Page 17 of Toadstools and Vampire Kisses

Would he really allow himself to get so mussed if his game plan was only to seduce me? Covered in pumpkin guts doesn’t scream seductive. Well, maybe not to anyone else.Sadly, it seems to work on me. When was the last time I just played and had a good time? Whatever his motivation, I appreciate that being with him seems to bring this out of me. I like to think that I brought it out of him too, given the way he seemed to look down at himself with a nervous smile afterward.

“A little fun is a nice change, don’t you think, Beast?” I direct the question to my Min Pin and then smile as he dances around my legs, his little rump practically wiggling with the wag of his tail. “Not that we don’t have our own kind of fun, but it is nice to have fun with another… ahh, person.”

Beast sneezes, practically taking his entire body out with the force of it, and I laugh. He ignores my amusement and instead trots over to his bed in which his bone is buried. Digging it out from where it was wedged, Beast settles down to gnaw on it.

“The nice thing about being part of a family that really puts down roots and never seems to go anywhere is that there’s never a shortage of interesting things you might find at home,” I observe as I grab ahold of a large trunk tucked toward the back of the closet and pull it forward.

The trunk is heavy and old, judging by dull metal parts and aged wood, but contains all my favorite treasures I’ve found, among which is something I know will be perfect for Reynard’s costume. Once the trunk is in the middle of my room, I fetch the key from its hiding place and insert it into the lock. It is loud, and there is a slight grind as I give the key a turn before it finally clicks. My smile widens as I push the lid up and all the magic of my collection comes rushing up to meet me and with it a plume of dust that I wave away.

“You’d think it’s been a century since I’ve opened this thing!” Narrowing my eyes at my collection, I lean forward and gently shift things around. “It has to be in here somewhere.” With a whisper, I send a small seeking spell into the mess. Before long, smooth wood slips into my hand as if it belongs there. “A-ha! There you are!”

The wooden fox mask that I pull from the trunk is as beautiful as I remember. Stained a dark red with small details inked onto it that makes it practically seem to come to life, only the small cracks in the wood tell of its age. No one knew to whom it originally belonged, but I spent many days wearing it in my youth before it finally was packed away. I haven’t thought of it much until now, but the moment he said he didn’t have a costume, this had sprung to my mind.

“Perhaps because of his name,” I murmur. “Reynard.” His name falls from my lips with a little sigh. “A renard is nothing more than a fox, after all, so it will suit him well, I think.”

I run my finger along the bridge of the carved nose and smile. “But then, a fox will always eventually out himself,” I tell the wood and feel a crackling response of magic.

Clutching it to my chest, I push up to my feet and carry it over to my bed. “Now for something to make a fox’s tail. A handsome fox can’t go without one.”

With a small smile, I set to work, the mask all the while pressed tightly to my chest, waiting for him. Waiting for Reynard and the jack-o’-lantern dance to begin. I can’t remember looking forward to it more.

ChapterTwelve

REYNARD

Iclose the pinprick on Edward’s arm with a contrite expression. “Apologies. I did not think I would require sustenance again so soon.”

From across the room, Jack gives me a confused frown. “What is with that, anyway? It is not like you to feed so soon… unless…” His eyes suddenly widen, and I bite back an impatient sigh. “Unless it has something to do with a certain Fran Durmont. Are you starting to nest, Reynard?”

I begin to sneer at his presumption, but my expression falls into a thoughtful frown as Edward makes a quick exit—no doubt expecting yet another argument between me and my cousin. But as much as I want to dismiss Jack’s words, they tease my mind with uncertainty.

Am I?The need to consume more blood in preparation for mating and caring for a female is one of the well-known signs. My desire to hover over her, though going beyond what Jack asked of me, can easily be interpreted as mere enjoyment of her company. It has only been a few days, but it is not unheard of for vampires to form bonds so soon.

“I do not know,” I reply honestly.

Jack purses his lips. “There is only one way to tell for sure, you know. You are going to have to test your separation.”

“You mean ignore Fran at the dance that I am attending with her.” A displeased growl rumbles in my throat as I glare over at him, and he raises his hands in surrender.

“Don’t kill the messenger, Reynard. We both know that testing your tolerance for distance and separation is the best way to determine if a bond is truly forming. Not enough vampires do it, if you want my opinion, which is how we end up with situations like the Titania incident.”

I bristle at his casual reminder for the reason why I was imprisoned in sleep, but he is not wrong. Titania had been a beautiful and powerful queen, but like so many of my peers also arrogant enough to take anyone she desired as a bloodbonded mate regardless of having a true bond with them.

“You are right,” I agree stiffly. “That is the way to know for certain. But what of Fran? I am sure she will notice my absence and seek me out.”

“I can find a way to distract her for a few hours.” Jack’s offer is made casually, but it does not stop me from narrowing my eyes at him as a snarl breaks free of me. He laughs and pats the air. “Calm down, Reynard. You know what I mean. I would not dare distract your possible mate in a way that is guaranteed to get my limbs torn from my body,” he chuckles. “I may be a bit reckless at times, but I am not suicidal.”

“That is up for debate,” I mutter, but I am glad that he at least has enough sense to acknowledge what the consequences will be if he so much as touches Fran. “Still, I do not like this idea. It could hurt her. Perhaps it can wait until after the Witch’s Ball.”

My cousin gives me an exasperated look. “Wait for what, exactly? For her to leave? Come on, Reynard. This is the best opportunity to do this, and plus there will be a lot of people mingling about and excitement going on. Separation is not only plausible but the best course of action for us to control it so there’s minimal risk involved.” He sighs and sits down heavily on the bed beside me. “I know you don’t wish to hurt her, but if you wait and you cannot find her, you will both feel the terrible repercussions… and you know it.”

I growl unhappily, but my cousin is only telling me what I already know. As loath as I am to abandon her during the jack-o’-lantern dance, especially after she so graciously assists me with my costume, the controlled environment with all festivities will be better than waiting. In fact, the dance tonight sounds like it will be considerably more chaotic than the formal Witch’s Ball on All Hallows’ Eve, which makes it an even better choice.

“Fine,” I snarl, baring my fangs as I glare at him. “But you’d best not leave her side or so much as touch a hair on her head.”

He lifts his hands and smirks. “Of course, cousin. I swear on an oath of pain that I shall watch over Miss Fran Durmont so that she isn’t unduly distressed until you personally retrieve her from me.”

I point a clawed finger at him. “That means no chasing after the other witches or flirting. Keep your mind on what you are doing.”

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