Chapter 234: Faye’s Baby Shower (2)
The first game was called First to Pop All Balloons.
Eriko and Henry’s balloon color was blue, while Paye and Pali’s color was yellow. Each team had six balloons on the wall. The bright latex shapes were taped in a neat line against the wooden paneling, vibrating slightly from the loud chatter in the room.
Six levels to pop six balloons.
Level one was stacking cups. One had to throw the balloon up and stack the cups before it fell. The plastic cups were stacked in a small pile on the table, catching the warm light of the cottage.
Each teams with their own colors.
Henry won on his first try. He had quick reflexes and was able to stack them all up. His hands blurred in a flash of speed, clicking the plastic pieces together smoothly while the blue balloon was still drifting high in the air.
Kaye and Dina jumped up and down, letting out a massive shout as a sharp pop echoed through the living room, sending blue rubber scraps to the floor.
Faye glared at them because she believed Henry had used powers or something unexplainable to be that fast, but Henry said he had been like that for as long as he could remember. He held his hands up innocently, a quiet chuckle escaping his lips as he stepped back from the table.
That was not the point.
Faye knew why they chose him. Henry was good at games. He happened to be like Princess, never allowing his challenger to beat him. He had that same stubborn focus in his eyes, the kind that meant he would push himself until he won every single round.
The same thing happened in the second level, Flip the Bottle. First to flip ten bottles won. The plastic water bottles were lined up on the edge of the wood table, their caps pointing straight up.
Henry won in one go. His wrist flicked in a perfect rhythm, each bottle landing flat with a heavy thud, one after the other, before Paye could even get his third one to stand upright.
And also the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth levels. The cups, the rings, the puzzle blocks, Henry handled them all without breaking a single sweat, his movements fast and precise.
The kids’ champions won the first match thanks to Henry. Kaye and Dina were practically dancing around the couch, their faces bright with absolute victory as they crossed off the first section of their scorecard.
Then came the second round: Fill the Bucket with as Many tiny Balls as Possible Before Time Runs Out.
One had to be on all fours while piggybacking the other. The one on all fours would hold a spoon in their mouth, crawl across the room, use the spoon to pick up a ball, then crawl back and drop it into the bucket. The plastic bucket sat near the couch, completely empty and waiting.
While Henry and Eriko decided who would crawl and who would sit on whose back, Pali and Paye were arguing about who would be the rider. They stood in a tight circle, their voices cutting through the loud room as they gestured frantically at each other.
Both wanted to sit.
Paye complained about having a backache, while Pali said he had the perfect remedy for his back pain after the game. Paye rubbed the lower part of his spine, his face twisting into a heavy grimace while Pali crossed his arms, refusing to drop to his knees.
They kept going back and forth over who should crawl. The argument was getting louder, their shoulders tensing up as they stood chest to chest on the floor.
Faye was already not having it. Since they had lost the first round, she barked at them to cooperate or she was going to punch them. She leaned forward on the couch, her chest heaving with an angry breath as her voice sliced right through their bickering.
Seeing how angry the pregnant girl was, Pali immediately knelt down, not wanting to face her fury. He dropped to his hands and knees on the carpet, his jaw tight as he took the wooden spoon between his teeth.
The kids’ champions won again.
Henry was stronger, and Eriko on his back was like the weight of a baby. He managed to collect far more balls than Faye’s champions. Henry scurried across the floor like a flash, while Paye struggled to keep his balance on Pali’s back, the two of them wobbling and dropping their balls halfway across the room.
"That’s the reason why one must never skip PE class" Eriko muttered looking at his friends.
Faye formed a bitter smirk, knowing she was losing.
If the kids’ champions won the third game, she would lose the entire challenge. The thought of barking and dancing around on TikTok in a puppy costume made her stomach turn with pure irritation.
"Wait a minute. You guys have been picking all the games. That’s not fair," Faye said, turning to the kids before they could announce the next round.
She stood up from the couch, her hands resting flat on her hips as she blocked them from showing the next card.
