I froze.

"What?" Kade asked immediately, his voice barely a whisper.

"Something's outside." I scrambled to the window, carefully peering out. Nothing moved in the yard. Nothing but sunlight danced in the shadows of the trees.

Yet something was out there. I was growing more and more certain of it.

I ducked past the window. "Check the back. I'll check the living room and side."

He left the room. I crept into the living room and peered out the windows. No creature crept across the lawn or hid in the nearby trees. I retreated to the bathroom.

And heard a familiar rumble.

It was one of the orsini. Against all the odds, it had tracked us here. I wondered how far behind human pursuit was.

I went to the bedroom and grabbed some clothes, but left the shoes. Not only because they didn't look as if they'd fit, but because I didn't really need them. My feet had thick soles thanks to the fact I only wore shoes when I had to, and I suspected Kade, as a horse-shifter, would be the same.

He was standing to the side of the window when I got to the kitchen, but looked around as I entered. "Nothing here."

I tossed some clothes at him, noting with amusement that his cock was still ready to play. Obviously, not a man easily deterred. "Did you ever see any of the creatures they had patrolling that place?"

He frowned. "I saw a hairy thing once. Looked like a warped bear."

"That's what's outside."

He put on the black pants and shirt I'd given him. They were tight - not indecently tight, but not that far from it. Rhoan was going to blow a fuse - especially if Kade remained in his current state.

"How many?" he asked.

"It seems to be by itself, but more will surely be on their way."

I put on the revolting floral shirt and black skirt I'd chosen for myself, but skipped the undies. Granny clothes I could handle, but granny knickers? No way.

I wrapped an old tie around my waist to keep the skirt up, then grabbed the phone and quickly dialed Jack's mobile number.

"Riley ?" he said immediately. "Is there a problem?"

"Yeah. They've discovered us and we have to run. How far away are you?"

"Half an hour, at least."

Not close enough to help us, then. "Give us directions and a place to meet. We'll get there when we can."

Rhoan was swearing in the background.

"There's a town called Leura about nine kilometers away from Bullaburra." Jack hesitated, and I could hear my brother muttering instructions. "According to the com-unit, there's a cabin resort there called Blue Haven. Rhoan's booking us a cabin. We'll be there in twenty."

"We'll be there when we can."

I hung up and met Kade's intense gaze. "We have to leave."

"That thing will track us."

"Not if we stop it."

He raised an eyebrow. "You mean kill it?"

He didn't seem to fazed about it, but then, maybe horse-shifters had an entirely different set of sensibilities to wolves and other shifters. After all, the male of the breed collected and kept a herd. Maybe they saw killing as a necessary part of protecting that herd.

"I mean stop it. Any way we can."

He nodded. "There's twine in the drawer to your right. I'll get a knife, just in case it does come down to killing."

I got the rope and the rolling pin that happened to be in the same drawer, and he got the knife. The scrape of nail came again, this time near the kitchen window.

Kade moved to my side, and leaned close, his lips brushing my ear as he said, "How do you want to play this?"

"You hold it kinetically, and I'll bop it over the head and tie it up."

"Where?"

I pointed to the window. He nodded and moved away. I took up my position, and raised an eyebrow in question. He nodded again.

I said, "Hey," as loud as I could, and that's all it took. The window exploded inward, the deadly shards of glass flying through the air as a mass of hair and snarls leapt into the room Kade froze it in midair, and I hit it across the head with the rolling pin, knocking it out. Then I grabbed the twine and tied all four legs together as well as its snout.

"Okay, you can let it - "

The rest of my words were cut off as a second mass of hair and teeth and claws leapt through the smashed window. It hit me chest-on, knocking me down and back I slid across the glass-covered floor, hissing in pain as I thrust out my hands, grabbing the thing by the throat and barely keeping the snarling, snapping teeth away from my face.

As suddenly as it had hit, it was torn away. There was a crash, then chair parts flew. I scrambled to my feet, saw the flash of metal in Kade's hand a second before he buried the blade in the creature's side.

