Hopefully the length will make up for the tardiness ;} Sorry, I had work today and every extra minute I've had I've been writing so hopefully it's as great as I believe it is. Now I won't make you read too much of this but I did put a pic off to the side. The picture is the dress that Evie wears for her costume! Beautiful isn't it? Please comment and tell me what you think.

enjoy

"Happy Halloween Mr. Nanuk!"

"Thanks, you too."

I waved in greeting to one of the students as I made my way into the school.

It was finally Halloween: a night of sugar highs and scary movies.

I smiled at this thought as I watched all the students walk to the school doors dressed up in their different costumes. As a small, tight knit community our high school encouraged student events that would bring a touch of fun to their otherwise normal school activities. As such we encouraged our students to wear costumes on Halloween which happily landed on a Friday this year.

It's true that some students didn't dress up because they saw it as 'uncool' but most all the others were ecstatic to have the chance to act like little kids again.

"Nice costume Mr. N!" I turned to the group of teenage boys who had yelled this and, smiling, I waved back. I saw Justin, the bobcat, waving back and laughing with the group. This made me smile as I also saw his fiery little mate standing beside him stuck deep into his side. They were smiling and laughing happily together. I chuckled as I saw that they were dressed up as a costume couple. His mate was dressed as Sleeping Beauty and he was her Prince Charming. It was kind of a sappy romance thing but none the less cute.

As I made it to the doors I looked down at my own costume.

Since dressing up was a school encouraged event the teachers were pretty much told they Had to dress up. Not that any of us disagreed with the command in the least. It was fun to dress up on Halloween. A Tradition from our youth you could say.

I was dressed up rather fittingly, I was Dr. Frankenstein. I had a long white lab coat with random medical instruments sticking out here and there from the numerous pockets. My white hair was spiked up with hair gel into a strange maniacal mess. I wore long rubber black gloves that went to my elbows along with a surgeon mask around my neck and large vintage goggles sitting upon my forehead.

I had spent the week putting my costume together and the last touch was the splattering of red paint upon the coat and smears of fake blood on my face. I had looked into the mirror right before I left my cabin this morning and had marveled at my handiwork.

I truly looked like a deranged scientist.

As I walked along the hallways I marveled at the students' costumes. There was a menagerie of creatures big and small. There were even some great group costumes such as the Wizard of Oz from the drama students and Star Wars from the basketball team. Even the entire football team had joined in the fun and dressed as football player zombies and they truly they looked spectacular.

They had used old ripped jerseys and old battered pads. They had painted themselves all over in dark reds and greens giving the look of age and gore. Some even went as far as to walk the halls with dragging limps to pull the whole costume together.

"Avery!"

I turned to the loud, excited voice of Evie as she came strutting down the hallway with the loud clicking of high heels. She was smiling brightly as she came to stand in front of me raising her arms up ready for a hug.

I raised up my hands carefully saying, "Please mind the hair. You have no idea how long it took to get it to look like this."

She smiled playfully as we joined together in a companiable hug as all the students carefully walked around us and smiled at us in passing.

"Happy Halloween Avery."

She pulled back and gave a wide grin with her bright green eyes shimmering in joy. I smiled back and said cheerily, "Happy Halloween."

She stepped back and looked me up and down, "Now don't tell me..."

She eyed me closely turning me about in circles as she seemed to be deep in thought.

"Hannibal Lecter?"

The hallway rang with muffled snickers as every student tried to hide their enjoyment. I simply shook my head as I looked down on Evie and said calmly, "Actually, I'm Dr. Frankenstein."

"Well of course you are! I should have known we just finished reading that book in my class."

I nodded knowing I had seemed numerous students carrying that book around the past couple weeks. But then I asked in return,"So Evie, what are you?"

She smiled brightly and twirled about in graceful circles for my viewing pleasure.

