Bonus scene for fans of the Judgement of the Six series
**DO NOT READ if you have not yet finished the series!**
**Spoilers ahead**
(You’ve been warned!)
Clay…
I could feel Gabby’s anxiety and sent a reassuring wave of love her way. She’d warned me not to “do that head talk thing” today, but I was tempted to do it anyway. Feeling my Mate’s stress made my own kick up a few notches.
In an attempt to distract myself, I focused on the TV that was turned on with the volume low. Since Winifred revealed the existence of werewolves to the world, our group had been monitoring current events. With Gabby’s insistence to finish school, I kept an even closer eye on things.
The initial turmoil had only grown. People were still showing up dead with fingernails removed. Neighbor continued to suspect neighbor, ignoring all the years of backyard barbeques and playdates that had once been the foundation for friendships.
I wished we didn’t live in town, but I couldn’t forget Gabby’s first conversation with me. Had it really been almost a year since she’d pointed out that she didn’t have fur like I did and couldn’t just live in the trees? I missed the trees.
The news anchor grew serious and warned viewers that we were about to see some disturbing and graphic images. Since the onset of the revelation of our existence, censorship had slowly gone out the window. If someone died a horrible death, the news not only reported it, they had footage of the aftermath.
The screen switched to a pile of human-shaped red. I figured out what I was looking at before the news anchor spoke.
“The remains of a human male, completely stripped of his skin, were found this morning in the street adjacent to the capital building. There are no leads regarding who or what did this at this time.”
The co-anchor added his opinion, something that had also increased in our daily dose of “factual” reporting.
“I think the ‘what’ seems pretty obvious, though, don’t you? Based on the surveillance footage,” which the screen started to show, “the victim is less than two minutes ahead of the person who called in his death. No human could do what was done that quickly.”
The now deceased man walked off camera. A second man started on the same path after a few moments. Before the second man disappeared from view, he started running.
“According to the witness who called in the death, he heard a scream unlike anything he’s heard before. He was carrying a permitted, concealed weapon and thought he could help. When he arrived, the man was already skinned and dead.”
The concealed weapon part had me shaking my head. Every human was carrying now, making the world more dangerous not just for werewolves and Urbat but for themselves, too.
The TV suddenly went black.
“That’s probably not the best choice of distraction right now,” Emmitt said.
He leaned back in his chair and looked at his watch.
“You need to get your head in the game. Michelle should be here in a few minutes.”
Luke, the other inhabitant of the room, chuckled.
“If Gabby finds out that was what you were watching right before you exchange vows, you’re going to be the skinned man.”
I threw the remote at his head. He caught the device before it connected with his skull and grinned at me.
“I don’t see why we have to do this,” I said. “It’s dangerous. We’ve been Mated for weeks.”
“Being Mated doesn’t replace their need for the ceremony. Plus, this is just another layer of protection. Her name will change yet again,” Emmitt said.
Name changes were something that Michelle and her lawyer had worked on as soon as the Judgement was made. The girls all changed their last names. Winifred, too, since she had most everything registered under her name. We’d had to leave behind the Compound and Emmitt’s Montana home and start up elsewhere. For the moment, we lived in the hate-filled cities and blended.
“I thought the Judgement was supposed to fix the world,” I said. “Instead, it’s falling apart.”
“Not falling apart, shifting alliances. It’ll take time,” Emmitt said.
From what we’d been seeing, it would take more than our lifetime for humans to accept werewolves among them.
“And don’t say anything in front of the girls about thinking this ceremony is a waste of time unless you want to be sleeping on the sofa for the next month,” Emmitt said, returning to the topic at hand.
“Is that what happened to you?” Luke asked.
“No. I’m smarter than you two.”
Luke snorted. I ignored them both.
I didn’t mind the ceremony. I minded the danger. When Emmitt and Michelle had their small wedding the week after we’d said goodbye to his parents and our fallen friends, the world had been calmer. The government had still been following Blake’s paper trail, keeping them distracted. Once they’d figured out that he’d died in Arizona, though, the government’s attention had shifted. Suddenly, all the news showed was the images taken of us while we were at the station in New York.
Michelle and Winifred assured us that changed names and giving up the lives we’d known would help hide us. Would help keep our Mates safe. Yet, the hunt hadn’t settled down. Gabby’s face was still shown daily. Grainy, but to me, easily recognizable. What if someone today identified her despite her current phony last name?
