Page 27 of Claiming Xan (Shifters of Greymercy #7)

XAN

Today was a great day.

I was delightfully sore from the good, hard pounding River gave me last night and wrung out from the mutual blowjobs this morning—god, how did I ever live without this?

I’d already taken a hot shower and made omelettes for breakfast; it was supposed to be a work day, but one of my coworkers had called me at the last minute, begging to switch days because she had a doctor appointment, and hey, it worked out in my favor, because tonight was the last night of the Summerdaze Festival in Greymercy.

The traveling festival came once a year, every summer, and set up shop in the middle of town square. There were always rides and games and food trucks galore, not to mention all kinds of vendors selling overpriced shit, like custom license plates and t-shirts and jewelry. It was always great.

I had fond memories of going there with my family as a kid, but I felt certain River had never been to anything like that, and it gave me a great idea.

Now, where was he…

I found him sitting outside on the porch swing, staring off into the woods with a strange expression on his face. I tilted my head and studied him for a moment, before asking lightly, “Penny for your thoughts?”

It seemed to jog him, because he turned towards me. The forlorn, almost strained look he’d worn smoothed into something more pleasant as he smiled at me.

He shrugged. “Nothing serious. Just zoning.”

“Mmm, that so?” I padded over and sat down next to him on the wooden bench seat. The chains suspending the swing creaked softly beneath our combined weight.

I leaned my head against his shoulder, then kissed it. “Sooo… What do you think about going out tonight?”

“Out?” He blinked.

“Yeah. Out-out. Like on a date. Since our drive-in not-date went so well, and we’re mates now.” I flashed a bright smile and batted my lashes. “The Summerdaze Festival is in town and I wanna take you, if you’d like to go, but tonight is the last night.”

River’s eyes softened. They’d done that so often lately. “I’d love that,” he murmured.

So that evening, we skipped dinner and walked around downtown in the balmy summer haze, holding hands and playing games and just having fun.

When we got hungry, I bought us a couple of corn dogs and a giant elephant ear to share, and we sat down at a picnic table off one of the side-streets to eat.

Of course, I got mustard on my damn shirt. I smudged at it with a napkin, then sighed.

“Good thing your shirt is yellow, huh?” River teased me, his eyes twinkling. I kicked him under the bench and he didn’t even have the good grace to wince.

Finished with our dinner, we wandered the fair again. I couldn’t help but love the way River’s face lit up when he saw the snow-cone stand—so of course, we got snow-cones. Cherry for me, and blue raspberry for River.

That first bite was fruity, slushy heaven. I hummed and gave a little shiver. River’s smile only spread wider.

“I haven’t had one of these since I was a little kid,” he admitted.

“I know what I’m getting you for Christmas,” I teased back, imagining him opening one of those personal shaved ice machines.

“Whatever.”

Next, we stopped to look at a couple of vendors. I grinned and held up a shirt that said, “I Went to the Summerdaze Festival and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt.”

We both laughed. I bought it anyway.

Music blasted from a stereo system, though don’t ask me where they’d hidden the speakers. I had no idea. The streets were packed with people wearing colorful paper wristbands, lining up to ride the rides.

I grabbed a hold of River’s hand and pointed at the Tilt-A-Whirl. “Oooh, can we go?”

River recoiled. “Oh, hell no. My feet stay firmly on the ground,” he said, a growl to his voice. “Besides, you’re pregnant, remember? Don’t scramble the poor kid’s brains before it’s even born.”

I pouted, sticking my tongue out at him. “Party pooper.”

We played a handful of games, like ring-toss and shooting hoops, and one where you aimed a water pistol at a small button and raced other players to try and get your plastic fish to the top before anyone else.

I laughed my ass off as River shot water everywhere but at the place he was supposed to be hitting. We both lost the game.

I didn’t know how long we’d been there, but dusk gave way to nightfall and the streetlights kicked on, brightening the sidewalks. My feet were beginning to ache, so I tugged on River’s arm.

“Ready to blow this popsicle stand?”

“Ready whenever you are,” he replied, and the two of us headed back in the direction of where I’d parked, a block away, in the packed lot of a bank. Seemed everyone in Greymercy loved Summerdaze.

Then, as we were leaving, something caught my eye. Something big and colorful and shiny.

“OHMYGOD!” I cried out, spinning back around to point at the giant pastel rainbow unicorn cat plushie hanging from a hook at the front of one of the carnival stalls. “I need it! Win it for me? Pretty please?”

River scrunched his nose, glancing between me and the obscenely-large plush toy, before shrugging. I clapped my hands together and bounced on my heels. “Yay!”

We hurried over to play the game, where you had to push a bowling ball on a metal track with just enough force to make it go over the groove and hit the buzzer, but not too much, or it would spring back at you.

Spoiler alert: We sucked.

River began getting frustrated and using more and more force, until finally, he snarled a curse and stomped over to the carnie manning the game, who’d been goading us the entire time. That was his gig, after all.

“Look, man. My mate really wants that giant cat plush. I’ll give you twenty-five bucks.” River pulled out his wallet, but the guy just laughed at him.

“You gotta win the game to win the prize,” he drawled, waggling his stubby fingers in River’s direction. “Maybe your mate needs an Alpha with a bit more finesse.”

River growled. “I can’t win the fucking game,” he snapped back. “I tried! The damn thing’s rigged! Surely the prizes don’t cost that much.”

“It’s the fact of the matter,” the carnie said. “We don’t sell the novelties. They’re prizes.”

“Fifty bucks,” River countered. “No one has to know.”

“Sorry pal. No can do.”

River blew out an exasperated breath. “Fuck.” Kicking at a rock, he turned away, coming back over to me empty handed, and I couldn’t help but feel bad.

“Hey. It’s okay,” I assured him. “It’s just a toy. I don’t need it that bad, Riv. Sure it’s cute, but…” I gazed up at the fluffy unicorn cat one last time, then sighed and laced my fingers with River’s. “C’mon. Let’s go get a lemon shake-up before we leave.”

We began to walk away, when a voice called after us, “Wait, kid!” I turned to find the carnie jogging over to us, the unicorn cat plush in his arms. Puffing out his ruddy cheeks, he offered it to me. “Here.”

I stared at him, my eyes widening. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, take it,” he said, all but shoving it into my arms.

River pulled out his wallet, but the man waved him off. “Nah, it’s yours. On the house. I’m feeling generous tonight. Last night in town, after all, and what my boss don’t know won’t hurt her.” He chortled. “Just promise to come back next year and play again, you hear?”

With that, he spun on his heel and jogged back over to his booth. I squeaked and squeezed the stuffed cat to my chest. “Look at it! It’s so cute!” I rubbed my cheek against the velveteen fur.

“It is.” River smiled, but he was looking at me, not the plush.

My cheeks warmed up. “Oh, hush. I’m naming him Mr. Sparkles.”

“Okay, but Mr. Sparkles better not come between us in bed or he’s getting chucked to the floor,” River replied.

I snickered. “Jealous of a toy, Riv?”

“Hardly. I just don’t wanna fight that colorful monstrosity to kiss my boyfriend, that’s all.”

He leaned in, past Mr. Sparkles, and planted a kiss right on my lips. A tingle raced down my spine and I sighed happily.

“Fair.”