The House on Druid Lake by Isabelle Adler

Author:Isabelle Adler
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: LGBTQIA+, contemporary, gay, PNR, Halloween, haunted house, shifters, architect, mystery/suspense, office drama, ghost, mythical creatures, werewolf
Publisher: NineStar Press, LLC
Published: 2021-09-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

When Oliver returned home, he was greeted by two small skeletons lounging on the porch steps.

Tied to the porch posts in a tangle of silvery cobwebs, their eye sockets and teeth glowed an eerie green, no doubt thanks to a coat of luminous paint. A few bats hung from the gable, swaying violently in the rain-scented wind, and a cluster of oversized, hairy-legged spiders scuttled across the front door. Instead of appearing cheesy and over-the-top, the holiday accoutrements looked disconcertingly like they belonged there. Only jack-o’-lanterns were currently missing from this natural habitat of all things spooky.

He found Nym in the parlor on a stepladder, fixing a garland of fairy lights underneath a mesh of cobwebs that hung above the fireplace.

“Hey,” Oliver said, dropping his bag near the door and surveying the room. The large skeleton that had given him such a fright last night stood in the far corner, grinning at him from beneath a crown of black crepe flowers, looking like a black-and-white illustration of Poe’s collected works. Oliver shuddered.

“Hey.” Nym’s voice held an unmistakable note of warmth. He was dressed in his usual flannel and worn jeans, which stretched rather enticingly over his powerful thighs as he reached up to adjust the last of the tiny lights. “What do you think?”

“Huh?” Oliver tore his gaze away from the impressive lines of his body. “Oh. The installation. Yeah, it looks good. Might need a few spiders to make it pop though.”

“Got them right here.” Nym grabbed a rubber spider the size of a small cat from the mantelpiece and wiggled it in the air. “I hope you aren’t afraid of spiders?”

“Not artificial ones. I thought you weren’t going to decorate until later this evening.”

“They let us go early at work, so I thought I’d get a head start.” His brow furrowed. “You’re not upset, are you? I’m sorry I didn’t wait—”

“No, that’s okay.” Oliver grinned. “There’s plenty of work left for the two of us.”

“That there is.” Nym pinned the spiders in place at the epicenter of the web and leaned back to admire his work. “You want to grab something to eat and then come down here?”

“Actually, I thought we might go somewhere to eat later.” Oliver managed to refrain from biting his lips nervously, though his attempt at feigning nonchalance probably fell a little flat. “Not like on a date, or anything. I’m just a little tired of takeout and sandwiches.”

Nym regarded him for a moment. “Sure,” he said finally. “I’d like that.”

Oliver’s heart leapt despite his promise to himself to act cool.

“All right,” he said briskly to hide his pleasure at Nym’s assent. “What do you want me to do next?”

“There are all these to go around the parlor.” Nym nodded toward the boxes stuffed to the brim with decorations. “And then there are a couple more things to hang out front.”

“Let’s get to it, then.”

They spent the next hour or so strategically placing various knickknacks around the room until it resembled a Tim Burton movie set.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.