Chapter 5 Kady #2
I stand in front of Delilah’s full-length mirror, repositioning the silver tiara on my head.
My black, slim-fitting dress is floor-length with a slit up the side and has a glow-in-the-dark skeleton design over it.
Faye hands me the Stella sacred balm for me to rub a tiny amount on my pulse points before applying it to herself.
We always wear it on nights out as an extra layer of protection and to help us find each other easily in the crowd by scent alone.
“What do you think?” With her arms above her head, Sabs grins to reveal pointed fangs. “Too much?”
Behind her, Delilah is puffing, pulling the two threads of Sabs’s corset together. “Your boobs don’t fit in this!”
“Let me help.” Faye steps in.
Somehow, with a few tugs and heaves, the two of them manage to coax Sabs’s big boobs into it.
“Perfect!” Sabs smiles, making a few adjustments to make sure her nipples aren’t peeking out while Delilah and Faye are left panting.
Delilah wipes her brow. “Can you even breathe in that?”
“Enough,” Sabs replies victoriously. “I’m going for a vampire burlesque vibe. Really, I just wanted an excuse to wear this corset.”
She looks incredible. Her black corset is encrusted with crimson jewels and shows off her hourglass figure.
Her short, garnet-colored sequin tutu displays her long legs, paired with black knee-high boots that look primed to kick any asshole alphas who get in her way.
She’s crimped her red hair and clipped in mini black bats throughout her waves.
She also has a black bat-shaped eye mask and a drip of fake blood down her chin to add to the outfit.
While Sabs looks like a femme fatale, Delilah is her opposite.
She’s dressed like a cute pumpkin in a patchwork-style dress in various orange hues with raggedy edges.
Her green beret has a little stalk pointing up and balances precariously on top of her thick curls.
Her mask is made from an actual pumpkin that she expertly carved to shape her face, with delicate grooves and patterns cut throughout.
“I don’t think I could pull off anything that looks like that.” Faye motions to Sabs. She’s dressed as a gothic Princess Peach in a blush-pink gown with a high lace collar and black ribbon accents.
“You totally could,” Sabs waves her off. “But Damon would probably kill any alpha who drooled in your direction.”
Delilah applies a final layer of gold eyeshadow then frowns down at her phone. “It’s time to leave.”
So we can take our time checking out the spooky trail around campus, we decide to walk to Club Knotty instead of driving.
There’s a pumpkin carving competition happening in Omega Village, which people have been losing their shit over all day.
I was too busy this afternoon to participate, working on finishing up some reading around the Omega Rights Act.
Despite everything that’s going on, I’m still trying to get ahead on next semester’s assignments, so I ended up heading to the library to avoid being harassed by Delilah and Sabs who were buried in pumpkin guts.
Sabs’s pumpkin is a disaster, with a giant hole for a mouth and lopsided eyes, while Delilah’s has an intricately carved S for Stella in hers.
“Evening, girls.” Margie—OV’s head of security—waves then points at Sabs’s pumpkin. “The Scream, right?”
Sabs bites her lip. “Actually—”
“Yep!” I chirp back. Pretending it’s a Munch painting is the only way we’re going to get any points.
Margie’s the official pumpkin carving competition judge. Everyone entering has to display their entry in their yard for her to inspect. I peer over to see her score us as a three which is pretty generous, considering how bad Sabs’s pumpkin came out.
It’s odd to see Margie away from her station.
Candy bulges out of her bat-patterned harem pockets as she hands treats to students as they pass.
She’s been giving us a sugar fix every time we go through the gates all week.
I politely decline her most recent offering, but Faye happily takes a handful for later.
“Be safe now!” Margie calls after us. “Travel in groups, and stick together, okay? You never know what monsters you’ll run into.”
“The only monsters we’re running into are the Blandon Pack,” Delilah mutters sarcastically.
“Be nice.” Faye nudges her in the ribs. “We’re supporting Kady, remember?”
“Hey, look!” Sabs pouts, pointing at a professionally carved pumpkin with a cat design on it. “That’s what I tried to do before mine caved in.”
“At least you’re good at volleyball. You can’t excel at everything,” I mutter.
We walk past one pumpkin that looks like it threw up, another that’s five pumpkins stacked on top of each other to create a towering child-sized Frankenstein abomination. Based on what we’ve displayed on our front porch, I don’t think we’ll be winning.
“Rook!” Faye greets the security guard alpha filling in for Margie at the gate. “Thanks for working tonight so Damon could come to the party.”