The creature made an odd coughing sort of sound, and was still. Kade swung around and came to me.

"You all right?"

He didn't wait for my reply, but turned me around and studied my back Pain flared as he lifted the shirt and began to pluck shards of glass out of my back.

"We have to get moving," I said, twitching under his touch.

"Two more pieces to go." He plucked them out, then added, "I doubt whether we'll get out of here without being seen."

"Our only chance might be to run for the trees and edge our way around the town."

"Once we're a safe distance away from this house, how about we steal a car?"

I turned. "I thought you were a respectable builder?"

"Now, yes. As a youth?" He grinned, velvet eyes twinkling mischievously. "Let's just say that stallions tend to be wilder than most teenagers. I've done things that would make your hair curl." He caught several strands of my hair and tugged on them lightly. "Which would actually look quite pretty."

I smiled, rose up on my toes, and brushed a kiss across his lips. "Thank you."

His arm slipped around my waist, holding me carefully but close. "What for?"

His breath teased my lips, and had me trembling. "I'll explain when we have more time."

"Good." He kissed my nose then released me. "You might have to shift shape. Some of these cuts are fairly deep."

I did. "How come you're not fazed by me being a wolf?"

"Because it wasn't the wolf I first saw but a naked, luscious woman. Instinctive prejudices haven't a hope over raging lust."

My smile became a grin. "So how come you were trying to bite me when I first walked in?"

"I thought you might be another of the women they use to tease us into bloom before they milked us."

"What made you realize I wasn't?"

"The blood on your leg and side. And that punch you landed on my nose."

"That was a swat, not a punch."

"Then you must pack quite a punch." He raised a hand and brushed his fingers across my cheek.

"Perhaps." I stepped away, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do. "Let's get out of here."

"What about the mess?"

"The Directorate will send a cleanup crew. Our hosts will be none the wiser."

He followed me as far as the bedroom, then ducked inside, reappearing two minutes later with a wire coat hanger.

I raised an eyebrow. "Are there still cars out there without either central-locking or thumb-print locking?"

"Plenty of them, believe me."

I unlocked the door and walked out onto the small patio. Highlighted sharply against the stormy clouds, a solitary brown shape soared.

I motioned Kade to be still, watching the eagle until it wheeled out of sight. "Now."

We ran across the yard, leapt the small fence, and raced into the trees. The shadows soon enveloped us, and we slowed to a walk. Hurried movement would be more noticeable from above - and though Kade's red-brown skin and black clothing would make him difficult to spot, my red hair would stand out like a beacon if we got careless and hit sunlight.

There was no sound of pursuit, though it couldn't be that far behind. Who knew how long those creatures had been out there, listening and waiting?

It took just over an hour to make our way around the outskirts of the small town. Eventually, we stopped between several gums trees. I wiped the sweat from my eyes with a slightly trembling hand. Two hours' sleep just wasn't enough.

There was small parking lot on the other side of the road, with five cars sitting in the bays. There weren't any people to be seen. Hopefully, they'd all followed the path to the lookout point and wouldn't be back for a while.

I looked up at Kade. "You sure you want to take a car?"

"I can't see any other way of getting out of here quickly." He flicked sweat away from his forehead with a finger, then added, "Your hair is going to glow out in that sun. I'd offer to give you my shirt, but my skin is likely to draw as much attention as your hair."

I gave him a wry look. "That is such a poor excuse."

He grinned, not bothering to deny it. I pulled off my T-shirt. "You tie it back. I might not catch it all."

His gaze skated down my body and his grin grew. "Gotta love werewolves and their lack of inhibitions."

"That lack of inhibitions has landed me in court often enough already. Let's get this over with before a cop turns up and arrests me."

"Sweetheart, not even the holiest of men would be hurrying at this particular moment."

I rolled my eyes, and he chuckled softly. After covering my hair, he slid his hands around my waist, and pulled me back against his warm, hard body. As his big hands slid up to cover my breasts, he brushed a kiss across my shoulder. "When we are safe, I intend to love you senseless."

