Wicked Love

by Michelle Dare

  This is it. I finally get to reveal my hard work.

  “I’m so excited,” I say in a high-pitched tone. I hope my costume is original enough. I’m not sure if it is. I took a leap here. Lilah went for sexy. Jupiter is cute. And I’m, well, hopefully the freaking winner.

  We open the front door and step into the entryway of the home. The beige marble floor sparkles as the light from the large crystal chandelier above bounces off it. It must have just been polished. Lealla likes to keep the home clean, even if it will be destroyed at some point tonight. Luckily, there will be multiple members of the fae here to easily use their magic to fix things.

  “I’m not here to be your personal cleanup crew,” Lilah says in my mind.

  “I know you’re not, kitten, but you have to admit it’s a handy ability to have around me.”

  “That it is. If you could only stay out of trouble for a day or even an hour. What a novelty that would be.”

  “Is that sarcasm I hear in your tone?”

  Lilah chuckles in my mind. “As if I have to tell you.”

  “I’m not sure I like it. I’m going to have to find my friends and leave you here with the others. You’ll miss my gorgeous body.”

  “There’s a hardship, especially when you look like you do.”

  “Okay, you have a point there. I can see how this particular costume wouldn’t turn you on. In fact, I hope to fate it doesn’t or we’re going to need to have words.”

  “Oh. My. Vampires!” Ariane’s voice rings out in the home.

  I glance up and see her coming down the stairs. I have to do a double take. Ari is dressed just like Belle from Beauty and the Beast. I only know the movie so well because of the times we’ve babysat her four-year-old adopted daughter, Phoenix. We’ve watched it on repeat. And not once have we minded. That poor girl missed out on a lot before she came to live with Ari and Rion. I’ll give her whatever she wants.

  Ari’s jet-black hair is pulled up with some of it still hanging down to frame her face. She’s beautiful in a golden ball gown, complete with matching gloves that come up her arms. And behind her is her mate. Orion Raines is one sexy male. You’d have to be blind not to see how gorgeous they are together.

  Rion’s wearing a navy suit with gold lapels. The jacket has tails that go down the backs of his legs. There’s a white ruffled shirt over the expanse of his chest.

  “I approve.” I smile. “You both look stunning.”

  Ari gets to the bottom of the stairs and smiles. “It was all Phoenix’s idea. Since this is her first Halloween with us, we told her she gets to pick what we wear. My mom made this from scratch.” Ari twirls and the dress puffs out from her waist. “Can you believe it? I may wear this all week.”

  Rion steps up behind his mate and wraps his arms around her. He hums quietly, “I’d like that, little mouse. You’re breathtaking.” Then he lifts his eyes to mine. “But you, Sol, I’m not sure what to say.” He chuckles.

  “Just say I’m fabulous and we’ll be good.”

  Ari looks me over from head to toe. “I think you nailed the look. Does he know you dressed like this?”

  “Absolutely not. I’ve kept my mind block up at all times and only spoke of what I’m wearing in the rooms that are soundproof.”

  “What in the fate is that?” I hear my brother yell behind me. I spin and grin so freaking wide I’m surprised my face doesn’t split in two. “You can’t be serious, brother!”

  “Oh, but I am.” I shove my hands in the pockets of my coat, rock back on my heels, and wait for him to do a full lap around me.

  “You’re unbelievable!”

  “I know! I’m glad you finally recognize it.” I can’t help it. After all the costume ideas that floated in and out of my head, this one stuck. We were told to be original. Couldn’t use magic and none of the shifters are allowed to shift and be their animals. But this I could easily do.

  “Is that my coat?” Ford asks, still gaping at me.

  “Nope. That thing wouldn’t fit me. I’m more muscular than you.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “Just admit it, brother. I look better than you do in this.”

  Sienna steps forward and busts out laughing. “That’s freaking fantastic!” She pulls her phone out of the breast of her Victorian dress. “I have to get a picture of this.”

