Page 17 of Emerald Treats
"She's distracted by Halloween excitement. She'd believe anything tonight. She's wearing the same thing as us,for now."
As I slipped into the black t-shirt, I caught my reflection in the shop's window. The sexy black cat costume had been a favorite, for sure, but the mood had completely switched, and this outfit fit the bill. The dark clothing made me look more predatory, more dangerous. Perfect for what we had planned.
"One more thing," Faris added as we all finished changing. "Remember, this only works if she can run."
I grinned, feeling Bagheera's anticipation surge through me. "Don't worry, Faris. She can run all she wants."
"Good." His fangs were fully extended now. "Because the chase is half the fun."
When Saige emerged from the back room, I felt my breath catch in my throat. The simple black outfit—fitted joggers and a snug t-shirt—shouldn't have been particularly striking, but on her it was devastating. The way the fabric hugged her curves, how her auburn curls fell over her shoulders against the dark material... I didn't even try to hide my purr.
But it was her face that really got to me. Those emerald eyes swept over all of us, taking in our matching outfits, and I watched her expression shift from curiosity to something more knowing. Her lips parted slightly, and I caught the exact moment she sensed the change in energy.
"Well," she said, her voice carrying that husky note that always made my pulse spike, "the mood has certainly shifted."
"Has it?" Faris asked innocently, though his fangs were still partially extended. "I have no idea what you mean, Firefly."
Saige's gaze moved slowly from one of us to the next, lingering on each face. When those green eyes met mine, I let just a hint of Bagheera show through, my eyes flashing yellow—enough to make her pupils dilate.
"Uh-huh," she murmured, clearly not buying Faris's innocent act for a second. "Is someone going to tell me what this is about? And why are we all wearing matching clothes?"
"Dinner," Cam said simply, though his voice had dropped to that authoritative rumble that always made her squirm. "We're getting dinner."
"Just dinner?" She stepped closer to him, running her fingers along his forearm. Even from a distance, I could see him tense. "Because it feels like there's something else happening here."
“Nope, nothing happening here, Firefly!” Faris interjected. “We’re simply getting some food.”
Bram moved behind her, not ready to squash the building tension. "What makes you think something else is happening, Goldie?"
The way she shivered at his proximity had all of us shifting restlessly. The air in the shop was practically crackling with tension now. Faris put his face in his hands, he knew how dangerous of a situation we were in right now.
"Call it intuition," she breathed, turning slightly toward Bram while keeping one hand on Cam's arm.
Sloane cleared his throat roughly. "If we're getting food, we should go. Before..." He didn't finish the sentence, but we all knew what he meant. Before we said fuck it to the plan and fucked her instead, right here.
"Before what?" Saige asked, that wicked smile playing on her lips.
"Before we ruin the surprise," I growled, unable to help myself.
Her eyes lit up with pure delight as Bram ushered her out the door. "I knew it."
She knew nothing. But she was about to find out.
Chapter 9
Fischer
Iwas happily sandwiched between Saige and Sloane in the third row of the SUV as Cam drove us through town, the heater chasing away the October chill.
When we pulled up to Wok n’ Roll, Faris jumped out with supernatural speed to grab our order. He'd called it in hours ago, which should have been Saige's first clue that tonight wasn't just about dinner.
"Wait," Saige said, frowning adorably as Faris loaded several paper bags into the trunk. "I thought we were going inside to eat?"
"Don't worry about it," Sloane grumbled, but I could sense the anticipation rolling off him despite his scowl.
I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Trust us, sweetheart. We have plans."
Faris handed out containers once he was back behind the wheel. "Start eating! Can't have our girl getting hangry before the real fun begins."