I tilted my head back against his shoulder, and his lips met mine. Our kiss was slow and tender and so very, very thorough. Neither of us were breathing very steadily by the time we'd finished.

"A vow I shall hold you to," I found the breath to say. I pulled away and twined his fingers through mine "Now, shall we go car shopping?"

He tugged me out of the shadows. The breeze that played amongst the trees was warmer out in the open, and the road surface hot against my toes. We made our way casually across, walking along the strip of grass between the road and the car park until we came to an old blue ford.

"And natural!), he picks the oldest, most battered of all five."

"This is what they call a classic - over fifty years old and worth a sheer fortune."

I frowned dubiously. "If it's that old, and this ratty, will it run?"

"It got here, didn't it?"

"Yeah, but maybe it's still here because it won't go any farther."

"Trust me, it'll go " He raised my fingers to his lips and kissed them before letting go. "Keep watch."

I crossed my arms, checked the skies for spies, then watched him untwine the coat hanger. After making the hook at the end tighter, he moved to the driver's door and wriggled the hook between the door and the frame. Within a minute or two there came a soft click.

Followed very closely by the rumble of an approaching car.

"Kade," I warned, and glanced over my shoulder. "A cop car. Wouldn't you know it."

"The way our luck has been running, I'm not surprised." He slipped the hanger under the car, then held out a hand, a roguish glint in his eyes. "Come here, wench."

"Planning to hide in plain sight, are we?"

"We retreat now and they'll think it suspicious."

Especially if they happened to notice I wasn't wearing a shirt. I leaned back against the door and he pressed against me, his hands on either side of me, neatly corralling even as he hid my near nakedness.

I wrapped my arms loosely around his neck, felt the tension in his muscular shoulders. The hardness of his erection pressing against my groin. The wolf within stirred swiftly to life, and I just didn't have the strength or desire to restrain her.

I kissed his chin, and slid my hand between us. "Is the car slowing?"

"Yes." Amusement twitched his mouth. "You wouldn't dare."

Obviously, no one had ever told him it was a bad idea to dare a werewolf.

"How many cops?" I asked, sliding a hand down his back to grasp the back of his pants even as I undid his button and pulled down the zip.

"Two." He bent, groaning into my shoulder as I freed him. "Dammit, woman, they'll arrest us."

"Not if they don't see anything." I guided him past the skirt, and into where it was warm and wet and ready. "Press closer."

He did, his body almost crushing mine, making it hard to breathe, and even harder not to respond to his closeness, to the hard and ready feel of him. Especially when he slid deep inside. Horse-shifters really did take after their animal counterparts when it came to the shape and size of their cock, and having him fill me so completely was a truly amazing sensation. Pleasure rippled through me, sharpened by the awareness of danger, the prospect of being caught.

He groaned, his lips brushing my shoulder. "They're almost on us."

"Then you had better not start making any suspicious moves," I said, even as I shifted onto my tippy-toes, sliding up and down his shaft a couple of times.

He was quivering, pulsing, with heat and desire. I raised my head, capturing his lips, kissing him as fiercely as I wanted to fuck him. This was no slow burn of desire. It was all about the heady high of risk-taking combined with combustible, unquenchable lust.

The cop car crawled past and kept on moving. I broke off the kiss.

"Now?" he asked, sweat glistening on his gloriously rich skin.

I didn't answer, delaying the moment, heightening the sense of danger, as the cop car slowly disappeared around the corner.

"Now, Kade. Now."

I'd barely spoken and he was there, ramming himself hard and deep. I groaned, and wrapped my legs around his hips, urging him deeper still, using the car to support my back as he thrust and thrust, until it felt as if the rigid heat of him was trying to spear right through my spine.

