The Moon Goddesses Warrior.

Chapter 23: Clayton

I wring my hands nervously as my father sets the plates on the table and covers them with silver covers. Slayter adds some final details to the bouquet on the table and then helps my dad clean up from cooking and move everything else out of sight. I am dressed and waiting at the beginning of the trial where I am to meet Beth and my mom so that she and the girls can go to the Beach and I can have some alone time with my mate.

-Son, we are on our way. Things got a little hairy, I will explain later. - My mother's voice, slightly pained, comes through our mental link.

- Is everyone alright? - I ask.

- Some bumps and bruises, a graze of a bullet, but all fine. Stormy handled the situation and we are back on track.- She tells me. For the goddess to have been involved directly it must have been very serious.

-We are pulling up now. Are you ready?- She asks and I send a mental nod. It's time.

The vehicle pulls to a stop in front of me, the loud music pausing and Sasha rolls down the window behind her. Beth looks out, resting her hand on the window.

"Well hey there handsome, do you need a ride?" she asks, looking me up and down.

"Actually, I was hoping you would walk with me. There is something I want to show you." I tell her, opening her door.

"You go ahead girl, we will catch up later!" Minnie says and nudges Beth out of the car. She closes the door once shes out.

"I will see you all later! Enjoy the beach." She tells them, and they pull away with a wave.

She turns to me, and hugs me tight. "I am so glad to see you and that you are alright." She tells me.

Her demeanor has changed now. Her scent, once full of excitement, now smells of fear and worry and relief all at the same time. What the heck happened while I was setting this up? Why did no one tell me so I could take care of it?

"What happened?" I ask, pulling away a little to see her face.

"Damon found me. I don't even know how he got on the island. Your Mom got between us and she got grazed by a bullet, I had just begun to fight him off and Stormy fried him with a lightning bolt! I didn't even know she could do that!" She tells me, her hands gesturing as she tells her story.

"I am a little shocked she didn't tell me." I say. "But I am also glad you are all okay. Come, let's put this behind us."

I take her hand and pull her in front of me, kissing the back of her neck before I place my hands over her eyes gently.

"Do you trust me?" I ask. She giggles.

"Of course."

I can feel the tension melt out of her as we stand a moment longer and I guide her forward, through some bushes and to the beginning of the trail. I uncover her eyes and take her hand as we begin to walk.

"You can look now." I say.

She opens her eyes and they go wide as she looks around.

"Clay, this is beautiful!" She beams. She fingers some of the light strings she can barely reach as we walk under a canopy of leaves and blinking, soft white lights.

I smile and we walk, talking about nothing and everything for the short walk up to the bluff over the lake. It's a beautiful spot and is home to one of the waterfall features that leads to a deeper part of the lake. It is a place we deemed The Lagoon, and had specially fitted a diving platform for our summer games.

"Minnie and I have been close ever since, and before you came along, we would be each other's lesbian lover to fend off creeps and weirdos whenever we went out. It worked for the most part." She tells me.

We stop walking and she takes in the scene of the table and rose petals, the flowers and the lights, and then the smell of delicious food wafts over to us.

"Clayton you have more planned than just a walk don't you." She tells me, turning around and giving me a look that I cannot quite distinguish yet.

"Are you hungry?" I ask and lead her to the table.

"Starved. I am skin and bones, can't you tell!" she tells me dramatically as she sits and I push in her chair.

A gentle music starts for background noise, a classical country station, and I sit too. I lift the cover off her food first, and then my own and admire the handiwork of my father and best friend. A beautifully grilled steak sits on our plates with mashed potatoes, salad, and some steamed seasonal veggies. A glass of water and another set aside for wine to go with dessert are on the table and a small dessert tray sits on the table next to ours along with the wine and some fresh fruits.

"These smells so good," Beth says as she digs in.

I do the same and we both moan in pleasure at the flavor bursting across our tongues. There was some sort of flavored butter on the tops and the tenderness of the meat couldn't be beaten. It melted on my tongue. I took bites of the veggies and enjoyed the peppery taste with a little bit of citrus and herb. We make small talk and every time she tastes something new on her plate, she takes a moment to enjoy the flavors and then we talk more.

Dessert is next and I grab the small try, hiding a ring on one of the small cakes with a flower made just to hold it. I grab it carefully and set it on her plate before getting one of my own and setting it on mine. While I do this, she pours us both a small glass of wine to go with our dessert.

"Here you are, my love." She tells me as she passes me a glass and I set her plate in front of her.

"Beth, I have a very important question I need to ask you," I tell her before she even has a chance to look down and dig in.

She pauses, her hand on her fork as she stares at me. "Okay, what is it?"

"Werewolf mating goes fast, as pretty much everyone knows, and it is essentially being married. But I come from a different time. I've known times when mates weren't sure things when the bond itself almost went extinct. In those times, we got married much like the humans always have." I tell her as I get down on one knee. "Beth the world keeps changing but you are my mate, a constant glowing beacon in the darkness, and someone to celebrate the good times with. Will you marry me?"

She has tears already glistening in her eyes as she nods her head and holds out her hand. I slip the ring onto her finger and she throws her arms around my neck, kissing me over and over again all over my face.

"Clayton, you have just made me the happiest woman in the world," she says.

A moment later we hear cheers coming up from behind us. Friends and some family members are there, clapping and congratulating us as they encircle us in a pack hug.