Just like the last time, Jael and Caspian took the lead when they got to the shooting range. They merely had to register at the cashier’s table and head in, it only took a few minutes.
Behind them were Rosie and Patty huddling together. Jael knew they couldn’t be scheming about anything good, so he kept his distance from them, focusing on Caspian, who chatted about how much progress he had made the week before.
He was essentially the one teaching Caspian, so they didn’t even have to be there; it was more to keep the ladies company than anything else.
Rosie had been trying to pry more information out of Patty, but her friend hadn’t been inclined to say more, getting paler the closer they got to the shooting range proper.
"What if I go into one of my panic-freezes when I see her?" Patty whispered despairingly to Rosie like she had already resigned herself to her fate.
"Then I’ll explain everything to her," Rosie said seriously. Jazz seemed like a level-headed person, if there was anyone who could handle Patty, it would be her.
Ahead, Jael had already gone through the metal doors with Caspian, and they could hear them saying hi to their trainers, Ivan and Jazz.
Rosie strode forward, heading directly for Ivan. After exchanging casual pleasantries, she practically dragged the Alpha away so they could resume from where they stopped the last time.
This left Jazz patiently waiting for Patty to show up, she adjusted the straps on her glove, her expression calm.
Patty poked her head past the doors, blanching at the sight of Jazz standing just a short distance away, clearly waiting for her. Jael and Caspian were at one end of the large room, already going through the motions of loading up a gun, Rosie doing the same at the other end with her intimidated trainer.
"Hey," Patty murmured as she approached, noting that she hadn’t tripped on thin air yet.
Jazz had a faint smile on her face, "I was starting to think you wouldn’t make it."
"I said I would," Patty quickly defended herself, "I even asked Jael for tips..." She trailed off at that, flushing.
Jazz just led the way to one of the tables set up with equipment because she knew that Patty had an easier time reloading her guns when she didn’t have to hold both gun and magazine at the same time.
"You seem really close to him," She tilted her head to the side, hazel green eyes questioning more than her words did.
Patty had her gaze down so she didn’t notice it, "Not at all, we’ve barely had a proper conversation. We’re just work colleagues." She admitted truthfully. Maybe their relationship would improve in the near future, but she had been exceptional at sabotaging it in the past.
Jazz didn’t continue that line of conversation again, "Think you could load your gun yourself?"
Patty looked up at her then, her dark eyes bright. "No, please show me."
Jazz hid her surprise well at her response, moving closer. "Sure, I could do that," She agreed, her tone wry.
Patty only smiled, maybe it was how calm and patient Jazz was, but she had been saying and doing all the right things. She didn’t want to ruin things while she was far ahead, and that was why she had asked for help.
The show was more than a little confusing to Davian, and Lake must have felt the same because only a few minutes into the superhero show that had been put on for kids, he was wandering off again.
"We should get souvenirs now," Lake was saying as he walked off, looking at the signposts put up all around the amusement park to keep visitors from losing their way. "There are so many people in the park, I want to get the good stuff while it’s still there..."
Davian didn’t stop his mate, he had no idea how the pregnant Omega had so much energy to walk around endlessly.
"Look, dear!" Lake interrupted himself, his honey eyes sparkling. "It’s a haunted house. Can we try it out?"
Davian could drown in his mate’s eyes. Lake didn’t often use pet names, and neither did he, but a casually spoken term of endearment was enough to undo him. So he didn’t even pause to consider that the scares might not be good for his mate, already guiding them towards the line.
Lake beamed, he had expected some resistance from Davian, he hadn’t thought he would get his way this easily. He held onto Davian’s arm as they got in line, completely unaware of how he had so easily convinced his mate.
By the time they got to where they would buy tickets, Davian had had enough time to think about whether this would pose a danger to his pregnant mate. "Will you be fine in the haunted attraction?" He leaned down to ask, the umbrella put away now that they were in shade once more.
"I have you with me," Lake pointed out, "I won’t be scared."
Davian couldn’t argue that, relaxing slightly. They had brought their tickets over to the worker at the entrance, who was dressed like a zombie butler, in a tattered suit, his skin hanging off his sallow face.
He didn’t stare at him for too long, guiding Lake, whose bright eyes were taking everything in.
It was quiet for the first few minutes, nothing but ominous lighting and unsettling sound effects, then, without warning, a ghostly apparition appeared out of the wall, floated past them, and then phased into the other side of the wall of the dim hallway they were walking through.
They both flinched, pausing, Lake laughing afterwards. Just as they were about to resume their tour, something grabbed onto Davian’s leg, he made a strangled sound, holding Lake tight for comfort.
Lake’s laughter didn’t cease, he was just as jumpy as Davian, but he wasn’t frightened, well aware that it wasn’t real, it all added to the fun, but Davian had been genuinely scared just then.
He held his mate close, barely able to catch his breath from how hard he was laughing. "What is it, baby?"
Davian pulled away, sulking at how much he was being affected by their haunted house tour, and it had just began. "Something grabbed my leg," He admitted reluctantly, unable to ignore Lake when he said the magic words.
Lake glanced down at the mechanical hand hidden by fog and decorations, "?" He teased, clamping a hand on Davian’s arm like a claw.
Davian flinched despite himself, his gaze cooling in disapproval. "Stay close to me."
Lake stopped teasing him, obediently doing as Davian said, even though he really wanted to ask if his mate was saying that because he was scared.