Free Wilder Family Halloween by Christina Dodd

WILDER FAMILY HALLOWEEN: A Darkness Chosen Epilogue
    Copyright 2012 by Christina Dodd
    All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any fashion without the express,
    written consent of the copyright holders.
    Wilder Family Halloween is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed herein are fictitious and are not based on any real persons living or dead.
    Zorana and Konstantine Wilder have moved into their new home, a fabulous house built to replace
    the one that burned in the cataclysmic fire at the end of the Darkness Chosen saga. They built it on
    their own land, among the grape vines and tall trees in the high valley of Washington’s Cascade
    mountains. Now they have four bedrooms upstairs, one for each one of their sons and their wives, a
    master suite downstairs, and a huge attic where someday the grandchildren they have hoped for
    and imagined can sleep and play. Most important, Zorana has a big kitchen with stainless steel
    appliances, a table long enough to feed their family and friends, and a six-burner gas range and two
    ovens. (“Two ovens? Woman, why do you need two ovens?” “Husband, for the same reason you
    need a new tractor with a heater in the cab.”) End of discussion.
    To celebrate their new home, Zorana and Konstantine plan a Halloween party …
    Konstantine Wilder gloated as he walked beside the long kitchen table laden with food: Ukrainian
    foods from their homeland, foods like varenyky, delicious dumplings, some savory and filled with
    potatoes and beef, and some sweet with dark, ripe cherries. Then there were pickled mushrooms,
    and black caviar on shaved white ice with toast and butter. And American foods like caramel corn
    with mixed nuts, pumpkin bread, and his favorite, red candied apples. For the children, Zorana had
    prepared a bubbling bowl of black punch with a frozen hand floating in it.
    The frozen hand had been his idea.
    Such a fabulous bounty to share with their friends and neighbors who had helped them after their
    home had burned.
    But they had a half-hour before the guests were supposed to arrive, and he was hungry.
    No one would miss one cherry varenyky…
    He reached out a hand.
    “Papa, stop that right now!” Firebird paused in the doorway, a tray laden with shot glasses and a full
    bottle of fine Russian vodka.
    “No one wil miss just one.” His voice rumbled deep in his chest. He had raised this child. She should
    show him respect.
    And she did … except her respect for her mother outweighed her respect for him, at least in the matter of food.
    “If you could stop at just one, that would be fine. But we all know you can’t, so pull that hand back or I'll go and tell Mama.” Firebird glared at him threateningly.
    He drew himself up to his full height. He lifted his chin. And he pulled his hand back. He pouted as
    he returned the glare of his darling daughter. For that was how he thought of Firebird, now and
    forever.
    She was dressed like a Cheshire cat and as she looked him over, she grinned like one, too. “Wow.
    Papa. I like the bunny outfit.”
    Konstantine touched the fuzzy brown tip of one ear. “At my request, your mother made the costume.
    I did not wish to frighten the children.”
    Firebird walked close, stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “I can’t imagine why any child would be
    frightened by a six-and-a-half foot tall bunny.”
    “Nor can I.”
    Tugging his head down so she could whisper in his ear (his real ear, not the brown fuzzy one), she
    added, “Especially not a bunny who has a new grandchild on the way.”
    “A new grandchild? Another child? You … you’re expecting? You will have a babe to join Aleksandr
    in our family?”
    Aleksandr was three and a half, the smartest, most handsome child in the world, and coincidentally,
    the only Wilder grandchild.
    Now delight fil ed Konstantine’s heart, and he held out his arms to hug his daughter.
    But she handed him the tray. “Douglas is bursting with pride —