e

hard. "Do not speak unless spoken to. Do not look anyone

es

ith pity but with irritation. She smears powder over it with her thumb. It only dulls the color. "The Blood Moon makes wol

clean uniform, my hair pinned back, my ha

rs of blood and power and purity. Crystal glasses and silver plates gleam on fine linen, golden candles flicker, and roses, lilies, and

clasped, and I disappear. I set down drinks, serve th

tronger than anything I have felt, a heat, a stirring in my blood. My wolf is awake and pacing. At the pool she c

ot here. No

back harder. Something is going

el

y. I must have misheard. N

nd my hea

avier. He is walkin

of me, a glass of dark red wine in his hand. His blue eyes find my face, then the bruis

ps the

her it was an accident, and I do not care. I drop to my knees and reach for

st, warm and firm, and drags

his eyes blazing. "Do you want to bl

ns, but noth

leeds? Who cares if a

d

ce. Xavier's eyes flick past my shoulder, toward the far side of the hall, and back agai

loud enough for every

s like

do not break, not until I reach the corridor, press my back against the wall, a

am a slave, n

o, gentle as an apology. And his eyes had gone

for Derek. It was a wall,

ool who wan

ight, cold and sharp and clean, and

el

o you think you are going? You dropped a glass

rry," I

I let it pass. I will not let it happen twice." Her fingers close around

ere, because it is not her grip that hurts. It

Clean yourself up, do your job, and keep you

are still spinning, and the moon is still bright. I clean tables, arrange gla

way. Gwen keeps me. "You stay. You serv

not a

im, because I do not want to see his face or feel his eyes. But I feel them anyway. His gaze follow

crawl towa

it ha

ed, like blood, like fire,

aughing, the dancers stop moving, the m

r head and howls, and for the fi

od Moon