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Invitation？I could see the direction of her thoughts now。It’s not like that。 This is his room。 There are
two beds here。 There aren’t enough sleeping areas for me to have my own space。 Of course we
should share。 Ian knows that。
I couldn’t answer for two heartbeats。
That’s impossible；I finally said。
“Do you think what happened this morning will influence Aaron or Brandt？” Ian asked in a low voice
from the other side of the doors。
“You mean Kyle getting a bye？”
“Yeah。 They didn’t have to…do anything before。 Not when it looked so likely that Kyle would do it for
them。”
“I see your point。 I’ll speak to them。”
“You think that will be enough？” Ian asked。
“I’ve saved both their lives。 They owe me。 If I ask them for something； they’ll do it。”
“You’d bet her life on that？”
There was a pause。
“We’ll keep an eye on her；” Jared finally said。
Another long silence。
“Aren’t you going to go eat？” Jared asked。
“I think I’ll hang out here for a bit。… How about you？”
Jared didn’t answer。
“What？” Ian asked。 “Is there something you want to say to me； Jared？”
“The girl in there…” Jared said slowly。
“Yes？”
“That body doesn’t belong to her。”
“Your point？”
Jared’s voice was hard when he answered。 “Keep your hands off it。”
A low chuckle from Ian。 “Jealous； Howe？”
“That’s not really the issue。”
“Wanda seems to be； more or less； cooperating with Melanie。 It sounds like they’re almost… on
friendly terms。 But obviously Wanda’s making the decisions。 What if it were you？ How would you feel if
you were Melanie？ What if you were the one… invaded that way？ What if you were trapped； and
someone else was telling your body what to do？ If you couldn’t speak for yourself？ Wouldn’t you want
your wishes—as much as they could be known—respected？ At the very least by other humans？”
“Okay； okay。 Point taken。 I’ll keep that in mind。”
“What do you mean； you’llkeep that in mind？ ” Jared demanded。
“I mean that I’ll think about it。”
“There’s nothing to think about；” Jared retorted。 I knew how he would look from the sound of his
voice—teeth clenched； jaw strained。 “The body and the person locked inside it belong tome。 ”
“You’re sure that Melanie still feels the —”
“Melanie will always be mine。 And I will always be hers。”
Always。
Melanie and I were suddenly at opposite ends of the spectrum。 She was flying； elated。 I was… not。
We waited anxiously through the next silence。
“But what if it were you？” Ian asked in little more than a whisper。 “What if you were stuffed in a human
body and let loose on this planet； only to find yourself lost among your own kind？ What if you were such
a good… person that you tried to save the life you’d taken； that you almost died trying to get her back to
her family？ What if you then found yourself surrounded by violent aliens who hated you and hurt you and
tried to murder you； over andover again？” His voice faltered momentarily。 “What if you just kept doing
whatever you could to save and heal these people despite that？ Wouldn’t you deserve a life； too？
Wouldn’t you have earned that much？”
Jared didn’t answer。 I felt my eyes getting moist。 Did Ian really think so highly of me？ Did he really think
I’d earned the right to a life here？
“Point taken？” Ian pressed。
“I—I’ll have to think about that one。”
“Do that。”
“But still —”
Ian interrupted him with a sigh。 “Don’t get worked up。 Wanda isn’t exactly human； despite the body。
She doesn’t seem to respond to… physical contact the same way a human would。”
Now Jared laughed。 “Is that your theory？”
“She is quite capable of responding to physical contact；” Jared informed him； his tone suddenly sober
again。 “She’s human enough for that。 Or her body is； anyway。”
My face went hot。
Ian was silent。
“Jealous； O’Shea？”
“Actually… I am。 Surprisingly so。” Ian’s voice was strained。 “How would you know that？”
Now Jared hesitated。 “It was… sort of an experiment。”
“Anexperiment？ ”
“It didn’t go the way I thought it would。 Mel punched me。” I could hear that he was grinning at the
memory； and I could see； in my head； the little lines fanning out around his eyes。
“Melanie… punched… you？”
“It sure wasn’t Wanda。 You should have seen her face。… What？ Hey； Ian； easy； man！”
“Did you think for one moment what that must have done to her？” Ian hissed。
“Mel？”
“No； you fool； Wanda！”
“Done toWanda？ ” Jared asked； sounding bewildered by the idea。
“Oh； get out of here。 Go eat something。 Stay away from me for a few hours。”
Ian didn’t give him a chance to answer。 He yanked the door out of his way—roughly but very
quietly—and then slid into his room and put the door back in its place。
He turned and met my gaze。 From his expression； he was surprised to find me awake。 Surprised and
chagrined。 The fire in his eyes blazed and then slowly dimmed。 He pursed his lips。
He cocked his head to one side； listening。 I listened； too； but Jared’s retreat made no sound。 Ian waited
for another moment； then sighed and plunked down on the edge of his mattress； across from me。
“I guess we weren’t as quiet as I thought；” he said。
“Sound carries in these caves；” I whispered。
He nodded。 “So…” he finally said。 “What do you think？”
CHAPTER 38
What do I think about what？”
“About our… discussion out there；” Ian clarified。
What did I think about it？ I didn’t know。
Somehow； Ian was able to look at things from my perspective； myalien perspective。 He thought I had
earned a right to my life。
But he was… jealous？ Of Jared？
He knew what I was。 He knew I was just a tiny creature fused into the back of Melanie’s brain。 A
worm； as Kyle had said。 Yet even Kyle thought Ian had a “crush” on me。 Onme？ That wasn’t possible。
Or did he want to know what I thought about Jared？ My feelings on the experiment？ More details about
