Maybe they'd even added a bit of romance potion to the air, because Kylie felt it. Suddenly, she wanted to be out on the dance floor, too. She wanted to feel Lucus's hands on her waist while she rested her cheek on his shoulder.

She glanced at Lucas, leaned in, and asked, "Do you want to dance?"

He made a funny face as if she'd asked him to stand on his head or something. "I ... no. Sorry."

"I guess that might upset the guards too much, huh?" She looked over at the pack of weres watching them.

"It's not that." Lucas released a deep breath. "Come on." He took the plastic cup that held soda from her hand and set it on the floor beside their chairs. He caught her fingers and pulled her up. For a second, she thought he meant to take her out on the dance floor, but instead he headed to the front of the dining hall.

"Where are we going?"

"Outside."

He pulled her through the crowd so fast, Kylie didn't have time to ask his reasons. When he stopped, they stood outdoors and off to the side of the dining hall.

Alone.

The music, while only a distant humming, could still be heard, and it seemed to play along with the night sounds. Crickets and a few birds sang along with the lyrics.

"Isn't this better?" He took her hands and placed them around his neck and then set his hands around her waist as if to dance.

"So the pack won't see us?" she asked, insecure.

"No," he insisted. "Did you see one were out on that dance floor?"

She had to think, but then she shook her head. "No."

"We don't like drawing attention to ourselves in public."

The air was warm, but not as warm as Lucas's hand pressed against her hip. Kylie glanced up and saw a half-moon offering the night a minimum of light. Not that it was all that dark outside; the stars appeared to be working overtime. No clouds hung in the heavens, so the sky seemed sprayed with stars. She could hardly find a piece of sky that didn't have a tiny diamond shape twinkling and adding a silver glow to the night. Slowly, he started moving to the distant music.

"But in private, that's another matter." He didn't just sway but danced. And he obviously knew how, because his steps encouraged her feet to follow the same pattern his were making.

With scents of pizza and blood no longer perfuming the air, Lucas's own scent stood out and mingled with the woodsy scent of the night air.

She looked up at him again. "Who taught you to dance?"

"My grandmother. She told me it was the way to a woman's heart," he said, his voice a light whisper against her ear. His head dipped down and his lips brushed against her cheek. "I personally believe when two people get this close, it should be in private."

His words made her realize how close they were standing to each other. She gazed again into his eyes, and his mouth met hers. They danced and kissed for what seemed like forever. Not that she was complaining. She felt as if they were floating, lost in a moment. His kiss didn't push for more than she was ready to give. It was just a soft meshing of his mouth on hers, with an occasional slip of his tongue across her bottom lip.

The kiss finally ended. She placed her hand on his warm chest right beside where her head rested and listened to his heartbeat, which was very fast.

"Is your blood still rushing?" She raised her head, rested her chin on his chest, and smiled up at him.

"More than before." His tone rang deeper than it had been. He adjusted his hands on her waist and she could feel the racing of his pulse where his wrist touched the bottom of her rib cage.

"Feel it?" he asked.

"Yeah." Leaning her head back on his chest, she decided she could stay there forever with his breath stirring against her hair. Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the closeness and the sensation of being held, of being cherished.

With her ear again pressed to his chest, she heard a soft humming, almost a purring. The sound filled her head and she felt as if it pulsated inside her. She sensed he'd pulled her closer, his nearness warmed her inside and out, and the floating sensation returned even stronger this time. Leaning into him a bit more, she longed to be closer still.

His fingers pressed against her waist, making tiny little shifts up and down. The light touch tickled and caused a fluttering sensation deep in her belly. Then his hands glided up her sides, almost to her breasts. The slightest warning whispered in her head, but she pushed it back. This felt too good to-

He inhaled, sharply, and she thought she heard him swear, then he yanked his hands from her and stepped away.

Without his support, she almost felt dizzy. She gazed up at him confused. "What...?"

"We should ... we should go inside."

When she met his eyes, they glowed a brighter blue. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No. It's ... just safer inside."

"Safer from what?" She looked around, thinking he'd seen something. Had the eagle or deer returned? It could even be the blue jay, back to-

"From me," he said, and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'm low on willpower tonight, Kylie. About a week and a half before the change, I tend to run more on instinct than logic. And right now, my instinct says to pull you in the woods, find a soft spot of grass, and have my way with you."

She moved in and placed a hand on his chest. "I know you well enough to know that you would never force me to do something I didn't want to do."

He pulled her palm from his chest and held her hand gently in his. "I would never force you, Kylie. Never. But I'm not above trying to persuade you. And..." He tilted her head back with his other hand as if to make sure she knew he was serious. "Werewolves have a knack for persuading. And that's not how I want this to happen."