Evie was wearing a soft pink wig that looked well groomed, soft to the touch, and lead down to the bottom of her breast. On top of the wig was a pink headband with attached pink cloth ears that had purple ribbons acting as accents. She wore a beautiful cupcake dress striped in purple and pink. The bottom flared out and showed off her beautifully curved hips. And at the bottom she wore soft purple leggings with bright pink heals. To complete her ensemble she had a long bushy pink and purple striped tail that was attached to her belt.

I hummed deep in thought as she looked at me in baited anticipation. Her eyes large with eagerness as I could practically see her fake tail twitch. I prolonged the inevitable until finally I snapped my fingers and said, "I know. You're a fairy."

She smirked and bumped my shoulder with her fist in mock anger, "I'm actually the oh so charming Cheshire Cat."

"Oh! That's right. Of course. Sorry."

She shrugged it off and waved at a few passing students in her class, "Shall we?"

We walked awhile in the direction of my room when she started to speak again, "Well, I suppose you're going to the Halloween Party tonight."

She said it so nonchalantly that I almost missed it entirely.

"What?" I looked over at her with wide, confused eyes as she simply smiled at the other students and waved to a few who waved back. The clicking of her heals accompanied us in the silence that followed my mumble of shock.

She didn't answer me until we reached my room, "I hear the Halloween Party this year is going to be spectacular. You never know who might show up."

She smiled innocently as my mind seemed to catch up to the subject and I spoke unsurely, "I suppose... But I'm not really one for... parties..."

Evie shrugged as she picked up a stress ball from on top of one of my cabinets which had been a gift from a student one year. The stress ball was in the shape of a very fat bear with four stubby legs that kept it upright.

"I know that, it's just that I thought you could come tonight since lately you've been a little..." She paused as she tried to find the right word.

"Stressed."

She looked up at me with a kind smile and all I could do was nod because I knew there were very few other words that could describe how I was feeling lately.

Evie stood and laid a hand on my shoulder and put the stress ball in my hands, "Just think about it okay? I'd really love it if you came and just hung out with Scott and I for the night."

I nodded as she smiled and went on her way to her classroom as the warning bell rang.

I sighed.

How had it come to this?

Every year the community hosted a Halloween party for the shifters over 21 to attend. It is normally hosted by those shifters who are higher up in status such as Alphas, Pride leaders, and such. It was a place of social interactions, which I was terrible at. Sure I could be comfortable with Eve and the students but those interactions were more often than not one on one. I normally never had to deal with more than three people at a time. A party just isn't my kind of place. I mean what would I do. I'm not much for alcohol, I personally think it tastes foul. And I'm not really one for conversation with strangers, which most of the attendance would be.

Not to mention... I can't dance...

I mean when I'm home alone in my cabin sometimes I might dance around if I'm in the mood. But that dancing is Completely different than what you would allow yourself to do in front of other people. At one point I had been taught how to dance the two step and such, but that was back in elementary school with 11 and 12 year olds.

I found that every time I was paired with someone to dance I would end up stepping on the poor girls' feet. Once as I was dancing with a girl half my size in my class we ended up toppling over onto the floor in a squealing, jumbled mess. The girl I was dancing with was so scared that she shifted into a wolf pup and bit me.

The principal had to be called in to take the girl to the office and call her parents. No one could truly blame me for the incident for it really wasn't either of our faults. But it still sort of traumatized me. How can I go up in front of half the shifter community and dance like a fool? It's impossible. There must be some way to get out of this. Some way I can convince Evie to not make me go... Somehow...

My head turned about like a hurricane as the school day slowly came to a close. Hours spent with me simply staring outside the window watching the dead, brittle leaves blow about in the soft breeze. It wasn't until I heard a group of small voices speak to me that I was snapped from my reverie.

"Trick or Treat!"

I flinched at the sudden sound of voices and swiveled my chair to turn and look at the three small figures standing in my doorway. I smiled broadly as my mind began to work again remembering that the students from the elementary school were trick or treating in the High School hallways after school.

Surely one of their first stops on the multiple stops they would later make.

"Hey there. Well look at you all! Aren't you terrifying!"

