House Rules (Chicagoland Vampires 7)

There was no disagreement with that point. Diane Kowalcyzk, Chicago's new mayor, wasn't bright, and she seemed to be overtly prejudiced against supernaturals. She'd even made friends with McKetrick, first name unknown, a former military type with a raging hatred of vampires.

"At the risk of speaking ill of our soon-to-be former leaders, it probably won't surprise you to learn that the Greenwich Presidium has turned a blind eye to those developments, and has refused to accept the changing world. We don't think that's fair, and we think it's time for a change. This week we take our stand. We cannot predict the future," Ethan said. "We do our best, and we hope - with love and luck and friendship - that we survive these turbulent times."

He held up his champagne glass. "May the winds blow fair through your journeys, wherever they may lead. Cheers."

"Cheers," responded the crowd, and everyone took a sip.

Without missing a beat, Ethan walked to Noah's table and shook his hand. The chatter returned to normal levels, vampires digging back into their proteins while two of the most important vampires in the city made nice in front of their minions.

I had to give it to Ethan: He was right that times were precarious, but he'd managed to convince a chunk of the city's unaffiliated Rogues to venture into our domain, break bread with us, and toast our collective futures. Fanged or not, the man had a way with words.

Fortunately for me, his skills weren't limited to his vocabulary.

As if sensing the somewhat lurid direction of my thoughts, Ethan turned toward me and smiled, my toes curling just from the heat of a look.

His conversation with Noah done, he walked toward me, every female eye - and some of the men's eyes, too - on him as he moved, the embodiment of masculinity. A vampire in his prime.

He stopped behind my chair and held out a hand. The entire table went silent.

"Dance with me," he said.

My cheeks warmed. "There's no music."

Before he had time to respond, the quartet in the corner - a group of Cadogan and Rogue vampires with musical talents - began to play a jazzy tune.

I gave him a sardonic look. "Did you just telepathically direct them to start playing that?"

"What's the point of being telepathic if you can't use the connection for a wee bit of wickedness, Sentinel?"

I heard the yearning sigh of a female vampire to my right, and caught the dreamy-eyed gaze of a male vampire to my left. Ethan was an equal-opportunity crush.

He wiggled his fingers. "Merit?"

With the audience's eyes on me, it would have been difficult to say no to Ethan even if I hadn't had feelings for him. That I did made it virtually impossible.

"Of course," I said, putting my hand in his and letting him lead me to the makeshift dance floor.

Oh, my God, could he move.

Ethan whipped a hand around my waist like he'd trained with the cast of a televised dance competition. With moves that were a mix of swing and tango, he led me around the floor like a dance master, all the while keeping those ridiculously green eyes focused on me. Fortunately, I'd been a ballerina in my former (human) life, so I managed to keep up with him. I even tried to put on a good show - or at least as good a show as pants and a fitted leather jacket would allow - to the surprise of Rogue and Cadogan vampires.

The song ended, and Ethan dropped me into a dip, his smile mischievous and his eyes twinkling. The rest of the world came rushing back in a roar of sound as the vampires on the margins of the dance floor burst into applause.

Ethan brought me back to my feet, my ponytail bobbing over a shoulder. "And that, Sentinel, is how you impress a crowd."

My cheeks warmed as I waved a little at said crowd, acknowledging their applause.

But when I caught sight of Noah surrounded by the same black-clad vampires he'd been speaking to earlier, I realized my fun would be short-lived. There was no mistaking the distress in Noah's expression, or the fact that his companions kept sneaking anxious looks in our direction.

Delicately, I put a hand on Ethan's arm and leaned toward him, my lips just brushing his ear. It was a move the crowd would mistake for a show of affection, which was a perfect bit of sleight of hand.

"Something's up," I whispered. "Noah's surrounded by Rogues, and they look worried. They're at your eight o'clock."

In the guise of pressing a light kiss to my cheek, Ethan glanced over his shoulder. "So I see," he said, turning back to me again. "Can you get the gist of it?"

As predators, vampires had uniquely strong senses - hearing, sight, smell. But there were too many vampires in the crowd, and too much magical energy, for me to tell what trouble was brewing.

"I cannot," I said. "Perhaps an invitation to your office?"

"That seems wise," he agreed. He took my hand and, with smiles and waves to the crowd, stepped out of the spotlight.

"Keep the guests busy," he whispered to Luc, who nodded obediently and stepped into the middle of the dance floor.

"It's a party!" Luc said, clapping his hands together as a jaunty David Bowie tune filled the air. "Let's all dance."

With Luc's encouragement, vampires spilled onto the dance floor.

We slipped through the tent to reach Noah and the worried Rogues. Fear marked their expressions, and they radiated tense magic that made my skin feel tight from the contact.

"Is everything all right?" Ethan asked.

Noah glanced among his Rogues, meeting the gaze of a female vampire with cropped hair and small silver spikes above both eyebrows. Her look was edgy, but her tearstained eyes belied her appearance. She nodded at Noah, giving him approval for something. Rogue democracy at work.

Noah paused, as if weighing a decision. "Perhaps we could speak privately?" he asked. "We have a concern, and we'd appreciate your thoughts."

"Of course," Ethan said, gesturing toward the door. "Let's go to my office. We can speak there." He glanced across the group of Noah's friends. "You're all welcome to join us."

But they edged away like feral kittens nervous about being led indoors.

"I'll be back," Noah said to the rest of the Rogues, then supportively squeezed the hand of the spiked girl. Both of them followed us into the House.

* * *

We walked silently down the hallway, and Ethan closed the office door when we were all inside. Noah immediately headed toward the conversation area and took a seat in one of the leather club chairs there; the female vampire followed him. I took a seat on the opposite couch, and Ethan did the same.

"What's on your mind?" Ethan asked when all were settled.