a P
ty Hall. The building loomed over us, its stone columns looking stern
y on the small of my back, a warm, solid pressure that was meant to be re
eps toward us. He was young, with a mop of sandy hair and a suit th
n front of us. He looked at Derrick, his eyes wi
opped
He didn't move a muscle, but a silent, deadly warning sho
like he'd just been electrocuted. "Al-alright!" he stammered, forcing a laugh that s
out a clammy hand. "You must be Anna! I'm Caleb. It's so great to fin
he strange, foreign word he'd used. He was practically v
ed us past the long, snaking line of people waiting for the public service
, feeling a pang of guilt as we passed dozens of im
mured, his voice close to my ear. "It's ju
rge wooden desk. He scrambled to his feet the moment Derrick walked in, his face pale and
aid, his voice trembling slightly. He g
y attention was fixed on the official-looking marriage applicati
ame, trying to make small talk. "Man, I can't believe this," he said, shaking his head with a goofy
my hand sto
omputer and Caleb's nervous chatter, fell completely, utt
face was terrifying. It was a look of absolute, murderous rage. Caleb flinched as if he'd been physically
esumed. The "proper" she-wolf his family wanted him to marry, may
as a business deal. His
said, my voice clear and steady. "I don't care about his ex-girlfriends." I turned my ga
isappointment? It was gone before I could be sure, replaced b
ame with a firm, steady hand on the final line. I
a large, heavy embosser, his hands shaking so badly it took h
UN
mping our marriage certificate was
were legally, ir
ust a single sheet of paper, but it felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. He
me. He just kept s
ing for mine. His fingers laced throu
said, his voice a l
nearly catatonic clerk in his wake. We were married. And I h
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