There was nothing gentle about this mating. The prospect of discovery meant it had to be fast and furious, and that's exactly what I wanted, exactly what I needed. Pleasure spiraled quickly and my climax hit, the convulsions stealing my breath and tearing a strangled sound from my throat. He came a heartbeat later, his body slamming into mine, the force of it rocking the car behind us.

When the tremors eased, he leaned his sweaty forehead against mine, his breathing harsh, velvet eyes alive with amusement and surprise.

"Good God, that was fantastic."

I grinned. "There's something to be said for lovemaking under the threat of discovery."

"There certainly is." He cupped my cheek with a heated palm, and brushed a kiss across my lips. "I'm so very glad I met you."

"Well, if you hadn't, you'd still be a frustrated old stallion stuck in a stable." I shifted my legs, and let him redress. "Shall we get - " I stopped, looking upward at the brown shape soaring high in the sky. "We're being watched."

He squinted up. "Could be just a bird. Not every winged creature is going to be theirs."

"Do you care to take that chance?"

"No. Get in."

He opened the driver's door, then leaned across the seat and opened the other one. While I climbed in, he did something to the ignition switch. The old car roared to life.

"Which way?" he asked, as he reversed out of the parking spot.

I pointed in the direction the cops had gone.

He raised his eyebrows, amusement crinkling the corners of his eyes. "Care for a secondary bout of danger, do you?"

"Wouldn't mind, but the truth is, that way lies help."

"Ah." He pulled out onto the highway, and the old car began to pick up some speed. He glanced in the rearview mirror, then at me. "So, what happens after we meet your boss and your pack-mate?"

"They'll want a debriefing."

He nodded.

"And they'll undoubtedly want to try and find the place again."

"Meaning we might have to lead them back there?"

I studied him for a minute. "I don't know about the 'we' part."

His brief look was hard, determined. It was totally different to anything I'd glimpsed of him so far, and was a quick reminder that I really did know nothing about this man. Not even if I could trust him.

"Sweetheart, those bastards stole two or three months of my life. I'm not walking away from the investigation until I'm sure whoever's behind that place is made to pay."

"You may not have that choice."

His expression was grim. "No one can force me to do anything I don't want to."

"Jack, my boss, can. He's a vampire, and a strong telepath."

"It won't matter. Horse-shifters can't be mind-read - not by any race."

"Really?" I dropped my own shields and reached out telepathically. I hit a wall as solid as the one that protected my brother's mind. Surprise rippled through me. "How come?"

He shrugged. "It's similar to the mind-blindness often found in humans."

"So how can you be mind-blind, and yet have a psychic talent?"

"You tell me and we'll both know."

I considered him for a moment, then said. "This will be a Directorate investigation, and you're not Directorate personnel."

He shot me a look. "I thought you were just a paper pusher?"

"I am. Mostly."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning this is part of an ongoing investigation that I was forcibly placed upon." I hesitated, not wanting to tell him too much. "They kidnapped Rhoan a few months ago, and that got me involved."

"Then you'll understand when I say this is personal."

I did understand. I just didn't think Jack would. But then again, he'd let Quinn in, and he'd all but roped Liander in. He might surprise again. After all, he was trying to build a new daytime unit - one that he wanted me to play a serious part in.

One that I had no intention of being hijacked into unless there was absolutely no other choice.

And that was looking more and more likely.

I rubbed a hand across my eyes and said, "Let's just concentrate on one problem at a time."

"Agreed. What hotel are we looking for?"

"A place called Blue Haven in Leura." I unwound the shirt and put it back on. "Let's hope we find the town before the owners of this car discover it's been nicked."

"Let's hope we find it before our hunters find us," he corrected grimly.

His words had me looking out the window, up at the skies. I couldn't see any soaring shapes, but that didn't mean they weren't there. Didn't mean we weren't being followed.

We drove on in silence. When we finally reached Leura, Kade slowed to a respectable speed and the old car stopped shaking. We drove along pretty, tree-lined main street, and I couldn't help admiring all the quaint but beautiful buildings. It reminded me somewhat of a postcard, and made me regret meeting here. A place like this didn't deserve an encounter with the sort of darkness that was following us.

