"Of course, but I will remind them anyway."

"Thank you."

Neither agent said a word during the exchange or even as they were led from the room.

Alone again, Breean ran a hand down his face, trying to scrub away his questions, his dark emotions, even his desires. He wanted Aleaha here, wanted to discuss all of this with her. But if he had her brought here, they wouldn't talk. She might deny it, but she wanted him. She'd stripped for him, after all. But the simple fact was, his desire for her was wild, fierce, while she seemed to have no trouble resisting him.

Perhaps he should join his men in New Chicago and find a woman to warm his bed. A woman who was meek and docile, who would delight in his every gesture. A woman who would fill the aching void that had grown each time one of his people had died. Once he'd had sex, he could do what he was supposed to do: plan.

But he could not work up a single shred of passion for anyone save Aleaha.

His body wantedher. Only she, with that dark hair, those piercing green eyes, that lean body, would do.

Just picturing her caused him to harden, to ready.

Damn this. He needed some relief so that he could better deal with her and his problems.

To prevent himself from changing his mind and going to her tonight, Breean pushed to his feet and stalked to his bedroom. When he was shut inside, he stripped and stepped into the waterfall he'd erected in place of the enzyme shower stall. Scowling, he slapped a hand against the cool title to brace himself. With his other, he gripped his cock. He used the moisture beaded at the tip as lubricant and began slow, measured strokes.

He imagined Aleaha's mouth in place of his hand, her hot tongue swirling, her teeth lightly scraping. His testicles drew up tight; his strokes quickened. She'd kiss those testicles, of course, making them feel better after her earlier mistreatment of them. Her hands would grip his ass, perhaps delving where none had been before, her nails scoring deep. She might suck one of his balls into her mouth, might then lick her way up the shaft before sucking the head again. Sucking until he was dry. Until he couldn't take any more.

Breean's entire body jerked in ecstasy. With a roar, he came, hot seed spurting from him. "Aleaha," he shouted. Sweet, challenging Aleaha.

He stood there for a long while, panting, hand still circling his cock, Aleaha still in his mind. Jacking off, as the humans said, had helped, but it hadn't alleviated his need completely. Hestillwanted her with a hunger that surprised him. Still couldn't think of anything but being with her.

Damn this! he thought again. And damn her. He strode to the bed and fell onto the cold, empty sheets. He wished Aleaha were here. He yearned to hold her, to smell her delightful scent, feel her soft skin.

There had to be some way to win her. Some way to tear down her defenses against him. She wanted him; more than stripping a little while ago, the way she'd kissed him that first night was proof. She was just stubborn and probably scared.

What could he do? What could- His eyes widened as an idea began to take root in his mind, growing. He grinned slowly. Oh, yes. He'd never done such a thing before, but he had fantasized. Now, he would experience.

Tomorrow, he would summon her. He would do that which he'd never allowed himself to do to another. And he would show her no mercy.

CHAPTER SIX

"COME WITH ME."

Ignoring the unfamiliar Rakan's command, Aleaha remained seated at the far end of the cell. She wasn't sure exactly how long she'd been inside it. At least eight hours. Probably twelve. Maybe an eternity. She'd heard the other "guests" clanging against their bars, heard the whisper of their conversations, but when she'd called out in Macy's voice-where's backup, these warriors hate the Schon as much as we do, tell me what you want me to do-no one had answered her.

"Come," the warrior said again.

He wasn'therwarrior, Breean, so she didn't feel any urge to comply. "I'm not going anywhere with you." Surely Breean hadn't tired of her already. Surely he wasn't palming her off on one of his men.Oh, God. What if he was? She hadn't exactly been the nicest of captives.

Captives aren't supposed to be nice, idiot.He'd seen her naked. Maybe he'd disliked what he'd seen.Oh, God,she thought again.

The warrior looked like him: golden skin, golden hair, big, lovely features better suited for a woman yet somehow completely masculine. But his golden eyes didn't mesmerize her. He didn't smell of honey and cinnamon, and she had no desire to try to seduce him to kindness. She had no idea how to deal with him, actually.

"Are those ..." His eyes widened as he spotted the trail of blood she'd accidentally created along the floor.

"Diamonds?" she finished for him, pretending to misunderstand. "Fat stacks of cash?"

Panic consumed his expression when that gaze reached the blood dried on her wrists. He backed away, probably not even aware that he did so. These men hadn't blinked at facing down the lethal members of AIR, but show them a little blood and they wanted to hide.

"Did you cut yourself?"

She saw no reason to lie. "Yes."

"What did you use? You're wearing our clothing, which means Breean checked you for weapons when you changed. And," he gazed around, "there is nothing sharp inside this cell."

She just shrugged.

"Tell me how-" He jumped away from her as if she were poison.

Jeez. She was just stretching out her legs to get more comfortable. She was all for precaution, but really, these men took their hatred and fear a little too far. What would he do if she bit her arm and dripped on his shoe?

