Page 10 of Claimed By Her Monsters

Chapter Ten

Allergic To Peanuts

The spell breaks. Alister moves back into his own space. Caspian and Mick reset, their attention fixed on the front door. I glance at them, pulse quick, but they don’t look alarmed, so I let myself breathe.

“Dammit, Caspian. Did you forget to turn off the porch light?” The bite in Alister’s tone is sharper than the mistake warrants, and I can’t tell if he’s really mad about the light, or something else.

Caspian doesn’t answer, just hangs his head in shame.

“Where the fuck is the candy?” Alister rises gracefully and hunts through drawers in a nearby cupboard.

“We didn’t get the peanut-butter kind, did we?” Mick frowns, genuinely worried. “You know I’m allergic.”

Napkins, paper plates, and plastic forks fly through the air as Alister rummages systematically through each drawer.

“The pantry,” Caspian mumbles to his shoes. “Candy’s in the pantry.”

Alister throws his hands in the air. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He stomps toward the kitchen. The sound of cupboards slamming open and closed is joined with his muttered curses.

“We didn’t get the peanut-butter ones,” Caspian tells Mick, who slumps back on the couch with a sigh, rubbing his forehead in relief.

Worried it’s taking too long, I run to open the door.

Before me stands the most adorable children I’ve ever seen.

I’m guessing their ages range between four to seven.

There’s a sugar plum fairy, a ninja, and a Spiderman whose mask is so tight I’m not sure how he can breathe.

A few feet behind them are a man and woman huddling under an umbrella.

For a minute, I flash back to my mom making a red superhero cape out of a bed sheet.

How I felt when she tied it around my neck, like I could be my own hero.

It’s still storming, with rain pouring down in torrents. Lightning flashes, illuminating the clouds above in staccato bursts. Luckily, Alister’s doorway is set back beneath an overhang of roofline, so no water reaches us.

The kids chorus out a sweetly off-tune, “Trick-or-treat.”

I drop to my knees so I’m eye level with them.

“Oh my gosh,” I gush. “Aren’t you the cutest?”

Alister is behind me. I know it’s him without even turning. Fingers brush my back, then shove a bag of candy into my hands. The children eye it greedily.

I rip open the bag and hold it out. “You can have as much as you want.” They surround me, sunshine on a dark night, and chatter about candy and costumes and how everyone says this house is haunted.

“Haunted?” I widen my eyes dramatically. “You must be very brave to come here.”

Spiderman nods, his shoulders pushed back, but the fairy leans closer. She’s the youngest of them, and her lisp is pronounced as she whispers in my ear, “Mommy and Daddy made us. Said not to be scared. That they’ll protect us.”

My throat tightens at that, and it hits me.

A rush of memories of feeling safe, of being loved.

I blink back tears, not wanting to frighten the little girl.

“Your parents are right,” I tell her. “There’s nothing to be afraid of here.

” Strong hands are on my shoulders again.

Alister massages me gently, like he knows I need the contact.

I smile at the children, meaning it as I say, “Everyone in this house is very nice.”

I almost fall over when the little girl launches herself into my arms. Sticky fingers clasp tight around my neck as she hugs me, then her parents call her and she’s gone, waving as she skips away, but the scent of sugar and chocolate remains.

A little shaky, I stand.

“You’re good with children,” Alister observes. I don’t look over, but I can feel his gaze on my face.

I shrug. “Kids always like me.” I chuckle. “I think they can sense my immaturity.”

When I turn to him, there’s something sad in his expression. “Hold on to it a little longer,” he says.

“What?” I ask, confused.

“The child inside of you. She’ll be gone soon.”

I open my mouth to ask what the hell that means but he’s already walking away.