Hours later, Jordan and his bandmates were just coming offstage; the members of Rogue were in the wings. As Daniel and Jordan passed him, Killian wrinkled his nose. It was an involuntary reaction—he couldn’t help it. He knew Jordan and Daniel glutted themselves every night they played: his ’wolf sensed it. Thankfully, the two bands were playing “in the round” and it was the last night of the full moon. Yes, the full moon made it easier for Killian’s lupine to grab hold of him, but the reason it was most associated with werewolves was because it forced them to transform. During its other phases, it was still an influence on lupines, but more powerful ones—or even sharp newbloods—could shift at will.

When Inkubus was completely offstage, Killian, Zayden, Neil, Ryan, and Shane took their places. (Killian thought it was pure genius making their way to the stage in laundry carts: no one ever thought about what was in a laundry cart, and this way, they weren’t mobbed by the fans. Besides, being near so many humans excited the ’wolf bloodlust, and when they came up through the stage floor, the crowd almost always went nuts. It was one of the band’s favorite things about performing in the round, and the fact there were four front row seats didn’t hurt, either. Certainly it beat performing on a regular stage, where people in the way back might not hear or see them clearly.)

Killian glanced around at his packmates to see if they were ready, then looked out to the audience. “I said, Welcome to my show. Just you and me, babe. We got the whole damn night to go!”

The guitars kicked in, and Killian was already crossing to the other side of the stage, singing the next verse of Def Leppard's “Stagefright.” One advantage about performing during Change Nights was that he had a lot of excess energy. On the downside, when the performance high wore off, he was almost sick—or so it seemed—with the moon-fever.

When they reached “Love Bites” in their set list, Killian found his attention was drawn to Zayden. Suddenly it took on a very personal meaning—and none of their songs were personal, save maybe “Photograph”.

Sometime during the first verse, he and Zayden were back-to-back. His ’wolf, sensing the bassist’s nearness, leapt to the surface, trailing a clawed hand down Zayden’s side. Hopefully, from the angle they were at, no one in the audience could see.

Zayden’s head rested on Killian’s shoulder as he sang the chorus, eyes half-closed in bliss as his fingers moved across the guitar strings, a smile ghosting over his face. It was incredibly sensual all of a sudden, and Killian had to fight the urge to taste him. Neil and Shane did stuff like that onstage all the time, but then again, they weren’t called Team Rocket for nothing. (“Prepare for trouble and make it double!”) Besides, stunts like that were expected of those two, not Zayden and Killian.

As he continued with the song, Killian’s ’wolf was going crazy, trying to take over. A familiar heat was coursing through him; his eyes were flickering from green to yellow and back again.

“Don’t you dare go ’wolf on me,” Zayden hissed, so quiet that only Killian could hear.

For once, the anchor wasn’t working. Killian gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and willed the heat in his skin to dissipate.

Somehow, he wasn’t sure how, he made it through the rest of “Love Bites.” Then the band launched into a cover of “Comin’ Under Fire,” which really didn’t help.

“Your kinda woman got a heart of stone, but watch it break when I get you alone. Take a chance, come lay down with me. Oh, I wanna make it.”

“Slow and steady never lost the race. Don’t stop runnin’, I’m a fool for the chase. Play the game, surrender to me. Baby, I don’t wanna fake it.”

“Is it any wonder, you got me comin’ under fire? Comin’ like thunder, you know you make me walk the wire . . .”

Killian knew he was in serious trouble when the wolf crept into his eyes, his canines twisted into fangs, and his nails curled into claws. He risked a glance at Zayden, one that screamed Help me! in big silent letters. What was wrong with him? He’d always kept control when performing on Change Nights before, save for last night.

Zayden made his way over to Killian as casually as he could—they’d separated during “Love Bites”—and leaned against Killian’s free side, the one that didn’t have the microphone. This time, his human side was able to push back the ’wolf, and signs of what he was were hidden again.

“It’s so easy to put on a show. Your body says yes, but you won’t let it go. But my passion, it won’t slip away . . .”

A few songs later, the band took a breather. Killian reached out for one of the water bottles that were always kept onstage and took a swig. Then a sudden shriek and a startled noise from Zayden made his head whip around. His eyes bulged and the water hit his stomach as a cold, hard lump.

Some chick had somehow managed to grab hold of Zayden’s leg. The bassist’s face was petrified, like, Someone get this crazy chick off me! He was trying to back away, but that wasn’t helping.