  I keep my hands in the pockets and put on the famous Verascue smirk.

  “Perfect!” she smiles.

  That’s right. I dressed as my brother for Halloween. I even went to the son of the man who custom-made Ford’s trench coat in Italy so I could get the same material and same exact style. Of course, the male who made my brother’s is retired, but his son made a perfect replica with my measurements. Then all I needed to do was find a pair of black boots like Ford’s, a pair of jeans, which I haphazardly tucked into the boots, and a black T-shirt. Oh, and I used some wash-in dye to get my light blond hair to match my brother’s brown hair. After a few washes it will be gone. I didn’t have to find contacts to alter my eye color. Ford and I have the same grey eyes. I hope this costume is enough to get me the win.

  I take a moment to look my brother up and down. His costume matches his mate’s. Ford has on a black jacket with intricately embroidered silver over it. It’s cut to accentuate his waist and fits well over his arms. There’s a matching black embroidered vest beneath it and a black shirt under that. Black pants and shoes match as well. To complete the outfit, he has a top hat and a cane.

  Sienna’s dress is a dark shade of teal with short sleeves that come off the shoulders onto the arms. The gold embroidery along the sleeves, corseted waist, and lower on the wide skirt is impressive. It looks authentic, like they traveled back in time and got it from then. But that’s impossible. Time travel doesn’t exist.

  “Where did you find those outfits?” Lilah asks. “They’re exquisite.”

  “Mother and Father’s storage,” Ford replies. “Would you believe she still hangs on to outfits from different eras. We had to find a seamstress to make alterations. You can’t replicate this kind of detail and, knowing our parents, these are one of a kind.”

  I’m a little irritated at myself for not thinking of that. Our parents probably have a ton of vintage clothes. They’re four thousand years old. I really should have thought much further out of the box. Now I have some solid competition

  3

  Ford

  As more and more paranormals arrive, we end up moving the party to the massive ballroom turned game room. But the games were removed, and the room is back to what it once was. There’s someone playing music. Nothing somber but also nothing too upbeat. It’s Halloween after all. Got to keep the mood right.

  Purple lights cast colorful shadows around the room, while the recessed lights have been dimmed to make the room darker. There are stars on the ceiling. Little twinkling lights which flicker and dance as if they’re real. I have no doubt magic was used there. We may not be able to use it on our costumes, but magical decorations are fair game.

  Long, thin spiderwebs span the length of the room with small spiders on them and appear as if they climb the walls. There are tables of refreshments and food. Fae wine is in a different section with a counter much higher than the others so little fingers can’t get their hands on it.

  Kids of all ages run about the room in their costumes. It’s something else I love about the Avynwood Pack. There’s a solid sense of family here. One where I can show up, love on the kids, and leave them with their parents while I escape before the meltdowns and sibling fights begin.

  Okay, so maybe I start some of the fights, but that’s between the adults, not the kids. It’s almost like every one of the children in the pack are brothers and sisters the way they argue. You can tell by their looks they’re from different bloodlines, but the fighting makes them seem related. And fate, do they go at each other.

  The adult costumes are all over the place. Most of the females dress on the sexier side, while I’m sure the m
ales’ costumes had to be custom made. Paranormal males tend to be larger than humans. Broader, more muscular. They wouldn’t fit in costumes bought off the rack.

  Aries, the pack’s alpha, is dressed as a zombie football player with blood dripping from his mouth while Cassandra, his mate, is a referee in a short, black skirt and a tight, black-and-white striped top. There is fake blood running the length of her body and it appears like there is a chunk of her head missing. It could be real blood for all I know. We heal fast. Shifters just need to shift a few times. Vampires and fae heal immediately. So they could have used real blood. Though, Aries is judging the costume contest. I’m not sure if he’d go through the trouble to have real blood if he’s not in the running. I’m almost afraid to ask.

