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Chapter 7: Forbidden Touch

Chapter 7: Forbidden Touch

The New York Shifter Society's annual charity gala transformed the Grand Ballroom into a glittering battlefield of pack politics. Luna adjusted her emerald green gown, carefully selected to blend in with Manhattan's elite while keeping her investigative options open.

Sarah's voice crackled through her hidden earpiece. "Remember, you're here to gather intelligence. Not to confront Dante."

"Noted." Luna's eyes swept the room, tracking the key players. Marcus Carrington held court near the champagne fountain. Alessandra clung to his side like a designer accessory. And Dante...

Dante Romano stood alone, a predator in an impeccable black tuxedo that seemed to have been tailored by the gods themselves. Their eyes met across the crowded ballroom – a moment of electric connection that made Luna's wolf surge forward.

"Breathe," Sarah warned. "Your scent's spiking."

The charity event was a carefully orchestrated dance of power. Each pack showcased their wealth, their connections, their potential for future alliances. Luna recognized wolves from at least eight different territories, all watching each other with predatory intensity.

A server approached with a tray of champagne. Luna recognized him instantly – one of Sterling Industries' research assistants from the pharmaceutical wing. His hand trembled slightly as he offered her a drink.

"You look lost," a deep voice interrupted.

Dante. Close enough that his body heat wrapped around her like a second skin. The mate bond thrummed between them, a living thing fighting to be acknowledged.

"I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be," Luna responded, refusing the champagne.

The research assistant disappeared into the crowd, but not before Luna caught a flash of something metallic in his hand. A syringe? A vial?

"You shouldn't be here," Dante murmured, lips barely moving.

"Afraid I'll expose your little secret?" Luna matched his low tone. "Project Moon Phase isn't as hidden as you think."

Dante's grip on his champagne glass tightened. "Some secrets protect people, Luna."

"Some secrets destroy families."

The tension between them crackled like electricity. Several pack elders noticed, their heads turning with predatory interest. Pack politics were a delicate ecosystem – and Luna and Dante were disrupting it simply by existing in the same space.

"We need to talk," Dante said suddenly. "Now."

Before Luna could respond, he guided her toward the elevators with a hand on the small of her back. The touch burned through her gown, her wolf howling in recognition.

The elevator doors closed. Silence descended.

"Start talking," Luna demanded.

Dante pressed the emergency stop button. "Michael's research wasn't about mate bonds. It was about pack survival."

"Explain."

"Some packs are dying. Genetic diversity narrowing. Michael discovered a way to strengthen bloodlines without traditional mating protocols." Dante's hands clenched. "Sterling wants to weaponize his research."

Luna processed this. "By controlling who can and can't form mate bonds."

"Exactly."

The elevator's intimate space made their connection impossible to ignore. Dante's scent – cedar, mountain air, raw power – surrounded her. Luna felt her resolve weakening.

"Why did you really reject me?" The question escaped before she could stop it.

Dante's expression shifted. Pain. Desire. Something darker.

"To protect you."

He stepped closer. Luna backed up, but the elevator wall stopped her retreat. Their bodies aligned – a perfect predatory dance of tension and need.

"Protect me from what?"

"Everything."

His hand touched her cheek. Luna's wolf surrendered, leaning into the caress. Years of fighting their connection dissolved in an instant.

Dante's head lowered. Their lips were millimeters apart.

The elevator jerked. Security protocols activated. Someone was coming.

Luna caught a glimpse of a small vial falling from Dante's sleeve. She snatched it reflexively as the doors opened.

Alessandra stood there, her smile razor-sharp.

"Interesting timing," she said.

Luna's hand closed around the mysterious vial. Whatever was inside, it felt warm. Alive. Definitely not standard pharmaceutical packaging.

Dante stepped back, professional mask sliding into place. "Ms. Stone."

"Mr. Romano." Alessandra's gaze darted between them. "Seems you two were having quite the private conversation."

Luna examined the vial discreetly. Handwritten label. Partial chemical formula. And a name that made her blood run cold.

Project Bloodline.

Michael Romano's final research.

The game had just changed.

"Shall we rejoin the gala?" Dante offered his arm to Alessandra, but his eyes never left Luna.

Their almost-kiss hung between them – a promise of something more dangerous than any pack alliance.

The hunt continued.

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