A swift glance at the others showed they were trying not to bust out laughing. So it was up to Killian—again.

He stalked across the stage, growling low in his throat. His eyes flicked side-to-side—ever a wolf, always predatory. The werewolf reached Zayden and the teenage girl and glared down at her, allowing some of the lupine to creep into his eyes, the growl never ceasing. His nails were slightly longer than normal, but he doubted the girl would notice, since his hands were busy disengaging hers from Zayden’s leg. And if they accidentally grazed Zayden’s arse, well, was it really his fault?

“Oh my God” reached his ears; Killian jerked his head up from near Zayden’s shoulder as if he’d been whipped—or caught a tantalizing prey-scent—and glared at the audience member, who took a step back at the wild, dangerous look in his pale-green eyes.

Seconds later, the atmosphere returned to normal, or as normal as could be expected, and the band resumed their playing positions. Killian swept his gaze over the audience before he lifted the mike to his mouth and said, “This next song is from a band we're familiar with but have never done before, so we’re a little nervous about covering it. But since it fits the mood for tonight . . .” He shrugged. “Let us know what you think, yeah?”

There was silence, then Neil and Shane’s guitars screamed out the opening chords to the 1987 Whitesnake single “Still of the Night”.

“In the still of the night I hear the wolf howl, honey, sniffing around your door. In the still of the night I feel my heart beating heavy, telling me I gotta have more .

“In the shadow of the night I see the full moon rise, telling me what’s in store. My heart started aching. My body started shaking. And I can’t take no more . No, no.

“Now I just wanna get close to you and taste your love so sweet. And I just wanna make love to you, feel your body heat .

“In the still of the night. In the still of the night. Over here, baby!

“In the heat of the day I hang my head down low and hide my face from the sun. From the light of the day until the evening time, I’m waiting for the night to come.

“Ooh, baby!

“In the still of the night! In the cool moonlight! I feel my heart is aching in the still of the night . . .”

During the verses, the band had been moving around the stage, and Killian found himself paired with Zayden yet again. The bassist’s scent filled his nostrils; it took everything in him to resist bending his head to taste that skin, the throbbing pulse of life-blood. Thankfully, he had to sing the next verse, while the others were on a soft guitar solo.

“Oooh, baby. Oooh, babe. I can’t keep away. Need to be closer . I can’t keep away, can’t keep away, can’t keep away. I can’t keep away, no.

“You gotta give me love. Got to give me some loving everyday. Can’t keep away .

“Ooh, baby. Ooh, Lord. Aahh!

“Tell me here, baby.”

Neil, Shane, and Zayden were ripping it up on the guitar solo, while Killian—as usual—was running (or not) around onstage. Phosphorescent-green eyes locked in on Zayden on the next verse and stayed there as he moved ever closer to his beta.

“In the still of the night I hear the wolf howl, honey, sniffing around your door. In the still of the night I feel my heart beating heavy, telling me I gotta have more.

“Ooh! Mama! Now I just wanna get close to you and taste your love so sweet. And I just wanna make love to you, feel your body heat in the still of the night. Oh, yeah! In the still of the night I will be sneaking round your door.

“In the still of the night. In the still of the night! Ain’t nothing gonna stop me now .

“Still of the night. Still of the night. Still of the night. Still of the night! Still of the night! Still of the night! Still of the night! Still of the night! Still of the night!”

The crowd was going nuts—or, rather, the teenage girls were—so the ’wolf figured they’d liked the Whitesnake cover. Of course, the fact he’d let some of the wild animal inside him show didn’t hurt either, although he figured none of the humans would know what the physical changes meant, if they were visible at all.

A couple of songs later, the concert was over and the band filed off below the stage. The members of Inkubus were waiting there, sly smirks twitching at Eric’s mouth and lighting in Jordan’s ice-blue eyes.

“What?” Killian asked, looking from guitarist to singer.

Mischievous laughter danced in Eric’s eyes. “So, did you mean that, Killian?”

Killian suddenly found it hard to look at his packmates—bandmates, whatever. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he lied.

