uninvited

chapter fifteen

"He will. It is our way. Even if he wanted to, he could not. Being mated is a bond that cannot be broken. Now that it is done it would hurt them to go a whole day without seeing the other. The age difference is an inconvenience, nothing more. He will have to wait, is that not a small price to pay for finding your other half?"

It took all she had not to laugh. It was bad enough that he really seemed to believe what he was saying but big bad guys rarely sat around talking like this.

"I've seen the mark. It's kind of like a white tattoo. Let's say these aren't birthmarks you're born with. Let's even say that when you meet your mate the girl magically gets the same tattoo. I don't believe there's one person for everyone. But let's say all this is true for your people. It's not for mine. None of that happens here. How do you think you showing up here will make that change?"

"It happened to Macie. Or do you think she had that before? You were there. When she received the mark, it hurt her."

His eyes watched her. He honestly wanted to know what she was thinking. Feeling. His eyes held no trace of irritation at her disbelief.

"No, I believe it happened. I just don't understand it. I was watching Savion. Hard not to look at gorgeous when he walks into a room and Savion was walking with him. His hand went to his neck only moments before Macie cried out."

"His mark burned from being so close to her. Finding her. If we had never come to this planet then no, she would have never been marked. Because she would have never found her mate."

"So, you believe you're fated to be here?"

"I do."

"If we were meant to be mated to one of you, don't you think we would have at least been born on the same planet?"

"Not if our planets were always meant to be one. Take what is good about ours, what is good about yours. That would be something special, would it not?"

Jess looked away before she could drown in his eyes. Took a deep breath. "Are you here to hurt us?"

"No."

"Did you make us sick?"

"No."

"If we could believe that it would go a long way to making this situation better."

"We do not lie. I do not lie."

"Any way to prove that?"

"We have tests that are a hundred percent accurate from telling truth from false, but you would just say that we set the test up. You could ask Dezrick. He is unable to lie, but you would just think I am lying about that. I cannot make you trust me. I can only give you the time it will take for you to trust me."

She sighed and wished Julian had thought to sneak her in a coke.

"I can show you that just because you do not believe in something does not mean it is not true."

"How are you going to do that?"

"You do not believe the mark can magically appear. I can show you magic is real. We call them gifts."

"Powers? I heard about some of that in the last class. The teacher said Savion can calm people. You're able to do something like that?"

He reached out, palm out and her half-eaten bag of chips appeared into his hand. Only long enough for her to witness it then they were gone.

"Where did you put those? I wasn't done with them."

"Garbage can by the door."

That earned him a frown. "Very funny."

She crossed her arms over her chest because her hands were shaking. Her eyes swept over the room to see if anyone else had seen that.

No one was paying attention. Did she just see him move something just by wanting to move it?

She willed herself to calm down. It wasn't the most unusual thing she's seen in the last few days. "I think I heard that only a rare few of your kind can do things like that?"

"Royals. There are only eighteen of us left."

Good. The thought of them all being able to do something like that was more than a little scary. "I think you were supposed to move to the next table. Everyone else has."

"It is unnecessary."

"You're Kellum, aren't you?'

"Yes."

"Just when I thought there were a few things to like about you."

He smiled just a little. "Why must that change?"

"For one thing, you're wanting something I can't give you."

"What is it you think I want from you, Jessalynn?"

"Nope. Don't do that. Don't say my name like that. Why don't you tell me what you want from me? And the answer to my question better not be half-alien babies."

He thought about it. His eyes on her. Wow. Wow. Wow. Why would a boy be gifted with such beautiful eyes? As if they weren't beautiful enough, they turned warm as he looked at her.

"Everything, Jessalynn. I want everything."

Crap on a stick. She was in way over her head. "We're pretty close." She held up her arms. "And no mark. You better look elsewhere."

"That is unnecessary."

Double crap.

"The mark will come. Our numbers are high enough that I am sure of it."

"There could be others." Was her voice as shrill as it sounded to her? "Lots of others. More could show up at any moment. You better keep your options open."

He did that little half-smile again.

Why was it that there was life in his eyes? Why couldn't he be like all the others and have dead eyes?

"As I said, keep your options open. I know I am."