A horrible crunching noise had me veering backward. Aric stood with a large chunk of the granite table in his arms. The menace of a thousand barbarians marched across his face, hardening his features. He snarled once and tossed the massive hunk of rock. It landed with a loud bang at Misha’s feet.

My eyes bulged with alarm. Misha flashed him a sinister smile and tightened his grip around me. For a moment, no one so much as breathed. Silence spread through the entire ballroom. Those in attendance waited to see who would strike first: the vampire or the wolf.

Makawee, the Omega wolf of the pack Elders, wouldn’t allow it. She stepped toward Aric and smiled, releasing the calming energy of her magic. It stroked against me as soothingly as a mother’s touch. “Perhaps we should all take our seats now,” she said quietly. “Destiny can tell us her predictions later.”

The crowd before us dispersed and took their seats. And although Aric had been the one to cause the outburst, I was the one many of the weres glowered at. “What predictions?” I asked Misha in an attempt to ignore them.

Misha’s voice grew dangerously quiet and his eyes fierce. He was angered by the negative attention the weres had slapped me with. “Destiny can also foresee the future.” His vampires gathered around us and bared their fangs at those who continued to glare at me. Misha’s hand found my lower back. “Perhaps it’s best you stay close to me tonight.”

My tigress eyes replaced my own. She appreciated dirty looks and underlying threats about as much as I did. “It’s okay, Misha. I’ll be fine. I’m not afraid of these idiots.” I responded loud enough for the furries to hear me. “Besides, I want to spend time with my family.”

Misha gave me a slow nod. “Very well, but do not hesitate to find me if you continue to feel . . . unwelcome.”

“Thanks, Misha.”

He kissed my forehead, earning me yet another growl from Aric.

CHAPTER 17

Since the vampires had dined previously, they mostly danced, socialized, and made out. Makawee had been kind enough to seat me with my sisters and friends. It helped to have them close, seeing as Aric continued to glower at me all through the main course. Cranky inner beast or not, I was ready to smack him upside the head. I should have been the angry one. Those sluts repeatedly fondled him and kissed his cheeks. And while they sat a few tables down from us, I heard everything they said to him loud and oh so clear.

“Oh, Aric,” one of them cooed. “You smell sooo good.”

I threw the knife I’d been holding on my lap onto the table. My jealousy and fury had allowed me to easily bend it into a circle. Still, it did little to suppress my need to kill something. Bren tried to ease my temper. He nuzzled my neck, imitating the tramp’s lusty voice. “Oh, Celia, Celia . . . You smell sooo good, baby. May I straddle you like the whore I am?”

We all thought it was funny. Aric didn’t. He growled yet again.

“Where would you like me to touch you?” The other were purred at him.

My claws whipped out like deadly blades. I shoved them under the table before I attacked her. The wood slivered and cracked as my hands raked back and forth against the dense mahogany, leaving gouges deep enough to poke my fingers through.

Taran didn’t hear the were’s comment. Shayna did and told her what she’d said. Taran smiled gleefully and rose, tossing her napkin on the table. “Excuse me. I’ll be right back.”

Gemini chased after her, his voice panicked. “Sweetheart, where are you going?”

Taran sashayed her way to Aric and his groupies. Gemini was at her heels begging her to return to the table. Taran ignored him and whispered something to Aric so low, none of us heard it. Whatever it was must have been a doozy. Aric’s eyes shot open. He grabbed the weres as they launched themselves at Taran while Gemini hauled her back to our table.

Shayna sat at the edge of her seat, bouncing with excitement. “Dude! What did you say?”

Taran flicked her hair back when Gemini released her, seemingly pleased with herself. “I merely said if they needed pointers they should talk to Celia. She knows exactly where to touch Aric.”

A slow grin spread across my face. Aric didn’t growl that time.

By the time dessert passed, Aric’s bimbettes halted just short of having sex with him. He remained unaffected by them, sitting still as stone watching me. But just because he failed to respond to their advances didn’t mean I enjoyed the show. I finally had enough and, as petty as it was, I decided to get some revenge. Music by Flo Rida provided me with the perfect opportunity. “Let’s go dance,” I said to my sisters.

They followed me without thinking twice. I tapped into the smooth, silky movements of my inner cat and went wild. Taran didn’t miss a beat and joined me, matching my provocative moves with a few of her own. The last time I’d danced that way it had been for Aric, and only Aric, alone in our room. Just before he tackled me to the floor.

Taran dazzled me with one of her more evil grins, encouraging me to be more daring. “Come on, Ceel. Is that the best you got?” My competitive streak took over and so did hers; we kept trying to outdo the other. I lowered my lids and imagined Aric watching me from our bed. My hips rocked and my body swerved in long, sensual, snakelike movements to the beat of the music, teasing the Aric in my mind with my form. When I opened my eyes, the crowd of weres that had glared met me with impish smiles and steamy glances. I ignored them. They didn’t matter. Only Aric did.

Shayna and Emme didn’t last long, their wolves whisking them away for a little alone time after the first song. I fought back a laugh when I caught Gemini’s face. The poor guy practically drooled watching Taran. A bunch of weres had snuck their way to her. He robotically shoved them out of the way to reach her.

Taran gave him a look that could only be described as a promise for a long night. “Hi, baby,” she whispered. “Do you like what you see?” His growl and grab told me yes. They disappeared along the crowd.

The moment the second song ended, I left the floor, grateful for the exaggerated cat walk my tigress gifted me with. I had more than made my point, but still needed to add a cherry to my seduction sundae. I sauntered past where Aric continued to sit with his gal pals, tossing my hair alluringly so he caught a strong whiff of my scent. Judging by his familiar moan of longing, I still had the goods to stimulate his beast. I continued forward, passing a few more tables until the surfer guy stepped in front of me, blocking my way.