Beneath a Darkening Moon

by Keri Arthur

  She glanced at the clock on the wall. “That only gives me twenty-five minutes.” Which would be more than enough time if she were going straight there, but she intended to detour and collect her gun. She just wished she had silver bullets to go with it. It would be a tidy way to end this whole damn thing.

  "We both know twenty minutes is sufficient time."

  "Cade and René had better be alive when I get there, Jina."

  There was a beat of silence, then, “So you know."

  "Yes. I also know now what Jontee really did. He deserved the death he got."

  "It was Nelle who did that. Nelle who controlled him. He wanted no part of it."

  "Then he should have fought her. He was strong enough."

  "Not that way.” Kel blinked, and the light of awareness seemed to shine briefly in her eyes. Then the blankness returned. “Time's slipping by, ranger. If you are not here by seven, one of them dies."

  She glanced around as the front door opened and almost groaned aloud when she saw the two dark-haired, powerful looking men walking in. Zeke and Tye Sinclair—René's father and oldest brother. Just what she needed right now.

  She motioned them to be quiet and returned her attention to Kel. The reality was, she had enough psychic strength to attack Jina right now, and either freeze her mind or fry it. But it would also hurt Kel in the process and would probably result in both Cade and René being killed by Candy in revenge. Meaning, she really only had one option.

  "I'll be there, Jina."

  "Be sure you are. Candy is extremely hungry."

  Kel blinked before Savannah could reply, awareness and horror surging into her eyes.

  "Oh God, oh God,” she whispered. “I'm sorry. I just couldn't stop—"

  "I know,” Savannah interrupted. “But I need to make sure it can't happen again, which means I need to place a block in your mind."

  "Go right ahead. The thought of that woman in my mind again—” She stopped and shivered. “She's mad, you know."

  Savannah's smile felt tight. “I know.” She raised a hand to Kel's temple. “Close your eyes."

  Kel obeyed. Savannah reached out psychically and gently encased Kel's mind in a shield of power. It wouldn't actually stop a concerted attack, but it would at least break the line of communication between Kel and Jina. Savannah pulled back and took a shuddering breath. She'd never used her telepathy so much, and with such precision, in one night, and an ache was beginning to form behind her eyes. Too much more, and she'd get a blinder of a headache.

  Which would be a small price to pay if she got everyone out of this safe and sound.

  She squeezed Kel's knee again. “Why don't you go get a cup of the good stuff, while I talk to Zeke and Tye?"

  Kel nodded and rose. She was a little shaky, but otherwise, she seemed okay. Savannah turned her attention to the two men. “No, you can't come with me."

  Zeke's expression was mutinous. “This is the safety of my son we're talking about. I will not—"

  "You will, because one of the wolves we're dealing with is insane, and the other suffers from bloodlust. If either of them so much as scents anyone but me, then René and Cade are dead meat."

  "If that's the case, you can't go alone. You won't have a chance."

  "I never said I'd be going alone.” She glanced around as Ronan came up the hall. He shook his head, meaning Candy had indeed escaped. “We'll be accompanied by two IIS officers."

  The news didn't seem to comfort Zeke. “You know from experience that we Sinclairs do not leave pack safety in the hands of others."

  "Then you have the mansion well guarded?"

  He blinked. “There is no need."

  "Really? Neva and Duncan are there. These people are mad enough to attempt to bomb your home just to get my sister and brother-in-law. Protect them if you must protect anyone, and let me and Ronan get these bitches."

  He studied her for a moment, and then he smiled. It was the smile of a hunter acknowledging another. “This is personal, isn't it?"

  "Very. Sinclairs aren't the only pack who believe in protecting their own, and these women have threatened not only my family but the man I love. They will pay, believe me."

  His gaze flicked from her to Ronan, as if to check his reaction to this news. “I'm very glad I never made an enemy of you, Savannah. I think you'd be a very formidable foe."

  "You bet your ass I would,” she said. “Now, if you don't mind, I really have to get going."

  "I'll keep Neva safe, have no fear.” He glanced at his son. “What if Tye stays here? Kelly might appreciate the company."

