Full Moon Rising (Riley Jenson Guardian 1)

I didn't want to be off the scale. Didn't want to use my skills for anything more than defense. But I had a vague feeling Talon had taken all choice away from me. I kicked another stone into the dam and imagined it was the head of a certain golden wolf sinking under the murky brown water

Jack squeezed my shoulder gently. "You could be one of the lucky ones. It might have no effect at all."

My smile was grim. "You don't believe that any more than I do."

He hesitated. "No. But right now, there's nothing we can do about it. Time will provide our answers. Meanwhile, we have a clone factory to hunt down."

I turned and followed him down the path. "Did you know a company named Konane apparently owns Moneisha?"

He glanced over his shoulder. "No. How do you?"

"Misha told me."

"Interesting. Wonder how he knows - and why he told you."

"Because I asked him."

"Maybe you should ask him a few other things - like whether he knows anything about the clones or the crossbreeds."

"I can if you want."

"Might be worth a try. In the meantime, I'll get a search done on Konane."

"You don't think the crossbreeds are coming out of the same factory as the clones?"

"No, and the evidence that Quinn has collected confirms it."

Rhoan was no longer sitting out in front of the cabin when we arrived. But given the delicious smell of roasting meat that hung on the air, he was probably inside harassing Liander to hurry up and serve the meal

"I'll never get tired of that smell," Jack said, taking a deep breath. "Which is why I live above a restaurant."

I opened the door for him and waved him on through. "I always thought the smell of food turned a vampire's stomach."

Jack shook his head. "Hollywood myth. You of all people should know better than to believe something like that."

"Hey, some myths sound very reasonable."

"Sounding reasonable doesn't make them so."

He moved over to the table and I looked around for Quinn. He wasn't in the living area, but a second later he came rattling down the stairs. His gaze met mine, dark eyes warm and filled with hunger. The fever surged through my veins, its intensity soaking me in an instant. And the full moon was still two days away. If the mission went on much longer, I'd be in trouble. The fever was still leashed, but the sheer force of it suggested it wouldn't remain that way too long

"Hey, pretty lady," he said, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me close. "Guess what?"

"What?" I said, my voice little more than a husky whisper. God, he felt so good pressed up against me that my hormones were begging me to drop him to the ground and shag him senseless

"Rhoan and I drew straws. We won the bed tonight."

I linked my hands behind his neck and kissed his chin. "Meaning we're under the stars tomorrow?"

"Afraid so. But the weathermen say it'll be fine."

"It doesn't matter anyway, because I've had scout training. I'll make us a shelter."

His grin was decidedly wicked. "Shame you didn't bring the uniform along. Wouldn't mind seeing you in that."

I raised an eyebrow. "Got a fetish for women in uniform, have you?"

"Especially when they're leggy redheads." His breath caressed my mouth, then his lips found mine and our kiss became a long, slow seduction that had my knees wanting to buckle