Read Lupi 06 - Blood Magic for Free Online Page B

werewolves. Or from being hit on, which would probably happen anyway, though very politely. "Beth, it couldn't have been Freddie you saw. He wasn't invited, and there's no way Freddie would crash a party. Especially this one. Lupi scare him."
    "I know that. It proves Grandmother is involved. He's more scared of her than he is of lupi."
    Lily had to grin. "It's a good thing you didn't decide to be a cop. You've got a seriously loose notion of what constitutes proof."
    "Okay, don't believe me, but check on Grandmother anyway. She likes you best, so maybe you can find out what's up."
    It was usually easiest to just agree with Beth. Besides, she might be right. Beth's intuitive understanding of people owed nothing to magic, but she was often right about them. "Okay, I'll go see her."
    "When?"
    "Soon, okay? I want to see the dancing now."
    The singers had stopped, but a number of people had migrated to that end of the field and Lily wasn't sure they'd be able to see. One of them turned around as they approached - Jason, the blond hunk Cynna hadn't had a chance to flirt with earlier.
    Lily liked Jason - she really did. He was impossible to dislike. But he was certain he owed her for something that had just been her job, and took every opportunity he could find to pay her back. She didn't know how to make him quit, and Rule thought it was funny.
    "Have they started?" she asked Jason.
    "No, Michael and Sean decided they wanted their fiddles, but they're back now. I hear them tuning up. You'd better get up front. You'll never see from back here."
    She couldn't argue with that, but his methods were embarrassing - and never mind what Beth had said. She damned well could be embarrassed. He grabbed her hand and called out cheerfully, "The Chosen's back here. She needs to be up there."
    Sure enough, the crowd parted, people turning with a smile, shifting to let her pass. Jason pulled her forward.
    "My sister," Lily said. "I'd like her to see - "
    "Your... oh, my." Jason paused, his eyes traveling over Beth as a smile spread. "I can't believe I overlooked this one. Yum."
    Beth dimpled at him. "My name's Beth. I'm the nice sister."
    "Very nice," he assured her, his eyes making it clear which elements he considered especially worthy. "And yet I can't help hoping... not too nice?"
    Lily resisted the urge to roll her eyes, settling for retrieving her hand from Jason's grip. She didn't think he noticed. "Jason, this is Beth. Beth, Jason Chance. Can you hit on each other later? I really don't want to miss this."
    Beth didn't resist. She rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm nicer than that."
    "No doubt. I'm going to find Rule. You coming?"
    Beth slid a sideways smile at Jason. "I'll catch up with you."
    Lily suspected her sister was going to miss the training dance. Oh, well. Jason wouldn't show Beth any more of a good time than she wanted to have, and at twenty-three, Beth was technically a grown-up. Lily went to find Rule.
    The violins had started by the time she reached the front of the crowd, passed there by people she knew and those she didn't. Someone had brought a drum, which he was beating slowly. The dancers had assembled into a circle of about a dozen half-naked men, arms locked together. None of them moved. They seemed hardly to breathe.
    Rule wasn't watching the dancers. He was with them.
    Lily's breath caught in surprise. Like the others, he wore only ragged cutoffs that hung low on his hips. He was magnificently male, achingly human... yet in that moment she almost glimpsed his wolf hidden in the human architecture - a powerful, intense presence illumining the taut muscles and hooded eyes of the man. Friendly, perhaps, that wolf, but not tame. Not at all tame.
    Someone had started a small bonfire in the center of the circle. The ruddy dance of the firelight turned the blades of Rule's cheekbones hard, gathering shadows to make mysteries of his eyes. Then he looked up, caught her gaze on him, and grinned.
    In delight, she grinned back. After a