Page 185 of Knot Baked Out For This
"With a spider."
"A stylish spider."
Rowan settles behind me, arm draped over my shoulders, and I lean back into his warmth. The bonfire crackles, sending sparks into the night sky like tiny wishes. The cider is perfect—not too sweet, not too spiced, just warm enough to chase away the October chill.
"This is nice," I say without thinking.
"The cider?" Luca asks.
"All of it. This. Being here. Not being afraid."
"You were terrified on the hayride," Levi points out.
"That's different. That was fun scared. Not real scared."
They understand. After years of real fear—of Korrin, of failure, of being not enough—fake fear feels like freedom.
"First good Halloween in how long?" Rowan asks quietly.
"Since high school. Before everything got complicated."
"Everything's still complicated," Luca points out.
"Good complicated though. The kind with stuffed spiders and three Alphas who buy me too many caramel apples."
"Four," Levi says, producing another one from somewhere. "I got an extra."
"Where were you hiding that?"
"Trade secret."
He leans in, kissing me quick and sweet, tasting like cinnamon and mischief and that particular Levi flavor that's sunshine and chaos mixed together.
When he pulls back, there's caramel on my nose.
"You got it on me!"
"Sharing is caring."
"That's not?—"
Fireworks explode overhead, cutting off my protest.
The town always does them for Halloween—not as big as Fourth of July, but pretty enough. They reflect in the bonfire smoke, creating double explosions, and I tilt my head back to watch.
"Make a wish," Rowan murmurs.
"Don't need to."
"Everyone needs wishes."
"Not when you already have what you wanted."
His arm tightens around me, and Luca's hand finds mine, and Levi's head drops to my shoulder, and we sit there watching the sky explode in controlled bursts of beauty.
This feels like the first Halloween I've actually loved in years.
No. More than that.
