The full moon happening the next day made planning difficult.

William really wanted to wait until after his forced full moon shift to go after Melvin, but I worried that would be too long. If DOSS's representatives believed he didn't have long left, I didn't want to wait the few extra days and risk him passing peacefully. If he died in his sleep because we waited too long, I'd hate myself.

But it was a three hour drive to the Utahn headquarters, and getting a hotel room for the evening was a no-go since a three hour drive tomorrow wouldn't be plausible for a jittery werewolf starting to feel the full moon's effects. I suggested he shift and run alongside, but he didn't like the idea of me driving alone. He wouldn't listen when I reminded him that I drove home from Salt Lake with him in another car already, but for some reason it was 'not the same.'

So that meant we left right away and would drive home as soon as we had certificate in hand and Melvin was healed. It might make a late night, but it was better than letting Melvin get a pass.

So there we were, just pulling off the freeway and headed through the busy city to headquarters. I stared around at the tall buildings as we passed, cellphone to my ear.

"Alright, thank you for that," I told Eric. "We've just made it into downtown, if it takes a couple hours to get through for the certificate, that still should put us home before midnight."

"Goodluck," he wished.

"Thanks," I said nervously.

"Don't worry Kara. You'll do exactly what you're supposed to. Just follow your intuition."

"I will."

"Well, I better go. Let you get to work. Plus, Andrea is complaining that I'm on the phone with another beautiful woman."

"No, I'm not!" She laughed in the background, but there were lots of children's hollers too.

He chuckled. "Nah, she's not, but I better go help her break up a fight. So see ya Kara."

"Bye."

Will surely heard everything Eric and I talked about, but maybe he just needed to say it out loud, because he asked, "so Eric tracked down Damron?"

"Yeah."

Damron had mated a human that was already totally into werewolf lore and super excited to be marked, so instead of waiting for a DOSS representative to come to the pack as they do every few months to update the wolf registry and hand out gov-decs, the couple took the drive out to headquarters to get documented right away.

I continued, "They got their certificate five months ago so the process could have changed, but they said you go in and tell the receptionist that you are there for your marriage certificate, you sit in the lobby with about thirty other supernaturals and they call you back by number. A guard guides you down the hall to Leena Roth's office and you say basic vows, she signs the papers and then updates the wolf registry with the new information. He said it doesn't take too long after you are in her office, and Roth is really friendly."

"And you brought your ID?" He asked turning down another street lined with shops.

"Yep. I'm Caroline Peters. Basic human from Seattle." I took a second to make sure my hair was still covering up my illegal marks.

"Good."

"We met at my best friend's wedding. And I fell madly in love with my wolfie and want to get married right away too."

He chuckled. Then a few moments later he turned sour. "Roth's office is on ground level. Do you really think that no one will notice us taking the elevator?"

Damron said the guard did not guide them back to the lobby after the ceremony. So the official plan was to go to Roth's office and get our certificate. While there, I give her a little nap and go through her computer to find out which level the hospital is at. With some luck, maybe even which room is Melvin's. She wakes up and we act like no time has passed. We leave and head for the elevator, find Melvin's room, and heal him. And when we got caught, when not if, I cry and tell them it's womanly time and I just needed the bathroom. Since DOSS's guards are always men, it might throw them to see 'girly time.'

In reality, it was already throwing me having to say 'girly time' to William.

If all else fails, I put the guard to sleep and run.

Kind of a sucky plan, but the best I could figure.

Even I was doubting it.

To be completely honest, I was hoping what Jeremy said was true and we see an open window, sing some abc's and then we get the heck out of dodge, but William was adamant that hoping for an open window was not an adequate plan.

At first, I had hoped to just call into Melvin's room from Roth's office, but after a few practice tries with Fremont, my voice just didn't have the whole power to heal through the phone lines. I could do basic cuts and bruises, but the power to heal the werecreatures or, I'm assuming, a deep-rooted cancer, would need to be in person.

William then gave an unhappy sigh. "I still think it's a better idea to just let him die."

I didn't answer. Truly, it probably was better. I stay off the grid for a few more months, we heal all the werecreatures and the disease dies with him.

But I still felt the drive to make him pay for his all the hurt he caused so many wolves.

All I could say was a whisper, "I can't back down now."

"I know Love." He grabbed my hand and gave it a tight squeeze, my heart filling with hope, always feeling a million miles better with him by my side.