I rifled through my cabinet looking for the bowl of candy I had bought just yesterday for this. As I continued to search I heard the high pitched giggling emanate from the door. I finally found the bowl and turned to look at my small guests.

There was a mummy wrapped up in multiple rolls of toilet paper with his brown hair sticking out every which way from the wrappings on his head. There was also a blue monster with purple polka dots and horns. And finally there was a dirty pirate complete with wood sword and plastic pistol.

I walked over and knelt down proffering the bowl to the three with a wide smile, "Here you go. Only take one, we wouldn't want you all to get sick and then you'd have to come back and I'd have to FIX you!"

I put on a wicked smile and cackled wickedly as they all giggled and grabbed one small candy bar. They thanked me and ran down the hallway to the next classroom. I smiled as I leaned against my door frame looking up and down the hallway at all the other small figures excitedly walking about the halls with a few chaperones watching over them all.

This was one of my favorite parts of Halloween, watching all these little ones excitedly running about Trick or Treating with their new costumes. I don't know why I liked it so much. Maybe it just reminded me of when I was that little running about with a pack of wolf pups Trick or Treating in the small pack community.

Back then it was so much more simple. I didn't have to worry about anything. I didn't have to worry about horny wolves and possessive grizzlies. Everything was so simple back then.

I grunted in annoyance. Look at me sounding like an old man. I'm still young. Things can still change. I just need to form a new plan.

That's right a new plan. This time I won't be swept off into a whirlwind of bear testosterone.

"Trick or Treat!"

But for right now I was just going to enjoy myself and give out candy.

*Later at the Party*

"Ugh..."

I stood wearily outside the doors that lead into the auditorium where emanating from inside were the voices and laughter of about half the shifter community above 21. I had finished my Trick or Treating duties at the high school and soon found myself heading home. But now before Evie caught me and gave me another soft push towards going to the party. She said Scott had been excited to hang out with me since we never really talked for too long before. She said Iif I didn't go Scott would be disappointed.

I believed her.

And so I anxiously waited for the clock to strike 6 when I would have to start getting ready to leave to make it in time for the 7 o'clock party. I had debated the pro's and con's of going and not going. In the end the con's far outweighed the pro's but the major pro that weighed so deeply in my mind was that I didn't want to disappoint Evie.

So here I am, shuffling my feet outside the doors of the auditorium hoping that some type of calamity will ensue that will save me from going inside and suffering the prolonged torture of pretending to enjoy myself around practical strangers.

My mind was once again running through the idea of simply going back home when an all too familiar voice rumbled behind me.

"Well don't you look fantastic..."

My spine tingled, my fingers itched, and my knees began to quiver as the rough baritone washed over my fraying nerves. At first I believed if I didn't turn around he wouldn't exist but after a few awkward moments and a round of rough chuckling coming from behind me, I knew that wasn't true. So I turned, trying to look cool, calm, and collected.

Even though I truly did not feel it.

"Hi..." it was a squeak. A rise of vocal chords that is associated with pre-teen adolescence. My pale cheeks stained with fake blood heated uncontrollably as I averted my embarrassed gaze from his mirthful one.

"Hello to you too."

His smile was radiant and showed all of his sparkling white teeth. His eyes were golden, shimmering in happiness as he looked me up and down. I squirmed under his watchful gaze as he simply smiled at me.

"Let me guess... Dr. Frankenstein?"

My gaze met his and I felt my cheeks burn as I awkwardly nodded my head. He was the first one to get it right all day...

Silence followed after this and I picked at my finger nails. After a moment my brain clicked back into functioning normally and acting polite. I looked back up and my gaze wandered over Rick's costume.

He was decked out in navy blue. Short sleeved button up top, tight slacks, a thick belt, and all this was accented by a police insignia at the left breast pocket along with a fake gun and walkee talkee at his hip. He held his police officer's hat at his side next to his thigh and his other hand was set casually on his hip.

"You're a police officer..."

Rick smiled as he looked down at his costume and nodded half-heartedly at what he saw.

"It was the only thing I could find last minute..."

