Chapter 447: The Fair

The following Saturday evening, Mailah and Chloe somehow convinced Grayson to leave the quiet isolation of the estate and visit the annual Village Autumn Fair.

The main square had been transformed into a bright, noisy maze of striped game booths, golden string lights, and food stalls selling hot cider and fried pastries. The cool night air carried the rich scent of toasted sugar, woodsmoke, and autumn leaves.

Grayson stood near the center of the crowd, looking like a high-fashion shadow that had lost its way. He wore a heavy black wool coat, his hands resting casually in his pockets as he navigated the sea of people without touching a single person. Humans seemed to part for him naturally, instinctively stepping aside to let the tall, striking man pass.

"You look like you’re inspecting an enemy camp," Chloe said, stepping up beside him while taking a bite of a caramel apple. Her eyes sparkled under the golden festoon lights. "Relax, Grayson. It’s a town festival, not a border dispute."

Grayson didn’t turn his head. His sharp blue eyes remained fixed on Mailah, who was standing a few feet ahead, smiling as she looked at a row of wooden craft booths.

"The crowd is chaotic," Grayson noted coolly. "There are three children running with sticky hands, two dogs off their leashes, and a man holding four flaming sticks over a wooden platform. It is a disaster waiting to happen."

"It’s a juggler, cousin," Chloe sighed, rolling her eyes. "He probably does it every year. Nobody gets burned."

Mailah walked back to them, her cheeks glowing pink from the cold air. She laughed softly, wrapping her arm through Grayson’s. The moment her hand touched his arm, his rigid stance relaxed completely, his long fingers immediately reaching out to cover her gloved hand.

"He’s just keeping an eye on things," Mailah said, smiling up at him. "Besides, look over there."

She pointed toward a brightly lit game booth near the edge of the square. A large wooden board was covered in rows of tiny glass bottles, and hanging above the booth was a massive, soft black-and-grey plush wolf with oversized velvet ears.

"Isn’t that giant wolf hilarious?" Mailah asked, her eyes lighting up with genuine amusement. "It looks so soft."

Grayson stared at the stuffed wolf for two silent seconds. Then, his eyes narrowed slightly as he analyzed the game setup.

"The booth operator is using wooden rings with an inside diameter only two millimeters wider than the bottle necks," Grayson observed, his voice dropping into a serious, thoughtful tone. "The wood is light, meaning it will bounce easily off the glass. It is designed to make mortals fail."

Chloe snorted, leaning on Mailah’s shoulder. "It’s a carnival game, Grayson. It’s supposed to be hard."

Grayson didn’t answer. Instead, he took Mailah’s hand, guiding her smoothly toward the booth.

The young booth operator, a local college student wearing a heavy jacket, straightened up as Grayson approached. The boy took one look at Grayson’s tall frame, his expensive coat, and the cool, intense authority in his eyes, and instantly looked nervous.

"U-Uh, evening, sir!" the boy stammered, pulling out a plastic bucket of red wooden rings. "Five rings for five dollars! Ring a bottle neck, win the big prize!"

Grayson reached into his inner coat pocket and pulled out a clean fifty-dollar bill, placing it flat on the wooden counter without a sound.

"I will take fifty dollars worth of rings," Grayson stated calmly.

"Grayson, no!" Mailah gasped, holding his arm. "You don’t need to spend fifty dollars on a stuffed animal!"

"I am not buying a stuffed animal," Grayson corrected smoothly, taking the first wooden ring between his long fingers. "I am obtaining the item you liked. There is a distinct difference."

Chloe leaned against the side of the booth, grinning widely as she crossed her arms. "Oh, this is going to be good. Show him how an ancient demon handles cheap carnies, cousin."

Grayson ignored her. He stood perfectly still in front of the game, his posture relaxed but entirely focused. He didn’t throw the ring wildly like the other fairgoers. Instead, he measured the distance with a single glance, calculating the exact weight, spin, and arc required.

He flicked his wrist.

The wooden ring sailed through the air with effortless precision, spinning cleanly before dropping straight onto the center bottle neck with a sharp, satisfying clink. It didn’t bounce. It didn’t wobble. It sat flush against the glass.

The booth operator blinked in shock. "Woah. Good shot, man!"

Grayson didn’t wait. He flicked his wrist a second time.

Clink.

A third time.

Clink.

By the fifth ring, a small group of townspeople had gathered behind them, watching in awe as Grayson casually landed ring after ring without missing a single bottle. He didn’t even look excited; his expression remained completely calm, as if he were simply signing routine paperwork at his desk.

Chloe burst out laughing, clapping her hands. "The kid looks like he’s about to cry! Grayson, give the poor guy a break!"

Grayson set the rest of the unthrown rings back into the bucket. He looked at the pale booth operator with cool indifference. "I believe three successful attempts earn the top prize."

"Y-Yes sir!" the boy squeaked, hurriedly grabbing a long pole to unhook the massive plush wolf from the top display. He handed the giant stuffed animal over the counter with trembling hands. "H-Here you go!"

Grayson took the massive plush toy, turning around and handing it directly to Mailah. The stuffed wolf was nearly half her size, and she had to wrap both arms around it to hold it.

"There," Grayson murmured softly, his cold blue eyes instantly softening as he looked down at her flushed, happy face. "It is yours."