  She hesitated and then nodded. “Steve's due in at eight, but it wouldn't hurt to have an extra person here. But watch the woman in the cell. She should be out of it for a while, but when she comes to, she might attempt a psychic takeover."

  Tye gave her an almost ferocious smile. “She can certainly try."

  Meaning, she had better not. Savannah nodded, feeling a little better. As much as she trusted Steve, having Tye standing guard made her feel a whole lot easier about the prospect of their prisoner still being here when they returned. She glanced at the clock and fear rose like a demon in the night. She stomped it back down and looked at Ronan. “Let's go get ready."

  * * * *

  Awareness returned in fragmented pieces that seemed to make no sense. Voices in his head, whispering dark words and darker deeds. Harsh laughter and soft music. The roar of an engine and the cold touch of steel. The chill of the night caressing his skin, and the rough feel of bark against his spine. The crackle of flames and the scent of desire.

  It was that awareness more than anything else that had Cade struggling through the layers of blackness encasing his mind. Because what he smelled wasn't the scent of someone who wanted sex. That was a mellower, infinitely sweeter, aroma. What he smelled now was somehow darker, more heated and tense. It was the scent of someone who was after something far more than just sex.

  Bloodlust, rather than plain old lust.

  But Candy was safely locked away, so who was emitting the scent now?

  He forced his eyes open and, for a moment, had to wonder if he was actually awake and alert or still dreaming. Before him stretched a stone-filled clearing that looked an awfully lot like the one they'd found the first victim in. In the middle of the clearing, a huge fire blazed, and around it, a naked woman danced to music he could no longer hear. A second woman, this one fully clothed, stood to one side of the flames, her arms crossed and her pale face glowing with the heat of the fire.

  Anni. Or rather, Jina.

  He glanced back to the dancing woman, but between the darkness and the warm, jumping light of the fire, he couldn't actually tell if it was Candy or her sister, Lonny. But he had a bad feeling it was Candy, and that could only mean something had gone very wrong back at the ranger station.

  Tension cut through him, settling like a weight in his gut. He knew Vannah was more than able to take care of herself under ordinary circumstances, but there was nothing ordinary about these women or their intentions. He was even beginning to wonder if he could survive them, and he'd had far more experience dealing with the lunatics of the world.

  He was standing, his feet untied, which at least gave him some means of defense if they attacked. He shifted slightly, trying to get a feel for how well his arms were tied. Rough bark scraped across his spine. He glanced up. There was no canopy above him, which meant he was tied to a stump. His arms had been pulled back and his wrists roped behind the trunk. He flexed his fingers, more to get the blood flowing back into them than anything else, and then he tried to move his wrists. The rope slid around his skin, burning sharply. He hissed at the pain, and yet he felt a slight sense of elation. They'd tied him tightly, but not tightly enough. He could move his wrists, and if he could do that, then he could escape. All he needed to do was make his hands slippery enough with blood to force them past the rope's tension.

  And the only problem with that was the dancing woman. Or rather, t
he lust he could smell coming off her. The slightest hint of blood could set her off, and he had a horrible suspicion that Anni wouldn't stop her. That was why she was naked—why he was naked. No troublesome clothes to get in the way of a good party.

  But it was a party that wasn't going to happen if he could damn well help it. He wasn't about to lose the future he'd always dreamed of to some woman's insane revenge.

  He looked around and saw René lying on the ground near his left, as naked as he and trussed up tighter than a turkey at Thanksgiving. His eyes were closed and his expression slack, as if he were still out to it. But the blood beginning to stain the ropes, and the slight flexing of his leg and arm muscles told a different story.

  As Cade flexed his arms and moved his wrists, fighting the ropes, he glanced back to the two women. Jina was looking his way, and she gave him a cold smile when his gaze met hers.

  "So, our chief murderer is awake."

  "Jontee deserved the death he got,” he said, hoping that by talking to her he'd keep her from noticing what he and René were attempting to do. “You never saw what your brother did to those people."

  It was a guess, but not much of one. If Jontee did indeed have a sister he'd been in contact with telepathically and Jina was that sister, it at least explained her current actions, though certainly not why it had taken her so long to get around to her vengeance. He, at least, had never been too hard to track down.