"Last minute?"

Rick nodded as he walked forward towards the front door and I noticed people starting to come towards us, or more accurately towards the entrance. Rick opened the door and turned back to me.

"Why don't we continue this inside?"

At first my feet were glued to the steps until I heard the click clack of footsteps behind me. I quickly hopped up and nodded in thanks to Rick as he held the door open for me. As I stepped inside I was greeted by a large room of flashing orange, green, blue, and white lights.

There was a raucous of voices and laughter as the DJ up on the stage played through multiple Halloween songs. I sort of stopped short as I took it all in. On the right was the dance floor, already filled with dancing bodies, and on the left was a 'rest' type area with a large table of refreshments and snacks along with a group of tables covered in orange and black clothes and each table had a centerpiece of glowing carved pumpkins.

I turned back slightly expecting to see Rick standing beside me only to see his spot empty. Out of shock I turned completely back to the door and saw that Rick was still holding it open for those new guests who had come in behind us. He was smiling politely as he nodded to each new guest and even shook hands with two of them who I assumed he knew. As the last entered he carefully closed the door and looked around. When his eyes landed on me his smile grew and he walked over straight to my side.

"That was nice of you."

It wasn't said in contempt or sarcasm. I meant it. It was nice of him to stay and keep the door open for those people. I suppose in his own way Rick was a gentleman...

"Well it was nothing really. Just something my Mother pounded into my head when I was a kid."

He chuckled warmly at this and his eyes sparkled with love. I could tell just by this that he loved her. I smiled.

"She must be a fantastic person..."

Rick turned his warm gaze to me and smiled more broadly.

"She is. I hope one day soon you'll be able to meet her."

I felt my cheeks heat back up at this thought. My mind turned back and forth through a mess of feelings and thoughts. But the main thought that screamed out at me was,

What if she doesn't like me?

I shook this from my head and turned the conversation back to a safer topic like...

"So... Last minute costume?"

Rick scratched the back of his head and looked almost embarrassed as he moved from one foot to the other, "Yeah... well you see I'm not really one to dress up for Halloween... But Jeffery came into my office this morning and told me I was going to a COSTUME Halloween party tonight. So... Police Officer..."

I smiled, looking him up and down as he motioned to his costume.

"It was the only thing they had in my size at the drugstore..."

I tried to hide my smile as his cheeks reddened slightly at this but when his gaze turned to meet mine I found that I was the one to feel my cheeks heat.

"So what brings you here?"

We moved off to the left side as another group of party goers came in and found ourselves close to the snack table. I didn't really feel a need to cover up the fact that I didn't really want to be here and I felt completely like a fish out of water so I simply told him that I had lost a bet with Evie.

He laughed out loud and I found myself laughing with him as I realized how ridiculous my anxious fears really were.

"Well that explains a lot! I guess I should go find her and thank her."

Rick started to look around the room after this statement and I felt my eyebrow lift in question.

"Why?"

His eyes focused on someone and he started to walk towards them as he slightly turned back smiling and said, "Because if it wasn't for her you wouldn't have come."

As he continued to work his way carefully through the crowd I found myself frozen to the spot looking off after his large form... Dammit! It's happening again!

I started to move quickly to catch up with him, trying not to run into any other masked people. By the time I pinpointed his navy blue clad self he was already deep in conversation with someone. As I made it closer I saw it was Evie and her husband, Scott.

I came up behind and stood next to Rick. Rick and Evie were deep into a conversation and I didn't feel rude enough to butt in so I turned to Scott and said hi and proffered my hand. He smiled warmly and took it into a warm handshake.

Scott and I had 'met' before. Evie had introduced us but there was nothing more than pleasantries between us. But it wasn't entirely like we were strangers either. Scott was a man of action more than words and I didn't really speak that much in crowds so we kind of had this thing between us that we knew each other and were simply comfortable in each other's presence.

"So are you enjoying the party?"

I thought it would be polite to start a simple conversation as the other two were deep into their own world. Scott looked around with an air of 'eh' and turned back to shrug his shoulders.

