Page 15 of Emerald Treats
"You know," I said thoughtfully, letting my voice drop to that sultry tone that always got their attention, "I was hoping to have both you and Cam together later anyway."
Kai's eyes flashed yellow, and just like that, his mood shifted entirely. A slow, predatory grin spread across his face. "Both of us?" he rumbled, glancing over at Cam, who was still standing frozen in the doorway, looking like he'd been struck by his own lightning.
"Focus," Faris snapped, though I caught the way his fangs were still slightly extended. "We need to get moving if we're going to make this work."
"Make what work?" Sloane demanded, finally setting down his box with more force than necessary. His dragon costume somehow managed to look intimidating despite its cartoon appearance. "Where exactly are we going, Faris?"
Faris grinned wickedly, reaching behind the counter to pull out two bags that made everyone in the room groan simultaneously. More costumes.
"I'll explain everything when we're changing," he announced cheerfully, completely ignoring our collective looks of dismay. He thrust one bag toward me. "Firefly, you need to go get dressed. The boys and I have some things to discuss."
I slid off the counter, my legs still slightly unsteady from our interrupted encounter. "What kind of things?"
"The kind that requires you not to be here looking absolutely edible in that dress," Fischer said softly.
Faris nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Now go, Firefly."
I clutched the mysterious bag to my chest, curiosity and anticipation warring in my mind. "This better be worth the wait, Baby Fang."
His grin turned absolutely wicked. "Oh, it will be."
Chapter 8
Kai
Faris had better start talking fast about these grand plans of his, because interrupting what was shaping up to be an incredible moment with Saige had put me in a very particular mood. The kind of mood where my alpha instincts were screaming at me to claim what was mine, and having that cut short left me feeling like a caged panther.
Bagheera was pacing restlessly in my mind, equally frustrated by the interruption. He was thinking we should have just ignored the vampire.
I crossed my arms and fixed Faris with a stare that had made grown supernatural beings reconsider their life choices. "Start talking. Now."
"Patience, Alpha," Faris said with that infuriating grin of his, reaching into the second bag. He started pulling out what looked like the most boring clothing imaginable—black joggers and black t-shirts. "First, everyone needs to change into these."
Cam picked up one of the shirts, holding it at arm's length like it might bite him. "Seriously? We went from elaborate Halloween costumes to... athletic wear?"
"This is your grand plan?" Sloane's voice dripped with skepticism as he examined a pair of joggers. "We dress like we're going to the gym?"
Fischer raised an eyebrow. "I have to admit, Faris, this is rather anticlimactic after all the buildup."
Bram just shook his head, amber eyes dancing with amusement. "Let him finish. You know there's more."
Faris waved off our criticism with typical dramatic flair. "Trust the process, my gorgeous mates. The boring clothes are merely the foundation."
He reached deeper into the bag, and when his hand emerged, we all went silent. Six identical masks stared back at us—the elongated, twisted face of the Scream killer, complete with the gaping mouth and hollow black eyes.
"Now we're talking," I said, feeling my mood shift entirely. Bagheera perked up with interest.
"Scream masks?" Cam's voice held a note of excitement that he was trying to suppress. "What exactly are we doing with these?"
Faris's grin turned absolutely wicked. "We're going to Magic Stixxx."
"The strip club?" Fischer looked confused.
"Yes!" Faris screeched, and everyone else looked… apprehensive. "But don't worry, it's not a strip clubright now!" Faris bounced on his feet, clearly bursting with excitement, and I released a sigh of relief. "What sweet Fish clearly doesn't know is that Rupert converts Magic Stixxx into a haunted house every year during Halloween season. I just learned about this earlier today, at the Halloween store."
My interest was definitely piqued now. "And?"
"And," Faris continued, his fangs glinting in the shop's lighting, "I called him earlier, paid him to rent the whole thing out for the night. Just for us."