“I can smell your worry,” Emmitt said. “It’ll be fine. Winifred’s here, and Grey’s nearby. Nothing will happen today. It’ll be perfect for the girls.”
I glanced at Luke, who didn’t seem nearly as concerned as I was.
The door to our room opened, and Michelle walked in. The faint, rapid beat of her child’s heart became my sole focus. I stared at the slight swell of her stomach in fascination.
“Is he behaving in there, Clay?” Michelle asked with a knowing smile.
I could feel my face flush at being caught again. In the days leading up to this, Gabby, Bethi, and Michelle had spent a lot of time together. And, every time Michelle had entered a room, I’d stopped to listen. I couldn’t wait until Gabby carried our child.
“Given who this cub’s uncle is, we can only hope this one will be well-behaved,” Emmitt said, setting a hand on her stomach and kissing her.
“What are Jim and Olivia up to?” Luke asked.
“They’re at Rachel’s parents’ place. They spent the night there just to be extra safe.”
I thought of Rachel and felt a pang of regret. Gabby had really wanted her to be here for our wedding.
In the days following the Judgement, Gabby had managed to talk to Rachel and explain everything. Rachel hadn’t believed Gabby right away, but when I’d shifted to the dog Rachel had known and loved, she’d changed her mind. After delivering a harsh scolding about deception, she’d hugged me and told me she liked me better as Clay-the-man because I made Gabby so happy. Rachel’s easy approval of me and my kind proved that humans were capable of acceptance. Most just chose not to.
The reunion between the pair had been short-lived, though. Because of Rachel’s association with Gabby, it hadn’t taken long for government officials to track her down and start asking questions. As much as she’d wanted to be here on Gabby’s special day, like me, she’d been worried about Gabby’s safety. Their compromise was to live stream the ceremony. Rachel, Jim, and Olivia wouldn’t be the only ones watching. Several members of the pack, including Paul and Henry, would be watching too.
“Well, are you two ready?” Michelle asked, glancing at me then Luke.
“I was born ready, Luv,” Luke said, standing and straightening his suit jacket.
I hated when he poured on the accent.
A rush of love brushed my mind, and I smiled slightly. Gabby was the one who’d suggested a dual wedding, stating it felt right. The girls had bonded after everything they’d gone through. Luke and I? Not as much. But, he was growing on me.
I stood and nodded to Michelle.
“Ready.”
She led the way out of the room and down the vacant hall to the officiant’s room. This wasn’t a cheap, Vegas in-and-out marriage. Michelle had gone all out.
The ceremony would take place in a tastefully decorated room, surrounded by friends. More importantly, we had the place to ourselves.
Luke and I stood at the front of the room near the officiant while Michelle moved off to one side and picked up a tablet to aim our way. Emmitt stepped to our left, taking his place as a witness to our marriages.
Luke and I both turned to watch the door. Winifred, the second witness, entered first. The scent of her sorrow filled my nose. She smiled at us as she made her way to the front, but the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. It hadn’t since that day in Arizona, the day all of our lives had changed forever.
Music started, pulling me from my somber thoughts.
My gaze shifted back to the door in anticipation, and my chest squeezed at the sight of Gabby. My Mate. My wife. My everything. She wore a white dress that came to her knees and a white flower in her hair. I’d never seen anything prettier than my wife in that moment.
She smiled softly as she walked toward me. I itched to go to her and hold her close. Instead, I stood my ground and waited until she stopped in front of me. I didn’t touch her. I didn’t want to mess up the perfection. But, I said the words that were burning my mind.
“You are my yesterday, my today, and my tomorrow. I can’t remember a single day before I met you, and I can’t imagine a future without you at my side.”
“Aw.” Gabby’s eyes watered, and she stood on her toes to kiss me softly.
Her lips against mine made the ache in my chest worse. But, she retreated quickly. If she hadn’t, I would have likely messed something up by pulling her into my arms.
With the palm of her hand on my cheek, she held my gaze.
“You are the best thing in my life, Clayton Michael Lawe. Thank you for stepping out from behind that door.”
“Why don’t you say sweet things like that to me?” Bethi asked Luke from beside us, interrupting our moment.
Gabby released me with a laugh and looked at the pair. Like Gabby, Bethi wore a modest white dress and had a flower in her hair.
