Circle Of Fire

'Maddie, we have no idea who will be in the cabin with the kids. It's safer if you stay here.'

His voice held a barely controlled edge of impatience. She ignored it and shook her head. 'You can't handle both Hank and Eleanor alone.'

'You only saw Hank last night.'

Last night seemed little more than a bad dream. Suddenly weary, she pushed her hair back from her face. 'Eleanor has had plenty of time to get there, you know.'

'I know.'

His answer seemed ground out between clenched teeth, as if he didn't like to be reminded of it. She glanced across at him. Dark stubble lined his cheek, and tiny crows' feet edged the corners of his eyes.

He looked tired. And worried.

'They've had plenty of time to arrange a trap.'

'They don't know we're coming,' he replied reasonably.

Too reasonably. Tension surrounded him, edged with anger.

'After last night, they'd suspect the worst. They'd plan ahead.' She watched his fingers flex against the steering wheel and knew she was sitting next to a volcano ready to explode.

How often did he come this close to losing control of his emotions? Last night she'd thought he'd been just as surprised by the passion of their kiss as she, but now that she'd had a chance to think about it, maybe he was more surprised over the fact that he had lost control.

I need you,he said. The words made her heart tremble, even now. She had a feeling that he rarely admitted to needing anything—or anyone—even for something as basic as sex.

They passed a road sign, and she glanced down at the map to check their position. Her stomach tightened. They were close.

'We're almost there.' She glanced at him. There was no mistaking the worry she saw in his blue eyes this time. Her heart did an uneven little jig.

'I can't let you go in alone,' she continued, and glanced out the side window. 'And I won't run, no matter what you do or say.'

'And I can't let you endanger yourself needlessly.'

She met his gaze and steeled her heart against the brief flash of emotion she saw deep in the bright depths of his eyes.

'What are you going to do—hit me? Knock me unconscious, too?'

'Don't be damn ridiculous. You know I could never do anything like that to you.'

'I know nothing of the sort. We're partners, nothing more. Remember?' She paused and watched the chill steal through his eyes. 'You have no right to stop me from doing this.' No right to act as if you care, when we both know you don't.

He didn't reply. She returned her gaze to the side window and watched the scenery grow ever familiar.

Her fingers clenched, crushing the map. This was it. This was the area. Her dream had been true.

'Slow down,' she whispered, her throat dry with fear.

He did, pulling off the road slightly. After a few minutes a letterbox came into view. Malkin cabin was painted on the side in big bold letters. Jon stopped the truck.

'How far up the road is the cabin?' he said, leaning his forearms against the wheel.

She studied the muddy track. It showed no sign of recent disturbance. Hank was still up there, then. She swallowed. 'A fair way up. It was a bit hard to tell.'

He nodded. 'Any place to hide the truck before we get there?'

She sifted through the images in her mind. 'There's a pine grove about halfway up.'

'Good. That's where we'll park.'

He switched to four-wheel drive, then drove forward. The truck pitched and jerked, almost tossing them into the line of trees crowding the edges of the track. She held onto her seat and hoped they didn't meet Hank or Eleanor coming back down the mountain. There was no room to maneuver, no room to turn and run on such a narrow road.

They reached the beginnings of the pine grove. Jon drove the truck in deep, until there was nothing to see but the greyish-brown trunks of the pines, then stopped.

She undid her seat belt and reached for the door handle. He touched her thigh. Warmth leapt through her leg, through her soul. She licked her lips nervously but didn't move.

'Maddie, stay here. Please.'

Her gaze met his. Something shivered deep inside her. 'I can't,' she whispered. I don't want anyone else to die because of me. 'Evan's my nephew, and my responsibility.' She hesitated, then added, 'I can look after myself.'

'If that's what you want, fine,' he muttered and let her go.

She climbed out of the truck. The wind shivered through the trees, its touch like ice as it whispered around her. She hastily zipped up her coat and shoved her hands into the pockets. Should have bought gloves, she thought. Jon spent several minutes at the back of the truck, then walked up behind her.

'Stay behind me,' he said shortly. 'And if I say run, you run. Right?'

Running was the one thing she was very good at—and something she'd sworn to stop doing. She stared at the bleakness in his eyes, then nodded wearily.

'Good. Follow me quickly, but quietly.'

The ground was a thick carpet of needles, and the silence through the trees absolute. She kept close to his heels, not wanting to lose him in the dusky green light that filtered through the pines.

The ground became steeper, rockier. Moisture dripped slowly from the branches above, splattering around them. She glanced at the green twilight above them and hoped it wasn't raining. Her foot slipped out from underneath her, and she came down hard on one knee. She hissed in pain and blinked back tears.

'You okay?'

She glanced up. He was standing on top of a small ridge, no emotion in his expression. Though his hands, shoved deep into his jacket pockets, looked clenched.

'Yes,' she muttered, and knew the answer would have been the same even if she'd broken her leg.

'Then get up. We haven't much time to play with.'

He was back to being a bastard. She pushed upright. Her knee protested vehemently, and she bit her lip. I don't need your help she'd said in the truck only moments before. And she'd be damned before she'd ask for it so soon.

Limping slightly, she followed him up the hill. He stopped when they reached a ridge and silently pointed downwards. A small valley was visible through the pines below them. The cabin lay nestled in the middle of the clearing, smoke drifting lazily from the chimney.

Her stomach clenched. They were so close to rescuing Evan. 'Wonder if Hank's still there?' she said softly.

'Hard to tell. I can't see any cars, but they might be parked around the back.'

'What's the plan, then?'

He gave her a hard-edged look. 'You stay here while I look around and see if it's safe.'

'I thought we'd already argued about this? I won't be left behind.'

'Maddie, be sensible.' He touched her cheek, his hand warm against her cold skin. 'I'm a shapeshifter—and I have the senses of a hawk. I'll call you down once I know it's safe. Just trust me, and wait.'

As much as she hated to admit it, what he said made sense. Hank was down there. She was positive of that much. And despite her brave words, it was an inescapable fact that she'd rather face an army of Eleanors than one Hank. Which was odd, considering Jon thought Eleanor to be the more dangerous of the two. She swallowed heavily and nodded.

His hand lingered a moment longer, his gaze dark with some indefinable emotion. 'Here, take this for me.' He tugged the ring off his finger and pressed it into her palm. 'It's my father's, and I don't want to risk losing it.'

A shiver of alarm ran through her. She frowned and glanced down at the ring. 'Why would you lose it?'

'It's made of silver and won't shift shape with me.' He stepped away, and his eyes became hard again.

'I'll be back in a moment,' he continued, and turned, making his way down through the trees.