Page 13 of Emerald Treats
Goldie was openly giggling now as Faris tried to salvage his costume and dignity. Once he straightened his cape, he squared his shoulders, clearly ready to take on the world—as long as there was no more "unexpected duality".
Faris flashed that trademark smile at me, completely unbothered by the chaos he'd just caused. "Bram! I need your help with candy distribution. Apparently, I'm not to be trusted alone with the setup." His grin turned positively wicked. "But that's fine because I have much more important things to focus on anyway."
"Such as?" Goldie asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Can't tell you!" Faris practically vibrated with excitement. "It's a surprise for later. But trust me, tonight is going to be absolutely perfect." He winked at me specifically. "Right, lover?"
I groaned at the nickname but nodded reluctantly. I had no idea what the lunatic had planned, but I went along with it because it was important to him.
"I'm so excited," Goldie proclaimed. Her round cheeks were flushed pink, but I couldn't tell if that was from the cooler weather or whatever she might be hoping for tonight.
I bent down and kissed her, loving the way my heart still raced, like it was the first time. Pulling back, I whispered in her ear, "I'm going to devour you later, Goldie." A fucking promise. She gasped softly, and her eyes heated. So responsive. Always. My cock twitched, and I stood up straight, knowing I needed to get a hold of myself. Now was not the time. Goldie looked up at me with a knowing smirk.
"You good there, Bram?" she taunted with a small laugh.
"Oh, I'm excellent," I lied as a gust of wind blew her scent right into my face. I had to put some space between us, right now. "I'm going to just go over here and, um, clean this up."
"Mmmhmm," she mused, but I had already turned to my task.
I needed a distraction. As I worked on restoring order to the candy, I couldn't help but notice Cam leaning against the porch railing, his Thor costume doing absolutely sinful things to his already impressive physique, while Kai stood close enough that their shoulders brushed.
"You know," Cam murmured, his deep voice carrying just enough for me to catch, "that black cat costume really brings out your eyes."
Kai's laugh was warm, intimate. "Flattery will get you everywhere, Thunder Daddy."
I watched as Cam's hand ghosted along Kai's arm, the touch brief but charged with electricity that had nothing to do with his magical abilities. They'd been dancing around each other like this for months now—stolen glances, casual touches thatlingered too long, heated banter that made the rest of us clear our throats.
When are they actually going to stop tiptoeing around each other and just fuck already?
Though if I were being honest, I couldn't exactly judge them. Faris and I had been doing the same for how long now? And despite all of the fooling around we did, we still hadn't actually fucked.
That was okay, though. I had a plan for that, which involved my throne, my crown, my Queen, and my psychotic blood mage.
A group of kids approached, their excited chatter pulling me back to the present. I distributed candy with practiced efficiency, accepting compliments on my "costume" with dry amusement. If only they knew.
Behind me, I could hear Goldie cooing to our daughters, Sloane grumbling good-naturedly about his ridiculous dragon suit, and Faris explaining the finer points of vampire lore to anyone who would listen. This beautiful, chaotic, utterly perfect family we'd built together.
My heart clenched with the sheer magnitude of love I felt for all of them. Whatever surprises tonight held—whether it was finally taking that next step with Faris, watching Cam and Kai stop dancing around each other, or simply enjoying our first Halloween as parents—I was ready for it.
Gods, I loved them all so fucking much.
Chapter 7
Saige
Iwatched with a bittersweet smile as my mates gathered around the twins' stroller, each taking their turn to say goodnight to our daughters. The evening had been perfect.
"Alright, my little pumpkins," Cam rumbled in his deep voice, crouching down in his form-fitting Thor costume to press kisses to each baby's forehead. "Be good for Gran, yeah? Daddy will see you tomorrow."
Faris appeared beside the stroller in a blur of vampire cape, his fangs glinting in the porch light as he grinned. "Sleep tight, tiny angels! Dream of all the Halloween magic!" He vanished and reappeared on the other side, making soft cooing sounds that had the girls giggling.
Fischer knelt gracefully, his salmon-pink costume somehow dignified despite its absurdity. I felt his calming energy wash over us all as he whispered sweet words to our daughters, his eyes soft with love. "Sweet dreams, little ones. Papa Fish loves you."
Kai's large hands were impossibly gentle as he stroked each baby's cheek, his dark eyes flashing briefly yellow in hisaffection. "Napoleon says goodnight too," he murmured, the little rodent perched on his shoulder chittering softly. “Go on, Napoleon. You’re going home, you’ve gotta keep watch over everyone.”
The little mouse hopped onto Randy’s shoulder and saluted me. Mission accepted. I returned the salute. “Gods bless you, soldier.”
"Right then, Randy," Bette announced, adjusting her witch hat. "Let's get these precious girls home for some proper sleep. You party animals enjoy your night off."
