Chapter 8
Kai
Faris had better start talking fast about these grand plans of his, because interrupting what was shaping up to be an incredible moment with Saige had put me in a very particular mood.
The kind of mood where my alpha instincts were screaming at me to claim what was mine, and having that cut short left me feeling like a caged panther.
Bagheera was pacing restlessly in my mind, equally frustrated by the interruption. He was thinking we should have just ignored the vampire.
I crossed my arms and fixed Faris with a stare that had made grown supernatural beings reconsider their life choices. "Start talking. Now."
"Patience, Alpha," Faris said with that infuriating grin of his, reaching into the second bag. He started pulling out what looked like the most boring clothing imaginable—black joggers and black t-shirts. "First, everyone needs to change into these."
Cam picked up one of the shirts, holding it at arm's length like it might bite him. "Seriously? We went from elaborate Halloween costumes to... athletic wear?"
"This is your grand plan?" Sloane's voice dripped with skepticism as he examined a pair of joggers. "We dress like we're going to the gym?"
Fischer raised an eyebrow. "I have to admit, Faris, this is rather anticlimactic after all the buildup."
Bram just shook his head, amber eyes dancing with amusement. "Let him finish. You know there's more."
Faris waved off our criticism with typical dramatic flair. "Trust the process, my gorgeous mates. The boring clothes are merely the foundation."
He reached deeper into the bag, and when his hand emerged, we all went silent. Six identical masks stared back at us—the elongated, twisted face of the Scream killer, complete with the gaping mouth and hollow black eyes.
"Now we're talking," I said, feeling my mood shift entirely. Bagheera perked up with interest.
"Scream masks?" Cam's voice held a note of excitement that he was trying to suppress. "What exactly are we doing with these?"
Faris's grin turned absolutely wicked. "We're going to Magic Stixxx."
"The strip club?" Fischer looked confused.
"Yes!" Faris screeched, and everyone else looked…
apprehensive. "But don't worry, it's not a strip club right now!
" Faris bounced on his feet, clearly bursting with excitement, and I released a sigh of relief.
"What sweet Fish clearly doesn't know is that Rupert converts Magic Stixxx into a haunted house every year during Halloween season.
I just learned about this earlier today, at the Halloween store. "
My interest was definitely piqued now. "And?"
"And," Faris continued, his fangs glinting in the shop's lighting, "I called him earlier, paid him to rent the whole thing out for the night. Just for us."
“That’s why you needed my phone? To call Rupert?” Cam asked Faris.
Faris grinned. “No, I could’ve done that from my own phone. I paid him from yours.”
Cam’s mouth dropped as Bram and I both laughed. It wasn’t often Cam got surprised.
Sloane's dragon costume rustled as he shifted. "So we're going to a haunted house. In ghostface masks. With Saige."
"Not just going to a haunted house," Faris corrected, his eyes practically glowing with mischief. "We're going to BE the haunted house. For her."
The pieces clicked into place, and I felt my predatory grin match his. "She doesn't know."
"She has absolutely no idea," Faris confirmed. "As far as she knows, when we get there, we're all going together to experience Rupert's haunted attraction. What she doesn't know is that we'll be the ones hiding in the shadows, stalking her through the maze."
Cam let out a low whistle. "That's... actually brilliant."
"Consensual fear play," Fischer mused. "She'll be terrified and aroused at the same time."
Bram's chuckle was dark and appreciative. "Our little witch does love being chased."
I could already picture it—Saige moving through the darkened corridors, heart racing, not knowing which shadow might reach out to grab her. The thrill of the hunt, the sweet scent of her fear mixing with arousal. Bagheera practically purred at the thought.
"The masks ensure she won't know which one of us is which," Faris explained. "At least not right away. We take turns... appearing. Disappearing. Building the tension until she's absolutely desperate."
"And then?" Sloane asked, though his tone suggested he already knew the answer.
"And then we give her exactly what she's been craving," I said, my voice dropping to a growl. "All of us."
Faris clapped his hands together. "Exactly!"
The temperature in the room seemed to spike as we all processed the full scope of Faris's plan.
"Do we have to do any set-up?" I asked, already mentally mapping out a strategy.
"Rupert's going to meet us out there to let us in, but everything is already set up. Then he's leaving us to it." Faris handed me a mask and a set of clothes. "I'm going to tell Saige we're getting dinner first, then the haunted house."
