Full Moon Rising

I met his gaze, momentarily getting lost in the depths of his dark eyes. “No, I don’t.”

“So, why Genoveve?” Jack asked

“Apparently, it’s built over the top of a World War II military bunker. He was pla

“Was?” Jack asked

Rhoan held out a steaming mug and I accepted it with a small smile. “Yeah. He was outbid by the same company who owns Moneisha.”

“Konane?”

“Yep. And Konane is owned by Talon.”

Liander groaned. “We had him, and we let him escape.”

“And he’s probably out of the damn country by now.” Rhoan sat on the arm of the sofa and threw an arm around my shoulders. “We’ll never find him.”

“We will,” Qui

“Interesting,” Jack murmured. “It suggests that he still has some interest in Riley. Maybe we can put that to use.”

“No,” Rhoan and Qui

Jack ignored them, staring at me. “This all goes far deeper than one werewolf and one company, but right now, he’s the only lead we have. He has to be caught, and he has to be questioned.”

“Agreed,” Rhoan all but spat, “but why use Riley as bait again? She’s done more than her fair share for kin and country.”

“I know she has.” Jack’s voice was filled with a contriteness that didn’t show in the green of his eyes. “But Talon is not interested in you or me. And, because of Gautier’s influence, we dare not trust any of the other guardians at this moment.”

“We know where Genoveve Confectionary is. Why don’t we just raid the damn place?”

“Because we don’t know where the entrances to the underground sections are, and by the time we find them, the evidence we need might well be destroyed.”

I sipped my coffee and met Jack’s gaze evenly. While I was aware that he was reeling me in a little bit more, the reasons why I’d walked into the Blue Moon earlier tonight still held true. Whoever was behind this had to be stopped, and if I could play a part in that, did I really have the right to walk away?

And would walking away be any safer? They’d first come after me at the train station, and that was way before I’d really gotten involved in this investigation. Maybe walking would only make things worse

Besides, the wolf within had had enough and wanted revenge in a bad way

“Do not forget that ten guardians have already died, or that Kelly may have made it eleven,” Jack added, talking to Rhoan but his gaze not wavering on mine

I closed my eyes, not wanting to think about the other guardians. Not wanting to think that Kelly might have joined their ranks

Dammit, she couldn’t have. I didn’t make friends all that easily—surely fate wouldn’t be cruel enough to snatch her away

“We have to stop this now,” Jack added softly

“Riley’s not even a guardian!” Rhoan was off the chair, fist clenched and expression livid. “How in hell can you expect her to survive what those others could not?”

“Because she is a survivor,” Jack bit back. “And because she’s a dhampire, just like her brother. That is more of an advantage than either of you realize.”

“She’s also sitting in this damn room, not in another building,” I interrupted. “Rhoan, calm down and sit. Jack, just give me a goddamn chance to drink my coffee and catch my breath, will you?”

With the coffee in hand, I rose and walked out onto the balcony. The night air was as sharp as ice, and I breathed deep. It didn’t clear the fear stirring through me. Fear not of what I had to do, but what I might become

I leaned against the wrought-iron balustrade and sipped the aromatic hazelnut coffee. The wind whispered through the nearby trees and stirred the hair from the nape of my neck. It felt like the fingers of ghosts

I closed my eyes and tried to gather calm from the cool of the night and the brightness of the stars

Though I heard no sound, the teasing caress of sandalwood momentarily overwhelmed the scent of hazelnut and told me I was no longer alone. He leaned on the balustrade, his body separated from mine by several inches, yet close enough that the heat of him burned across my skin

“Is it the moon?” he said softly

“Partly. Jack seems to have forgotten that Rhoan, Liander, and I all turn into wolves tomorrow night.”

“It’ll surely be over by then.”

I opened my eyes. The stars seemed to reflect in his night-colored gaze. “You didn’t come out here to try to stop me?”

His smile was bittersweet. “What right have I to do that?”

“Whatever right you do or don’t have didn’t seem to matter a few minutes ago.”

He shrugged. “Jack’s suggestion caught me by surprise.”

“But now that you’ve had time to think, you realize it might be the quickest way of finding your friend.”

He held my gaze steadily. “Yes.”

I looked away and took a sip of my coffee. “There are a great many risks in doing this, and Talon is no fool.”

“Neither is Jack. Trust him.”

“It’s Talon I don’t trust.” I glanced skyward. “And he’s the one who put the chip in my arm. If he snatches me, the first thing he’ll do is take it out.”

“But he won’t suspect that I, too, carry one.”

I glanced at him sharply. The smile that touched his lips never reached his eyes. “You’re not going in there alone.”

“If anyone should go with me, it’s Rhoan. He’s trained for this sort of stuff.”

“And I have centuries behind me. Life and time provide far better training than your Directorate ever could.”

“Jack won’t allow it.”

“Jack can’t stop me.”

“But Talon might not be tempted to snatch me if you’re with me.”

“Oh, I think he will. For a start, I gave him a broken nose when I rescued you, and I’m sure he’s itching to return the favor. And second, I’ve killed a lot of his precious clones.”

I had to admit, I felt far better about being bait with Qui

“Thank you,” I said softly

He grimaced. “My reasons are purely selfish, so don’t read too much into it.”

“Meaning if it’s a choice between me and your friend, you’ll save your friend?”

The warmth fled from his face, leaving it emotionless. “Yes.”

Fair enough. He’d known his friend for many centuries. He’d only made love to me a couple of times. Had our positions been reversed, I probably would have made the same decision

I think

“There is one thing we should do before we get in there,” he continued. “Just in case we’re separated.”

“What’s that?”

“Develop a psi link between us.”

“Psi links can be nullified by psychic deadeners, and I’m betting Talon will have the latest installed.” Though the latest deadeners hadn’t worked with Qui

“But we’ve shared blood.”

“So? A deadener is a deadener.”

“And it works on one specific section of the brain. Because we’ve shared blood, our psychic co

“You’re shitting me?”

The smile that tugged his lips made my pulse skip. “No, I am not.”

I tilted my head slightly and studied him for a moment. “Why?”

He shrugged. “Because unless it comes down to that choice, I intend to get us both out of there alive.”

“And once the link is formed, can it be broken?”

He hesitated. “No, but I’m in Sydney most of the time, so it won’t matter.”

“And on the odd occasion you’re not?”

“It still won’t really matter. The link is basically a locked door between two rooms—your mind and mine. And like any locked door, you have to knock to gain entry.”

“No master keys?”

Starlight twinkled briefly in his eyes. “No keys.”

“Then what do we do?”

“Put your coffee down.”