  Lealla walks to the front of the room and motions for everyone to be quiet. She’s dressed in a deep crimson dress that is a little tighter on top then flows into a skirt that goes to her feet. Per usual, her feet are bare. She doesn’t seem to like shoes. Or socks for that matter.

  The female is the one who brought the pack together. Who paid for this home they live in. She’s an author who took their lives and turned them into a best-selling series readers can’t get enough of. With the pack’s permission, of course.

  What the humans don’t know is most of Lealla’s books are real. They think she has an amazing imagination and she does, but those stories are true. Sure, there are some aspects which are made up for the sake of the stories. But this female is crazy talented and one of the sweetest beings in existence.

  “Thank you all for coming,” she says, once she has the room’s attention. “I’ve got to say, your costumes are nothing like I expected. I figured we’d get some original ideas, but you’ve blown me away. It’s going to be hard for Aries and me to pick the best one. But we will. We’re going to mingle and observe. We have to make sure your costumes are authentic.

  “Ford, Solomon, Carter, Cash, don’t think we aren’t watching you. There are too many things that could get ruined tonight. If the four of you start fighting, I’m booting you right out and you forfeit your entry into the contest.”

  My brother gasps. I can hear it clear across the room. “That’s not fair. I worked hard on this.”

  Lealla gives him a pointed glare. “Then work harder to keep your hands to yourself and be on your best behavior.”

  “Have you seen Lilah? There’s no way I can keep my hands off her. We’re lucky I haven’t pulled her into another room and ravaged her by now.”

  Lealla rolls her eyes. Thanks to my fantastic vision, I don’t miss a thing, even in the darkened room. “Solomon, you know what I mean. And you won’t be the only couple to sneak off.”

  “I thought we were more stealthy than we were,” Desmond says to his mate, Josephine, and leans over to kiss her.

  She chuckles. “I wasn’t exactly quiet.”

  “No, you weren’t,” Dante cuts in. He’s the pack’s beta. Gruff, angry a lot of the time, however, he has a good heart. I won’t admit that to his face, though. He’s his calmest around his mate and son.

  I give the male a once-over and notice he’s dressed like a tree, complete with bark and bushy, fall leaves on the top of his head. He turns slightly and I notice the pack’s cat with its nails dug into the side of his abdomen. Thorn has grown and is a decent size. The calico cat loves living here but is particular to Dante, Mira, and Kaine. Kaine was the one who found him after all.

  “Anyway,” Lealla says, getting back on track. “We hope to make this an annual tradition like our Christmas party. With all that goes on in our pack, lives lost, danger around every corner it seems, we want to be sure to celebrate when we can. To take a night off to smile, laugh, and love. To be grateful for what we have.

  “Enjoy the evening. Show off those costumes you worked so hard on. And if you see a fight break out, drag them by their scruff out the door and give them a swift kick. There will be none of that tonight.” She turns and looks at me, my brother, Carter, and Cash. Lealla is well aware who starts the fights around here. I’ll have to resist the next time my brother says something to rile me up. It won’t be easy.

  Carter and Cash are blood brothers who came to the pack with their other brother, Cace. All wolf shifters. Cace was killed as well as his mate, Lena. The remaining brothers haven’t been the same since. Yes, they’re still fun loving, like always, but I catch them at times with faraway looks, and I know it has everything to do with the brother they lost. I imagine that leaves a hole in someone that can never be repaired.

  For all the times and hell I’ve been through with Solomon, losing him would gut me. He’s a big part of my life. Someone who would lay his life on the line if it meant saving me or my mate. I’d do the same for him and his family. We’re more than brothers. More than two vampires who live next door to each other. We’re tight. We love each other with a fierceness and protectiveness like no other. Family is a huge part of our lives, whether it’s the one we’re born into or the one we create with those around us.

  There are days when I want to strangle my brother. To cut off his air supply just to see him struggle. He gets under my skin that much. But I could never do permanent harm to him. For all his quirks, his need to be the center of attention and be unapologetically himself—which I do happen to love—he has a huge heart. He doesn’t always let on how much he cares, but I see it. I recognize that side of him.

