Page 65 of Wishing for a Werewolf
And just beyond them is my addition to this year’s event: a temporary corral holding five of our friendliest goats. The sign on the front reads:
Feed me your pumpkin scraps!
I love them!
Babybelle scampers around my feet. “I want to eat pumpkin, too!”
“You better get in there, then.” I body-block the gate to keep the other goats inside as I crack it open so my familiarcan slip into the pen.
“This is such a great idea.” Hannah walks over to give me a hug. “Even if you don’t have anything else to do with the pumpkin carving contest next year, please tell me you’ll bring the goats again.”
“I cannot agree with Mayor Wylde.” Mrs. Greely walks up and jabs her cane toward the pen. “We’ve never had goats at the pumpkin carving contest before.”
“Just because it’s new doesn’t mean it’s not a good idea,” Rune says, smiling at her with his charm setting dialed up to eleven.
That smile’s so effing panty melting it should come with a warning label! I don’t see how she can take the full force of it without swooning or spontaneously combusting. I’m not standing directly in the strike zone, and my thighs have clenched so tightly they could crack walnuts.
“It eliminates unnecessary waste and gives children a way to connect with animals and nature,” he adds. “Those are both valuable lessons for young ones, don’t you agree?”
Mrs. Greely can only stare at him, her mouth opening and closing a few times, before she gives a sharp nod. “All right. We’ll see how it goes.”
Townspeople start arriving, several of them carrying already prepared jack-o’-lanterns they place on the judging table before heading off to Cake My Day or Grounds for Celebration to get a treat while waiting for the contest to begin. Others buy a pumpkin from Lloyd and start carving.
Riselda brings the twins. Now that they can shift into their upright werewolf forms, the protection spell makes all the non-magical humans see them as human children. Runegets them settled in with two small pumpkins, and they use the knives with little finesse but a ton of enthusiasm.
The werepuppies are some of the first to take pumpkin scraps to the goats, giggling with delight as the animals lip the slippery seeds from their wolfy hands.
“Me! Me! Me!” Babybelle bounces, begging for attention, and Astrid crouches to make sure her play-pal gets some of the treats.
Then the twins hurry back to their pumpkins and start carving.
“Doing this is good for them,” Rune murmurs as he joins me. “It’s fun, so they don’t realize it’s making them practice their dexterity.”
“I know!” I snap my fingers. “We can get them some coloring books and crayons. Kids love to color.”
He spears me with his intense golden gaze, his voice serious. “Thank you.”
I wave him off. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s definitely something.” Rune catches my hand, swallowing it in his, his thumb stroking over my knuckles.
I lick my lips, my mouth suddenly dry as my heart races and horny Autumn says, I know what I want that something to be.
Shut up, I hiss at her. We’re in the middle of an effing family event!
She chuckles, low and sultry.
“Autumn, Autumn! Come help me with this!” a mother calls out, the wish swap making her think I’m running this event.
“Come on, big guy.” I hook my arm through Rune’s. “You know if it’s artistic, they actually need you.”
“We’ll do it together.”
God, I love the sound of that.
As the carving continues, the children adore feeding pumpkin scraps to the goats, and Babybelle hams it up every single time anyone comes close. When Edam and Cheddar realize the smaller goat’s getting too many of the spoils, they start pushing forward, adding their own bleats to her begging.
More yells of excitement ring out when the tulips race out of the thicket of bushes they’ve been hiding in to gallop across the green. The rolling pumpkins follow, little faces spinning past in a blur as they pick up speed.
