Full Moon Rising (Riley Jenson Guardian 1)

"An arrow made of silver," he cut in. "With barbs that had been designed to break off in your flesh and travel through your system. You were being poisoned, inside and out."

Horror recoiled through me. No wonder I'd burned. I swallowed, but it didn't seem to ease the dryness in my throat. "But why would they do that if they were after the same thing from me as they were from you?"

He shrugged. "Jack's theory is that a woman is born with all the eggs she'll ever have, whereas a man keeps on producing sperm. Maybe those eggs were all they really wanted."

They were bastards. Whoever they were, they were bastards. And crazy ones at that. "So how did you get the barbs out?"

"With an experimental medical scanner Jack borrowed from the Directorate. One barb had reached your shoulder, the other two had headed down your arm." He hesitated. "You were delirious by that time. It wasn't easy."

His tone suggested something had happened, and it wasn't hard to guess what. Once the silver had been removed, my natural instincts would have taken control, whether or not I was delirious. I took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Whom did I attack?"

He grimaced. "Quinn. Savaged his arm pretty badly before we gained control again."

Attacking the man I wanted to seduce was not the brightest thing I'd ever done. "Has he wolf in his background?"

"No."

At least that was one good thing - we didn't have to keep an eye on him the night of the full moon. "So how long was I out?"

"Twenty-four hours. It's Tuesday, and four in the afternoon."

"I hope you let Jack know I'm not going to make it to work."

He smiled. "Jack knows. He's still downstairs."

I yawned, then asked, "Why?"

"Because another attempt was made on his life. Until we know what's going on, this shed is our temporary headquarters."

"I'm sure the owners will be pleased about that."

"The owners are currently overseas and not expected back for another two weeks. We're as safe here as we would be anywhere."

"Only problem with that is the fact we're out in the middle of nowhere."

"That means squat in this day and age." He grinned, kissed my fingers, and rose. "You feel ready for something to eat?"

"I suppose." I paused. "What about the moon? We can't avoid what it does to us, and out here, it's going to prove a problem."

His smile faded, and he scrubbed a hand through his short hair. "I know. Liander's here, but given what you said on the phone about Talon, I didn't think you'd want him close."

"I don't."

"Then Quinn is a possible solution for you. His behavior over the last twenty-four hours certainly suggests he's interested."

I grinned. "I know for a fact he's more than a little interested in some werewolf action."

A smile touched his lips, but his eyes sparkled with worry. "Be careful with him, sis."

My earlier wariness of Quinn came back in a rush. "Are you two actually friends?"

"Yes, and that's why I'm giving you the warning. I think he's the type you could fall for. Just... don't."

"He's not a wolf, so he hardly qualifies for the type I'd fall for." I paused, then added, "So why the warning?"

"Because a wolf almost destroyed him, and he's sworn never to get involved with another one."

"He's already given me that speech. What did that wolf do?"