Hey. That might actually be a good escape plan. She'd hold out her bloody arm, and the guys would beat feet, too afraid to grab her. She could walk right out of the house. But what about the rest of the agents? She could come back with help-ifshe could find it.

So much time had passed without an AIR assault, part of her now thought something nefarious had happened to Mia and her backup squad. They were good at their jobs, after all, and knew how to track and find the unfindable. The other part of her wondered whether Mia and her squad had stayed away on purpose. But why would they do that?

"Doesn't matter, I guess," the warrior before her said, reclaiming her attention. "You are not mine to deal with." Trying to hide his disgust but not quite managing it, he motioned her over with a wave of his fingers. "Come. Breean has requested your presence. But, please, maintain your distance from me."

The magic word:Breean. Aleaha popped to her feet, anticipation slithering through her. He hadn't tired of her, then. She ignored a sudden, intense rush of relief working through her.Him,she could deal with. Kind of.

Before, in the forest, Breean had craved her desire. If she hinted that she would ultimately fall into his bed, she could buy time. Time to "get to know each other" without being kissed, touched, or caressed-which she shouldn't want but couldn't stop thinking about. Time to figure this out.

"I was told not to hurt you or even to grab you. If you run, I am to alert Breean. He wants you to know that if he is forced to chase you, he will catch you. And he won't stop what was begun last week." The warrior's head tilted to the side. "What was begun last week? Sex?"

Her cheeks heated, and she told herself it was in embarrassment.Notarousal. "Just lead the way. I'm not going to run."

With a disappointed nod, the warrior ushered her past the other cells. As she walked, her gaze clashed with that of Dallas, whose hard expression and fierce blue eyes told her nothing. Beside him, Devyn grinned at her, eyebrows wagging. They remained silent, just as they had last night.

Upstairs, down a long hall, and around two corners, the Rakan stopped. "Here we are." He placed his palm over the ID box on the door. Azure lights scanned between his fingers and all the way to his wrist. A moment later, the entrance slid open.

She sailed past, changing her appearance as she walked. Gone were the blond hair and blue eyes. Gone were those magnificent breasts. She was herself again, just as Breean seemed to like.

The guard, who was gaping at her now, didn't enter behind her. He merely said something in that language she didn't understand and shut the door between them, locking her inside. Her heart began to hammer wildly as the scent of honey filled her nose.

Breean was here.

She gulped, trying to concentrate on somethingunexciting. The room was spacious, lovely and ... her brow wrinkled in confusion- looked like Christmas had exploded inside it. There was a tree in the corner. A fir. A real fir. She could smell the dew on the lush green bristles.

Cutting down a tree was illegal, for every species belonged to the government. Since he was already known as a murdering outlaw, Breean probably didn't care. Red and green bows were tied to the branches. White lights dripped from the ceiling like stars.

There was no sign of Breean, but therewasa large bed draped in soft-looking white sheets, rumpled from a night of tossing and turning. Or hard-core, sweaty sex. Her stomach quivered.Don't think like that. There was a lounge, a marble vanity that boasted a decanter of whiskey and a plastic mini-tree. There was a faux-bearskin rug on the floor with a green bow tied around one of its ears.

What drew her eye most, however, was the sunken tub in the center, filled with hot, steamy water. At least it was clear and not emerald or ruby.

"B-Breean?"

"I'm here." He stepped from the closet, and he was as beautiful and mesmerizing as she remembered: tall, thickly muscled, with golden angel-features and an innate animalism that couldn't be denied. Her heart picked up speed, slamming against her ribs with so much force she thought they might crack.

He wasn't wearing a shirt. His nipples glistened as if they'd been dipped in glitter and were beaded into hard little points. Rope after rope of muscle tapered to his navel ... then deliciously lower. Black pants hung low on his waist and hugged his thighs.

"I knew it!" she said, doing her best to sound outraged. "This room is a mock Christmas party and your cock is supposed to be a present, isn't it?" Okay, yeah, maybe she preferred that to any of the presents Macy's family would have given her. That didn't mean she could accept it. "Or amIsupposed to beyourpresent?"

His gaze raked over her, his nostrils flaring in anger. "Were you hurt?" His eyes went black, opaque completely overshadowing amber. In that moment, he looked like the cold-blooded murderer she'd accused him of being. "Did someone touch you?"

"No, not at all. I'm fine. Swear. But back to the present thing ..."

Gradually, the dark haze abandoned his eyes and he met her stare. "How, then, did you get blood on your new clothes? And under your nails?" he added, frowning. "Syler thinks you cut yourself. Did you?"

Or not. She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. Convincing him to give her time to get to know him and grow to like him wasn't going to be as simple as she'd hoped. Obviously, the thought of her being hurt upset him, and that affectedher,deeply and inexorably. Only Bride had cared enough about her to kiss her boo-boos and make them better. That someone else now seemed to want to do so was irresistible.

"Why would anyone in her right mind cut herself?" she asked. That way, she wasn't lying to him but wasn't admitting to the truth, either.

