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“A human could not change faces and bodies as you do.”
    â€œWhat I am doesn’t matter.” Just as before, she backed away. Her bottom lip quivered, and tears suddenly glinted in her eyes, crystalline pools of pain, sorrow, and intensified fear. “Now, let the agents go and leave this planet! Please.”
    Were those tears real or fake? Either way, he actually experienced a desire to wrap his arms around her and . . . comfort her? Comfort a woman shooting at him? Strangely enough, yes. Desire truly did screw with a man’s common sense.
    There had to be a way to stop those tears, disarm her, and get that sweet body under him as quickly as possible, all without using physical brawn. He’d mentioned negotiating earlier. She hadn’t seemed interested, but then, they hadn’t been discussing her friends.
    â€œDo you wish to bargain for the lives of your fellow agents?”
    She stilled, though she didn’t lower the weapons. The tears dried, at least. “B-bargain? What is it you want from me? What do I have that you could want?”
    â€œI thought I had made that clear. I want you .”
    For several drags of time, she did nothing. Gave no reaction to his words. No matter her response, he had no plans to kill the agents. They were to be tickets allowing his men to freely roam Earth. He would trade a life for a life. An agent for a Rakan. And if AIR proved dishonorable, attacking after agreeing to such a trade, well, they alone would be responsible for the war that erupted. All he desired was peace for his men. Peace and a new, disease-free life.
    Macy couldn’t know that, and he didn’t mind letting her think she was the cause of his benevolence. If mercy was what she found attractive, merciful he would seem to be.
    Too eager, though, he would not be. That would lessen his power. His years negotiating fair prices for his fish had taught him that. “My offer will end in three seconds,” he said. “One. Two.”
    â€œThree. My answer is no. I’ll free them myself.”
    That intense look of concentration descended over her features again. He tensed, knowing what was coming this time. As her appearance changed from woman to Breean, from humanoid to Rakan, he kicked into hyperdrive. But she quickly gained her bearings and raced to the far edge of the clearing before he could catch her.
    Their eyes met in a moment of charged electricity. In challenge. Then, she disappeared again. He was standing in the exact spot she’d vacated a split second later. As his spirit caught up to his body, he looked for her. Spotted her just ahead. Cursed and leapt forward. She might actually be better at this than he was.
    She was rushing around the group of agents, trying to uncuff and wake them, and when that didn’t work, drag them away. He was there in the next instant, right beside her and gripping her arm, doing his best to contain her without bruising her. Gasping, she jerked from his hold and disappeared.
    When he next spotted her, she was darting through the trees, racing away. “Take the prisoners to the dungeon,” he flung over his shoulder to his men, then gave chase. He still didn’t understand how the AIR agents had known they would be arriving this night, but it didn’t really matter. He’d planned to hunt down a few after he settled in, and now he wouldn’t have to. Now he could simply begin the negotiations. After he caught Macy, that is.
    A few times she actually slammed into the thick trunks. She’d humph, shake her head, and jump back into motion. Once he clasped her jacket; rather than slowing her down, his grip merely ripped the torn material farther, revealing a shirt that was equally torn, as well as the planes and hollows of his back.
    The second time he grabbed her, he encountered only hair. Hating himself, he yanked. She screamed, but continued to surge forward, leaving several strands in his