1
Ford
“Brother!” Solomon yells as he runs up the stairs to the main floor of my house. His breath comes in short pants when he stops by the couch where I’m currently sitting.
“Yes? Did you need something?” I keep my tone calm and casual. That should rile him up.
Instead of taking the bait, he shoves something in my face. I take the thick stock paper from him and my fingers run over the raised design around the edges. “An invitation?”
“Would you just read it?” He practically dances in place.
I turn it over. The invitation is black with orange pumpkins and green vines embossed around the edges. In the middle reads:
Do you dare to join us for a scare the likes of which you cannot bear to miss this Halloween?
Fae wine will be served.
Costumes will be observed.
Dress in your Halloween best.
You’ll be our guest.
We insist you enter the contest.
Lealla and Aries will be the judges.
They don’t hold any grudges.
Magic is not to be used.
Shifting is not excused.
Originality is key.
There won’t be a fee.
Only one will prevail,
While the others will fail.
To entertain the judges with their looks,
This will go down in the books
As the best party ever,
So be sure to be clever.
Join us on Halloween.
It will be quite the frightening scene.
When I look up, Sol is positively beaming with excitement.
“I’m guessing you want to go,” I say.
“Of course, I want to go! How could we not?”
“And you couldn’t have teleported over here to give me this? You had to run from your house to mine?”
Having my brother as my neighbor is a blessing and a curse. I love him. He’s my family and I’d do anything for him, his mate, and their daughter. But when you’re a vampire and have exceptional hearing, you know everything that goes on in the house next door.
The only rooms that are protected in both our homes are the bedrooms. Solomon’s mate is half cheetah shifter/half fae. Well, she has vampire powers too, thanks to Sol gifting them to her via bite. Lilah used her fae magic to put wards in place so nothing can be heard in those spaces. We decided together to leave the rest of the homes open to sound. This way, if fate forbid something bad happens, we can hear and be there with a snap of our fingers.
“You know damn well if I teleported in here, it wouldn’t have been nearly as dramatic as me running over and handing you the invite.”
“How did you even get this? I can’t tell you when the last time I checked my mailbox was.”
“Wake delivered it. He said that one’s for all of us.” Wake is one of our best friends who’s also the son of the Avynwood Pack’s alpha, Aries Raines.
“I’m a little irritated he brought it to you and not me,” I state. I’m not. At all.
Sol crosses his arms and smirks. It’s the same gesture all our friends have titled the Verascue smirk. We both happen to like the term and use it. We’re the most powerful vampire family out there. “We’ve had this conversation. Jealousy isn’t a good look on you.”
“No,” I reply. “It looks much better on you.” Reaching down, I pull an invitation from my side where I tucked it against the couch and wave it at my brother.
He gasps loudly. “No! That lying wolf! How could he?”
Now it’s my turn to smirk. “I told him to. Once the seed was planted, he was totally on board with having some fun with you.”
“And what fun it is,” Wake says as he strides into the room. His dark brown hair is a little longer than it’s been. It’s still short, but he decided to let it grow so his mate has something to hold on to when they’re in bed. Wake’s brown eyes give away how much he enjoys messing with my brother.
“Scoundrel!” Sol yells. “You know what you have to do now, don’t you?”
“Oh, fate, here it comes,” I mutter.
“You both have to wear matching costumes with me to make up for how mean you two just were.”
I jump to my feet. “No! That’s not going to happen. We screw with you all the time and we never have punishments as bad as matching costumes.”
Sol shakes his head. “And here I thought you both loved me. I see how it is. I’ll just have to get my kitten to match me.”
“Lilah’s not going to wear a matching costume with you,” I say. Honestly, I’m not sure if she will or not.
Straightening his spine and lifting his head proudly, he says, “She will because she loves me. Unlike you two.”
Wake slings his arm over my brother’s shoulders. “Awww, chin up, Sol. I’d love to but I can’t. I’ve got matching costumes with Paige and the girls.”
“What are you going to be?” Sol asks with a slight smile. He’s not really mad. Maybe he would have liked us to have matching costumes, but in the end, he’ll do what he wants and dress in whatever he thinks will make him look the best. After all, there’s a contest involved. The Verascues are highly competitive.
“The girls are into unicorns, so Paige found costumes for the family, horns and all. At first, I wasn’t sure about the idea but then she showed me the dress she’s going to wear and yeah, I was on board after that. It’s white and clings to her curves. Hits about mid-thigh. She bought this pink and purple wig. It’s going to be a good night.” He grins.
I snort. “Yeah, once you get the girls into bed after the party.”
“Screw that. I’m handing them off to someone in the pack and making use of the empty house we’ll have. Teleporting has many perks.”
“Dammit!” Sol stomps his foot. “Now I can’t be a unicorn.”
“Was that even in the running?” I ask.
“No, but now that I know I can’t be one, I’m disappointed.”
“You really are a child, brother.”
“I’m the reason you have fun, so stop giving me grief.”
Sol smiles wide all of a sudden.
“What’s that look for?” I ask.
“I just figured out what I’m going to be for Halloween. I’m going to make sure Lilah’s on board because, holy fate, she’d look amazing in what I have planned.”
“I don’t even want to know.” I shake my head. I could try to read his mind and find out; however, his blocking abilities are better than mine.
“Don’t worry, brother. It’s going to be a surprise.”
Just like that, Sol snaps and teleports out of the room. I shouldn’t be shocked with how often he comes and goes. He has a habit of disappearing whenever the mood strikes him, whether he’s mid-conversation or not.
“You’re going, right?” Wake asks me.
“Absolutely. I’m not going to miss a Halloween party. Especially one where my brother may make a huge fool of himself in front of the entire pack and extended family.” Everyone who is close friends with the pack members and their mates is considered part of their family. They don’t care what kind of paranormal you are or if you’re human. If you’re mated or friends with one of us, then you’re in.