Eric’s smirk widened. “How does that one verse go? Oh, yeah: In the shadow of the night I see the full moon rise, telling me what’s in store. My heart started aching, my body started shaking, and I can’t take no more . . . Now I just wanna get close to you, and taste your love so sweet. And I just wanna make love to you, feel your body heat . . . Then, of course, all the moves with you and Zayden onstage—”

The low, feral growl rumbled from Killian’s throat and he lunged for Eric, claws extended and fangs bared. Strong arms wrapped around him before he could reach the Inkubus guitarist and drew him close; Zayden’s comforting scent filled his senses. But at the moment, the anchor wasn’t helping. Killian’s ’wolf was out for blood—and it wouldn’t be denied, not even by a human beta.

“Zayden, let me go!” he snarled, twisting and bucking, trying to loosen Zayden’s hold on him.

“Sorry, mate, not happening.” Zayden’s long hair brushed Killian’s neck as he turned his head to glare at their bandmates. “Don’t just stand there! Help me!”

“You look like you’re doing just fine,” Ryan said quickly after a pause.

Coward. Killian nearly burst out laughing when he caught Zayden’s thought, but since he was still struggling, it would look odd. So he sent the laugh into Zayden’s mind.

Jordan and his bandmates, meanwhile, had dragged Eric out of harm’s way. Daniel, Diego, and Eric were staring at Killian with wide, frightened eyes; their fear-scent was delicious to the werewolf. He twisted in Zayden’s arms, claws digging into the pink skin, drew blood. Killian heard Zayden’s hissing intake of breath at the pain, but he still wouldn’t release him.

Then, somehow (he wasn’t sure how), his back was to the nearest wall, Zayden’s body pressing against his.

“Killian, cool it!” Zayden hissed.

Those glowing yellow-green eyes, filled with bloodlust, never left Eric. Zayden could only watch helplessly as he felt Killian’s body grow uncomfortably hot, saw the strong features begin to twist and fracture. Killian, his Killian, was no longer there. The beast that wore his skin had crept in to replace him, and in all honesty, Zayden was more scared now than he had ever been in his life. He could die here with Killian in his arms if he bit him, an instinctive snapping of jaws in the throes of the metamorphosis, or the bite could change him forever—turn him ’wolf. Since there was no cure, there would be no going back. But for one long trusting moment while he held Killian, none of that mattered.

Zayden’s hand rested on the golden fur covering Killian’s flank, feeling the muscles there quiver. Then the lupine shook his ruff, hackles raised, and forced his way free of the restraining hold. Snarling, Killian crept closer to Eric, muscles tense, and leaped, yellow-green eyes narrowed with hatred.

“Oh, bloody hell,” Shane and Neil said in unison. Ryan mumbled something incoherent, while Zayden yelled, “NO!” The bassist practically flew the few yards separating him from Killian and landed squarely on the ’wolf’s back. Startled, the lupine yelped and jumped straight up into the air, crow-hopping and bucking desperately in a circle to try to throw the unexpected weight off. Zayden clung on, eyes narrowed in determination—and his arm dangerously close to Killian’s muzzle.

He’d never be sure if it was by accident or not, but dagger-like fangs sank into the skin on his arm. Zayden yelled with pain and wrenched himself free of Killian’s lupine body, landing heavily on the floor.

The ’wolf forgot all about Eric and swung around to face Zayden. Recognition flared in those glowing yellow orbs, then dismay as they saw the bite mark on Zayden’s arm. A low whine spilled from his throat, and he padded on silent paws over to the bassist. Killian snuffled at Zayden’s hair, his face, then licked the pale skin that was already burning. He didn’t want to face those accusing blue eyes, eyes that screamed How could you? You’d promised you wouldn’t give me the bite!

Above them, unseen, the full moon reached its zenith.

Zayden’s cry of pain mixed with Killian’s anguished howl. He felt as if his insides were being squeezed into a vice; he was burning, his body on fire . . . Then the feeling broke, replaced by a calming wave. Instinctively Zayden knew it was wrong to feel this way: a feeling this good only came with a terrible price.

He tried to stand up, but his body didn’t want to work like that.

It wanted to stay on all fours.

The faces of Jordan, Eric, Diego, Daniel, Ryan, Shane, and Neil were much higher than he was, and they all reflected shock and horror. And Killian’s lupine face was at eye level.

Zayden glanced down and froze when he saw his paws—yes, paws. Then he turned rapidly in a circle, chasing his . . . well, his tail. All of his senses seemed sharper, and his vision had a strange reddish tint.

Then the truth hit him with horrible clarity and he shrank back on his haunches, ears flat against his furry head. <No,> he moaned. <No, no, no . . .>