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“Or I could take care of you right here and now in the backseat, satiating you to hold you over, dirty girl,” Leo says, stretching his arm to caress his fingers along her leg to her thigh.
She snatches his hand and links their fingers together, not even caring about the fake blood on his costume. “Don’t even start. I am feeling...especially antsy.”
I unbuckle my seatbelt and fling my door open. “Then perhaps some fresh air will do, amore. I have the perfect place to take you.”
“Jonah and I will have to catch up with you later. We’re representing Clearwater University and judging the pumpkin carving contest.” Adrian opens the side door, stepping out before offering his hand to Scarlett. He sets a gaudy fake crown on his head and grabs his scepter from the floor, tapping it to the ground like a king.
I walk around the hood and pick her up, spinning her around to make her laugh. I’ll do anything to see her smile. I know the last couple of days have been rough, and she can use some fun before the start of the week and Monday blues. That’s why I don’t teach on Mondays.
Leo pats my back, fixing my cape. “Take good care of our girl. I want to hear all about her fun time later. I signed up to haunt the corn maze. I know of a good dead end if you want to bring Scarlett for a quickie.”
I scoff and shake my head, chuckling. “I think I could handle such a task.”
He play-growls. “But I could make it doubly fun.”
Scarlett groans at his words, her lust so strong it’s nearly tangible. I swat him, getting him to step back. The five of us risk going into rut as Scarlett’s heat approaches, and it makes us more aggressive. Irrational and volatile when it comes to others outside of us. I know Dominic is already facing the effects, especially when he told us that he punched a former colleague in the face.
Knowing that Paul is also Chaz’s uncle doesn’t help the situation. We’re just lucky we keep tabs on the many packs within Pack Clearwater’s Territory. It’s the one thing that keeps things easier to hide unless we blatantly announce things ourselves. I wouldn’t usually agree to blackmail, but I’m at a point in my life where I will stop at nothing to protect my future wife.
We just have to get through the next couple of weeks. Christmas break and a new semester will start soon enough.
“Ezra,” Scarlett says, her voice soft. “If we keep standing here, I’m going to pull you back to the car. You said there’s something you wanted us to do?” Running her hands over her arms, she pushes the cold away.
Jonah helps Scarlett with her wings before putting his aviator sunglasses on to go with his fake cop uniform that he added grammar police to. It’s the nerdiest thing I’ve ever seen, but Scarlett laughed so much that I couldn’t help appreciating the humor of it.
The others part ways, masking up in monstrous costumes, leaving me alone with Scarlett. I’m the only one who didn’t volunteer to help out with one of the booths or contests because it’s just not my thing. Plus, I didn’t want Scarlett to be alone. I got lucky that the Fall Carnival fell on my night. I’m not one of the most popular professors on campus, so I don’t worry about getting recognized. Not like Dominic. Maybe even Jonah. My specialty in art history isn’t of many students’ interests apart from a credit to fulfill.
I smile at Scarlett, and she tucks her arm into the crook of my elbow, strolling beside me. She wears more makeup than usual, her pouty mouth a beautiful shade of burgundy that complements her hair. Fake gemstones glitter along her eyebrows, and I poke the tip of her fake pointed ear, glittering with real diamonds on her lobes.
“How about we warm up with some hot chocolate first and then ride on the Ferris wheel? It has an amazing view on the pier.”
A couple of young children screech and laugh, rushing past us and toward the walkway heading to the main street of the downtown area of Northern Clearwater. Bright lights string along the trees, glowing like stars descended to Earth. Haunting music fills the air, and I pull up my Phantom of the Opera mask, securing it on my face. That’s the great thing about the Fall Carnival. Everyone dresses up. Scarlett has nothing to worry about when it comes to being recognized.
She strokes her fingers along my cape and up to touch the mask. Her eyes light up, her excitement obvious. Fake smoke fills the air as we pass the entrance to the corn maze, growing across from the strip of shops. Clearwater might be the only area that has farmlands that reach near the ocean. It’s what keeps our people thriving as well, because we don’t have to import a lot of food.
A collection of scents mingles around us, drawing my attention to the food booths set up on the closed-down street. I beeline right for the coffee stand Beach Brew has set up on this end to help keep the guests warm without having to go to the shop. An unfamiliar girl mans the stand, and I order hot chocolate for Scarlett and me, adding an extra tip for the barista.
“I didn’t get to come to this carnival last year. My mom made me go home for the Fall Ball because that’s where a lot of omegas meet alphas with Pack Carlisle. They come from all over.” Scarlett sips her hot chocolate, the frothy whipped cream getting on her nose.
I stop her, leaning in to brush my lips to the sweet flavor, kissing the tip of her nose before holding my lips to her mouth, wanting nothing more than to give her some affection.
“I’m glad it didn’t work out, to be honest. We haven’t been to a ball in years. Adrian preferred to look at options in the omega database instead. We’d have kind of stuck out anyway.” I nudge Scarlett to move again and point out a couple of the storefront windows, plastered with fake bats and party streamers. None of them compare to the art piece she painted for Ms. Sandy.
“Isn’t that the point? To get attention?” Scarlett smiles at me, fluttering her long eyelashes. “You’d have stolen mine.”
“Amore, what I wouldn’t give to have met you even a year sooner.” I clasp her hand, drinking her in as she smiles and laughs, pointing out different Halloween decorations. She tells me about how she used to beg her mom to buy stuff after the holiday for birthday decorations in November. For being such a kind soul, Scarlett enjoys the darker things in life, seeing beauty where others find fear. Only a special kind of person can still find light within the morbid, and I respect her for it.
“Look, there isn’t a line.” I point at the Ferris wheel on the huge boardwalk pier. Waves crash along the shore, the hum of the ocean roaring over the deep tones of an organ pounding out a creepy melody through the speakers.
Scarlett’s eyes sparkle in the red lights, and she pulls me forward only to stop short when an ear-piercing scream rips through the air. A person in a costume with a fake chainsaw pops out in front of us, startling Scarlett. She screeches and laughs, ducking behind me to use me as a shield. Her closeness sets me off, and I spin and scoop her into my arms, letting her cling to me.
“I think we should go into the haunted house instead, amore.” I chuckle and shift my mask, nuzzling my nose to the crook of her neck, kissing her hair.
“Only if you carry me if I get too scared,” Scarlett says, pulling back. “My heart’s still racing.”
“Amore, I never planned to put you down.” I spin her around, sending her wings fluttering.
She shivers with the caress of cool air, and I don’t set her on her feet until she squirms and wiggles, playfully fighting against my hold the second we enter the pop-up haunted house. I wouldn’t describe it as scary, but Scarlett startles every time something or someone pops out to jump-scare us. And I love hearing her laughter. Feeling her arms squeeze around me. She knows she doesn’t need me to protect her, but she craves it anyway.