Mailah hugged the giant plushie to her chest, laughing so hard her shoulders shook. "Grayson, it’s huge! How are we going to get this back to the car?"

"I will carry it," Grayson said with absolute seriousness, as if carrying a giant velvet plush wolf through a crowded public square was a high-stakes noble duty.

"Please let me take a picture," Chloe wheezed, pulling out her phone and snapping three photos before Grayson could stop her. "This is going on the family group chat. The grand dark lord of the estate, carrying a giant squishy wolf."

"If you send that to Marcus, I will lock you out of the wine cellar for a month," Grayson warned smoothly, though there was a faint, amused twitch at the corner of his lips.

"You wouldn’t dare!" Chloe gasped, holding her chest dramatically.

Leaving the noisy crowd behind, the three of them walked down a quieter, paved path that ran along the village river. Golden lanterns hung from the stone bridges, casting long, shimmering reflections across the dark water. The sound of the carnival music faded into a soft background hum, replaced by the gentle rustle of falling leaves.

Chloe stopped near a bench by the water, looking down at her phone. "All right, you two go be sickeningly romantic by the river. I am going back to get a bag of hot cinnamon donuts before we leave."

"Do not eat them all in the car," Grayson said as Chloe turned back toward the square.

"I make no promises!" Chloe called over her shoulder, waving her hand as she disappeared back into the lights.

Once they were alone, Grayson reached out, taking the giant stuffed wolf from Mailah’s arms and holding it effortlessly under one arm like a folded umbrella. With his free hand, he gently pulled Mailah close to his side, wrapping his long coat around her shoulder to block the chilly river breeze.

"Are you warm enough?" he asked low in his throat, his thumb stroking her arm through her sweater.

"I’m very warm," Mailah whispered, leaning her head against his shoulder as they walked slowly along the stone path. "You’re like a personal heater."

"An incubus naturally maintains a higher body temperature," Grayson noted, his voice smooth and steady in the quiet night. "It is one of the few physical traits that proves useful in modern human life."

Mailah smiled, looking up at his sharp, handsome profile outlined by the golden lamplight. "Just one of the few?"

Grayson paused beneath the arches of an old stone bridge. He set the giant plush wolf down on a clean wooden bench beside them, then turned to face Mailah completely.

He stepped into her personal space, trapping her gently between his body and the stone railing of the bridge. He reached out with both hands, gently cupping her cheeks. His long fingers were warm against her cool skin, his dark blue eyes glowing with that deep, liquid heat that always made her breath catch.

"You know what I mean, Mailah," Grayson murmured, his voice dropping into a raspy, tender register that echoed softly against the stone. "Before I met you, my power was just an empty burden. My long life was just a long line of silent, dark years."

He leaned down, resting his forehead lightly against hers. Mailah closed her eyes, breathing in the rich, intoxicating scent of cedarwood, cold air, and the deep, magnetic warmth that belonged only to him.

"Now," Grayson whispered, his lips brushing against her temple, "every small thing I do—whether it is keeping you warm, or winning a ridiculous toy at a village fair—feels important. Because it brings a smile to your face."

Mailah reached up, wrapping her hands around his wrists, feeling the strong, steady pulse beneath his skin. "You don’t have to win me giant wolves to make me happy, Grayson."

"I know," Grayson murmured, his mouth sliding down to brush against the corner of her lips, making her heart race wildly. "But I enjoy giving you the world. Piece by piece."

He kissed her then—slow, deep, and impossibly sweet. His hands slid down from her face to wrap securely around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest. Mailah tiptoed up, resting her hands against his broad shoulders, completely lost in the quiet warmth of his hold while the cool autumn river flowed softly beneath them.

A sudden, loud crunching sound shattered the romantic silence.

Grayson broke the kiss slowly, resting his jaw against Mailah’s forehead, though his blue eyes flicked over her shoulder with cool exasperation.

Chloe was standing five feet away on the stone path, holding a brown paper bag of fresh donuts and chewing loudly.

"Don’t mind me," Chloe said around a mouthful of cinnamon sugar. "I’m just standing here holding hot pastries while you two shoot romantic movie scenes by the water."

Mailah giggled, hiding her red face against Grayson’s chest.

Grayson sighed, a quiet, long-suffering sound that vibrated against Mailah’s cheek. He kept one broad hand resting firmly on Mailah’s waist, looking over at his cousin with calm disapproval. "Chloe, your timing is genuinely terrible."

"I brought you a donut, Grayson," Chloe said, holding out the paper bag with a bright, mischievous grin. "Though I suppose you don’t need sugar, considering how sickly sweet you’re being tonight."

Grayson picked up the giant plush wolf from the bench with his free hand, holding Mailah securely against his side with the other.

"Let us go home," Grayson said smoothly, guiding Mailah past Chloe toward the parking lot. "Before my cousin decides to ruin another peaceful evening."

"Hey! I bought these with my own money!" Chloe called out, trotting after them with a laugh. "And I get the front seat on the way back!"

"You will sit in the back, Chloe," Grayson replied calmly, not slowing his pace. "Mailah sits in the front."

"You are unbearable!"

"I am organized," Grayson corrected gently, looking down at Mailah with a tiny, handsome smirk that made her heart flutter all over again. "Come, my love. Let us put your wolf in the house."