Full Moon Rising (Riley Jenson Guardian 1)

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 Quinn alongside me. I probably wouldn't be any safer, but at least I wouldn't be alone

"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