"It's alright."

I smiled. So few words.

"You?"

I shrugged as well, "Just got here really but it looks... alright..."

Scott smiled and nodded as we went back into a nice lull of comfortable silence. We turned to the other two as they seemed to finish up their conversation. Rick turned to Scott and proffered his hand and Scott happily took it as they gave a companiable head nod.

Evie turned to me and smiled broadly, "You came!"

I shrugged noncommittantly, "I suppose so..."

Evie chose to ignore my slight show of anxiety which I appreciated. She instead chose to move on and motioned to both her and Scott.

"So what do you think?"

I looked back on the both Evie and Scott as a picture. Evie was still in her beautiful Cheshire cat costume and Scott seemed to be dressed up as the Mad Hatter. He wore a large purple hat with a playing card sticking out of the rim. He wore a green suit with a purple tie and a pocket watch sitting in his left breast pocket. Although I noticed that this rather odd costume did not deteriorate his natural charm and handsome appearance in the least. To my surprise he didn't look uncomfortable at all. He simply looked down lovingly at his wife and seemed resigned to do anything to make her happy.

"I love it."

I smiled and Evie turned her face up and gave her husband a sweet kiss.

As she pulled back she spoke softly as if for Scott's ears alone, "I told you, you looked wonderful."

Scott smiled in return and gave her another warm kiss.

It felt a bit awkward to watch as the two became so lovey dovey and I turned my attention to Rick who was staring down at me... Or rather down at my lips. But there was something in his stare. Something along the lines of... longing... I turned my attention back to Evie and Scott who were looking at the both of us. Evie was smiling at me and Scott was looking between Rick and I.

"Have either of you had something to drink yet?"

We both shook our heads and almost at the same time Scott and Rick offered to go get some. So off they went chatting between the two of them.

"So are you enjoying the party?"

I turned back to Evie as she came closer for us to hear each other above the music. I sort of shrugged and she huffed, "It's not going to be any fun unless you make it fun you know."

I answered with another shrug.

She 'tsked' and then her eyes wandered back to the snack table.

"So... Did you two come together?"

I followed her eyes and saw Rick pouring our drinks into glasses with Scott standing beside him holding two already filled cups.

"No."

I tried to make my answer strong and sure but it seemed to have a note of something else that I did not want to dwell on. Evie looked at me for a moment as if trying to see something.

I started to itch under her scrutinizing gaze and decided to change the subject, "So what were you and Rick talking about?"

When I had first come over it seemed as if they were deep in an important conversation and it had been slightly eating away at the back of my mind...

Evie hummed for a moment then with a wave of her hand answered, "Nothing important."

And with that it seemed she had dismissed the whole thing in only two words and a wave of her hand.

I was going to push the subject again but I heard the voices of Scott and Rick approach from behind and thought better of it. We both turned and Evie's eyes gazed up at her husband as she smiled sweetly, "Thank you honey."

She gracefully took the glass he proffered and took a sip, "Mmmm. Delicious."

She licked her lips and kept her loving gaze on Scott whose gaze was just as loving if not more.

"Here you are."

A glass was held in front of me and I carefully took it from Rick who smiled and drank from his own glass. I looked down at the glass and watched the red liquid swirl around creating different forms with the soft foam on top. The heat from the liquid seeped through the glass and radiated into my fingers slowly it made my fingers start to sweat.

"It's apple cider."

I looked up at Rick as he looked back at me then the glass in my hands, "Do you not like it?"

It seemed as if he was ready to take my glass back and go get a different drink at only one word from me. But I quickly shook my head and took a long drink of the warm liquid. As it came close to my nose I could smell the spices wafting up and into my lungs. The apple cider was filled with a heated spice that I assumed was something added to the mixture that sort of burned my throat on the way down. It wasn't bad. Just different. It seemed to almost warm my stomach as it sat deep inside.

