Page 45 of Taken by Moonlight

“Not anymore. He’s here. I scented him.” Dante growled. “I could pinpoint that son of a bitch one hundred miles away, he smells sobad.”

True. But this had nothing to do with me. “I have to get home. This isn’t aboutme.”

All four shifters narrowed their eyes. Claws erupted from their hands, and I gulped down abreath.

“Really, it’s not. Soon as the Browns get the wire transfer of the money I owe, all will be fine.” Maybe reassuring them wouldhelp.

The claws retracted, but I had the sense that the aggression wasn’t aimed at me, but for me. A protectivegesture.

“They want you, Peyton. They don’t give a damn about the money. They’ve been wanting you. The money was only to force you into their bed and when that didn’t work out, they decided to come after you.” Dantescowled.

“We can get the car pulled out back, if they’re waiting out front.” Alex turned to me. “It’s the safest way to smuggle youout.”

Smuggle me out? Fear snaked through me. Deep inside, I wondered why Earl Brown cared so much about me when he could afford to buy human women for all the sex hewanted.

“Guess it’s time to arm myself. I don’t have claws, but a knife will suit me.” I went to the counter, selected one of the largest sous chefknives.

As I waved the knife, all four shifterssnorted.

“With that bitty thing?” Guy shook his head. “Girl, you’ll be in their truck and headed to their territory before you can even get close with that. And once you’re on their land, there’s little we can do without having an all-out packwar.”

“Even if you got close enough to hurt them, it wouldn’t do much damage. Not when a shifter is cranked up and ready to fight. Not with those knives. They’respecial.”

As he spoke, Gabriel took the knife from my hand and sliced his skin. I criedout.

And stared in shock and growing dismay. Nothing had happened. It was as if Gabriel had tried to cut himself withcotton.

“I know you are a tough guy, but…” my voice trailedoff.

“They’re special blades, designed only to cut animal flesh, warded with magick to prevent a shifter from using them against another shifter. A special precaution I took with the kitchen,” Dante saidgrimly.

One he took? Why was Dante the one ordering kitchen knives for the CrossroadsClub?

But I had no time to puzzle over that revelation because Gabriel tossed the blade aside and wrapped his fingers around mywrist.

“Come on, Peyton. Let’s get you out of here. You’re too vulnerableinside.”

The part of me that hated feeling vulnerable wanted to protest, but the logical part of me that knew that shifters with fangs and claws could easily overpower human fleshagreed.

I wasn’t stupid. Prideful, yes. But notstupid.

“My truck is out front. If you give me a ride to it, I can get in and be gone before they notice me,” I told Gabriel as he flanked one side of me and Alex theother.

“We’ll see about that,” Dante said behindme.

Alex opened the back door. Blood drained from Gabriel’s face. Fisting his hands, he growledlow.

Suddenly he shifted into wolf. I barely had time to breathe, or even react, and a muscled gray timber wolf snarled into the night. Damn it was so fast. I’d seen werewolves before, but never witnessed an actualshift.

The human part of me quiveredinside.

“Alex!” Dante’s voice carried command. “Watch Peyton. Guy, come withme.”

Still in wolf form, Gabriel raced off as Alex guarded my left side. A sleek black stretch limo pulled up around the side. But the Dumpster and several barrels prevented it from getting too close. The containers formed a sort of alleyway, leading to the parkinglot.

“We’re going to run for it,” Alexmuttered.

“Where’s Gabriel andDante?”