“Does that mean you’re going to get up with Jupiter when she cries and let me sleep all morning since you insist on keeping me up throughout the night?”
“Give me some of that deliciousness that’s running through your veins and I’ll let you sleep as long as you want.”
She grins. “Deal.”
With that settled, we make our way to the ballroom. Entering the room, we only find a handful of the pack and Lealla.
“What the fate is this?” I ask. “Where did everyone go?”
Lealla, Aries, Dante, Sevan, and Camden all turn toward us.
“It’s been a long night.” Lealla sighs. “I sent everyone on their way. No one was in a partying mood anymore.”
“That blows.” It really does. I was looking forward to having some fun now that the danger is behind us.
Then I hear something. A whisper of a sound like something displaced the air. I turn and find the entire Avynwood Pack plus my brother, Sienna, Ky, everyone who was at that shack of a building, plus the extended family staring at us.
A hand lands on my shoulder. Turning, I find Lealla with a large gold trophy. “Congrats, Solomon. You won our first annual Halloween contest.” She grins and hands me the trophy.
I sputter, unsure of what to say. I look to Lilah, who has this soft smile for me, then to our friends who are smiling, too. Emotion rises in my throat as tears pool in my eyes. “You’re trying to make me cry. It’s working in case you didn’t know.” I sniffle and choke back the tears. Freaking paranormals. I love them so much.
Wake steps forward and slings his arm over my shoulders. “How you doing, bestie? Happy you won?”
“I am.” I don’t know what else to say. I wanted to win and took the task seriously, but there are so many others here who deserve to win, too.
Kylest comes over and turns the trophy so I can see the gold plate at the bottom. “I engraved your name on it.”
Looking down, I read the inscription.
Solomon Verascue
Best Costume
Inaugural Avynwood Halloween Contest
I hug it to my chest and close my eyes. I’m so very happy right now. Justice was served. I won the contest. I have friends and family who love me. This night couldn’t get any better.
“It could,” Lilah says in my mind.
I open my eyes and turn toward her.
“I’m pregnant, Sol.”
“What?” I scream aloud. Forget talking in our minds.
Lilah nods as a few tears trickle down her cheeks. “I just found out this morning. When you were over at Ford and Sienna’s, I came here and saw Desmond. He confirmed it.”
I turn to the pack doctor, who is standing closer than he was before. He hands me a small ultrasound picture. “Congrats, Solomon.”
Lifting the photo, I look closely. The baby isn’t more than a tiny bean. But it’s our bean and I love it so much already. Tears leak from my eyes. I don’t bother trying to fight them. There’s no point.
“How did you keep this from me?” I ask Lilah. I’m surprised I didn’t read it in her mind.
“That was all me,” Imogen steps forward with Jupiter in her arms, who is happy as can be. “I used a spell to build on the strong block Lilah can already put up. Since you two are equal in that sense, I just gave it a little extra in case you tried to break it down.”
“Sneaky.”
The next half hour, Lilah and I are hugged within an inch of our lives. Everyone in the pack congratulates us. Apparently, they all knew. Everyone but me. When we get to the end of the crowd, there is my mom and dad, waiting.
I study my mom for a moment. “Are you… crying?”
She waves me off. “I’m not emotionless, Solomon.”
“No, but you’re usually well put together unless one of us is in danger, like earlier.”
“I can’t believe you’re going to give me another grandchild. I hope this one is a boy. Then you can give it your father’s name as it’s middle one since Jupiter has mine.”
“You had to throw that in there, didn’t you?”
“Oh, shut up and give your mother a hug.”
We’re not an overly touchy family. Sure, I love on my kitten all the time and I’m generously affectionate with our friends. My mom is not cold, though not super approachable either.
I give in and hug her. Dad steps up and wraps his arms around both of us. Now, the two of them are affectionate with each other, and Mom loves on Jupiter all the time. She’s just not so much with Ford and me. Certainly not our mates. Mom may get along with them but she’s not about to smother them with hugs and kisses.
“Don’t think I didn’t hear that,” she says in my mind.
“What’s the matter? Don’t want to hug Lilah and Sienna? Show them how much of a softy you really are?”
“How did I make you? You’re nothing like me.”
“I’m more like you than you’ll admit. I just add a lot of my own flair to it. Live it up, Mother. We only get one life. I’m not about to waste it. Besides, there’s a new baby coming. We should celebrate that. And my costume win, of course.” Pulling back, I watch as my mom rolls her eyes, which causes me to grin.
I take Lilah in my arms and dance for an hour or two. I honestly have no idea how long. Mom said she was taking Jupiter to Italy with her and Dad, so we have the night to ourselves. While I do want to get my mate home and make sweet love to her, there’s something magical about holding her while we dance among our friends and family.
Halloween isn’t just about the candy or the costumes. Although, I have to say, I love both of those things. It’s about being