I didn't know what to talk about next so I took another large gulp and then another filling in the silence. As I finished my drink Rick took it carefully from my hands and offered to go get another. I, being the calm cool and collected polar bear that I am, nodded absentmindedly as he walked off.

"Well I think WE are going to go off onto the dance floor."

I turned back to Evie and Scott as Scott began to lead Evie off onto the dance floor as she happily waved back at me. I gave a small wave back as I stood by myself in a clump of costumed shifters I didn't know.

"Well, Well, Well. Don't you look frightening."

Oh shit...

"Hello Tom..."

Tom smiled victoriously as he sidled up beside me. Tom was wearing his zombie coach outfit from school today. His face was painted over in greens and his mouth was rimmed with fake blood. His old coaching uniform was ripped and covered in dirt as well as smeared with fake blood. He looked grotesque, in that sort of 1950s horror movie kind of way.

"So what's a beautiful doctor like you doing here all alone?"

Tom inched closer to me with his oh so charming smile plastered on his face. I tried to inch away but we seemed to have come into a rather tight knit group of people and there wasn't much room to move around. So I was stuck here. With him.

Oh god...

"Nothing really... Just enjoying the peace and quiet..."

For some odd reason I felt my cheeks begin to heat up. But it wasn't the same as when Rick made my cheeks burn. This was different. But I didn't know how. I couldn't possibly tell all this to Tom as he saw my cheeks start to glow and believed it was because of him.

Because of this added boost of ego he came closer and carefully laid his arm across my shoulders and I felt my skin itch under his touch. Not the good kind of itch, but an irritated itch as if I were suffering from a rash. Just his breath fanning my face made me want to barf.

"Well, would you mind if I joined you?"

His tone was so sickly sweet mixed with 'sexiness' that I felt my stomach gurgle in disgust and wish to empty everything I had been able to eat today. I clenched my teeth and pushed my nails into my palms praying that I wouldn't upchuck all over the auditorium full of the shifter community. Most of which know me.

"Maybe later you could come and enjoy my hot tub..."

Or maybe it wouldn't be so bad to just upchuck all over Tom... Maybe...

"Actually..."

Just opening my mouth seemed to upset my stomach even more and I felt the nausea creep up my body in heavy waves as my cheeks burned with a kind of heat that I didn't know where the source came from. Tom's hand gripped my shoulder more firmly as his smile grew more predatory and I could smell his arousal like the roaring waves of the Atlantic. Every wave was a punch to my stomach which caused a wave of thick nausea kick at the back of my throat.

"Actually, he came with me."

The strong baritone washed over me and seemed to sooth my roiling stomach. I gratefully turned my gaze to the large, daunting figure of an angry grizzly. Dominance washed off his body and pounded into all around him like a giant hammer. His eyes glowed with almost uncontained fury as his sole attention was fixed upon a very prideful yet suddenly frightened Tom. As they went into a silent staring match I felt Tom's hand slip from my shoulders as he carefully inched away from us.

Tom may be a horn dog but he is not stupid. There is no way in this entire world that a wolf, even a Beta, could hope to beat a full-grown male Grizzly.

And they both knew this.

"Avery... I'll... see you later..." Tom gave me a sideways glance as he slunk away in angry defeat.

It was only after Tom was out of sight and hearing that Rick turned his attention back to me. Although Tom was gone Rick's eyes still burned with fury as he stared at my shoulder where Tom had touched me. I would have asked him if he was okay but then suddenly my stomach decided to remind me that it was rebelling against me.

"i... think I'm... going to..."

I threw both hands in front of my mouth and felt all the color drain from my face as my body shook uncontrollably from the exertion to stop myself from...

Rick seemed to immediately understand and grabbed me gently around the waist as he quickly led me out of the auditorium and to the men's restrooms.

"AAAaaauuugh!!!"

"Here." Rick proffered a warm towelette and I graciously took it wiping tenderly at my mouth as I felt something cold being set upon the back of my neck.

"...thank you..."

It was practically a whisper but I knew Rick heard it as he gently rubbed my shoulders back and forth in soothing patterns.

