Firefighter Griffin (Fire & Rescue Shifters 3)

Connie shot her a mock-glare. She was dressed as a WWII fighter pilot—though Griff strongly suspected that it was a real vintage uniform, not a costume. She did own a genuine, original Spitfire, after all. “Maybe next year.” She gave Hayley a long, speculative look. “That’s quite some costume you’ve got on yourself.”

Hayley blushed a little. “Danny picked it,” she mumbled. “He just thought it was a bunny costume, and I couldn’t really explain to him…well, you know.”

“Hmm.” Connie’s gaze flicked from Hayley to Griff and back again. She wound her arm firmly through Hayley’s. “Can I steal you for a little while? Girl talk, Griff. Would bore you silly.”

Hayley raised an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged back. He was no more able than she was to guess what was on Connie’s mind. “Have fun. You want me to look after Danny while you’re chatting?”

“No need,” Chase said grandly, shifting back into human form. “I shall watch him. I am watching all the children tonight. I am the official designated babysitter, so that all the hard-working parents can enjoy themselves safe in the knowledge that their precious darlings are in safe hands. Or hooves.”

“Chase,” Griff said suspiciously. “Did you kidnap these kids?”

“Why do people keep asking me that?” Chase looked wounded. “Is it so hard to believe that parents would voluntarily hand over the fruits of their loins to me? I am extraordinarily good with children, after all.”

Griff stared at him. “Since when?”

Chase shot him a glare. “Since always.”

“Since his biological clock started ticking,” Connie corrected, dryly. “Even though I’ve told him he doesn’t have one.”

“We have one. We only have so many fertile years available to us,” Chase said to her earnestly. “If we don’t get started soon, we’ll have difficulty fitting in all fourteen children.”

Connie jabbed him in the stomach. “You can have fourteen children. Just as soon as you work out how to become a seahorse shifter and gestate them yourself. I’m drawing the line at three.”

Chase beamed round at Griff and Hayley. “Last week she was drawing the line at two. I’m winning.”

Connie threw Hayley a pleading look. “You see why I need to talk to you?” She dragged her off toward the pub. “Please, please, please tell me many horrible stories about spending months throwing up constantly and waddling around like an elephant with a thyroid problem. Bring me back to my senses.”

Griff chuckled as they disappeared inside. “Fourteen kids?” he said to Chase. “Really?”

“I’m actually going for four,” Chase confessed. “Always start negotiations high.” He elbowed Griff in the side, giving him a sly grin. “So, you and Hayley were looking awfully cozy. Walking hand-in-hand, I noticed.”

“No comment. Did you happen to notice whether Ash is here, or were you too busy stealing children?”

“I am not stealing children. I plan to give them back.” Chase shrugged. “And he’s inside. Though you’d better catch him quick, you know he only ever puts in a token appearance at this sort of thing.”

“Good point.” Griff cocked an eyebrow at Danny. “Well, lad? You want to play out here with Chase for a while, or stay with me?”

No matter how much Griff might enjoy pulling Chase’s leg, he didn’t actually have any hesitation in leaving Danny in the pegasus shifter’s care. He knew that Chase’s playful exuberance concealed a protective streak a mile wide. Danny would be safe with him.

“I want to hang out with Chase,” Danny said promptly. His decision may have been slightly influenced by the fistful of candy bars Chase had just produced out of one of his many pockets. “Can I come and find you later, though?”

Griff ruffled his hair. “Anytime. Just ask Chase when you want me. He can find anyone, you know.”

Leaving Chase organizing the kids into teams for some sort of game, he ducked into the pub. The main room was packed with shifters of all sorts, laughing and talking. Behind the long wooden bar, Rose was handing out drinks and smiles. She wore an extravagant feathered carnival mask, the glossy blue-black plumes perfectly complimenting her flawless ebony skin.

Griff caught a glimpse of Hayley and Connie perched on stools at one end of the bar, along with Virginia, Dai’s mate. Hayley seemed to be in the middle of explaining something that required a great deal of hand gestures. From the somewhat horrified yet fascinated expressions on the other two women’s faces, Griff strongly suspected that the conversation had turned rather gynecological in nature.

Definitely not going to interrupt that.

He picked his way through the crowd, exchanging brief nods and greetings as he went. It was so crowded and busy, even his eagle wasn’t immediately able to spot Ash. He did see Dai, half a head taller than anyone else and wearing a glittering gold helmet and flowing red cape, but it was too noisy for Griff to catch his attention. Griff cursed his own inability to mindspeak to his teammates. That would have made finding Ash much easier.

The back of the pub had been cleared for dancing, with a tiny stage erected for a local all-shifter ceilidh band. The lead fiddle player struck an eerie, keening note across his strings, like an alpha wolf calling to his pack. The other members joined in, flute and guitar and accordion howling back in answer. The drum pounded like a heartbeat, and the band launched into a wild, racing tune. Shifters cheered, surging onto the dance floor.

With the crowd thinning, Griff finally managed to spot Ash, alone in a quiet, shadowed corner booth. Griff was amused to note that, once again, Ash had come as a firefighter.

“You know, Halloween is meant to be for dressing up,” Griff teased, sliding into the seat opposite the Fire Commander. “Pretending to be someone else.”

“I am dressed up,” Ash said, mildly. He made a small, brief gesture, indicating his dark blue suit with its gold rank insignia. “This is a dress uniform. In any event, you are also just wearing formal attire, I note.”