As always, the sun rose over the Pacific Northwest, heralding another day.
But this day was destined to be unlike any other.
Most considered October 31, 2015 to be Halloween, where the night would bring many fun filled activities for children young and old alike.
Yet in the town of Moon Lake, Washington; Halloween also meant the impending wedding of Jennifer Harper to her fiance and life/soul mate bonded true love Harry Jenkins.
A ceremony that would hopefully happen without exposing the secrets this otherwise sleepy little town harbored and sought to protect from the outside world.
That were creatures were real and not just the stuff of myths, legends, and imaginative entertainment; and that Moon Lake was a secret sanctuary heavily populated by such beings...
NATE ANDERSON AND HIS BOYFRIEND ALEX RAMSEY woke up within each others furry arms that morning, having spent a wonderful night together at the Ramsey household.
"Morning Stud," said Alex, using his pet name for Nate as the teenage werewolf kissed his beloved.
Last night was special for the two of them. While neither was sure if Alex had officially proposed, Nate never hesitated in his enthusiastic affirmative response, which prompted the two of them to intimately explore each other even more than they had in the past until much needed sleep claimed them both.
"Morning Handsome," Nate said, after their muzzle lips parted. "A little after 6," he added, looking at the digital clock on Alex's night stand. "Guess I better take a shower and get dressed if I want to be polite and attend that wedding with my folks."
"We'll attend it," said Alex, getting out of bed too. "After all, I am your Plus One."
"You are a LOT more than that to me," replied Nate, looking at the man he loved. "Care to share the shower?" he asked, defurring back into his 16 year old human looking self.
"As long as the hot water lasts," answered Alex eagerly, defurring and following his future mate into the adjoining bathroom.
FOR WILLIAM AND MARTHA ANDERSON, the night before the big day had been somewhat busy.
After attending their first official Skulk gathering since being inducted into the werefox group, the male werefox and his bi-werecat mate spent some time talking to and getting to know some of their neighbors and fellow weres better, especially Professor Joan McCall and her husband Timothy, who were basically the opposite of the Andersons, a foxy werevixen with a bi-wildcat mate.
There was no denying the bonds of love and marriage were strong between the two couples, a fact that the Andersons, considering all they had been through after moving to Moon Lake back at the beginning of September, took great comfort in.
But this night ended the only way it could for William and Martha, within their own bed making passionate love to each other.
Now, as the alarm blared demanding they greet the new day, William put one furry paw over the clock to silence it, while Martha snuggled next to him.
"We are staying for both ceremonies, right?" she asked him.
"Yes. The first to see Jenny and Harry officially married. Then we'll send the kids off with whoever else is leaving before Jenny's family and that Dieter Wilhelm show up for what they think is the actual wedding."
"Even without being changed into a werevixen against her will, that poor girl has been through so much in her life growing up," said Martha, while yawning and stretching before getting out of bed. "I'm glad you befriended her, let alone offered Jenny our help if she needs it."
"Even if she wasn't a fellow Skulk or I didn't know how Jenny felt," began William, thinking about his own involuntary entry into were society at the paws of the rogue werevixen Yvette Smith, "it was the right thing to do. While they never went to the lengths her family have gone to, I recall your family wasn't too keen on me marrying you either."
"And that was without them knowing I'm also bi," said Martha, as she staggered to the bathroom. "That's why Shiana Twain's Looks Like We Made It is my favorite song. It reminds me too much of us and everything we've gone through to reach this point in our lives."
"I know honey," said William, as he started laying out his clothing for this morning while the flush of the toilet issued from the bathroom. "I regret my past and my cheating ways that almost ruined what we have. But in hindsight, moving to Moon Lake was definitely the second best thing that has ever happened to us, let alone me."
"Oh? What was the first thing?" wondered Martha, as the werecat came back out into the bedroom.
"Falling in love with you," answered William, while wrapping his arms around his wife before giving her a passionate kiss.
NEXT DOOR AT THE TWIST HOUSE, Ben Twist reluctantly came home by his curfew deadline, although leaving his girlfriend Kenya Adaeze after each date they had was becoming more difficult for the 16 year old werewolf. Ben already knew in both his heart and mind that the older werepanthress was "The One", although it would still be awhile before he could actually pop the question, let alone marry the woman.
Defurring for the morning as he went to the bathroom across the hall from his bedroom to take a shower, Ben privately hoped that Kenya would be able to attend the wedding with him this morning, but knew that she had to work to help her aunt and uncle out at their store. Then again, he wouldn't want her at the second ceremony in case something went wrong, although he was still hoping to be there to protect his mothers if necessary.
Provided they let him do so.
FRANCES AND SAMANTHA TWIST woke up the same way they always did since the first night the happily married lesbian werecat couple ever spent together, lovingly entangled within each others arms.