I turned on the sink and started to run cool water over my wrists while splashing my face over and over, hoping to cool off the last effects of heat in my cheeks.

"When I went to get more apple cider I overheard someone talking about the secret ingredient, rum."

"Ugh..." just hearing that word made my stomach turn.

So that was it. It was all because of the alcohol. I wiped my face off carefully with a towel and leaned up against the wall for support to stand.

"That explains a lot..."

I rubbed my eyes tiredly as I thought over what could have happened. It explains why Tom was acting so open, he was dead drunk. With all that make-up on I couldn't tell. How far Tom could have gotten if... if...

"So who was that?"

I looked up to see Rick with his arms crossed and his stare solely on me. It seemed as if most of his fury had cooled off after my emergency upchuck but there was still that feral glint in his eyes. At this moment I was walking a dangerous path. One wrong step... Boom.

"Um... Tom Jackson... The gym teacher at my school... and such..."

I kept a watchful eye on Rick to watch for any signs of a burst of anger. But he remained quiet as if waiting for something more.

"He was just drunk and acting stupid it didn't mean anything." and that was true.

Some reactions were my stomach being upset from all that rum. But there were other reactions that were Because it was Tom... And not Rick...

My cheeks began to burn once again and this time it wasn't because of alcohol. I kept my eyes on the floor as I pulled the cool towel from the back of my neck and fiddled with it in my hands. There was a prolonged sigh and then I felt a rough hand gently grab my chin and raise my face upwards until Rick's lips were only a centimeter away from mine.

"Wait!"

I pushed at his arms and shuffled madly away. His grip slipped and I slammed back against the wall. I looked up into his eyes and saw they had started to turn black and his stare was intense. His voice was like deep rolling thunder as he growled huskily.

"What?"

He took a step towards me and I put my hands up in defense, "I just threw up! Your insane! I need to brush my teeth!"

My eyes widened as his face broke out in a goofy smile. My cheeks burst with a firey burn that ignited my whole face. I slammed my hands back onto my mouth and wished with every cell in my body that I could take back what I just said. I just made it sound like I... wanted to... kiss...

He stood straight with his wicked smile still plastered on his face as he leaned against the sinks looking at me playfully, "I know a good convenience store just down the street."

I looked awestruck up at him and felt a growl form in the back of my throat, "You piece of bear shit! Your making me insane! I didn't mean it... I would never want to kiss you!"

At my heated words his smile only grew. His eyes cooled off from their once predatory gaze and were now mirthful. He chuckled and moved towards the restroom door holding it open.

"Come along little Frankenstein. I would like to have a dance with you before the night is out, if you would be so kind."

He held out his hand and waited graciously for me to come. At first I was indignant but after a few moments of his warm honey eyes staring into me...

I gave in...

"I... don't know how to dance..." my cheeks burned with a new feeling of embarrassment as I turned my gaze to the tiled floor. He must think I'm some kind of idiot. But before I could give any new excuses I felt my hand being taken into a warm grip as he pulled my hand up to his lips and ghosted his breath over my skin.

"Then give me the greatest pleasure to teach you."

So here I was, dancing on an auditorium floor, on All Hallows Eve, surrounded by costumed shifter, with a wrecking ball of a man who had somehow forced his way into my life. But for the first time in a long time I didn't feel any weight upon my chest. No worries. No stress. Just happiness.

I was a clumsy dancer for I had not done it in so many years. But Rick was a patient teacher and seemed to enjoy every second he could touch me immensely. But he didn't take advantage of it in the least. His hand always stayed above my waist at all times. If I thought I was happy it didn't seem to compare to the air of radiance that seemed to surround Rick as he took me across the dance floor.

I had not noticed the hours fly by before us until we were one of the last couples on the dance floor. It was a slower song and my head lay against Rick's shoulder, half from exhaustion, and half because I was enjoying the way he smelled.

Like apples.

Rick ran his nose along my hair and inhaled deeply and then brought his lips down to my ear, "Happy Halloween Avery."

Happy Halloween.