Page 5 of Trick Knot Treat

Spiders and ghosts suddenly fall and swing toward the crowd. Everyone screams, then cheers as they spin around, and orange and yellow lights flash.

“WELCOME to Trick Knot Treat, where your matches are just a scare away. This time, we will be testing your ability to trust your matches, work with them, and become teams. It is the fundamentals of being a pack. Communication, understanding, empathy, consideration. If you have these, love and a deliciously scary ever after will come easily.”

Smoke bombs go off, and a seagull cackles evilly. Its silhouette transforms into a rising shadow in the confusion, and more than one person screams at the terrifying visage.

Cordelia has joined Sofia, and the two of them are being held up by their alphas. I don’t hold out much hope for a successful event with the way they are all making a joke out of it.

“What the fuck is that?” Lorelei mutters, then eeps when she realises the microphone is still on.

“Hey, Mama Sol?”

She turns really slowly and looks at Clint. I follow her gaze, my heart beating just a little faster.

Clint McGowen has broad shoulders, messy sandy blond hair and blue-grey eyes, but it’s his personality that sets him apart from everyone else. He is one of kindest, most amusing, and generous alphas I have ever seen in any walk of my life. Stopping what he’s doing to help people is him, he’s quick with a joke, and his smile and laugh are infectious.

I have only seen him a few times, but he makes my inner omega sit up and pay attention. He’s the kind of person that could make me swoon with a wink or a wave.

“Clint!” she says as if he’s her enemy.

“I’m just wondering if we’re going to get a dance to go with the songs? Or if you know, you might want to get on with it while we’re young?”

“You signed up for-”

“I didn’t actually, you blackmailed me.”

Lorelei opens her mouth and closes it with a snap. “You need someone to keep you out of trouble.”

“And fed.”

“I knew it! It always comes back to food with you! We could be talking about space, and you’d find a-”

“Mmm, moon pie-”

“See!” she shouts, glaring at him. “I will not let you lead me into that sinkhole, not this time, not today.”

Clint smiles back smugly.

Lorelei pops her head up and turns red, realising she’s falling into his trap again.

“Come and get your rock, Clint.”

He stomps up, grabs a rock, and disappears into the crowd. Another incredibly handsome alpha goes up after him without being called. He stares at Clint before going in the opposite direction.

I exhale roughly.

Jace Harmody is tall with a posture more suited to a ballroom dancer than a cop. He’s got dark hair with the tips dyed silver. He is always neat and tidy and completely respectable. I’ve never spoken to him, but all I’ve heard is good things and that he is Clint’s stepbrother. The only other piece of information I have is that he and Clint are supposedly in love but forbidden from being together, and judging by that look, those rumours have hit the nail on the head.

The angst is real.

A seagull sits on the roof, and it watches them both as they retreat and disappear into the crowd. Weird.

“Zaire!”

He goes up, his face locked into a grumpy mask.

Lorelei smiles tightly at him.

“Asher.”