Full Moon Rising

“Considering you won’t tell me what mission he was on, that’s not a question I can answer.”

He laughed. “Would you like Kelly’s help extracting him?”

“Does her help come with terms?”

“Most definitely.”

“Then no.”

“You won’t get in there without some form of Directorate help. Moneisha has more than just infrared and electric fences guarding it.”

“Why? What does it do?”

“Officially, it’s a drug research center.”

“And unofficially?”

“I have no idea.”

“Is that why Rhoan was investigating it?”

“He wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near it.”

Because he was supposed to be investigating Qui

The first option was obviously the sanest, but a niggle deep inside suggested that at this moment, it wasn’t the right choice. Though I had no idea why it wasn’t, I’d spent most of my life listening to my instincts. And though in the past that had often got me into trouble, I wasn’t about to abandon the habit

Still, I hedged. “Why would you even let me attempt to extract him?”

His smile never touched his eyes, and it was a strong reminder that no matter how much I liked this vampire, he was first and foremost a Directorate man. And in that moment, I knew the answer to my question, before he even said a word

“I want you as a guardian, Riley. You have the potential to be as good as, if not better than, your pack mate.”

“That doesn’t exactly answer the question.” But it did, all too clearly

“It’s a test, a taster, if you will. I’ve known lots of wolves over my lifetime, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you all have one serious flaw. Though for Directorate purposes, it’s something of a plus.”

“And that is?”

”You’re all adrenaline junkies.”

I snorted. “You aren’t even in the right ballpark with that one.” Yet even as I said it, Talon’s image came to mind. Wasn’t half the thrill of being with him the sensation of walking a knife’s edge? That at any moment, his wildness could snap and become truly dangerous? “So this is the test you have when I won’t take the test?”

“Exactly.”

“You can’t force me to be a guardian.”

“I won’t have to. It’s inevitable, Riley. You and Rhoan are two peas in a pod—and you were both born for this type of work.”

A chill ran through me at his choice of words. It wasn’t chance. Nothing was ever said by chance when it came to Jack. He knew Rhoan and I were twins. “I’m not a killer.”

“All wolves are killers. It’s just that in today’s society, the urge is well controlled.”

“That’s like saying all vamps are killers.”

“All vamps are. Some just manage to cha

Like becoming guardians and killing with the approval of the state. I shivered. “So basically, you’re saying that you intend reeling me in bit by bit.”

“Yes.”

“And the offer of help tonight—what strings come attached to it?”

“That you promise to take the test sometime in the future.”

“Sometime? You’re not setting a limit of when?”

He gri

“You don’t know me very well if you think that.”

“I know you better than you know yourself,” he said, his cold gaze burning with a certainty that chilled my soul

He knows what we are. I licked my lips and hoped like hell the intuition was wrong. “Okay, you have a deal.”

“Good. Drop by the office and I’ll give you full details about Moneisha.”

“I have some things to do first—could be a few hours.”

“I’ll be here.”

“Surprise, surprise,” I muttered

He chuckled, and hung up. I slipped the Mercedes into gear and cruised back to the city, making it to Talon’s as dusk began shifting toward true night

His house—though calling it a house was a misnomer when it was so damn big I could see several levels clearly above the fifteen-foot fences—sat on a leafy acre right in the heart of Toorak. I drove up to the wrought-iron security gates and said my name into the speaker. The gates slid silently open

The driveway snaked through stately elms, past manicured lawns, and finally presented the Old-English–style mansion in all its glory. It was a truly beautiful house, but it was a little hard to believe that only one man lived there. Obviously, Talon had more money than he knew what to do with

I parked in front and climbed out, feeling more than a little out of place in my old work skirt and sweater. The door swung silently open as I climbed the steps, and the red beam of a weapon sca

A security cam buzzed as it swung around, and I raised an eyebrow. “Why all the gadgets?” I said, sure there’d be microphones here somewhere

“A millionaire can never be too careful these days.” Talon’s husky tones seemed to come out of thin air. “Take the stairs, first door on the left.”

I did as ordered. The door slid open as I approached, and the room I entered was an office big enough to play football in. The walls were a cool, dusky blue, and the furniture chrome. Talon was sitting at a desk down the far end. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and I very much suspected he wasn’t wearing any pants, either. A bottle of champagne and two glasses sat to his right

“Stop,” he ordered softly

His aura hit me, snatching my breath, making my legs feel boneless. He was heat and longing and need, and I’d never felt anything so potent in my life. It had me ready for him in an instant, but the unease I’d felt in the car earlier increased. What he was projecting couldn’t possibly be natural

“Strip,” he continued in that same, flat tone

I kicked off my heels, then, with his gaze a fever that flamed my skin, did a little, teasing dance as I took off my sweater, skirt, and undies. By the time I’d finished, it wasn’t just his aura making me ache, but my own desire

He took a deep, shuddery breath, then reached for the champagne and poured two glasses. “Walk to the desk.”

I strolled toward him, provocatively exaggerating the sway of my hips. The closer I got, the stronger his hunger burned, until it hit my senses like a blow and made my head spin

He slid a glass across the chrome. “Down it.”

“You don’t have to get me drunk to have your wicked way with me.”

“This is the best champagne you will ever taste, and it will fuel the evening I have pla

There was nothing seductive in his words—they were said as a statement of fact, a choice in which I had none. And while in some ways it aroused me all the more, that deep-down sense of unease grew

“I’m due at work by nine.”

“Then you are mine until eight-thirty.”

I couldn’t help a smile. Given the heat he was projecting, the next hour and a half was going to be one wild ride. I picked up the champagne, raised the glass in toast, and downed it as he drank his. It might be the best champagne ever made, but it went down as badly as the cheap stuff and made my head buzz even more

He offered me another and I shook my head, knowing I’d probably throw up if I had a second glass

He pressed a small button on his desk. A slot opened close to me, and a folder appeared. “Your information on Evensong and its owner. But you can look at it later. Right now, I want you. Come here, little wolf.”

At that moment, I felt like a lamb confronted by a very large and hungry wolf, and for the first time in my life, I wasn’t sure I actually liked the sensation. Or that I wanted to be there, with him

Or was it simply a matter of the champagne affecting my head more than I thought?