"Dinner?" Cam questioned.
"Takeout in the car," Faris waved dismissively, and I choked on a laugh. "The real feast happens later."
I examined the mask, running my fingers over the smooth plastic. "She's going to kill us when she figures it out."
"Only if we don't make it worth her while," Bram said with a wicked grin.
Fischer was already halfway changed. "I have to admit, for someone who loses phones on a daily basis, you've certainly outdone yourself with the planning on this one."
"Hey!" Faris protested. "That phone thing is completely different. This is important. But I have to admit, I did have some help with the planning."
"Oh yeah?" Cam asked curiously. "From who?"
Faris grinned. "Talon, of course! When our minds combine, truly magical things happen."
"Of fucking course it was Talon," Sloane grumbled, but with a genuine smile. That demon and Faris had basically become instant best friends, and Faris talked about him daily.
"I'll have to send him a text thanking him then," I said, pulling out my phone to do just that.
"Because this is fucking genius!" I fired off a quick, 'Thanks for helping Faris with the mask idea,' with about ten fire emojis behind it and tossed my phone to the side, eager to change my clothes.
“What are you going to tell Saige about this clothing change?”
"That there was a dress code for the restaurant," Faris said smugly. "Casual black attire only."
Sloane snorted. "And you think she’s going to believe that?"
"She's distracted by Halloween excitement. She'd believe anything tonight. She's wearing the same thing as us, for now."
As I slipped into the black t-shirt, I caught my reflection in the shop's window.
The sexy black cat costume had been a favorite, for sure, but the mood had completely switched, and this outfit fit the bill.
The dark clothing made me look more predatory, more dangerous. Perfect for what we had planned.
"One more thing," Faris added as we all finished changing. "Remember, this only works if she can run."
I grinned, feeling Bagheera's anticipation surge through me. "Don't worry, Faris. She can run all she wants."
"Good." His fangs were fully extended now. "Because the chase is half the fun."
When Saige emerged from the back room, I felt my breath catch in my throat.
The simple black outfit—fitted joggers and a snug t-shirt—shouldn't have been particularly striking, but on her it was devastating.
The way the fabric hugged her curves, how her auburn curls fell over her shoulders against the dark material. .. I didn't even try to hide my purr.
But it was her face that really got to me. Those emerald eyes swept over all of us, taking in our matching outfits, and I watched her expression shift from curiosity to something more knowing. Her lips parted slightly, and I caught the exact moment she sensed the change in energy.
"Well," she said, her voice carrying that husky note that always made my pulse spike, "the mood has certainly shifted."
"Has it?" Faris asked innocently, though his fangs were still partially extended. "I have no idea what you mean, Firefly."
Saige's gaze moved slowly from one of us to the next, lingering on each face. When those green eyes met mine, I let just a hint of Bagheera show through, my eyes flashing yellow—enough to make her pupils dilate.
"Uh-huh," she murmured, clearly not buying Faris's innocent act for a second. "Is someone going to tell me what this is about? And why are we all wearing matching clothes?"
"Dinner," Cam said simply, though his voice had dropped to that authoritative rumble that always made her squirm. "We're getting dinner."
"Just dinner?" She stepped closer to him, running her fingers along his forearm. Even from a distance, I could see him tense. "Because it feels like there's something else happening here."
“Nope, nothing happening here, Firefly!” Faris interjected. “We’re simply getting some food.”
Bram moved behind her, not ready to squash the building tension. "What makes you think something else is happening, Goldie?"
The way she shivered at his proximity had all of us shifting restlessly. The air in the shop was practically crackling with tension now. Faris put his face in his hands, he knew how dangerous of a situation we were in right now.
"Call it intuition," she breathed, turning slightly toward Bram while keeping one hand on Cam's arm.
Sloane cleared his throat roughly. "If we're getting food, we should go. Before..." He didn't finish the sentence, but we all knew what he meant. Before we said fuck it to the plan and fucked her instead, right here.
"Before what?" Saige asked, that wicked smile playing on her lips.
"Before we ruin the surprise," I growled, unable to help myself.
Her eyes lit up with pure delight as Bram ushered her out the door. "I knew it."
She knew nothing. But she was about to find out.