I frowned at the thought, and pushed it away. We drove on, eventually finding the cabin resort on the far side of town.

A black van with tinted windows was parked down the end. I pointed toward it, and Kade drove up and parked beside it. We'd barely stopped the engine when the door of the cabin in front of us thrust open and Rhoan spilled out, red hair gleaming like fire in the sunlight.

Grinning like an idiot, my vision blurred with tears, I somehow climbed out of the car and fell into my brother's arms.

"God," he said, his voice as hoarse as his hug was fierce. "I'd thought I'd lost you."

Tears crept down my cheeks. "I'm sorry."

He laughed softly. "Try it again, and I'm going to chain you up and never let you out of the apartment."

Kade came up behind us. I kissed Rhoan's cheek then pulled away. "Rhoan, meet Kade. I wouldn't have escaped if Kade hadn't helped me."

"A situation that was mutual," Kade said dryly, and offered Rhoan his hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

Rhoan gave me a look that said, "bitch," and shook Kade's hand. "Thank you for keeping her safe."

Kade laughed, a warm, rich sound. "Another situation that was entirely mutual. Your pack-mate is an amazing woman."

"Isn't she just." He threw an arm around my shoulder. "Let's get inside before any patrolling bugaboos spot us."

Rhoan motioned Kade forward, but his grip on my shoulder tightened a little, holding me back. "There's something I need to tell - "

I didn't hear the rest of his words. Didn't need to.

Because a second figure had moved into the doorway.

It wasn't Jack.

It was Quinn.

My heart did an odd little flip-flop, and for several seconds all I could do was stare. He hadn't changed any - though given it had only been a month or so since I'd last seen him, that was hardly surprising.

But oh, he looked good.

His body was athletic, lean but powerful. His burgundy sweater emphasized the width of his shoulders, while the tight fit of his jeans drew the eye to the long, strong length of his legs His hair was night dark, longer now than it had been when I'd last seen him, and so thick, so lush It was also unkempt, as if he'd thrust his hands through it many times Those hands were currently in his pockets, and looked clenched His skin was not the white of most vampires, but a soft, warm gold, simply because unlike most vampires, he could actually stand a lot of sunlight. His face.

I swallowed. He was beautiful, truly beautiful, in a way that was anything but effeminate.

His gaze touched mine, eyes obsidian stone, and his expression shuttered Yet something passed between us, an awareness that made my heart stutter and caused goose bumps to tremble warmly across my skin It was an awareness that had been present from the very first time we'd met, and it was stronger now than it had ever been.

Kade suddenly stopped, his gaze swinging from me to Quinn and back again Understanding dawned in his velvet eyes, followed swiftly by bedevilment He took a step back, and twined his fingers through mine.

His obvious intention was to provoke a reaction, and he certainly got it But it wasn't anything dramatic, just an almost imperceptible tightening of expression.

In some ways, Quinn's reaction amused as much as it annoyed The slight shift in expression told me exactly what he was thinking, and it was annoying to realize he was continuing to judge me by human standards Which was crazy, because no one here was human in any way, shape, or form But I couldn't help seeing the funny side of a vampire with over twelve hundred years of living under his belt getting ticked off by such an obviously fake challenge.

But it was an interesting reaction, no matter what emotion it evoked. It suggested that no matter how many statements he made about never getting involved with another werewolf, he wasn't entirely ready to walk away. I mean, if someone like Kade, someone who was just a bit of friendly fun, could draw a response from Mr. Emotionless-face himself, then no matter what Quinn said, part of him still wanted to be in my life.

And I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about that little revelation - if it was indeed true. I mean, I'd tried.

Maybe it was time for him to put in a little effort. Do a little chasing.

"It's nice to see you again, Quinn."

Surprise flickered through his dark eyes. Maybe he'd figured politeness would be beyond my capacity given all the brush-offs he'd accorded me over recent months.

