Full Moon Rising (Riley Jenson Guardian 1)

I wasn't the world's greatest cook, and most days I tended to burn whatever it was I was cooking. But I could usually manage muffins, eggs, and bacon without too much damage. Luckily for my stomach, it was one of those days. As I dished it all up, I glanced toward the door and wondered if my naked vamp wanted anything to eat. Not that I intended offering myself. Rhoan always kept a good supply of synth blood in the fridge, simply because he needed it. We might be twins but I was more werewolf, my brother more vampire. He didn't have the extendable teeth, ate and drank normally, and could walk in sunlight as well as I, but when the full moon began to rise, so too did his need to consume blood

I grabbed a synth pack from the fridge, then picked up my plate and walked across to the door

My grubby but sexy vampire was sitting where I'd left him, in the shadows to the right of my door

"Have you eaten?" I asked

Surprise flickered through his eyes. "Are you offering?"

I grinned and tossed the plastic pack to him. "Hardly. But my flatmate always keeps a stock of synth blood. You're welcome to that."

He caught the pack deftly in one hand. "Thank you. It's most considerate."

"In other words," I said dryly, "the offer sucks, but you'll make do."

Humor touched his luscious lips. "You are very adept at reading people, aren't you?"

Only nonhuman races, and only because of what I was. I shrugged, and sat, cross-legged, on the safe side of the doorway. Even though he was a stranger, and probably up to no good, he was at least someone to talk to. While the lone wolf image wasn't one that fitted most wolves, it did apply to both Rhoan and me. We'd grown up in an environment that was hostile to our presence - to our very existence - and had become used to keeping to ourselves. Which meant, of course, that the art of making friends easily wasn't a skill either of us had. God, it had taken me forever to drop my guard and let Kelly in a little. We'd known each other for three years, and despite the fact that I called her a friend - a good friend - she still had no idea that Rhoan and I were related, let alone twins

And while I had two mates I saw regularly, they weren't exactly friends. Melbourne could be a cold city when you were basically alone

His gaze slid down my barely covered bits - a touch that wasn't a touch, but left me burning. No surprise there. The moon heat, which was what we wolves called the weeklong phase in which the need to mate became almost all-consuming, had started. And while it didn't affect me anywhere near as strongly as full-blooded wolves, the burning need for sex was still hard to deny

And if the moon-spun hunger was that strong already, I was in for a rough but exciting week

"So," I said, trying to shake off images of mating with this vamp right there in the hall - and trying not to think of the delicious possibility of shocking Mrs. Russel's puritan sensibilities. "You obviously didn't come to your senses during the night."

"Well, that depends on how you define 'coming to your senses.'" Warmth sparkled in his dark eyes. "If you're referring to the fact that I'm still here, then obviously not. If you mean did I regain some memories, then yes."

"So you remember why you're here?"

"I told you that last night."

That he had. I was just curious as to whether he'd changed his story. "And as I said, if it's something urgent, just go to the Directorate. Any of the guardians will be able to help you."

"It's your flatmate I must see."

I speared some bacon, and dipped it into the yolk. "You another of his boyfriends?"

He jerked back so quickly anyone would have thought I'd hit him. "No, I am not."

I grinned. "No offense meant. It's just that many vampires who are older than a century or two tend to swing between the sexes."

He studied me, face expressionless, eyes deep, dark pools the unwary could easily get lost in. "You are a werewolf, are you not?"

"Yeah." I tore off a chunk of muffin, covered it in egg, and ate it. Ladylike, that was me

"Werewolves are no more intuitive when it comes to vampires than humans," he said softly. "So how is it you knew I was a vampire, let alone one who was more than two centuries old?"

I shrugged. "My flatmate is a guardian, and I work with guardians. You pick up on those things."

One look at his expression suggested he wasn't buying the lie

"Can I ask another question?"

"You can ask. Won't guarantee I'll answer it."

His smile crinkled his eyes. Not only was he polite, but he had a sense of humor. Amazing