my responses to physical contact？ I shuddered。
Or my thoughts on Melanie？ Melanie’s thoughts on their conversation？ Whether I agreed with Jared
abouther rights？
I didn’t know what I thought。 About any of it。
“I really don’t know；” I said。
He nodded。 “That’s understandable。”
“Only because you are very understanding。”
He smiled at me。 It was odd how his eyes could both scorch and warm。 Especially with a color that was
closer to ice than fire。 They were quite warm at the moment。
“I like you very much； Wanda。”
“I’m only just beginning to see that。 I guess I’m a little slow。”
“It’s a surprise to me； too。”
We both thought that over。
He pursed his lips。 “And… I suppose…that is one of the things you don’t know how you feel about？”
“No。 I mean yes； I…don’t know。 I… I —”
“That’s okay。 You haven’t had long to think about it。 And it must seem… strange。”
I nodded。 “Yes。 More than strange。 Impossible。”
“Tell me something；” Ian said after a moment。
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”
“It’s not a hard question。”
He didn’t ask it right away。 Instead； he reached across the narrow space and picked up my hand。 He
held it in both of his for a moment； and then he trailed the fingers of his left hand slowly up my arm； from
my wrist to my shoulder。 Just as slowly； he pulled them back again。 He looked at the skin of my arm
rather than my face； watching the goose bumps that formed along the path of his fingers。
“Does that feel good or bad to you？” he asked。
Bad；Melanie insisted。
But it doesn’t hurt；I protested。
That’s not what he’s asking。 When he says good… Oh； it’s like talking to a child！
I’m not even a year old； you know。 Or am I now？I was sidetracked； trying to figure out the date。
Melanie was not distracted。Good； to him； means the way it feels when Jared touches us。 The
memory she provided was not one from the caves。 It was in the magic canyon； at sunset。 Jared stood
behind her and let his hands follow the shape of her arms； from her shoulders to her wrists。 I shivered at
the pleasure of the simple touch。Like that。
Oh。
“Wanda？”
“Melanie says bad；” I whispered。
“What doyou say？”
“I say… I don’t know。”
When I could meet his eyes； they were warmer than I expected。 “I can’t even imagine how confusing
this all must be to you。”
It was forting that he understood。 “Yes。 I’m confused。”
His hand traced up and down my arm again。 “Would you like me to stop？”
I hesitated。 “Yes；” I decided。 “That… what you’re doing… makes it hard for me to think。 And Melanie
is… angry at me。 That also makes it hard to think。”
I’m not angry atyou。Tell him to leave。
Ian is my friend。 I don’t want him to leave。
He leaned away； folding his arms across his chest。
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”
I laughed。 “I doubt it。”
Ian tilted his head to one side； his expression speculative。
“Melanie Stryder？” he asked； addressing her。
We both started at the name。
Ian went on。 “I’d like the chance to speak with Wanda privately； if you don’t mind。 Is there any way that
could be arranged？”
Of all the nerve！ You tell him I said no chance in hell！ I donotlike this man。
My nose wrinkled up。
“What did she say？”
“She said no。” I tried to say the words as gently as they could be said。 “And that she doesn’t… like
you。”
Ian laughed。 “I can respect that。 I can respecther。 Well； it was worth a try。” He sighed。 “Kind of puts a
damper on things； having an audience。”
What things？Mel growled。
I grimaced。 I didn’t like feeling her anger。 It was so much more vicious than mine。
Get used to it。
Ian put his hand on my face。 “I’ll let you think about things； okay？ So you can decide how you feel。”
I tried to be objective about that hand。 It was soft against my face。 It felt… nice。 Not like when Jared
touched me。 But also different from the way it felt when Jamie hugged me。 Other。
“It might take a while。 None of this makes any sense； you know；” I told him。
He grinned。 “I know。”
I realized； when he smiled then； that I wanted him to like me。 The rest—the hand on my face； the fingers
on my arm—I still wasn’t sure at all about those。 But I wanted him to like me； and to think kind things
about me。 Which is why it was hard to tell him the truth。
“You don’t really feel that way aboutme； you know；” I whispered。 “It’s this body。… She’s pretty； isn’t
she？”
He nodded。 “She is。 Melanie is a very pretty girl。 Even beautiful。” His hand moved to touch my bad
cheek； to stroke the rough； scarring skin with gentle fingers。 “In spite of what I’ve done to her face。”
Normally； I would have denied that automatically。 Reminded him that the wounds on my face weren’t his
truth came out in a rush； more heated than I’d meant it to be。 “Youcouldn’t care about me。 If you could
hold me in your hand；me； you would be disgusted。 You would throw me to the ground and grind me
under your foot。”
His pale forehead creased as his black brows pulled together。 “I… not if I knew it was you。”
I laughed without humor。 “How would you know？ You couldn’t tell us apart。”
His mouth turned down。
“It’s just the body；” I repeated。
“That’s not true at all；” he disagreed。 “It’s not the face； but the expressions on it。 It’s not the voice； but
what you say。 It’s not how you look in that body； but the things you do with it。You are beautiful。”
He moved forward as he spoke； kneeling beside the bed where I lay and taking my hand again in both
of his。
“I’ve never known anyone like you。”
I sighed。 “Ian； what if I’d e here in Magnolia’s body？”
He grimaced and then laughed。 “Okay。 That’s a good question。 I don’t know。”
“Or Wes’s？”
“But you’re female—you yourself are。”
“And I always request whatever a planet’s equivalent is。 It seems more… right。 But I could be put into