"And it's nice to see you whole and in one piece." His voice was rich with the lilt of Ireland, and far sexier in life than it had been in my dreams. Just listening to it again made me want to sigh in pleasure. "We'd all feared the worst."

The comment warmed places deep inside. Which just proved that no matter what I'd said to Kade earlier about finally walking away from Quinn, there was a part of me that hungered for the relationship to continue. Still, he didn't deserve to get me easily. Not this time.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why were you worried about me?"

It was a somewhat snarky thing to say, but hey, he deserved at least that given all the rejections. And if that was all the attitude he caught, then he could count himself lucky.

"Guys, can we take this mushy little meet and greet inside?" Rhoan said, voice dry. "Just in case there's spies in the air?"

Quinn glanced at Rhoan, then turned around and disappeared inside. I disentangled my fingers from Kade's and looked at my brother. "Gee, thanks for the advance warning."

Rhoan grimaced. "I did try. But even if I had warned you, would it have made the shock of seeing him again any easier?"

No, and he knew it.

"Play the game," Kade said softly. "Trust me. It'll work."

I looked at him, amusement twitching my lips. "And that suggestion isn't more than a little self-serving now, is it?"

He held up his hands, merriment dancing in his dark eyes. "Hey, I am a randy old stallion who has been locked up for four months, remember."

"And has the randy old stallion forgotten we've got bad guys to round up?"

"No. But there's no rule saying you can't combine business with pleasure."

"People," Rhoan said. "We really need to move this inside."

I leaned sideways, and dropped a kiss on my brother's cheek. "If you'd stop gripping my arm so tight, I'd be able to move."

He squeezed a final time then released me. We walked inside. The cabin was small and, with all of us in here, crowded. Jack was sitting at the table down at the far end, the bright glow of the com-screen in front of him casting a bluish light across his weatherworn features and bald head. As bosses went, he was so damn easygoing it was often hard to remember that not only was he the Vice President in charge of the whole guardian division - one of the four main departments in the Directorate - but he was also one of the most powerful vampires I knew.

The other just happened to be Quinn. He'd parked his butt in a nearby armchair, cross-legged and elegant. The only other seats were the two sofas near the TV. Kade and I took one, Rhoan the other.

Jack glanced up, and gave me a toothy grin. "Good to see you alive and well, darlin'."

I smiled. "It's good to be alive and well. Jack, Quinn, this is Kade."

"I know who Kade is," Jack said. "I have his files."

Kade raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

Amusement touched Jack's green eyes. "There's no place the Directorate can't go if we so desire."

"Well, that's a little tidbit kept well away from the general population, isn't it?"

"And with good reason. Why were you in that place?"

"He's one of the shifters they were milking," I said, and added, just a touch impatiently, "I don't suppose you want to share Kade's background with the rest of us?"

"Right now? No. There's more important matters to discuss." Jack's gaze narrowed a little. "What do you mean by 'one of?"

Kade shrugged. "There were nine of us in there. I'm not sure what happened to the others after our break out."

"And they were collecting specimens from you all?"

"Yes."

Jack grunted and glanced at me. "And were they collecting samples from you?"

I shrugged. "It's all very hazy at the moment. All I can really remember is waking up in a small lane beside a dead man."

"The lack of memory coming from the drugs or the accident?"

I shrugged again.

"Probably the accident," Rhoan commented, looking at me critically. "The scar on her head looks as if the wound might have been bad enough to cause memory loss."

"What scar?"

My confusion was evident in my voice. I hadn't noticed a scar when I'd showered in the old house, but then, I'd been in a hurry to get to the kitchen and find some coffee. And I certainly wasn't prone to spending hours in front of a mirror. A quick glance was all that was usually needed unless I was going somewhere special and had to apply makeup.

Kade ran a finger from my temple to the back of my head and said, "That scar, sweetheart."

I frowned. "Is it nasty?" God, the last thing I needed was another scar to worry about. I had enough as it was, thanks to childhood mishaps.