  Jina hawked and spat. The globule landed close to his bare toes, glistening softly against the darker stone underneath it. “It wasn't Jontee. It was Nelle."

  "Nelle may have been the main force behind the murders, but it was Jontee performing them."

  Surprise touched her weather-beaten features. “If you knew that, how come you never went after her?"

  "We had no proof, for a start. It was Jontee's prints on the weapon, and Jontee who I stopped from killing the last man. I suspected Nelle, but the suspicions of a raw recruit don't mean much without proof."

  She snorted softly. “Didn't try too hard to look for her afterwards, did you?"

  No, they hadn't. But then, the killings had stopped, they had a suspect they'd caught red-handed, and there was plenty of evidence suggesting he was the only one committing the crime. “We had a warrant out for her arrest. She was never found."

  "Hard to find someone if you ain't actually looking for them,” she sneered.

  "Especially when your brother refused to answer any questions about her."

  She sniffed and looked away. “He had no choice in that."

  "Because Nelle held his mind?"

  "Yes.” She glanced his way again and the maliciousness in her eyes sent a chill running through him. “I watched him die, you know. I was one of the witnesses."

  He had to wonder how, since Jontee's execution had restricted viewing, but he didn't doubt what she said. “I was a witness, too. You could have gotten me there, Jina."

  She sneered again. “It was tempting, but you weren't first on my list and had to wait your time."

  "Then Nelle was?"

  "Yes."

  "And she's dead?"

  "It took me a long time to find her, but yes, she's dead."

  Meaning he'd wasted half his time here searching for a woman who didn't exist. Maybe if he hadn't been so convinced it was Nelle behind the murders, he might have picked up clues sooner.

  "Then how did you recognize Savannah at the club?"

  She snorted. “Saw the stupid bitch leaving her apartment."

  So he and Savannah had both been right—she hadn't been followed, but she'd definitely been spotted.

  "I can understand you snatching me, but why take René? You know he's a Sinclair, don't you?"

  She sniffed. “The Sinclairs don't scare me. Besides, Candy fancied the look of him."

  "If the Sinclairs don't scare you, you're more of a fool than I thought."

  "We'll be long gone by the time his pack finds this place.” She glanced at her watch. “Your girlfriend has ten minutes to get here. Hope she's not late."

  His gut tightened. “What do you mean?"

  Her grin was cold, victorious. Counting her chickens before they were hatched, Cade thought, and worked harder on the ropes.

  "Meaning I left her a little message at the station and told her to be here by seven. If she's not here soon, I'll let Candy loose on René."

  "Please let her be late,” Candy said softly, and whirled to a stop in front of Cade. She ran her finger down his chest, her touch as hot as the heat in her eyes. “I feel the need to rend and tear."

  Her touche drifted down until she touched his cock. She teased him, caressed him, and though he knew his response was automatic and not desire, he still hated it.

  And he'd be damned if he'd put up with it. He lunged forward as far as the ropes would allow, and smashed his forehead against hers. There was a sharp, cracking sound, followed quickly by Candy's yelp. She staggered backwards and touched a hand to her forehead, feeling for damage. And there was plenty. He'd hit hard enough to split her skin—and his, if the warm moisture dribbling down his nose was anything to go by.

  Her fingers came away bloody, and her gaze flew to his. “For this,” she said, holding out her hand for him to see the blood, “you will pay."

  "And I wasn't going to pay before that?” He snorted softly. “I'm not a fool, Candy."

  She studied him for a moment, the light in her eyes becoming more and more feral. Tension stirred through his muscles, but there wasn't a whole lot he could do to stop her should she decide to attack.

  Thankfully, she didn't. She merely smiled and slowly licked the blood from her fingers. “I shall enjoy this,” she said, dropping her gaze to his cock. “And then I shall eat you. Piece by tiny piece."

  "Candy, enough,” Jina said softly.

  Candy sniffed, but she flounced back to the fire. She didn't resume her dancing, though. She simply crossed her arms and regarded him much the same way a hunter might study its next meal.

