Circle of Desire (Damask Circle 3)

Move or die, she thought, and thrust upright. Her stomach rolled, and for a second, the world went black. She staggered forward, trying to find her grandmother in the heaving, disintegrating darkness. The floor lurched again and she slipped, going down on both knees. Pain was a wave of red heat radiating down from her head. Her breath tore at her throat and every muscle trembled. She briefly closed her eyes, trying to find the strength to rise. To go on.

Hands grabbed her and pulled her upright. The warm scents of earthy spices and forest spun around, momentarily warming her soul.

Ethan.

He swung her into his arms and ran. She struggled against his grip, fighting to get loose. “We can’t leave Gran!”

“She’s safe.” His reply was little more than a throaty growl that vibrated through her.

Relief surged through her, even though she knew neither of them was safe yet. But if she had to die, at least she’d die in the arms of the man she loved. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight. The river of dirt and stone was almost knee-deep, but it didn’t seemed to impede his progress as he raced them out of the tunnel.

Light began to invade the darkness, but it was the dusky glow of evening rather than the brightness of afternoon. Alarm spread through her, and she glanced quickly at Ethan’s face. His expression was fierce, determined. His eyes were the eyes of a wolf, and a golden halo of energy seemed to be forming around his dark hair. The arms that held her so close, so safe, were trembling, and his heart raced. Not with the effort of running her out of the tunnel, but fighting the change dusk was bringing ever closer.

The wave of earth behind them broke, then exploded, and it seemed as if the whole damn mountain was coming down on top of them. Ethan’s curse echoed in her ears as he dove for the tunnel’s entrance. He twisted as he flew through the air, cushioning her against him as they hit the ground and slid down the path and into a tree.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Rocks and dirt raced past them, but the flow quickly eased and silence fell.

Kat closed her eyes and breathed deeply. They’d survived. Against all the odds, they’d survived. She looked up as Ethan brushed his fingers across her cheek, momentarily losing her soul in the warmth of his wild eyes. But before she could say anything, before he could say anything, the firefly dance of energy flashed down his body, and it was a wolf she was staring at, not a man.

She silently cursed the moon and rolled to one side. He scrambled to his feet and leaped away into the trees. She climbed to her feet, waited until the world stopped spinning, then went to find her grandmother.

ETHAN WALKED INTO THE SMALL HOSPITAL WARD AND WAS relieved to find Gwen sitting up and looking well. He knew without looking that Kat wasn’t here, but she had been. The air still carried her warm scent.

Gwen didn’t seem all that surprised to see him, and her smile was full of mischief. “I told Kat it wouldn’t take you long to find us.”

It had taken him two days once the effects of the moon had worn off, and that was precisely forty-eight hours too long. “I’m a cop. Finding people is part of my job.” He handed her the roses he’d brought her and leaned forward to kiss her offered cheek. “But I was more than a little pissed that you and Kat didn’t leave contact details with someone.” In truth, he hadn’t been as angry as he’d been afraid that Kat had come to her senses and wanted nothing more to do with him.

“You know where we live, Detective. You would have found us there eventually.”

Eventually wasn’t good enough. There was too much left unsorted between him and Kat, and so much he had to tell her. “There are lots of good hospitals in Oregon. You didn’t have to fly to L.A. to get treatment.”

Gwen patted him with her good hand. “I won’t be flying anywhere for a few days yet. Not with this arm.”

He raised his eyebrows. “So you can also assume the shape of a raven?”

She nodded. “It’s not something we want the world to know, and especially not something we want the medical profession at large to be aware of.”

He glanced around the room. “So this hospital caters to your—our—kind?”

She nodded. “Funded by the Circle and staffed by its members. There are six centers altogether. This was the closest to Oregon.”

“And the private jet that swept you down here?”

“You have done your homework.” A smile dimpled her cheeks. “Also thanks to the Circle.”

This Damask Circle was obviously a whole lot bigger than what his investigations had led him to believe. “When are they letting you out?”

“In an hour or so, after the doc sees me.” Her eyes twinkled. “I know you didn’t come all the way down here to chitchat with me, Detective. If you want to see her, she’s in the gardens, getting some fresh air and having a cup of coffee. Seeing it’s so hot, I suggest you try the gazebo first.”

“Thanks.”

He kissed her cheek again and headed out of the room, making his way down the corridor and out the rear entrance. Sweat began to trickle down his back almost as soon as he entered the sun, and he beat a hasty retreat to shade, his heart racing a mile a minute as he followed the path through the trees. It felt like forever since he’d last seen Kat. Forever since he’d last held her.

He came into a small clearing and saw the gazebo—and her. The sheer force of love and passion that tumbled through him made him stop. All he could do was stand there and drink in her image. She leaned against the arch of the doorway, staring at the small waterfall dribbling into a lily-filled pond. She wore a short T-shirt and a soft, swirly skirt that caressed her thighs. She had never looked prettier or more desirable. He wanted to grab her and make love to her right there in the gazebo, but first he had to apologize for his stupidity. And for hurting her.

He took a deep breath, then continued on to the gazebo.

THE WARM SCENT OF SPICE AND FOREST HIT KAT. FOR A second she froze, certain it was only wishful thinking. Then she heard the soft footsteps behind her, and her heart leaped. Joy surged, but just as quickly fled. Because while she could hear him, she couldn’t feel him. It was as if he was keeping his emotions in check, and that scared her. What if he couldn’t answer the question she’d asked in the cavern? What if he decided it was simply easier to walk away? But if that was his intention, would he bother coming all this way to say good-bye? She didn’t know. She might love this man, but they really didn’t know each other. And right now, she wasn’t certain they ever would.