Page 10 of Emerald Treats
Miranda, sensing the growing tension, stepped forward with a grin. "Now, now, boys. Play nice. We're all here to have fun, aren't we?" She winked at me, and I couldn't help but smile back.
“Go put your costumes on!” I heard Faris order Sloane and Fischer.
As the group continued to exchange playful banter, I gently set Annie down and caught Miranda's eye. With a subtle nod, I gestured for her to follow me a short distance away from theothers. She understood immediately, excusing herself from the conversation and joining me a few steps away.
"So," I began, my voice low and excited, "how are things going with you and my Dad? You two seem really happy together."
Miranda's face lit up with a radiant smile, her eyes sparkling with joy. "They’re so good. I honestly never thought I'd find someone like Khol at this stage in my life. He's just... he's everything I never knew I needed."
I couldn't help but beam at her words. It was still a bit surreal to think of my best friend dating my father, but seeing the happiness radiating from both of them made any potential awkwardness fade away. After all, I'd only known Khol for a little over a year myself, having met him when I was twenty-seven. Our relationship was still new and evolving, and seeing him with Miranda felt like watching two puzzle pieces finally finding their perfect fit.
"I'm so thrilled for you both," I said, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "You deserve all the happiness in the world, and if my dad can give you that, then I'm all for it."
Miranda's eyes misted over slightly. "Thank you, sweetie. That means so much to me. I was worried at first, you know? I didn't want things to be weird between us."
I shook my head emphatically. "Not at all. If anything, it's brought us all closer together. Plus, it's kind of nice to see the big, bad demon leader of Radical Inc. turn into a soft kitten around you."
We both giggled, glancing over at Khol, who was now playfully chasing Annie around, his cat tail swishing behind him.
"He's really something special," Miranda sighed. "And he adores you, you know. He's always talking about how proud he is of you and how lucky he feels to have you in his life."
I felt a warmth spread through my chest at her words. "The feeling's mutual," I said softly. "I'm just glad we found eachother, and that he found you, too. It's like our little family keeps growing in the best possible ways."
"Thank you for being so supportive." She glanced around. "Speaking of family, the twins… where are they?! I can't wait to squish their fat little legs!"
"Gran will be bringing them any time now. I told her I wanted to make sure we had everything set up before the girls arrived." I smiled and sighed. "You know how it is, you have to try to do as much as you possibly can when the kids are occupied."
Miranda rolled her eyes in agreement. "Oh, girl, wait until they start moving on their own. Thank the stars you have six mates to help, that’s all I can say!" She slung an arm around my shoulders and pulled me in close. "And you know you always have me. I've missed you."
I tilted my head against hers. "I've missed you, too." I knew what she was hinting at, and I no longer felt shame for my postpartum depression. I really had come a long way. "You know, for a while there I missed a lot without even realizing what I was missing."
"I love you, girl."
I hugged Miranda then. I couldn't resist. I'd isolated myself so much since the girls were born, especially in the first two months. My sense of time had seemed to warp. Minutes bled into hours and hours morphed into days, and every day felt exactly the same as the last. I never knew what time it was, and if someone had asked me what the date was, or hell, what day of the week it was, I would've been fucked.
I was there, going through the motions. I'd have conversations, but I wouldn’t quite remember all of the details later. I'd smile and laugh, not realizing that happiness wasn't hitting me as deeply as it had in the past. And then during the nights when everyone was asleep and I'd be nursing the girls, I'd often find myself sobbing. For no reason at all… and that wasthe part that infuriated me and caused me to mistrust my own feelings.
But I was doing so much better now, and I was so fucking thankful that Gran and the guys had held a mirror up so I could see the depression for what it was and get help. I tried not to, but sometimes I'd find myself thinking about where I'd be right now if those conversations had never happened. Right now, though, I was thoroughly enjoying myself, and I'd think about my recovery another day.
"Okay, no more of that today," I said, closing the mental door on all of those thoughts. I broke the hug and stared my friend deep into her eyes, wanting her to see the sincerity in mine. "I love you too, and I'm better, really. Let's get lunch sometime next week. I need to hear more about your summer."
"You got it, babe. I want to try the new sushi place!"
Chapter 5
Sloane
Istared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, a string of colorful curses falling from my lips as I took in the ridiculous dragon costume Faris had picked out for me. The costume was a jumbled mess of red and gold with exaggerated spikes running down the back, complete with oversized claws on the hands and feet. The irony wasn't lost on me—a dragon shifter dressed as a cartoonish version of his other form.
"Fucking hell," I muttered, adjusting the stupid headpiece that kept slipping down over my eyes. I reminded myself that I was doing this for Saige, and for our unconventional little family. I could suffer through a few hours of humiliation for them. But I made no promises about keeping my cool if any of the guys took their teasing too far. I wasn't actually going to hurt anyone, but my reputation as a grumpy bastard had to be maintained somehow.
With a final growl at my reflection, I yanked open the bathroom door and stepped out into the hallway. And there, right in front of me, stood Fischer in all his costumed glory.We both froze, eyes widening as we took in each other's appearances.
Fischer was a salmon. A fucking salmon. The costume was a hideous shade of pink, form-fitting, and complete with fins and a tail. His face peeked out from what was supposed to be the fish's mouth, and I could see the struggle in his eyes as he tried to maintain his usual cool demeanor.
For a long moment, we just stared at each other in stunned silence. Then, despite my best efforts, a snort of laughter escaped me. "Nice outfit, Fish," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Really brings out your eyes."
Fischer's lips twitched, fighting a smile. As his eyes swept over my costume and landed on my claws, he lost the fight with his grin, and it made him look even more ridiculous. "My, what big claws you have," he said deep and sultry, fluttering his dark lashes at me dramatically.
