Caged In

Chapter 35

Wolves mingle and mix around the open area of the hall as the gathering starts, their voices and laughter ringing out over the area. Chey stands over by the long table looking over with her chin up as her eyes glow with pride for all she has pulled off and I have to tip my hat off. She made this place look like a photo from a magazine with all the decoré. Everything pristinely placed to drag in the gaze and add to the all-around comfortable atmosphere. Maybe this won't be so bad after all. Wolves continue to come in, some starting to dance around the open area away from the tables to the music that plays through the room. Sophia and Luca elbow one another as they stand back over to the side, watching the front table and my eyes go to those two pumpkins carved out from their bet at the pumpkin patch. Cheyenne had argued and told them not only no but hell no as Luca and Conner set them on the table for everyone to see. For everyone to judge. Next to each one sat a jar for it and a large bowl of colourful marbles settled between them for wolves to pick from and drop in their choice. Luca had looked at her and that smile he plastered on his face to charm the females spread like a Cheshire cat. "It'll be a fun game for the wolves to partake in, you did a fantastic job with the place," he had whistled and spun a slow circle around for show, "but this don't take away from all that, it adds to it. It's seasonal. It's almost Halloween." He worked and worked at her until he got that 'fine' he wanted. Now I can hear them laugh and bicker about who was winning. It was ours and we all knew it. I had drawn the picture myself onto the outside of it but I hadn't spent much time carving pumpkins, that's where Sophia seemed to thrive as she got out her kit and worked at it until it looked perfect. Wasn't easy with the smaller cuts and nicks needed for the design of the wolf's fur in it but she did a hell of a job. To their credit Conner and Luca had put effort into theirs, it looked alright, but it lacked that needed touch and now their jar sat half full.

Moving over closer I can see the tightening of Luca's jaw setting in and Sophia grips his chin, correcting him and telling him to quit it. Luca only brushes her off before he goes to the crowd. "Such a sore loser," she rolls her eyes before turning to me as I lean down kissing the corner of her lip as it tugs up in that crooked smile. "He is. What's he doing? Looking to get more votes?" I laugh and she laughs with me as she nods, "thinks he can sway the vote with that idiotic grin he gives the girls," she snorts.

"You pick out their costumes yet?" I ask and she grins even wider.

"Already got Wayne out looking for me. One will be Jasmine, the other I'm making sleeping beauty."

"Gonna be a really interesting day of work," I laugh before taking her hand in mine and squeezing it. "You ready for this?" I ask and she leans into my side. "I think so, it'll be different in the spring when I don't come back here but I'm ready. I'll miss my wolves there," she says and my wolf growls as she smiles for them. He is a jealous and selfish wolf and she only rises up on her toes rubbing her nose to my cheek and my eyes close as I relish in the feeling. This is what I needed. Just this. "You gonna be my big bad wolf? I'll be your little red riding hood," she says low to my ear with a slight whimpering need that has me turning us from the whole room and closer to a darkened archway. "That what you want me to dress up as?" I ask her and she slips a finger through the slight gap between buttons on my shirt to touch my lower stomach, electing a slow intake of breath and a grounded groan as she looks up with her swirling, stormy eyes that start to darken. "I was hoping you would be the lumberjack. He can be my wolf." She says with a coy smile. Pressing her back against the wall she sighs softly as her fingers move to open that lower button and I lean in for her to slide those fingers in my shirt, feeling over my stomach and up towards my ribs as my lips land on hers and it's an effort not to devour her completely right here, right now. A stern throat clears behind me and when I break away from her, Scott stands there with his arms crossed over his chest and his brow raised. "Cage I know you two got urges but I need you to help with this tonight. Hold off until you can find a room."