Page 11 of By the Blood Moon

Looking around, Jaime assessed the rest of his decorating. He'd strung jack-o'-lantern shaped twinkle lights over the kitchen doorway, and dropped a white sheet over the newel post at the foot of the stairs to make it look like a ghost, with black felt cutouts glued on to serve as a face. They’d turned off the overhead lights, allowing the glow from the candles in the windows and the lanterns Jaime had placed along the floor and stairway to softly light the room.

He may have gone a little overboard, but hey. Halloween only happened once a year.

From his perch near the window, Sam asked, "Are there very many children in Silver Rapids? Do you think we’ll have a lot of trick-or-treaters?"

Silas walked up behind him. "We get a few every year if we leave the porch light on. I suspect we'll have a lot more this year, though, with all of the decorations outside."

Sam didn't quite smile, but he did look happy as he turned back toward the window to keep watch.

Jaime recalled how much Sam had loved taking him trick-or-treating when they were kids. He'd always dressed up too, even after most would consider him too old for it, and they'd walk around together gathering candy until Jaime’s legs grew tired. Then, they’d find somewhere to sit and gorge themselves on their haul.

Back at home, they'd fall asleep with one of their favorite Halloween movies playing in the background—Jaime lovedUnder WrapsandHalloweentown, and Sam lovedMom’s Got a Date with a Vampire. Looking back, Jaime thought Sam had probably enjoyed the holiday just as much as he did, even if he was older and spending it with his goofy baby brother.

"I hope they come," Sam said softly.

“They will,” Silas replied.

Jaime felt like he was intruding. It was clear that Sam’s time here with Silas had been good for him. He may be naturally more standoffish compared to Jaime, but he had never been a loner. They had been a family of two for almost as long as Jaime could remember, and in his bones he felt that Sam was meant to be a part of the family they were building now.

A part of the pack.

Still, Jaime couldn't shake the sense that Sam was hiding something. It had been easier to convince him to dress up in acostume than Jaime thought it would be, and he had the distinct sense that Sam was humoring him on more than one occasion this afternoon.

Suddenly overwhelmed by the sense that Sam was there, but not really there, Jaime strode over to his brother, handing him a cookie and slinging an arm over his shoulder. “I’m so glad to be here with you. This is the best Halloween we’ve had in years. Thanks for doing this with me.”

Sam smiled, and it was real. “I’m glad, too.” He bit into the cookie and moaned. “Seriously Finn, these are amazing.”

Jaime grinned. “I know, right? He uses the peanut butter M&M’s instead of the regular ones.”

Sam snatched another from the plate. Jaime hesitated for a second, but said, “You’re alright, yeah? I mean, if you’re not, you know you can talk to me? I’ll always be here for you. I don’t want you to feel like you have to bottle everything up.”

Sam gave him a wry smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m the older brother, aren’t I supposed to be the one saying that to you?”

Jaime huffed. “It doesn’t work like that when we’re both adults. You’re not a burden. Not to me. And…” Jaime glanced to where Silas had followed Finn back into the kitchen, probably to lend them a semblance of privacy. “And, I suspect not to Silas, either,” he whispered.

Sam’s mouth wobbled. “Thank you. I’m okay. Or, I will be, I think.” He nodded, resolutely.

Jaime wanted to push a little, wanted to see if Sam would say more, but the chime of the doorbell interrupted them, and the moment passed. Silas and Finn rushed back into the living room just as Sam swung open the front door, a chorus of “trick-or-treat!” washing away the heaviness from the moment before.

Silas and Finn had opted for their partial shifts, seeing as most—if not all—of the children and families stopping by would be paranormals, like them. But if they weren’t, well.

It was Halloween, after all.

Four children stood on their porch, jack-o'-lantern shaped buckets held outstretched, giggling and knocking into each other to be the first in line for candy.

“Oh my!” Sam exclaimed. “Now, who do we have here? Could it be Batman? And Wonder Woman?” A giant smile stretched his features, and Jaime felt a million pounds lighter. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Sam smile like that.

“And I'm Frankenstein’s monster!” a pig-tailed girl exclaimed from the back of the group, holding her arms outstretched and swaying side-to-side, like, well,Frankenstein’s monster.

“I’m a pilot!” the fourth child exclaimed, dressed in a miniature version of a pilot jumpsuit, a pair of flight goggles perched on his head.

There were no discernible paranormal features on three of them, but it was possible they just weren’t shifted. The fourth, though, did have her ears on display, and they were huge. Still shaped like canine ears, they were positioned on top of her head like a wolf’s, but they were more rounded on top, and a pale white-blonde shade.

A fennec fox! How cute!

Jaime cataloged the way they shifted with her features, thinking he may incorporate a fennec fox into his next desert landscape.

As Sam began handing out fistfuls of candy to each child—it’s a good thing Finn bought two bags—Jaime saw that the three other children did in fact have their paranormal features on display—he just hadn’t noticed before.

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