Knowing Damon, he would’ve used work to try to avoid going to the party.
“No probs!” Rook grins. He looks like a pirate with his thick black beard and skull and cross bones bandana around his head. “Remember to send me a pic of the pussycat in his costume. I’ll put it up in the security office.”
“Perfect!” Faye beams, oblivious to Rook’s mischievous smile.
“Is he single?” Sabs checks out Rook’s bulging biceps as we pass. “He’s hot.”
I roll my eyes. “Are knots all you think about?”
“It’s been a while, okay?” Sabs lifts up a shoulder. “Not all of us have had amazing hookups recently. I keep telling you that I need a break from these suppressants soon. My body needs it. I just didn’t think it’d be so damn hard to find an alpha.”
I shoot her a wicked grin. “I’ll share the Blandon Pack with you.”
Sabs shudders. “I’d rather go through heat alone for the rest of my life than let any of them near my vagina.”
We join the throng of students heading into central campus, the paths lined with hundreds of lit pumpkins.
White sheets hang from tree branches, swaying in the breeze like ghosts next to huge fake spiders.
Lights have been placed at the bases of trees, aiming up to illuminate the trunks in purple and orange.
Some of the buildings have rooms with the lights left on inside, cardboard silhouettes of monsters and skeletons peering through the glass, making us feel like we’re being watched.
Faye gasps, looking around at all the decorations. “This is amazing.”
I forgot that this is her first Halloween at SVU. I can remember feeling the same awe last year. This time, though, I’m only filled with increasing dread the closer we get to Club Knotty.
My phone buzzes, dread washing over me when I see who it is.
TYLER
Look forward to seeing you.
ME
You don’t have to be nice.
Music booms from inside the club, and the line wraps around the building. As usual, Sabs beckons us to the VIP line, which is only four people deep.
“Is Drax not around?” Sabs questions the bored-looking security guard on the door. I detect a hint of disappointment in her tone. Maybe she’s starting to have second thoughts about being “just friends” with her hunky, beta childhood friend who, from what I’ve seen, appears to be crazy about her.
The guard doesn’t look up from his clipboard. “He’s away.” Without any further explanation of Drax’s whereabouts, he waves us through.
Inside, gray smoke swirls around our ankles. All the tabletops have been replaced with mini coffin lids, and the walls are covered in tombstone-shaped neon lights, making it seem like a graveyard rave.
“Photo time!” Before I can argue, Sabs drags us over to what looks to be a crypt at the side of the room, which is actually a photo booth. After making a few silly poses and being blinded by the flash, we pile out with Sabs promising to send us all copies later.
“Let’s go to the VIP room,” Delilah suggests, leading the way through a sea of betas dressed as witches. It’s hard to see over their pointy hats, and I swear, one of them purposely jabs me with her broomstick. Bitches of Eastwick, more like.
Greeted by a mummy who hands us each a red cocktail served in a blood bag, the VIP room is much less crowded.
The Silverwood Pack is already here and waves us over to join them in a corner booth.
Like Faye, her alphas are dressed in gothic Mario costumes, a perfect blend of nerdiness and classic Halloween.
Damon, as Bowser, wears a spiky leather jacket and a custom-made mask that mimics Bowser’s face, complete with horns.
Ren and Laz are Mario and Luigi in red and green velvet jackets, suspenders, and with mustaches comically drawn on.
Cole, who begrudgingly dressed as Toad, wears a mushroom-shaped top hat that looks just as ridiculous as I imagined.
Also at the booth is Faye’s friend, Amora, and her pack.
The Silverwood and Princeton Packs have formed a tight bond since becoming neighbors. As great as it is to see Faye and other omegas happy with their alphas, it only confirms how much I don’t want that.
Suddenly, a werewolf jumps out at us from behind the giant mummy chamber in the center of the room, making Faye squeal and Delilah stumble.
Damon dashes over, his jaw tight, a low growl rumbling in his chest.
“Sorry!” Devon pulls off the large wolf mask, his piercings glinting off the disco lights. “I didn’t mean to scare you!”
“I-i-it’s okay,” Faye squeaks, a hand on her heart.
“He’s with me, Damon,” I reassure him. The alarm in Damon’s eyes dims, but it doesn’t completely go away as he wraps his arm around Faye’s shoulders. “I work with Devon at The Valley Voice.”
Poor Devon looks more shaken up than Faye, after seeing the way her alphas are watching him.
“I hope your friend is okay.” Devon bites his lip as he watches Damon lead Faye back to the rest of her alphas. “I really didn’t mean—”