07 The Return_ Midnight - L. J. Smith

Matt realized that the duct tape around his middle was low enough that he could slam his
head against the defense table. He did this, making a small boom.
“If your client wishes to be completely immobilized, Miz Sawicki, it can be—”
But then they all heard it. Like an echo, but delayed. And much louder than the sound of a
head striking a table.
BOOM!
And again.
BOOM!
And then the distant, disturbing sound of doors slamming open as if they had been hit by a
battering ram.
At this point the people in the courtroom still could have scattered. But where was there
to go?
BOOM! Another, closer door slamming open.
“Order! Order in the courtroom!”
Footsteps sounded down the wooden floor of the corridor.
“Order! Order!”
But no one, not even a judge, could stop this many people from muttering. And late in the
evening, in a locked courthouse, after all that talk of vampires and werewolves…
Footsteps coming closer. A door, quite near, crashing and creaking.
A ripple of…something…went through the courtroom. Caroline gasped, clutching at her
bulging stomach.
“Bar those doors! Bailiff! Lock them!”
“Bar them how, Your Honor? And they only lock from the outside!”
Whatever it was, it was very close—
The doors to the courtroom opened, creaking. Matt put a calming hand on Gwen’s wrist,
twisting his neck to see behind him.
Standing in the doorway was Saber, looking, as always, as big as a small pony. Mrs.
Flowers walked beside him; Stefan and Elena drew up the rear.
Heavy clicking footsteps as Saber, alone, went up to Caroline, who was gasping and
quivering.
Utter silence as everyone took in the sight of the giant beast, his coat ebony black, his
eyes dark and moist as he took a leisurely look around the courtroom.
Then, deep in his chest, Saber went hmmf.
Around Matt people were gasping and writhing, as if they itched all over. He stared and
saw Gwen staring along with him as the gasping became a panting.
Finally Saber tilted his nose to the ceiling and howled.
What happened after that wasn’t pretty from Matt’s point of view. Not seeing Caroline’s
nose and mouth jut out to make a muzzle. Not seeing her eyes recede into small, deep, fur-lined holes.
And her hands, fingers shrinking into helplessly waving paws, widespread, with black
claws. That wasn’t pretty.
But the animal at the end was beautiful. Matt didn’t know if she’d absorbed her gray
dress or shucked it off or what. He did know that a handsome gray wolf leaped from the defendant’s
chair to lick up at Saber’s chops, rolling all the way on the floor to frolic around the huge animal,
who was so obviously the alpha wolf.
Saber made another deep hmmf sound. The wolf that had been Caroline rubbed her snout