Chapter 24
One Year Later
“I do.” Tonya’s voice echoed strongly in the judge’s chamber. A big sound given how many people were stuffed into this tiny space. Her brothers. Alan’s family. And of course the most important ones were crowded right next to her.
Alan grinned and, at the appropriate moment, he said his words, too, adding an extra one for flair. “I absolutely do.”
Cocky man. She absolutely adored him and the life they’d created.
After catching Elisabeth, she’d been promoted to under sheriff and would soon take the full role when the current one retired.
Her position as beta was solid, if not always thrilling, given the paperwork required.
And Alan surprised them all by running a successful law practice for shifters.
Turned out that once he stopped working just for the Gladwins, shifters throughout the state came to him for legal help.
He hired Julie as his assistant and they were so busy that he was expanding his office.
But that was nothing compared to watching Jordy and Lexi settle in with the Gladwins.
Shifter kids were normal around here. Cat-shifters?
Not so much. But it didn’t seem to matter as the problems of balancing instinct against civilized behavior was common between the species.
After the medical issues were stabilized, the kids had started attending school as if they’d been there all their lives.
And though certain adjustments took longer than others, a single school year had seen all of that even out.
Which made this moment even more special. Finally. After everything, she was finally becoming a mother. Not just a wife, which had happened a half hour earlier, but now a mother of two wonderful kids.
“So now,” the judge said, “if each of you would please sign.”
They passed the adoption paperwork around from Alan to Tonya, then to Jordy and Lexi. One by one, they created their lives in solid black ink.
“Then it is my absolute pleasure,” the judge continued, “to pronounce you all a family.”
Then Carl stepped forward, dropping a kiss to each child’s forehead. “And officially a member of the Gladwin Bear Clan. We’ll be here for you always, no matter what.”
Tonya watched the kids’ faces closely. They were both beaming even if Jordy wasn’t a big one for kisses. He was an eleven-year-old boy, after all.
“And now,” Carl continued. “For the fun part.”
Alan chuckled and looked at his watch. “Dessert isn’t for another three hours. Whatever could you have in mind?” He was teasing. All the adults knew exactly what was coming. And if the kids had a guess, they didn’t know for sure.
“Well,” said the judge, as he shrugged off his robe. “I guess I don’t need this.” All he wore beneath were a pair of extra, extra large basketball shorts.
Jordy and Lexi’s eyes danced with excitement.
“For real?” Lexi breathed.
Tonya nodded. “If you want to.”
Jordy looked out the window. They were a short mile from a private woods that attached to the Gladwin State Park. “Right now? With everybody?”
Alan chuckled. “If you want to.”
The two kids looked at each other, checking in. It was a habit they had of sticking together no matter what they faced, and it warmed Tonya to see it happening now.
“We do,” they said together, and right there were the last two wonderful “I dos” of the day.
It was quick, joyous work to pile everyone into their cars, trucks, or SUVs as they headed to the private picnic area for the Gladwins.
The tables already groaned under the weight of the food.
The whole clan had turned out to welcome their newest members.
But before they could get to the serious business of eating, there was something more fun to do first.
The run. A pell-mell tumbling, frolicking as animals in the woods.
The monthly party had been reinstated by Becca, Carl’s new wife, who had changed things around so that the run came first and the food second.
Everyone looked forward to the party, and everyone, at the moment, was waiting on Carl to start it.
Except he wasn’t doing it yet. Instead, he looked at the kids.
“Want to start us?” Carl asked, as he pulled off his shirt.
“Really?” Jordy asked, his gaze going to the hundred-plus people gathered there.
Not all of them would turn into bears. In fact, only thirty or so were strong enough to shift on a regular basis.
The others would hang back, talk, work, or watch the children, as they started in early on the food.
“But...” He swallowed as he looked at his sister.
“We don’t exactly look like the rest of you. ”
“Nah,” quipped Alan as he unbuttoned his dress shirt. “We look better.”
“Even if you don’t smell better,” teased Mark who was already standing naked at the edge of the picnic area.
“They smell pretty good to me,” Tonya called as she shrugged out of her dress.
She was going to relish this run because it was probably the last time she could participate in one of these parties as a bear.
At least for another seven months or so.
Shifting in the later stages of pregnancy was not a good idea.
Then it was all eyes on the kids as they took each other’s hands.
This would be the first time they did this in public.
It had taken months to get them to control it, and even longer to manage the individual aspects.
Now they could pick what parts of their bodies became covered in fur, what bones shifted how, and best of all, whether they wanted that defensive odor or not. Usually the answer was not.
Then the wait was over. With a nod to each other, her children shifted into their half-cat form. Beautiful golden fur, pert ears, and sharp teeth appeared. Lexi even sprouted a tail. She looked like a young, beautiful cat woman. Jordy went with large, sharp claws and bright green slit eyes.
“Catch me if you can,” he hollered.
“Cats rule, bears drool!” Lexi cried with a challenge.
Then they were off, first the kids and then Carl, shifting from human to bear in a single leap. Roars echoed around them as the rest of the clan sprang forward in shades of brown and black. Alan was just about to go, too, when she caught his hand.
“Hey, Papa,” she said, as she tugged him back.
“Yeah, Mama?”
“You going to stay behind with the baby when we do this next year?”
“The ba—” His eyes abruptly widened and his gaze dropped to her belly. “Seriously?”
She nodded, grinning.
“Best. Day. Ever!” he cried as he swung her into his arms.
Then she kissed him, her heart overflowing with love. Definitely the best day ever. Except for every single day to come.