  Jina glanced at her watch again. “Eight minutes."

  "Why wait?” Candy said, her gaze drifting to René's prone form. She licked her lips, her expression one of feral anticipation. “We intend to kill him anyway, and I want to play."

  Jina looked at Cade. “What do you think, Agent Jones? Shall we let her loose to play?"

  "It doesn't matter a damn what I think you should do,” he said, working furiously on the ropes. Jina had to see what he was doing, but she gave no sign of it. Either she didn't care, or she was sure that even if he did escape the ropes, he'd never escape the two of them.

  Not that he wanted to escape them. Take them down, yeah, but not escape.

  "Come now, play the game. To attack, or not to attack, that is the question."

  "And it's not one worth answering, since you'll damn well do what you want anyway."

  Her smile was cold. “Trust a man to take the fun out of things.” She glanced at Candy and then waved a hand towards René. “My dear, he's all yours."

  Candy smiled, and the changing haze shimmered over her form. Then, in wolf form, she launched herself toward the helpless René.

  And there wasn't one goddamn thing Cade could do to stop it.

  * * * *

  Savannah glanced at her watch as she climbed out of her truck. There were still ten minutes to go, and yet she knew she couldn't afford to place any trust in the fact that Anni would keep her word and not harm either man until seven. She wasn't dealing with a rational mind, despite the “harmless old woman” front Anni had put on over the last six months.

  Tension slipped through her, and she took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. Nothing had happened to Cade yet. They might not have shared a great deal in the way of telepathic thoughts or emotions, but she'd feel it if he were hurt. She loved him, and she'd know.

  She glanced up as thunder rumbled overhead and grabbed her thick jacket off the back seat. Not only was it warm, but it covered the bulletproof jacket Anton had insiste
d she wear. Once she was zipped up, she grabbed her knife belt and clipped it on. Then she tucked her gun in the waistband at the back of her pants, out of sight. Anton had given her one silver bullet to use, and though she'd pointed out that there were actually two women, he'd simply shrugged and suggested she take out the most dangerous of them. It was Trista who'd told her IIS teams were only given two silver bullets per mission, because they were expensive to produce and only to be used as a last resort—and by IIS personnel only. Anton was risking his career just by giving her the bullet.

  None of which made her feel any easier. One silver bullet was one too few when she was facing those women alone.

  She blew out a breath, trying to ease the tension crawling through her limbs. Where the hell had her courage suddenly gone? Or was it natural to be nervous before you stepped into the lion's den? Sure, she'd led the hunt for Betise when the woman had kidnapped Duncan and René, but that was different. She hadn't needed to present herself as a target that time.

  And that was the problem, she realized. Not that she was the target, but the fact that it could all go so very wrong.

  No, she thought sternly. It won't. Have faith.

  She slammed the door shut and headed toward the pitch-black trail. Ronan, Anton and Trista were working their way through the forest, intending to attack downwind and, hopefully, unexpectedly. They had the tracker to guide them, so with any luck, they wouldn't be too far behind her.

  Not that she could afford to rely on luck. She headed through the forest, wasting no time. She didn't want time to think, and she followed the path as quickly as she dared, seeing no point in trying to approach quietly. It wasn't as if they weren't expecting her. The trail became steeper, rockier, as she climbed, and the air was chill with the promise of the oncoming storm. Yet despite that, sweat trickled down her spine. Fear, not exertion.

  Soon the trees began to recede and the stretches of barren ground became longer. She slowed, knowing she was drawing close to the clearing where the first victim had been found. Ahead, light danced, sending flickering shadows of yellow and orange across the clumps of snow hunkering near the remaining trees or behind the shelter of the rocks. Two women stood close to the fire, one wearing clothes, one not. Anni and Candy, having a grand old time by the look of it. Her gaze scooted past them and found Cade. Relief surged through her. Her instincts hadn't been wrong. He might be tied up, but he was alive and appeared unhurt. He was also very naked, and that wasn't a good sign. It meant Anni was very sure of the outcome. Meant she was sure Cade would be doing nothing more than becoming another victim to Candy's mad lust for blood.