"Your hair covers it, no probs."

"So this place is in a nearby town?" Jack said, in a voice that suggested little tolerance for slight deviances from the topic at hand.

I grinned, more than a little used to his impatience. "This place is a town. And a testing ground. They have mock buildings as well as concrete ones."

"Can you lead us back there?" he asked.

"I can," Kade said, before I could. "Riley was unconscious for some of the journey."

Which was so totally fudging the truth. Jack glanced at me, eyebrow raised imperceptibly. He knew the lie, but for whatever reason, wasn't going to argue it. Maybe he figured he needed a horse-shifter in his new task force. He glanced at the com-screen, said, "Area map," then looked at Kade. "You want to give us a rough location? We'll get some of our people to do a flyover."

Kade strode over and pointed at an area on the screen. "I don't think we can afford to wait for reinforcements. They'd have to realize our escape will put their position in jeopardy. I wouldn't mind betting they're pulling out even as we speak."

Jack glanced up at Kade, then at me. And I saw the question in his eyes, even though the words he said next were completely different.

"Do you think five of us is enough muscle to tackle that place?"

"No," Kade said. "But if you want to catch any of these bastards, then we have to take the risk."

And it was a risk. A huge risk, and everyone in the room knew that, including me. But it was one Jack was contemplating. Had to contemplate, if we were to have any hope of finally getting a proper lead on these maniacs.

I continued to meet his gaze, and mulled over the implications of his unasked question. Of giving him what he wanted - me on this raid, taking yet another step on the road to becoming a guardian - juxtaposed against the promise I'd made on the knoll outside Genoveve. A promise to see this through, to see it finished.

"Riley's not a guardian." Rhoan said. And though he didn't add it, the word "yet" seemed to hang in the air as he continued. "You can't expect to include her on a raid like this. It's too dangerous."

Jack glanced his way briefly. "She has senses and reflexes as sharp as yours. That alone gives her an advantage over most other races."

"A good olfactory sense and sharp reflexes aren't going to mean squat if she gets attacked again."

"I'm not stupid enough to send her in alone."

And still he continued to look at me, waiting for my answer. An answer he knew I had no choice but to give, because I wanted to see this finished as much as he did. After all, these bastards were continually coming after me, not him. That alone would have been reason enough to do this.

Even if it was one more step away from freedom, and the life I'd always dreamed of having.

"I'm in," I said, even as my stomach squirmed at the thought of going back to that place. "And I agree with Kade - we had better hurry."

A pleased smile touched the corners of Jack's mouth, but all he said was, "Rhoan, get Riley kitted out, then take her into the other room to catch some rest. Kade, you can stay here and give me an idea of the layout," He glanced at his watch. "We'll move at five - "

"But that's still two hours away," Kade interrupted. "We need to move ASAP."

"Unfortunately, we're restricted by the fact I'm a vampire. Some daylight I can stand, but not a whole lot."

Kade muttered something under his breath, then nodded. Rhoan cast a somewhat dark look Jack's way, then motioned me to follow him.

My gaze went to Quinn. His face was still very expressionless, and yet I had some sense of what he was feeling. Whether that was due to the link we'd formed between us - a link that was closed, and yet not - or whether it was simply wishful thinking, I have no idea Bur Quinn was no happier than Rhoan about my inclusion on this raid.

Well, tough. He'd lost any right to comment on the direction of my life when he'd turned his back on me that final time.

I followed Rhoan out the door and over to the black van. Overhead, the afternoon sky was clear and blue, and free of any soaring shapes. But the day was unnaturally still, free of the busy chatter of bird life usually found in the thick bush that surrounded the hotel. My gaze skimmed the trees circling the cabins, a prickle of unease running across my skin.

"Do you hear that?" I said, as Rhoan pulled open the van's side door.

"Hear what?" he said, looking at me.

"Exactly what I mean. It's unnaturally quiet."

"We are in the mountains, not the city." Even so, he had a look around and his gaze narrowed a little. "Maybe you'd better get inside while I look about."

