Page 69 of Taken by Moonlight

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Saturday nightsat the Bar B Q Ranch were, well, barbecue feasts. Alex had told me that the entire pack ate together once a month and tonight was thenight.

For the occasion, I selected a sleeveless black dress with bright turquoise stripes ringing the bottom. Somber, yet the splash of color made it both formal andsummery.

I pinned my hair up with a tortoiseshell clip, shoved my feet into a pair of turquoise sandals, and went downstairs to join the party. Not that I was in a mood to party. The little fight with Dante had shakenme.

Dante waited for me at the foot of the sweeping staircase. Chinos replaced his jeans, and the long-sleeved black shirt matched my dress, and mymood.

A lightweight jacket dangled from his long fingers. “You should get a sweater. It’s chilly outside,” headvised.

I shrugged. Couldn’t be as cold as I feltinside.

Dante placed his jacket around my shoulders. It smelled like him, all spices and leather and male, but it did not warmme.

“I like you covered in my jacket,” he murmured, his voice dark and smoky. He sounded like pure sex, evoking images of bedrooms and satinsheets.

Gripping the jacket, I finally looked at him. “Are you going to listen to me about yoursister?”

Dante’s jaw tightened. He scrubbed at it with a hand. “I told you, I will take it under advisement. Peyton, this is our world. It’s not perfect, but it’sours.”

He added in a softer tone, “I love my sister. I will not let her risk herlife.”

Maybe that should have made me feel better. It did not. This strange and wonderful and frightening new world of werewolves had opened to me, and I wasn’t certain I felt comfortable withinit.

Dante insisted I was different, but the heart of me remained human, psychic or not. An ability to read auras didn’t changethat.

He framed my face with his hands. “Peyton, forget this afternoon and enjoy thedinner.”

He leaned closer. “They’re cooking pulled pork and chicken. With that honey sauce you love so much at the club. And freshly made garlic bread. So much garlic bread it will keep away thevampires.”

I rolled my eyes. “Everyone knows there’s no such thing asvampires.”

“Oh?” He arched a dark brow, looking thoughtful and teasing. “I suppose I should stop saving bottles of blood for the annual Vampire Ball at Halloween the Councilthrows.”

“Seriously? You attend a real vampire ball?” I swear my eyes nearly buggedout.

“Been avoiding them the past couple of years. Vampire ballssuck.”

I gave a grudging laugh. “Youidiot.”

“I made you laugh. Good.” He kissed megently.

Then he frowned as he looked at my hair. “No. I want your hairdown.”

Before I could lodge a protest, he unfastened the slip and tossed it aside. Something dark smoldered in his gaze as he studied me. “Better.”

“What if I wanted my hair up?” Ichallenged.

Dante wrapped a strand around his finger and gave a gentle tug. “By the end of tonight, youwon’t.”

This wasn’t a battle I chose to fight, so I shrugged it off. Not when there were bigger issues athand.

Hand on his arm, I walked out the back door with him. Beneath a white tent strung with light bulbs, big long tables had been set up. Ten barbecue grills sent curls of delicious-smelling smoke into the air, making my mouth water. Ice chests were on another table, along with a variety of soft drinks, teas and coffee. Paper plates and disposablesilverware.

The barbecue looked like my annual company picnic, except the diners were sharp-fanged shifters. Yet now in human skin, you couldn’t tell them apart from humans. The aroma of smoked meat made several noses twitch, but everyone was polite as they stood in line, plates inhand.

Except when Dante arrived. Then the crowd touched their forehead with two fingers, bowed their heads a briefmoment.