“Probably because he knows you,” Gabby said. “Knee length dresses in case we need to run, no heels, and no veils because they’re too easy to grab.” Gabby changed her tone to mimic Bethi’s voice. “Gabby, you should really add a garter. It’s a great place to conceal a knife.”
“A girl’s gotta be ready,” Bethi said with a scolding look at Gabby.
“Bethony, please,” a voice said. “It’s your wedding. Let yourself be a bride.”
Michelle held the tablet aimed at us, a live video feed.
“That’s your mom, Bethi,” she said.
Bethi rolled her eyes.
“I know my mom’s voice.”
The officiant cleared his throat. “Would you like to begin?”
Luke wrapped Bethi in his arms and stared down at his Mate.
“What do you say, Luv? Will you be my bride?”
Gabby laced her fingers through mine, and the four of us stood together…like we had in the past and like we would in the future.
The officiant was quick and got us to the exchange of vows. Luke and Bethi went first.
“You’ve given me the world,” Luke said, holding Bethi’s hands. “All I can offer you is my heart in return. I will use every day of my life to show you how much I love you.”
Bethi’s mom started crying.
“I’ll take your heart,” Bethi said with a small smile. “And your shoulder to lean on when things get hard.”
“What are you going to give me?” he asked.
“My amazing wit and candor.”
Jim’s laugh came over the tablet’s microphone. Bethi grinned widely then grew serious.
“And, I promise to love you not just in this life but in every life I live. You are the one dream I will embrace. Forever.”
The officiant turned to us. Gabby sniffled a little and looked up at me. I gently squeezed her hand and opened myself to her so she would feel everything I felt for her.
“Gabrielle May Winters, you’ve given up so much because of me, and I never meant for you to give up anything. If you’ll have me, I’ll do everything I can to give you the life you deserve.”
She nodded, sniffled louder, and released my hand to pull a tissue from the neckline of her dress. She dabbed her eyes then met my gaze.
“You are the most patient, kind, and fully bearded man I know. The past is behind us. And, the future is ours. I love you, Clay.”
We exchanged rings. The tremble in Gabby’s fingers and the nervousness teasing my mind were driving me insane. I just wanted to get to the part where I could hold her.
“I pronounce you man and wife and man and wife,” the officiant finally said.
I wrapped Gabby in my arms and kissed her like it was our first and last moment together.
Gabby…
His absolute love filled my mind, followed closely by his desire for me. I still wanted to kick myself for waiting so long to complete our bond.
Letting his need control the kiss, it took until Emmitt cleared his throat for me to recall where we were and what we were doing.
I pulled away with one last caress and breathlessly smiled up at my husband before turning to take the tablet from Michelle.
I smiled at all the familiar faces of my surrogate family, including Henry’s new, human Mate. Rachel’s face filled one of the windows at the bottom. Even when she cried, she looked perfectly beautiful.
“Thank you all so much for sharing our day,” I said. “I’m sorry you couldn’t be here in person.”
“Tell Bethi and Luke, I’ll see them in a bit,” Bethi’s mom said. She logged off as did the others until it was just Rachel with Jim, Olivia, and Peter talking quietly in the background.
“It’s your turn next, Rachel.”
“It might be a while.”
“Why?”
“Because I want you to be there when I say I do. The world is changing. They won’t care about finding you forever. Eventually, they’ll go away, and then we can start planning.”
Her words made my eyes water anew.
“You are the best friend I’ve ever had,” I said, “and because of that, I can’t let you wait. Not when what you and Peter have is so perfect. Like you said, the world is changing, and you don’t know what tomorrow might bring. Don’t postpone a moment of your happiness. You don’t want to look back and live with regrets.”
She cried a little harder then nodded. Peter walked up behind her and set a hand on her shoulder in silent comfort.
“We’ll do a small ceremony like you,” he said. “And, when the world is ready, we’ll do a big wedding and invite every werewolf we know.”
“That’ll cost a fortune,” Luke said, turning away from his quiet conversation with Emmit. “Werewolves eat four times what humans do.”
“I just need your signatures,” the officiant said, “then you can have the room to yourselves.”
“I better go,” I said to Rachel.
“Call me when you can,” she said. “I’ll answer any unknown number.”
I smiled, promised I would, and disconnected the feed.
The officiant waited patiently while we signed. I almost wrote Winters instead of my new, fake name but caught myself in time.
