Page 9 of A Clash of Moonlight

“New owner, new rules,” the vampire said. “Boss expects a crowd tonight, so we’re under orders to be selective of who we allow in. You don’t pass muster.”

“Are you kidding?” Jennifer asked. “We always pass muster, and we—”

“You two can enter.” The bouncer indicated Jennifer and Tasha.

“New owner?” Nora’s voice would have made a human stumble out apologies, but the vampire just stared at her.

Jennifer looked uncertain. Nora was welcomed everywhere. She was the reason Jennifer and Tasha were able to get into exclusive clubs. Nobody denied her anything.

“Nora comes here just as much as we do,” Jennifer said.

The bouncer unhooked the rope. “You two want in or not?”

Nora’s friends looked at her.

“Go ahead,” she said.

“Are you s—”

“Go.”

Jennifer and Tasha gave her apologetic looks but did what she said. She didn’t blame them. Her rejection wasn’t their fault. Neither was the fact that Nora was stuck following her father’s choreography. They deserved this night to party. Besides, Nora felt bloodthirsty tonight. Killing the vampire would be a violation of the unstable peace between Arcuro’s descendants and her pack, but as long as she was out of sight of the humans, she could break every bone in his body, let them heal, then break them again.

“Alley,” she growled.

“I’ve been instructed not to touch you.”

“You couldn’t even if you tried.” Accept the challenge, she thought. She needed an excuse to bash his face in.

He gave her a sinister smile, then reached inside the back pocket of his slacks. He held out a business card. “Call the boss. Maybe he’ll change his mind.”

She stared at the small white rectangle and glared at the looping letters that spelled out Swirl and the more rigid, blocky font of Jared’s name and number. The bastard wanted her to ask permission to enter the bar. He wanted her to submit to his authority. No fucking way.

She spun, and her heels made sharp clacks across the sidewalk as she headed to the back of the building. Nearby vampires would be able to sense her, and she was certain the bouncer was watching her walk away. If they wanted to stop her, they would have to intercept her in the alley.

Her body thrummed as she entered the dark passageway. She knew her eyes were glowing, her aura flaring. She ached to let her wolf free, but there was no one to attack yet. Plus, if she shifted, she would have to remain in animal form unless she wanted to return to her car naked. She didn’t, so she held in the urge. She could damage these assholes as a human.

The door to the furniture store had been repaired. She ignored the throb that pulsed through her at the sight. The sex had been good—great even—but she never would have hooked up with the vampire if she’d known who he was. If her pack found out, they wouldn’t brush it off. They would see it as a personal attack against their alpha.

And maybe it was personal. Jared had known who she was, and yet he’d still broken into the furniture store and escorted her inside.

She tried the handle on the door to Swirl. When it didn’t turn, she punched above the lock just like Jared had two weeks ago, splintering the wood.

She yanked it open. The scent of humans and wine and vampire welcomed her in. There were at least three of the latter. None of them smelled like Jared.

Music and conversation vibrated through the air. She left the hall and stepped into the main room, scanning for her friends. They had two tables in a corner. Jennifer and Tasha had found the others. They already had drinks in their hands and were laughing and talking and having a great time.

Nora drew in a breath and let out the tension in her body. She had to keep it together in front of the humans. No one was drunk enough to dismiss glowing eyes. She needed a minute to calm her wolf. And she needed a drink.

She bypassed her friends and strode straight to the bar. The pretty bartender didn’t glance her way. Instead, she took her time serving the man in front of her, who was completely enraptured by her demure smile.

Nora scanned the wooden shelves on the wall behind the bar. Overhead lighting brightened the bottles of wine, which were lined up in perfectly straight rows. A rolling ladder provided access to the more expensive bottles on the top shelf, and it gave the place a sophisticated feel. A single shelf in the middle of the wall held a selection of harder liquid, and below that, pristine wineglasses hung ready to use.

More glasses waited on the counter in front of Nora. A full minute passed and the vampire bartender still didn’t acknowledge her existence.

Fine.

Nora placed a single finger on the wineglass in front of her and tipped it off the bar.