"Given the things that have been tracking Kade and me, I think we're better off sticking together."

"Riley - "

"Don't 'Riley' me. You haven't seen the orsini. I have. Trust me, you do not want to come upon those beasties by yourself."

"What the hell are orsini?" He reached inside the van and handed me several small laser guns and a knife. My "kit," presumably.

"Weird-looking bearlike creatures with nasty claws and big teeth."

"Ah. Well, if you survived them, I think I might be able to."

"They wanted me alive, Rhoan." Or at least they had, before I'd actually managed to escape the main compound. "It's probably the only reason the orsini didn't actually kill me when I first escaped the cage."

Though their attempts at recapture, if that's what it had been, had felt bloody deadly.

"And you think those things are the reason for the sudden silence?"

"No. But it just doesn't feel right."

He strapped on his weapons, and slung a laser rifle over his shoulder. "Then let's go a-hunting."

I hesitated, ever so briefly. Rhoan smiled grimly. "Are you sure you're ready to do this?"

He didn't mean hunting orsini or whatever the hell else was out there. I looked down and began strapping on the weapons. "I have no choice."

"There's always a choice, no matter what the situation."

I snorted softly. "Like I had the choice of getting the unapproved fertility treatment? Like I have the choice of how it's going to affect me? Like I have a choice of becoming a guardian if it does affect me?"

"That's different."

"No, it's not." I finished strapping on the knife and one of the lasers. The second laser was a small palm model, and that I held. I had to admit, the press of cold metal against my skin felt oddly comforting. I straightened and met my brother's gaze. "I have to go back to that place and uncover what they were doing. For my own piece of mind, if nothing else."

His gaze searched mine, then he sighed softly. "You are such a stubborn bitch."

"Learned from the best," I said, with a smile.

He shook his head, then closed the van door and padded quietly over to the trees at the end of the cabin. I followed at his back, listening to the wind, to the sounds underneath it - or rather, the lack thereof - as I scanned the trees and the dappled shadows for any sound or sight of the orsini.

Nothing.

No sound, no movement, no misshapen bear things or any other creature, nasty or not. The bush was a strange and silent place, and the sensation that something was wrong continued to scratch at my nerves.

We circled right around the property and all its building, and came to a stop near our starting point. "You'd better go get some rest."

"Rhoan - "

"Riley, you look dead on your feet. Just let me do what I'm paid to do, without arguing for a change."

I blew out a breath, then nodded. Truth was, I did need to sleep, though I very much doubted I'd be able to when in two hours' time I'd be heading back to a place that had snatched eight days of my life away. But that wasn't the reason I couldn't force my feet toward the cabin. It was the silence. The creeping sensation that something was near.

"Why do you think Kade is being allowed on this mission?" I asked instead, my gaze on the nearby trees.

"Because Jack knows his history and has every confidence he can handle it." Rhoan shrugged. "And we need the extra manpower."

"So you haven't seen his file?"

"No. And no, I'm not going to steal it for you. If you want to uncover his history, ask the man."

"I did. He said he was a builder."

"The horse-shifter is as much a builder as I am straight." Amusement twinkled in his grey eyes "Now, stop delaying. Get inside and rest."

I scanned the trees a final time, finding no hint of danger or anything out of place. There was nothing around, nothing to explain the apprehension crawling across my skin.

It was probably just the fear of returning to the testing grounds - or whatever the hell that place was - that was making me so jumpy. After another hesitation, I turned and headed for the room.

I opened the door of the second cabin and stepped inside. The afternoon light swept in behind me, breaking some of the shadows holding the cabin's interior captive and highlighting the big old bed. From the other room came the sound of voices - Quinn's lilting tones and Kade's deeper resonance. Nice sounds to go to sleep by.

I closed the door and walked over to the bed, stripping off weapons and clothes as I did so.

It wasn't until I tugged back the bed covers and began to climb inside that I realized I wasn't alone in the room.

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