Of course, he didn't allow the subject to drop. "That does not answer my question."

"Well, it's all the answer you're going to get from me."

"You scratched or bit your wrists until they bled.AfterI told you of the dangers of contamination. Why? Why would you place my men at risk?"

"One, I'm not infected with anything, so they're safe. And two, why I cut myself is none of your damn business." There. She'd given him a partial answer. Yes, she'd done this to herself. But tell him why? Not going to happen. She would not say the words aloud. They could be used against her in the most painful, horrifying way.

"Did you hope I would command you to strip if your clothing was tainted?" He ran his tongue over his teeth, his anger seeming to swell despite his sensual suspicions. "Well, guess what? You get your wish. Take off the clothes. They offend me."

She'd half expected the demand, but that didn't lessen its impact. Her stomach tightened and her hands quivered. "No." Naked, she would lose all control of the situation. There would be no getting to know him, no buying time.

"We went over this yesterday, Aleaha. Take them off or I'll do it for you. Youaregoing to wash."

She squared her shoulders. She wouldn't be cowed, not in this. She'd fight him if she had to, but she was staying dressed-and staying sane.

But if you fight him to stay dressed, he'll put his hands on you. And if he puts his hands on you, you'll cave.Damn it. Either way, they would have sex. She just couldn't win. Still she said, "You stay on that side of the room, and I'll stay on this side, and we'll chat." Curse his good looks. And his money. And his concern. And his smell.Okay, you can stop now.

He surprised her by grinning. "As you are fond of saying, no. We will not chat."

That smile ... She lost every whiff of breath in her lungs. Maybe that was a good thing. Her every inhalation was filled with him, branding her every cell. "I don't want you," she said, more for her benefit than his.

"We shall see." Still grinning, he tugged at the waist of his pants. They immediately loosened and floated to the ground in a pool at his feet. Leaving him completely bare.

His penis was golden and hard, long and thick, and seeing it caused the moisture in her mouth to dry. Her hand fluttered over her lips to hold back her gasp of need. "I'm telling you now," she croaked, "I want this." Wait. What? "I mean, I want to talk to you, to get to know you."

Pleasure infused his eyes, but he shook his head. "That will come after," he said huskily. "But don't worry.I'mnot going to take you. Yet."

He was in front of her in the next instant, moving so quickly she barely had time to register the fact that nothing was going as planned. He was supposed to bow to her desire to chat. He was supposed to give her time to accept him-so that she could then betray him.

The smell of honey wrapped around her, filled her, more intense than before, instantly clouding her thoughts. Sex with him wouldn't be so bad. Itdidtake time, and time was all she wanted. Right? Seriously, screwing him blind should have been her plan all along.

"Don't move," he said. "I don't want to hurt you."

She forced out a sigh, even as a tremor of pleasure slid the length of her spine. "I thought men liked for women to move, but whatever. I'm your captive and you're in charge, so if you want to do this, we'll do this. For the record, I'm completely unwilling."

His smile fell away.

She almost cursed. Had she overplayed her hand? "What I meant to say was that, uh, I'm willing. But only because you're-"

"I believe I mentioned that chatting was for later." And then he was stepping inside her-oh, God, oh, God-just as she'd seen that soldier do in the forest.

Her skin tingled and burned, but it wasn't unpleasant. "Breean?" His name trembled from her. Her bones gave a sharp ache, but quickly settled into a pleasurable hum.

Shhh,she heard in her mind.Almost done.

Her body seemed to expand to accommodate him, but as she stared down at her hands, she couldn't see an outline of him. Couldn't see any hint of him, for that matter. Yethe was inside her. They were joined.

"Get out of me," she demanded. Another tremor hit her, and this time it had nothing to do with pleasure. Did he plan to kill her? Make her put a gun to her head?

Take off your clothes.

Her arms obeyed without hesitation. And there was nothing she could do to stop them, no matter how hard she tried. She watched, wide-eyed, as her hands pulled and jerked at her clothing until she was completely naked.

"How did you do that?"

I control your actions. Not your thoughts, not the sensations you feel, but your actions.

"Get out of me," she repeated, harsher this time. "If I spontaneously change shapes, you could-" What? Become trapped inside the new body? She didn't know. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before.

You won't change. I'm in control. Now, I know you wanted my cock as your Christmas present- "I did not!"

He continued as if she hadn't interrupted him. -since you mentioned it more than once, but I'm giving you something else.

"What?" And was that ... disappointment slithering through her?

You'll see. Walk to the tub.

Her feet were moving in the next instant, and she yelped in frustration and fury because she couldn't stop them. "Damn you! You can't know for sure what will happen if- Ah!" She stepped into the water and sat on the bench, the wet heat lapping and licking at her bare skin. She moaned in ecstasy as the water rippled, laving and caressing.

"Why are you doing this?" Her gaze locked on the scabs on her inner thighs, and she heard Breean give a soft sigh.

Tell me why you did that to yourself and perhaps I will answer your question.