Full Moon Rising (Riley Jenson Guardian 1)

For several more seconds, he just stared. Yet the force of his anger rose and rose, until it was a wave that burned through every fiber of my being. His fists clenched, warning enough that a blow was coming. I dropped my shields and reached desperately for his mind - only to hit a psychic shield. For the first time in two years I noticed the thin wire entwined through the white gold chain at his neck. He was shielded against mind intrusion, had been for as long as I'd known him

A laugh bubbled through me. So much for all my cautious restraint over the years

His fist hit my stomach, and the laughter gave way to a desperate battle to breathe

He continued to hit me, again, and again. I shuddered, twisting and fighting to be free, the need to tear him limb from limb as fierce as the need to survive

"Coward," I spat between blows. "Step closer and try that."

I was trembling, aching, bloody. Everything had gone red, only it wasn't blood. Rage and the wolf had control and the consuming pain meant nothing

I wanted, needed blood

If he took one step closer, I could grab him and rip him to pieces. My fingers curled in anticipation. I wanted to taste him. Wanted to tear my teeth through his sweet flesh, and watch his blood pour from his body. Wanted to see it mingle with mine on the fine gold carpet

He either didn't hear or didn't want to hear. As he drew his fist back for another blow, the door to the left of us crashed open and Talon was ripped away from me. I closed my eyes and howled in anger and frustration

Hands were on me, shaking hard

"Riley? It's Quinn. You're safe. It's okay."

His voice was muted, lost in the roar of need. I lashed out, raking his cheek with hooked fingers. The smell of blood filled the air, stirring the lust to greater heights. I twisted, thrusting my fingers into my mouth, sucking the blood and skin from under my fingernails. It was a sweetness that made me salivate, yet there was nowhere near enough of it to satisfy the hunger in me

"Riley - "

"Don't take off those chains," a second voice warned flatly. "She's in bloodlust, and could kill us both if you set her free."

"So what in hell do we do?"

"Not we, you." The second voice was vaguely familiar, though his name failed to traverse the haze of heat and lust filling my mind. "You'll have to fuck her while she's chained."

"For Christ's sake, look at the mess - "

"You have no other choice. Four of us barely controlled her when we were trying to treat her wounds. The bloodlust triples her strength."

Quinn didn't answer. I couldn't see him, couldn't sense him. Didn't know if he was still close or not. I threw my weight against the chains, testing them, trying to break free. White heat burned into my wrists and ankles, and my skin became slick with moisture. Moisture that smelled sweeter than sex. But I couldn't get to it, couldn't taste it. The chains weren't long enough

He forced a breath out, a sigh that was somehow filled with anger. "Take care of that bastard, then, and make sure he can't escape."

Fingers caressed my face. I turned, snapping at them, catching nothing but air

"I will," the second voice said softly. "But I'm afraid that's not all you'll have to do."

"What?" There was an edge in the rich tones that suggested anger

"She needs the taste of blood."

"I'm a vampire. She shares my blood willingly, and she treads the path to becoming a vampire."

"I know, but she is part vampire anyway, so maybe she's immune to the curse."

"Gift, not curse."

It was tightly said, the anger more evident this time

"Either way, it is a chance we have to take. You could survive what I cannot. Look at her teeth."

There was a pause, then, "Wolf-sharp."