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Danika let the co toward the quiet peri her phone out of her little evening clutch The update fro was the sa was fine with the baby, no need for Danika to worry

She thanked the Breed to wish for a reason to leave the party and rush back to her child She was supposed to be having a nice tiht Since she was stuck there until her companions decided to leave, maybe she should at least make an effort to enjoy herself a little

Slipping the phone back into her purse, she began a slow circuit of the room The red sash around her waist deflected the interest of all but the boldest of the unattached Breed ht of her four-inch spike heels and possessing long blond hair, she realized she was hard tostares of thelooks of the other Breedmates that made her feel the most aard

Widowed after so long together? I would rather die myself than lose my mate like that

Danika briefly closed her eyes as the thought sailed at her from across the room She didn't knohose mind she'd tapped into, nor could she bar the intrusion Every Breedifted with a unique extrasensory talent Hers was the ability to read thoughts, be it Breed, Breedmate, or basic Homo sapiens Unfortunately, since Conlan's death, that ability had becoeable His Breed blood had kept her youthful for centuries; it had also fed her talent and kept it strong

Several tiht she'd been blindsided by a sudden uninvited mental commentary Most were mundane prattle and insipid cocktail party drivel, but soes that zeroed in on her like arrows

Never would've happened if Conlan had stayed in Scotland where he belonged Never should've taken an outlander as his mate

Danika lifted her chin and strode deeper into the throng of Darkhaven civilians Let them stare Let theape at her like the outsider she was She had never needed anyone's approval; she sure as hell didn't need it now

She walked right through the center of the gathering, her steps unrushed, head held high Overheard, e of unwelcome psychic input, until it was nearly impossible to discern which words were spoken aloud and which were given voice only in her s on unco holiday plans overlapped with opinionated debates on Breed politics and the dismal economic situation of the human world

By the time Danika reached the far side of the ballroo from the combined cacophony of sensory input Some fresh air would help clear her head She made her way toward a closed pair of French doors that opened onto an outdoor terrace

As she neared, she saw the dark shapes of several Breedoutside Their voices were little lass She paused at the h airport-so That alone was enough to make her instincts prickle, but it was the next comments that froze her feet to the floor where she stood

"Does the cargo include anythingexotic?"

"Perhaps" ca your best offers And your appetites, whatever they may involve"

Low, conspiratorial chuckles answered fro, their voices dropped to a level too quiet for her toa bit closer to the terrace doors and feigning rapt interest in a hideous painting framed on the wall beside her

Eavesdropping is a very rude habit