Keri Arthur - Circle of Desire

Everything about this damn case seemed to be a long shot. Including finding Janie alive. He scrubbed a hand across his jaw. He couldn't think like that. He had to find her. Anything else was simply unacceptable. "The lab boys find anything unusual when examining the second kid?"

Mark frowned. "Maybe. They found some dirt under a couple of his fingernails."

"Most kids have dirt under their fingernails."

"Yeah, but this stuff was slightly phosphorous. It didn't come from that warehouse in Springfield, that's for sure."

It was a clue. Maybe their first. "They trying to place it?"

"It's going to be a long task, so don't expect miracles."

He didn't expect miracles. He only expected answers.

"Nothing else?"

"The kid's clothing and shoes were still damp. He'd been immersed in water a couple of hours before his death."

"No telling whether it was bath, river or sea I suppose?"

"It wasn't sea water, but that's the only thing they are sure of."

Another possible clue that led them nowhere. He glanced at Benton. "What about the old man? Any clues there?"

"No — " A shrill ring interrupted him. The captain swore and dug his cell phone out of his pocket. "Benton here."

It was bad news. That was obvious from the captain's expression. After listening for a few minutes, Benton said, "Where?"

He scrawled down an address then hung up. "Another kid's gone missing," he said grimly. "And this time, the mother was killed in the process."

"I'm coming with you."

Ethan's response was almost automatic. There was nothing he could do that Mark and Benton couldn't, beyond finding scents. And this thing left as little in odours as it did clues.

But it was better than standing here. Better than wondering if the soul sucker would follow the pattern it had set so far. Wondering if, in three days' time, they'd find Janie's body, sucked dry or mutilated.

Benton stabbed a finger his way. "You take one step toward that house, and your ass is in the nearest jail cell."

"Captain — " "I'm serious, Morgan. Keep your nose clear." Benton glanced at Mark. "Let's go."

Ethan looked at his partner, and Mark nodded at the unspoken request. The two men walked out the door. For several minutes, Ethan stood there, weighing his need to follow them against the wisdom of staying put for the moment. He swore and locked the door then headed into Gwen's cabin.

Gwen was at the small table, staring into her crystal ball.

He sat beside Kat on the sofa and gently touched her neck. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired. Sore." She shrugged. "It's to be expected."

At least most of the bruising and swelling had gone down. Those herbs were definitely miraculous — either that, or Kat had supernatural self-healing abilities, which he'd seen in werewolves, but never before in a human.

"Where's your boss headed?" she continued.

"Another kid has gone missing."

Her hand caressed his and squeezed gently. "We'll find her. Before the three days are up, we'll find her."

His smile was grim. "I wish I shared your certainty."

Wished he could share it with Luke. But he'd learned the hard way that some promises were never meant to be, and he wasn't about to inflict false hope on his brother. Not when they both knew the reality.

She touched his face, forcing him to meet her gaze.

"Believe it," she said softly, "because it's the truth."

He stared deep into the green depths of her eyes and for a moment was totally convinced. Then his gaze flicked down to her lips, and before he knew it he was kissing her. Urgently. Hungrily. She responded in kind, her fingers so warm against his cheeks it felt like she was branding his soul with her touch. He released himself to the simple pleasure of being close to her. Of kissing her without caressing her, of feeling the closeness of her body, smelling the sweet aroma of heated desire that was both his and hers.

"Wow," she murmured at last, her pupils dilated and body trembling.

"Wow, indeed." He leaned his forehead against hers for a second and wondered what the hell was going on. He'd never felt anything like this before, not even during the moon fever.

Maybe it was just this case — and the stress of Janie's disappearance — coming out in the most natural form for a werewolf. Especially with the moon rising. Yet he had a sneaking suspicion the answer was not so simple. And that was something he had no intention of exploring. Not now. Not ever.

He rose and walked over to the window. He felt the flash of her confusion and anger, and thrust his hands into his pockets. "How long is your grandmother likely to be scrying?"

"However long it takes." Kat's voice was calm, despite the turmoil he could feel within her.

He frowned, wondering why he was catching her emotions so clearly. While that particular gift ran in his family, it was never one in which he'd shown any ability.

"If another kid has gone missing, why didn't she see it?"

She shrugged, something he felt rather than saw.

"Scrying is not a perfect science. It shows some possibilities, not all of them."

"Has this Seline of yours come up with any answers about the soul sucker?"

"No, but it's obviously an extremely ancient spirit we're chasing, which means the Circle have to go through all the old texts that have not yet been transcribed to computer. It takes time."

"Time we haven't got."

"I know that. Gran knows that. Even Seline knows that."

She hesitated and he tensed, knowing her question even before she asked, "Why do you keep running, Ethan?

What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not running. I'm not doing anything more than simply enjoying a moment."

"And that's all we are? A moment?"

He closed his eyes. "Yes."

"Are you sure of that?"

"Yes."

The swirl of emotions that had surrounded him died abruptly. It was as if some door he couldn't see had slammed shut. The sudden stillness felt cold. Lonely.

"You're wrong, you know." Her voice was soft, detached.

With the emotive eddy locked down, he couldn't read what she was feeling, but in many respects, he didn't need to.

"No, I'm not." Because he'd given his heart long ago, and there was nothing left to him now but moments. "I warned you before we started this that I wanted nothing more than a good time. Nothing we share is going to change my mind."

No matter how good it felt. No matter how right.

She shifted, her movements full of controlled anger. If he had any sense, he'd walk away now, before this got messy. But he couldn't. He needed these two to find Janie.

They were his best hope, he was sure of that. And he couldn't deny his need for Kat. The moon's spell was far from over, but he had no desire to find another partner right now. He wanted her. Only her.

"So, who is the woman who captured your heart and left you unable to love?"

Surprise rippled through him. Had she read his mind, or did she know a lot more about werewolf lore than he'd presumed? "It doesn't really matter, does it?"

"It does to me, especially if she's still around."

"I didn't lie to you, Kat." His voice was grim as he stared out into the star-bright night and tried not to remember.

But pain rose regardless. The pain of betrayal. Hurt. "And she's definitely not still around."

"Did she die?"

He snorted softly. "No." She was living in Denver with her very normal husband and three kids, and probably didn't even remember the lives she'd destroyed when they were both still teenagers.

"Then why — " Gwen groaned, and he'd never been so grateful for an interruption in his life. He didn't want to relive that moment of his past, not even briefly. Whoever it was that said time heals all wounds was wrong. Time only made them more unforgivable.