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He said it as if this was no big deal, but it was everything. No one had ever tried to stand up to my family. I had been forced to accept that my brother was simply the one who mattered to my parents. I only mattered in regards to what they could use me for.

With my pack, the three most incredible men I’d ever met, I knew where I stood. They didn’t care about what I could do for them. They just wanted to be healthy, safe, and happy.

Simply being around me made me all of those things.

We’d figure out the rest, together.

Halloween Night

My fingers ran over the cold metal of the mirror’s handle before I curled my hand around it and picked it up. I let my magic dance over my skin and into the mirror, focusing on the future.

Nothing. Simply my reflection.

With my brother’s magic locked down the mirror was simply… a mirror.

Unable to look at it anymore I put it inside the drawer of my vanity and shoved it all the way to the back. I couldn’t seem to get rid of it but obsessing about it was over and done with.

I had a pack to focus on. In that past week we’d spent our days going about normal life. Dorian found a job with the city working in the forest while Rook kept up pretenses at the magistrate.

Merrick and I worked in my shop. He’d overhauled nearly every system I had in place. It was no longer cluttered, but organized and easy to navigate. Nearly every repeat customer I had was raving about it. I was trying not to take offense at that.

Our nights were spent cooking together in the kitchen and eating and just getting to know each other. The brothers told stories about growing up together, Merrick always manned the music so we would sing along as we cooked.

The henfather still tended the now-normal-sized chickens. Right now they were charmed to look like tiny dinosaurs, but the witch over at the feed store promised it was temporary.

Halloween had finally descended on Moonlit Grove. Every house and business was decorated with every flavor of holiday flare. Mine and Dorian’s houses both had big spider webs and charmed spiders that scurried over them.

“Prue! He’s back!” Merrick called up to me. I finished the final swipe of black eyeliner on my cheeks and adjusted my cat ears before heading down to join them. It was early evening so we were kicking off Halloween night with Jack-O-Lanterns before the big Halloween Bash in town.

The magistrate was uneasy, but after the embarrassment of letting my brother do what he had, they had little choice. There might be an influx of guards, but the local meeting hall was being transformed into one big party.

“Hey, witchling,” Merrick greeted, eyes dancing with humor as he took in my appearance. “No more Sabrina for you, Salem.”

I was just impressed he got the costume reference. I didn’t exactly choose the sassy black cat from the old 90s show, but a nod to all familiars.

“You better get ready,” I reminded him. He waved me off, though.

“No worries, that’s for after. I wouldn't be able to move as easily to make our pumpkins,” he said, keeping it vague even now.

“Have your secrets, beta,” I scoffed playfully. It was truly killing me trying to guess what he chose as his costume.

Especially after we all vetoed Rook’s pack costume idea. I was absolutely not going as a Smurf this year.

My luck I’d remain blue for years to come. This curse might be a bit more tame lately, but no less chaotic when it did strike.

My phone rang, cutting off our conversation. When I saw Blake’s face on the screen I answered quickly.

“Hey, kitty cat,” she sang out. My bestie was still smiling even after the week she’d had. I was just glad to see the bruising fading. Thank the gods for modern medical magic.

“Looking good, scarecrow,” I shot back, taking in her adorable floppy burlap hat and overalls. She had painted on freckles and a black nose. Her red hair was short and flared out, completing the look.

“Thanks,” she said, setting the phone down and stepping back to show the patchwork on her overalls and the flare of hay glued to the ends of her shirt and cuffs of her pants. It was honestly adorable on her. “I have a good feeling about tonight.”

“Good, because this town deserves some good,” I said, latching onto her optimism. “Are we meeting outside the meeting hall at seven?”

“Yes,” she said. “I was just making sure you were still coming and not hiding away with that new pack of yours.”

“Never,” I said as I waved a hand in the air to dismiss it. “It’s Halloween. We never hide on nights like this.”