"Morning darling," purred Frances, before rubbing her feline nose against that of her mate. "Did you sleep well?"
"I always do with you, no matter what's on my mind," replied Samantha, before kissing her wife. "But I still can't help worrying about this morning."
"That's what makes you such a good Town Chancellor," said Frances, reluctantly breaking the embrace with Samantha to yawn and stretch like a natural cat would when first waking up. "Being her therapist, I have my concerns for Jenny too, which is why I'm staying for both ceremonies."
"Which is something I wish I could talk you out of," said a concerned Samantha.
"Would you skip the second ceremony if I asked you to?"
"No," admitted Samantha. "It's my duty to be there."
"Mine too, but for different reasons," said Frances. "Now then, there's no point in debating this any more. Let's get ready and go to church."
"Yes ma'am," Samantha said with a smile, before giving her wife a quick kiss.
AT THE STOVALL RESIDENCE, MAYOR MARTIN STOVALL was already up and on his cellphone long before his wife stirred with the buzzing of the alarm clock.
"How long have you been awake?" Melissa asked as she reached out to turn the alarm off, her husband sitting next to where she laid in bed.
"About a half hour," he replied, not looking up from his texting. "Just checking with Police Chief O'Hara and the Skulk about final preparations for this morning."
"Everything okay?" Melissa asked, while starting to get out of bed.
"A Skulk operative confirmed that the Harpers and Dieter Wilhelm are booked on a private jet expected to arrive in Seattle around 8:30 our time, with some man waiting to greet them in a mini van."
"That guy's already there?" wondered Melissa, as she got up to use the bathroom as is, since weres didn't have any nudity taboos, at least among themselves.
"Apparently. The police already have both his description and that of the van's. From what the Skulk operative could smell as he innocently walked past the van on airport business, there was a strong ammunition smell coming from the rear of the vehicle."
"This Wilhelm character is deadly serious about claiming Jennifer Harper as his, isn't he?" called out Martin's wife from the bathroom.
"Sadly, yes," confirmed her husband. "Which is why we're taking two cars, so you, Julie and Eric can leave the area after the first ceremony."
"And you have to be there for both?" wondered Melissa, as Martin heard her cleaning up after the toilet flushed.
"Don't you think I should be? A good leader shouldn't ask his followers to do anything he wouldn't."
"While it certainly would impress the Harpers to know that the Mayor of Moon Lake was there to witness their daughter get married, you promised me you'd check with Chief O'Hara when we get there to see whether or not you should stay," Melissa reminded him, while coming back out of the bathroom and walking around to Martin's side of the bed. "After all, Jennifer Harper might be gaining a husband today, but I certainly don't want to lose mine in the process," she added, before sitting next to and hugging him.
BUT AS THE ADULTS WERE TALKING, on the other side of the second floor of the Stovall residence, Julie Stovall awoke to see Eric Anderson sound asleep snuggled next to her within the four poster canopy bed of her room.
She smiled, looking down and running her fingers through his short brown hair.
Despite how soft it was, it was her touch that caused Eric to stir. "Good morning, my love," he said, before raising his head to kiss her.
"Good morning to you too beloved," she replied, before reaching over to turn off the alarm clock before it could ring. "I can certainly get used to this," Julie added, while reaching back over to lay next to Eric and hug him.
"Me too," he said, kissing his were-mermaid. "Did you happen to dream of us again last night?" he asked, knowing that after their swimming pool races, they went upstairs to bed, although it was a while before either of them actually fell asleep.
"I think so," replied Julie, as she looked lovingly at him. "But all it was was dad walking me down the aisle toward you standing in front of the altar for our wedding."
"A day I look forward to," said Eric, before kissing the single pearl necklace around her neck Julie proudly wore. The were-mer equivalent of an engagement ring. "You make a beautiful bride in that white dress I dreamed you were wearing."
"And you looked quite handsome and happy in that tuxedo as we saw each other. Yet that's all I dreamed. Just dad escorting me toward you. The fact that we shared this dream too makes me happy, but that it's incomplete has me wondering."
"Maybe it was incomplete because our wedding is still in the future, and we don't know yet how that girl's is going to turn out today," said Eric, while holding Julie closer.
"Well, I already know my future Mister Anderson," said Julie, while smiling at Eric.
"And I know mine Mrs. Anderson," said Eric, while smiling at Julie. "Do we have time for..."
"Sadly, no," answered Julie, while glancing over her shoulder at the clock. "But if we hurry, we do have time for a shower together," she said with a wink, before grabbing Eric's hand in hers.
Eric couldn't help but continue to smile as Julie pulled him out of bed and led him to her private bathroom.