were trying to smell her. She tried not to think about why.
A shiver ran through her, even as the unwanted heat gathered between her thighs, a relentless pulsing ache that made breathing difficult.
She couldn’t help her reaction to him.
“Youarea Tarrkuan bride, little human.Butyou switched places with the younger blonde in the family photo, didn’t you? Andhername is Julie?”
A mix of disbelief and self-satisfaction reflected in his eyes. Clearly, he was surprised by her actions, but he was also quite pleased with himself for having solved the mystery of her real identity.
“Human couples are only permitted to have more than one child if their firstborn is a female who’s been chosen as a Tarrkuan bride,” he continued. “I suppose the real Julie wished to travel to Tarrkua so she could follow her older sister whowasa Tarrkuan bride.”
“Yes,” Caylee admitted, defeat a heaviness that now blanketed her. “But no one has been harmed by the switch. Julie,” she said with a glance at the photo, “who I’ve talked to several times in the last couple of months via a video comm, is in love with her Tarrkuan mate, Varro, and he loves her, too. Julie wanted to follow her older sister, Nova, to Tarrkua after their parents died in a fire. Perhaps you heard about the fire that recently broke out in one of our factories? You see, Julie didn’t have any family left on Earth after that happened and since we looked so much alike… well, I can assure you that no one has been harmed by the switch.”
“My people as a whole have been harmed by the switch. Julie cannot conceive children with a Tarrkuan, as her DNA was not modified when she was younger,” the alien said. “Butyoucan conceive children with a Tarrkuan.”
“No one has to know about the switch,” she said, her heart racing. “Please, I-I don’t have much money, but perhaps there’s something I-I can…” Her voice trailed off as a heated flush engulfed her. The only bargaining chip she possessed was her body. But as far as she knew, Tarrkuans didn’t engage in premarital or casual sex, unlike humans.
Instead, they mated for life.
What the hell could she offer in return for his silence?
She stared at him, her mind racing as she tried to think of a way to buy his silence. She would give anything to have him walk out of this house and never speak a word to anyone about her deceit.
Julie wouldn’t be sent back to Earth even if Tarrkuan authorities were made aware of her true identity, as her mate, Varro, was a member of the ruling class and he would never allow it, but the probability thatCayleewould be sent to Tarrkua was high.
All human females who were chosen as Tarrkuan brides were expected to travel to planet Tarrkua after turning twenty years old. Caylee had been scheduled to leave Earth six months ago on theZenallia, the large interstellar ship that carried the yearly supply of human females to Tarrkua. But instead of leaving Earth, Caylee had switched places with Julie.
Since Caylee and Julie were very similar in appearance, it hadn’t been difficult to pull off the switch. Caylee’s younger brother had helped, replicating a thin copy of Caylee’s palm print to attach to Julie’s hand, which had successfully tricked the Tarrkuan guard who scanned Julie’s palm to confirm her identity as she boarded theZenallia. After that, Caylee had moved into Julie’s house and pretended, as best she could, to be Julie.
All had seemingly gone according to plan. Or at least it had until Caylee’s run-in with this inquisitive Tarrkuan.