"It is fair. We are the ones hosting this party," Kaye said, trying to focus on the card in his hand. He held the paper close to his chest, his small chin tilting up as he tried to look dominant.
"Really? You’re the host at my party? This is my baby shower. I should get to choose the game I want too," Faye said, folding her arms. She stepped closer, her shadow falling completely over the little boy.
"Come on, Aunty Faye. You’re only saying that because you’re losing," Dina said. She shook her head, a small smirk playing on her lips as she watched Faye’s annoyed expression.
"That’s because one of your champions is using his wolf abilities. You didn’t let me pick Sasha because of her powers, and you banned Ruger because you knew how good he was at these kinds of games," Faye said, glaring at Kaye. Her voice was sharp, cutting right through his excuses.
Kaye made a fake cough and adjusted his shirt. He shifted his feet awkwardly, his eyes briefly flicking away from her gaze as he pulled at his collar.
Faye was right about Henry.
His wolf had always been active since his illness. That was the reason his mom had chained him for years. The wild energy inside him was constantly humming right beneath his skin, giving him a massive advantage.
The dude didn’t need a full moon to use his full abilities. He could even shapeshift whenever he wanted. He had complete control over every muscle, making his movements faster than any regular.
Mixing his supernatural abilities with these games was child’s play for him. It was a complete cheat code, and Faye wasn’t about to sit there and let them slide by with it.
There was no way she was going to win the next round if it involved speed or strength. She needed to change the rules before she ended up in that ridiculous puppy suit.
"So what do you want us to do? There were other choices, but you picked Nanna, who looks like he doesn’t even have a wolf, and a native pharmacist," Kaye said, looking at his father and Pali. He gestured toward the two men, who were currently dusting off their pants.
"Hey, young man, I have my wolf," Paye said, feeling offended by his son’s insult. He puffed out his chest, his eyebrows knitting together as he took a step toward his boy.
"And it’s called an apothecary," Pali said, correcting his profession.
"The thing I’m trying to say here is that it’s my fucking moment. This is my time. I’m the one having a baby shower. This is the first and last baby shower I’m ever getting," Faye said. She pressed her hand firmly against her stomach, her breathing heavy as she stood her ground.
"Are you sure?" Sasha muttered. She was leaning against the snack table, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she raised a glass of juice.
"Yes, I am fucking sure. Four is enough," Faye shot back. She snapped her head toward her friend, her eyes narrowing.
"I’m just saying, no one can tell. You and your girlfriend are pretty, pretty erotica. I can’t tell how many times I have..."
"Sasha, how many times have I warned you not to do that? My privacy should be mine...." Faye cut her off instantly, her cheeks flaring up with a bright, angry blush as she gestured wildly.
Immediately, Sasha made a zip-lip gesture, She turned her back around, raising her hands in surrender while reaching for a plate of pie.
Faye turned back to the kids, demanding the right to decide the next two games. She fixed her gaze onto Kaye, her posture rigid as she waited for him to give in to her terms.
Kaye was about to interfere because he had spent the whole week planning the games, and not when tiktok barking is on the table, but then he suddenly paused and touched his ear. His fingers pressed against the tiny plastic piece hidden in his lobe, his head tilting slightly as he listened to a voice on the other end.
He looked toward the upper corner of the room and nodded. His eyes locked onto a small black dome mounted high on the wall molding.
Faye saw that and followed his gaze. Her eyes tracked his line of sight, locking onto the dark glass lens catching the light.
There was a CCTV camera.
The tiny red indicator light was blinking softly, capturing every single movement in the living room.
Immediately, she understood.
Their boss was talking to them through their earbuds.
Faye looked at the camera, shaking her head with a smile. The anger in her chest faded out slightly, a soft, amused laugh escaping her lips as she caught on to the game.
Then her expression changed, and she raised a middle finger toward it. She extended her hand straight toward the lens, making sure her girlfriend got a clear view of exactly what she thought of her little surveillance setup.
"Shall we begin the next round?" Kaye asked, his voice returning to that confident tone as he dropped his hand from his ear. He looked back at Faye, his small face smoothing out as he waited for her choice.
