“Uh huh, but can’t you make yourself look like the real Yoda?” I question, walking further into the room and away from the door. I can at least attempt to not look crazy as I have a one-sided conversation with empty air. The guys follow, Connor hovering close by in case I topple over.
Felix tips his head side to side. “Probably, but that’d be weird.”
“Yes, and ghostly rubber mask, much better,” I laugh.
“Exactly!” he cheers.
I shake my head and stop, I believe, near the stairs, though my view is blocked by a massive movie grade wall that makes it look like the crossroads lead into a spooky town in the distance.
Before I can ask what we should do now, I’m startled again when Nolan pops out of who-knows-where and taps me on the shoulder.
“Jesus, I’m putting bells on the lot of you,” I exclaim then give a squinty glare at the rest of the guys, who I’m positive saw him coming and didn’t say anything. Their innocent expressions don’t fool me.
“Callie love, you look absolutely stunning,” Nolan compliments, then he holds out his wrists together. “Feel free to tie me up and take me back to your island, great Amazon. I’m happy to surrender.”
“Wonder Woman is a demi-goddess, actually,” I correct, not sure what Nolan is supposed to be other than in a lot of leather. He kind of looks like a blonde version of Donovan’s costume.
Only Felix acknowledges my comment, answering with a nod of approval.
Donovan instead ribs Nolan, joking, “I’m sure that’s not all you’d be happy to do.”
Nolan gives a subtle bow of his head, replying, “What can I say? I’d be a talented man-servant.”
“As long as you didn’t have to do any actual servant chores,” he chuckles, then motions with his thumb toward wherever the loud music is coming from. “Happy Birthday, dude. I’m going to go dance.”
“Thanks,” Nolan replies with a two-finger wave.
Donovan grabs the back of Kaleb’s costume and drags him along, muttering, “I’m tired of living with a boy scout. You’re going to act like a fucking normal teenager tonight. Dance. Talk to a girl. Have fun. Not be you.”
Kaleb shrugs him off, grumbling, “You say that, but more people like me than you, so clearly I’m doing something right. And I talk to women all the time.”
“And yet your only girlfriend has been the Stepford wife,” Donovan taunts as they make their way across the foyer.
“That’s by choice, not due to lack of options,” he replies smoothly. “And how many girlfriends have you had again?”
“Depends what you consider a girlfriend,” he leers.
“Sometimes I wonder why I even engage with you. Might as well be talking to a dog in heat,” Kaleb laments.
“Don’t worry, I’m an excellent wingman,” he assures, ignoring the previous comment. “You’ll be drowning in girls by the time the night is through.”
“I don’t need a wingman,” Kaleb insists. “If I wanted another girlfriend, I’d have one.”
Donovan drops a heavy hand on Kaleb’s shoulder, and the last thing I see before they’re gone is Donovan grinning while he threatens, “If you don’t try, you’ll have a real winged man as your wingman.”
Another blush starts from the tips of my toes to the top of my head as the memory of Kaleb’s lips against my skin conga lines across my brain. There have been no new close calls since. Instead, he’s been more physically reserved around me like he’s making sure that the friendship line has a clearly painted divide. Personality is the same, so I don’t feel like I’ve broken anything, but I miss the invitations to hold his hand and more than a quick hug goodbye.
A girl dressed as a black cat strolls out from the direction Donovan and Kaleb headed toward, and her bright blue eyes widen when her gaze lands on Connor. It’s by his reaction to her, stiffened muscles and a hard shake of his head, that I’m able to place her. She was the girl from the last party I went to. The one that sat down next to him and made a point that he was the Alpha’s son.Sam. Her name is Sam. And she’s another wolf shifter.
Sam’s attention moves from Connor to me, a scathing look taking over her face as her gaze slowly slides up my form.And it seems she doesn’t like me. Well, she can take a number and get in line. A lot of people don’t like me.
A low growl rumbles from Connor, and her pale skin flushes red with anger. She flashes her teeth with a snarl, flips him off, and walks back the way she came.
Ooookay.
Connor sighs, drops a hand on Nolan’s shoulder, mutters, “Feliz cumpleaños,” then follows the sign that leads toward food.
“I’m going to follow him,” Felix announces slowly stepping away. “The one thing I can get Connor to talk about is food.” Musing to himself, he adds, “I wonder how many full sentences I can get him to say.”