  Sienna and I make our way deeper into the center of the room. Paranormals are everywhere. Some are dancing. Some are in small groups talking. There are others who seem content to stand on the sidelines. Camden, one of the pack’s unmated males, appears like it’s his job to hold up the wall. He’s dressed in black tactical gear, with a sniper rifle over one shoulder. I wonder if it’s loaded. I do a quick scan of his mind and find out it’s not. He was worried one of the kids may try to grab it. Smart male.

  There’s a lot to Camden I haven’t figured out. He keeps to himself a lot of times but doesn’t hesitate to jump in when things get out of hand. He’s a good male. He just needs to find his mate and let someone in.

  A hand claps me on the back. I turn and find Keene standing beside me. He’s a bear shifter and alpha of the clan in the Avynwood Forest. His black hair is a ruffled mess. I glance down and see he’s wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs. Keene isn’t a small male. Six and a half feet tall and a wall of muscle. Then I notice the small, dark brown, stuffed bear tucked under his arm.

  I laugh. “That is so not what I’d expect you to wear.”

  Keene smiles. He can be very serious, so I love seeing the lighter side of him. “I didn’t know what to wear. I figured I couldn’t go wrong with this.”

  “It’s definitely something.”

  Glancing over his shoulder, I find Dax, a member of Keene’s clan. He looks murderous and doesn’t appear to have dressed up. He’s wearing a pair of jeans that are ripped in one knee and a tight black T-shirt, which stretches across his chest to the point I can almost hear the fibers scream as they try to hold the shirt together. He’s as tall and muscular as Keene but has brown hair.

  Instead of speaking out loud, I talk to Keene with my mind. No, he can’t respond that way since he doesn’t have the ability, but he can hear me. “Seems you have an angry bear shifter behind you.”

  Keene nods.

  “Are you going to do something about that? If I’m not mistaken, that male doesn’t like you walking around with such little clothing on.”

  Keene smirks and his thoughts float to me.

  “Oh, I get it.” I smile. “You did this on purpose. Have you finally realized who he is to you?”

  He shrugs.

  “You two are terrible. One touch and you’d know if you’re mates. I don’t understand why the hesitation.” I hold up my hand before he tries to say something he may not want Dax to hear. The room is filled with noise but paranormals have excellent hearing. It would be easy for Dax to pick up every word Keene says. “I don’t know his history, no
r all of yours for that matter,” I state. “But I can tell you from experience, don’t wait. Don’t keep everything to yourself. I lost Sienna once. I made sure not to do it again. I also don’t need to give you the fate speech. You’ll end up where you’re meant to be. Since Dax came into your life, that’s been toward him. Work through your issues. For both of you.”

  Keene nods again then does the last thing I expect and pulls me into a hug. I’m not a small male, but this bear shifter smothers me close to suffocation before he releases me.

  “Thank you,” he mouths, then turns and walks in the opposite direction of Dax.

  Dax doesn’t follow Keene, but if he could sever my head from my body in this moment, he would.

  Then someone steps between us with their back to me. Someone who’s wearing a coat that looks just like my signature one.

  “Knock it off,” I hear Sol say, low and deadly.

  I walk to his side and glance over at my brother. He’s let his fangs descend with his eyes on Dax. Well, this is interesting.

  Placing a hand on Sol’s arm, I say, “It’s fine, brother. He has just cause for the way he’s looking at me.”

  Sol turns to me and searches my eyes. I let the block in my mind down so he can easily see everything that just happened with Keene and me. He faces Dax again and clucks his tongue. “While you may think this hatred of my brother is justified, remember he’s mated. And bear shifter or not, I’m stronger than you are. I heal faster. And I have way more life experience. You step wrongly toward Ford, and Avynwood Clan or not, I’ll end you.”

  Dax narrows his eyes then nods before spinning and getting lost in the crowd.