"I love you."

He turned to me and gave a one-sided grin that fluttered my insides. "Love you Kara."

A couple minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of a massive unmarked building, and turned the key.

We both stared up. Off white painted building with wide windows that mirrored the surrounding blue sky perfectly. Not a single one of them open.

I said an internal curse word as the severity of the situation piled upon me.

I was going to get caught and become a human guinea pig the rest of my life.

William must have felt my distress. "Do you want to abort?"

I stared up at the building, counting the windows, thirteen up, and started considering it.

Should we just leave? Maybe this was a bad idea.

But then a wolf-human couple stepped into my view a row of cars over, their own certificate in hand. The tall man pulled the woman clear off her feet in a heartwarming kiss.

My lips turned in a soft smile watching their happy exchange. And before I could think to rush out at them and ask about Roth's procedures, they got in their car and drove away.

"No," I finally answered him. "Let's finish this."

So many wolves would never get the happily ever after moment like that couple just got, and that was because of Melvin. He needed to pay with a lifelong term in prison.

And I got out of the car before my seriousness was lost.

No windows were open, so onto plan B.

Time to be a girl.

William came out after and grabbed my hand, halting my walk, and pulling me back to him. "Kara?"

I turned and his face held a nervous quality. "Yes?"

He held both hands between us. Are you sure this is a good idea? I've counted at least twelve cameras aimed on the parking lot alone. I don't think we've got a chance to make it unnoticed. I will follow whatever your decision is, but can I get at least a little reassurance that you are confident in yourself? Are you doing this because your inner wolf is guiding you to do it, or are you just angry with him?

I looked into his piercing blues and knew he was uneasy, but he would be all-in to whatever I chose. Then I twisted to see the giant building behind me. My heart started to hum with its own music, telling me to keep going. Something sang to me that I was to proceed, and that we would be given the way. I was to trust fate.

Back at him, I smiled soft and let my own hand lift to caress against his face, feeling over the slight stubble at his chin. He bent into it, soaking in my drive and faith. There is a greater power at work here William. We are to follow that design. We were meant to find each other. We are now meant to give the wolves' lives he took, peace. We are meant to free the minds of those he kidnapped. We are meant to bring justice. Dying is not his justice, dying is his mercy.

He took a deep breath of calm and nodded. I trust you. The front doors are there. Or lead the way your inner wolf tells. He pointed and waited for me to start guiding us.

Our fingers entwined and I moved us with conviction to the wide entrance and when the automatic doors swung wide for us, I gave Will a side wink. We're supposed to be so madly in love we can't wait another minute for a marriage certificate. Remember to act like you love me.

He chuckled and released my hand to pull me fully into his side and kiss my temple. I don't need to act that, Kara.

I know. I giggled back and leaned up to meet his lips for another quick kiss, and then we entered the new lion's den.

We both stopped dead as we took the place in. The beautiful high-class lobby that Damron had spoken of was in shambles. Couches standing vertically lined the walls. Plants and potted trees shoved into a corner like a jungle forest. Carpet dirty and sopping wet under our feet. Wallpaper torn in hanging sheets from the walls. Desks and chairs piled haphazardly. No golden statues, no padded seats in kingly patterns, and not a single werewolf couple holding hands and happily waiting for their number to be called. But four armed human guards in completely black uniforms stood as scowling sentinels blocking the doors onward.

Kara? William asked nervous.

Something was going down.

Before I could even think that we needed to bail, the receptionist, a serious brunette with a dark blue suit and hair in a tight bun, looked over her glasses. "Can I help you?"

I took a deep swallow and looked to William. Could we really run for it right now? William was staring at the very obvious camera pointed at us from above her head, and I took a quick glance around to notice at least four more less obvious cameras embedded into the ceiling.

No. I'm not running. I'm playing this game.

I grabbed William's arm and gave him a squeeze, putting on the widest grin I could fake. "We're here for Leena Roth. We want a marriage certificate."

She looked us up and down and gave a curt nod. "I see." She turned to the guards with a sly smirk. "Johnson, take these two people... to Roth."

The four guards all did some prancing motion with their guns in perfect sync and then one stepped forward and shouted. "You will follow me!" The other three parted.

I almost ran for the hills.

But I still felt compelled to keep going.

Here we go. I gulped and then stepped forward towing William.