Keri Arthur - Circle of Desire

"And made love?"

She tossed him his boots and looked away again, but not before he'd seen the sheen of tears in her eyes. What in hell had he done?

"Now that the moon fever has abated — " "It hasn't," he said sharply. "And it won't now. Not until the change comes."

Her eyes widened a little, glimmering brightly in the light. "Can you control it? We need to get back to the cavern. The soul sucker thinks we're dead, and this may be our best chance to grab those kids."

"I'll control it." He covered the distance separating them in two steps and placed a finger under her chin, turning her gaze back to his. "What happened? Did I hurt you?"

God, he hoped not, but with the heat of the moon burning through his veins, anything was possible.

Her smile seemed forced. "No, you didn't hurt me."

He frowned. She was still lying, and he wasn't sure why.

"Then what happened? Why are you so upset?"

"It's been a long few days, and I haven't had much sleep.

I tend to get emotional at the stupidest of things when I'm tired. Don't worry about it." She pulled her chin from his grip and rose. "We have to move."

His frown deepened. "If you're tired it might be better — "No."

Her eyes flashed with annoyance and something else.

Something that looked a lot like desperation. It was an emotion that made no sense, though maybe it would if he could just remember what had happened between them.

"We have the advantage right now," she continued. "And we have to use it to get those kids back. How good is your sense of direction?"

"Very." And she was right about getting the kids back.

The nagging sense that he'd stepped beyond some self-

imposed boundary could wait until Janie was safe and in his brother's arms once again. He grabbed the pack out of Kat's hands and slung it over his shoulders. "Let's go."

He pushed through the undergrowth, forcing a path where there was none, taking the most direct route back to the cavern. She walked behind him, a silent shadow he was all too aware of.

The totality of that awareness worried him. That he'd be sexually aware of her was natural, given he was a wolf and the moon bloomed almost full. But this went far deeper. He could feel her scent in his pores, feel every breath she took. Her emotions not only swam around him but through him, so that her unhappiness became his. It made him want to turn around, pull her into his arms and simply hold her until all the hurt faded away. Which was something she neither needed nor wanted.

But it was more than just that. He had a feeling he only had to reach out with his thoughts and he would touch hers. Completely. It was almost as if they had become two parts of a whole.

No, he thought. It isn't possible . He cast a troubled glance skyward. Even though dawn had passed by several hours ago and the moon had long faded from the sky, he could feel its presence. Feel its power. The full moon broke tonight, which meant the night just past had been the night of promises. A night when the power of the moon could be raised to bind. A time when soul mates promised eternity.

Kat wasn't his soul mate. He couldn't have performed that ceremony.

But what if he had?

What if, through some vicious quirk of fate, the damn spell had worked?

If it had, he'd bound them together. Heart. Soul. Body.

For as long as they both lived. And while the thought sent an odd thrum of excitement through his veins, she deserved far more than just his lustful visits during the bloom of the moon. Deserved more than just his caring.

The spell couldn't have worked. It took love to initiate that spell. Love to complete it.

He didn't love her. Couldn't love her. Because of Jacinta.

He scrubbed a hand across his jaw and wished his memory would return. But that didn't always happen when the moon fever burned high. He could ask her, but he had a feeling honesty wasn't high on her list of priorities right now.

The slope steepened and his muscles began to burn with effort. Sweat trickled down his back, and he thrust up his sleeves, needing to get some cool air circulating across his skin. The tang of Kat's sweat flamed the sparks of desire, but her breathing was short and sharp, and that concerned him. She needed a break, needed time to recoup her strength. The thought brought a grim smile to his lips.

He'd probably been responsible for sapping a fair amount of her energy during the night. And if he was honest, given half the chance he'd probably waste a whole lot more. But while he wanted her, it wasn't the urgency of the moon thrumming through his veins right now. It was something far more powerful. Something he didn't dare put a name to.

He scanned the trees ahead, listening intently. Above the noise they were making came the sound of trickling water. He angled that way, and they quickly came out on a clearing.

"We'll take a breather here," he said, squatting near the stream.

She dropped down beside him, her shoulder brushing his and sending a flash of desire to his groin. He had a sudden feeling he would always want her, moon or no moon.

But that surely wasn't love.

And it certainly wasn't what he'd felt for Jacinta.

The thought made him frown. Why, after all these years of certainty, was he questioning what he'd felt for her? He scooped up some water, rinsing his mouth before drinking. He swept his gaze around the clearing again then glanced skyward. "We're only about ten minutes away."

"Yes."

She cupped some water in her hands, sucking at it almost greedily. There were shadows under her eyes, tiredness even in the way she held her mouth, and guilt swirled through him. He looked away, wishing, and not for the first time in his life, that he'd been born human rather than wolf. Maybe then she wouldn't have shadows under her eyes, and he could be free to love her.

"Have you got a cell phone on you?"

His voice was curt, and she frowned as she reached into her pocket.

"Why?" she asked, offering him the phone.

"To call my brother. He'll want to be there when we hand over the kids."

She nodded. He dialled Luke's number and quickly told his brother what was going on. While he couldn't yet give Luke a location to meet them, he did give him Mark's number, knowing his partner would pass the information on regardless of what Benton might say.

He hung up then offered the phone back to Kat, but she didn't react. Water dribbled down her chin as she stared ahead. Her eyes were distant and unfocused.

"The soul sucker hungers." Her voice was as remote as her gaze. "She's chosen her next victim — a hermit who lives near the beach."

He swore softly, and she blinked. Wariness filled her green eyes again as she looked at him. "We have a choice."

"We have no choice," he ground out. "It's the lives of two little girls weighed against that of an old man."

"We could split up."

"You can't fight that thing alone, and you certainly can't send your grandmother to fight it alone. And I might not be able to handle what waits in the cavern."

"I agree." She studied him for a minute, then rose. "Let's go."

He rose with her, but grabbed her arm and pulled her into his embrace.

"What are you doing?" Her question came out little more than a breathy whisper that stirred through his soul.

"This." He captured her lips with his own. Kissed her long and passionately. When he finally pulled away they were both breathing as hard as they had walking up that damn mountain.

She studied him, her lips kiss swollen, nipples straining against the softness of her sweater. But all she said was, "Why?"

He entwined his fingers through hers. "In case I don't get a chance to do it again later," he said and led her toward the cavern and the things that waited.