Page 3 of Bloodween

“And we will, scaredy cat,” she teased me, locking the door. “Besides, there’s something I need to tell you.”

She started peeling off her bodysuit and I did the same with my costume.

“About what?”

“Don’t worry about it right now,” she brushed it off as if she hadn’t brought it up. “Anyway, stay visible but not really around him, you know?” She talked as we swapped clothes. “If he tries to talk to you, which I doubt, give his ass the cold shoulder and walk away. I’ll text you when I’m heading back and we can go on our haunted house adventures.”

“Now if he realizes I’m cospl⁠—”

“Girl, he’s been drinking. Long as you keep the mask on, his dumb ass will think I’m me and sulking around.” She grabbed the wolf mask and fitted it over my face. “Perfection.”

The only thing visible was my eyes and hair. “You don’t think he’ll notice that suddenly you have boho braids?”

“Absolutely not. He’s a man, Armi. And a dumb one because I know he’s been cheating on me and that’s stupid in itself.”

Her voice had a subtle playfulness to it, but I could also hear the underlying heat. She placed my Little Red Riding Hood cloak over her head, shielding her face.

“Oh,” she reached into the pocket of my skirt she was now sporting and pulled out a small perfume vial. “Just in case he comes close, you’ll smell like moi.”

She sprayed me down—a little too much if you ask me—and then asked, “Ready?”

I adjusted the bodysuit so that I could breathe better, “Thirty minutes max, Renna.”

“Yes, promise.” She gave herself a look in the mirror. “Now you head out first in case he’s out there! Text me when it’s clear!”

In all of my twenty-nine years of life, I’d never done anything like this. If I didn’t have things to do, and the potential poison in my body counting down the seconds, then this might’ve been fun. But right now when we were ten minutes away from it officially being Halloween, it was not.

As I stepped foot back into where the thick of the party was happening, I spotted Dro on the back porch and texted Renna that she was clear to sneak out.

I didn’t know if I’d classify Dro and I as friends, but he was my best friend’s boyfriend and that made us pretty cordial over the past two years that they’d dated.

I never fully trusted him for her though. His aura gave off a type. The ‘I have the ability to ruin a woman’s life’ vibe and from the way my bestie was acting—I’d been right.

I mean, he was fine as hell, but that’s why you leave them alone. Especially when they are regular ass mortals.

How pathetic.

Renna was better than me. I couldn’t imagine being a werewolf and not tearing my mortal ass boyfriend’s limbs apart for playing me. Her pack better be proud.

Not that it’ll matter after tonight.

I weaved through the crowd as everyone counted down to Halloween like it was the start of a new year. And for me, I guess it was. By this time tomorrow, I would be a member of the Crimson Circle—or else.

I spent the next twenty minutes circling the party spaces. After my third time, stopping near the DJ area, I spotted Dro back near the food. He was already watching me - watching Renna. Our eyes met—briefly—before he looked away, pretending he hadn’t been.

My phone vibrated in my hand and I tapped on the notification.

Renna

OMW back soon. Meet me outside in about 10 mins. I’m over this shit.

About time.

I didn’t wait, I slipped out the side door, the loud music fading behind me. The fresh Halloween air was colder than it had any right to be, heavy enough to make my breath fog. A faint smell of marijuana and wet leaves clung to everything.

I stood off to the side of the house, waiting. The silence was too thick.

The kind that made me aware of my own pulse.