“Thank you for doing this for us, Will,” Winifred said to the officiant. “Stay safe. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’ve already lost too many of us already to silence.”
“You have my word, Winifred. I’ll reach out occasionally just to let you know we’re all right here.”
“Thank you.”
She faced me and hugged me hard.
“Sam would be so proud of you.”
“I know. He’ll never be gone or far from my mind. He was the best father I could have asked for.” And, I wished he would have been here to give me away and so I could have told him what he meant to me.
Clay’s mind nudged mine, the warmth of his love a reminder that I wasn’t alone. That I had a real family now, too.
“I’ll check in with you two tomorrow,” Winifred said. “Go enjoy your quiet time while I visit with Bethi’s mom.”
I released Winifred and took Clay’s hand.
We left the building separately from the others, just like we’d arrived. Clay held the car door open for me and gave me a quick kiss before closing it and jogging to his side.
Wherever we lived, he never seemed bothered by traffic and drove with ease to our current home. This time, however, I could feel his distraction, and my stomach lurched. I’d insisted on following the time-honored tradition of spending the night before the wedding apart and had him stay with Luke last night while Winifred stayed with me. She and I had talked late into the night and had gotten the house ready for our return.
Did he know what I’d done? What I had planned?
“I can smell and feel your worry, Gabby,” he said. “Talk to me.”
“Nope. Not this time. It’s a surprise.”
He glanced my way.
“I’m serious, Clay. I’m not telling you. Out of my head.” I’d gotten better at closing myself off from him. It wasn’t easy and made me feel lonely, but I was determined to keep him from figuring the surprise out until we got home.
He chuckled, the low sound making my insides melt. I watched the route with increasing impatience. When he finally pulled into the driveway, I beat him to opening my door. With all the potential watchful eyes on us, it was easier to do lately. It was too dangerous for werewolves to use their super speed.
“Impatient, Mrs. Lawe?” he asked, coming around to my side.
“Very.”
A slow grin parted his lips, and I felt the heat of his thoughts in my head.
“I did not realize how much you thought about that until after we were Mated,” I said softly.
“Not that. Just you.” He scooped me up into his arms, which made me squeak. Then, I sighed contentedly and set my head against his shoulder.
“Feel free to carry me over the threshold, Mr. Lawe.”
He strode to the front door, and I struggled to suppress a flutter of nervous anticipation as I reached out to let us in. The door swung wide, revealing my surprise, but Clay didn’t see what I’d done. He was too busy looking down at me hungrily while crossing the threshold.
His lips touched mine, and his shameless thoughts threatened to distract us both. The sound of the door closing pulled me back to reality.
“Wait,” I said, pulling away. “Set me down.”
He did, right in front of him. I stared up at him and raised my eyebrows, waiting for him to notice what was in the room behind me.
His gaze finally shifted to the crib I’d set up in the living room with Winifred’s help. She’d even stocked it full of diapers for us.
For several long seconds, he said nothing. But I felt what he was feeling. Confusion. Then, disbelief. Then, a storm of everything.
He dropped to his knees before me and pressed his ear to my middle.
“How did I miss this?” he said. “It’s so perfect. And fast.” He looked up at me, his eyes full of so much love, I wasn’t sure how much longer I’d be able to keep back my tears.
“You’re happy then?”
“Happy? You’ve given me everything, Gabby. The family I’ve always wanted but never thought I could have.”
He stood and wrapped me in his arms again, pressing his lips to my forehead.
“I love you so much it hurts,” he said gruffly. “I’m not letting you out of my sight for the rest of my life. Our cubs either.”
I smiled and hugged him back.
“I’m okay with that.”
“Have you thought of names?” he asked.
I laughed. “I’ve only known a few days.”
“I’d like to suggest two. If it’s a girl, Samantha. If it’s a boy, Sam.”
The tears I’d been fighting to hold back let loose.
“I’d like that very much.”
He set his hand on my stomach.
“The world is changing so much. I hope this cub’s future is full of joy and love.”
“With you as its father, it will be. But, we can ask him in fifteen or so years.”
Clay chuckled, and his lips met mine.
This scene was added to thank the fans of the Judgement of the Six series for jumping into a new world with me (Fury Frayed). My hope is to release an After Judgement novella in 2019. This scene and the After Judgement novella will be the bridge that links the Judgement Series to another series (yet unnamed) that I hope to write, someday, in the same world.