Wiley moaned, wiggling a bit on my lap. “You gonna do me again like this?”
I tucked one arm around him and reached for his cock. He was still hard and moaned again as I started stroking him. “Shall we see how many times we can make each other come, my supernaturally-enhanced mate?”
“Oh, god, is that a thing I can do now?” He reached back to grip the ruff of fur at my neck as he undulated his long, lean body on my lap. “Fuck, yes. Let’s go, baby.”
I stroked, petted, and bit him again, loving his easy acceptance of every new enhancement he achieved as my mate. He wasn’t changing me physically, but I knew I was a better man for having him in my life. Whatever came at us next, we would face it together and win.
Epilogue
3 MONTHS LATER
Even with having a mate who was a brilliant lawyer explaining everything going on for the past three months, I still felt like I knew nothing each time we walked into the courtroom.
Earlier on, I’d prepped with the legal team leading The Coalition’s side of the case, and then I’d taken the stand as a witness like everyone else. That had nearly killed me because I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d be the one to ruin the whole case somehow. But I’d gotten through it, and the government lawyers hadn’t even wanted to question me.
They’d done that with a lot of the prosecution’s witnesses, and it had left me feeling like I wasn’t important enough to dispute.
Sitting in the courtroom while Hamilton and the others who’d been captives gave their testimonies had been worse. So many raw emotions, so much pain, and the defense had tried everything to either get the victims’ words dismissed or discredit them. When they’d suggested that Hamilton had regretted volunteering and now wanted more compensation, I could’ve slaughtered the whole room myself.
Thankfully, it was a panel of judges from both the human and supernatural worlds. They seemed to be taking their impartiality seriously, too—which was a good thing. Of course, I felt like itwas a slam dunk on the side of everyone who’d been held against their will, experimented on, violated, or lied to, but I could wait for the judges to catch up to that fact.
Which they would today. Or at least they were handing down their decision today. I was really hoping they were on our side, or I didn’t know what I’d do.
I sat on the right side of the courtroom inside The Coalition building in Saint Jude with all of the supernaturals, the soldiers who’d been held or abused, and those who’d switched their allegiance once they learned the truth. The people on the left were all of the government goons who smiled so smugly, like they couldn’t lose.
I held onto hope with both hands. Well, with imaginary hands because my physical ones were holding onto Hamilton’s.
I was so stressed, I couldn’t even be distracted by the fact that Quillan and Row were sitting together. Close together. Okay, that was a little distracting. We’d been hanging out with Quillan a bit, but he hadn’t said a word about Row. What was going on over there? Was anything going on?
But then the panel of judges marched into the room. They wore the same black robes and everyone looked human, their expressions not giving anything away as they went up and took their seats.
“For fuck’s sake,” I whispered, “couldn’t Verbasic give us a tiny smile or a wink or something?” Judge Verbasic was one of the supernatural judges, a merman.
“Remember,” Hamilton whispered back, “their guilt isn’t in question here.”
“Yeah, but thisisabout their punishment. You said yourself that they could decide to do nothing. Just give them a warning.” Which everyone knew they would absolutely ignore two seconds later. “It has to hurt or they’ll do it all again.”
He sighed and squeezed my hand. Clinging so hard to hope was slowly killing all of us.
Verbasic, seated in front of the only microphone, cleared his throat and began. “This panel wishes to thank the victims and their heirs for sharing their stories and having patience with us while we determined the best course of action going forward. As previously agreed upon, all decisions are final.”
“Really?” I whispered.
Hamilton nodded. “I’m looking forward to reading how they managed that.”
I had a feeling he was going to nerd-out on all the legalese for, like, at least a week after this.
“I’m going to read a summary,” Verbasic continued, “though the full decision will be made available to counsel in the next few days.”
Yep, regardless of how this turned out, I wouldn’t see Hamilton until he’d read the whole thing.
Verbasic held a sheet of paper beside the microphone and started reading. “All those who acted as members of the private security detail for The Barnabas Institute of Genetics as well as the Human Excellence Program, including former American military personnel, and were charged with retrieval, detainment, punishment, or defense are hereby sentenced to no less than ten years in federal prison.”
Several people throughout the courtroom gave a whoop or clapped at that, me included. I’d had a feeling they’d be thrown under the bus as the easiest to blame, but I wasn’t disappointed. They could’ve said no, they could’ve quit, they could’ve told someone what was happening.
“Quiet down,” Verbasic said while two other judges waved their hands to shush us. Once we were silent again, Verbasic continued. “Upon their release, they are prohibited from owning or operating firearms of any kind and will be subject to a registrythat will alert any supernaturals living near them to their presence for a period of no less than twenty years.”
That was interesting. And, dare I believe it, maybe showing us a hint of what was to come? Like, was it possible everyone was going to get punished appropriately? That tiny seed of hope inside me started to grow.
