Forever Our Ever (4 page)

That would explain the need to move up to the woods. They could bury her body on the property and no one would be the wiser. It wasn’t as if anyone would miss her. It would also be a reason to sell her home rather than chance that it would go into probate. She had no legal relationship with the triplets and no real family left who could claim it. What would happen to her house if she didn’t sell it, or put one of their names on the deed at least?

Kris stoked her cheek softly. “What thoughts have brought you to tears?”

Ever blinked at him in stunned disbelief. She didn’t know that she was crying. “I was just thinking.”

“I figured that. About what?”

She gestured upward and outward with her upturned palm. “All this…” She needed to ask him the truth. He might not give her a straight answer, but the question needed to be posed. “Is this because you know I’m going to die and don’t want to tell me? Please tell me the truth. I need to know.”

He leaned his head forward, his eyes catching hers before narrowing to slits as his top lip slid back from his teeth in exasperation.
“What?”

“Everything. This house in the secluded woods. Me selling my house, the way my body has blown up, the pains I get when they kick me, the fact that I’m always so tired. If I’m going to die giving birth, then please tell me.”

Kris physically flopped back onto the bed, groaning as he shoved back his light-brown hair. It was a gesture of complete frustration, but didn’t answer her question.

The door creaked as it was pushed open and Mick walked in with a big bouquet of mixed roses in a vase. They might as well be lilies. He frowned at Kris and then walked over, setting the flowers on the bedside table. “Okay, what am I missing?”

“Please tell her that she is not going to
die!
”

Mick frowned deeper. “Why would you think that you are going to die? Did something happen?”

Ever would have repeated Kris’s frustrated gesture if she hadn’t been wedged into a sitting position by the pillows at her back. “It’s everything that has happened and needs to happen in the near future. It is the size of my body, this house, the four women that are here to care for my children because I won’t be around to do so.” She glared at her stomach. “Stop fucking kicking me! It hurts.”

The inner sensation of violent movement instantly stopped and Ever stared down at her stomach, her hand going to stroke her swollen skin. Tears sprang into her eyes. “I’m sorry for yelling at you. I know I’m upset and I’m upsetting you also. Mommy shouldn’t yell for something that you do naturally.”

Kris spun around and laid his head on her stomach. He put his palm to the side of her bump and began to sing softly. “Little wolves, they are so sweet, furry hands and furry feet. As they grow, they squirm and kick, to let you know they are not sick. Their bodies move, they thrash their feet, to say they soon will come to meet, their mother…their fathers…all those who now do wait. They will be born a special breed and our pups will be great.” He sighed and kissed her belly button. “You are not going to die, Ever. None of this is an indication that you will not be around after the birth. It is simply that we want life to be wonderful for you, for us. This house is special because we built it for you. You are special because you became pregnant and you are carrying our babies. We know that this is hard on you, but please stop finding reasons to think the worst. I threw out your baby book, by the way.”

“Why?”

“Because it is fucking up your head. This is not a human birth and you are no longer human. I’m sorry, but weres don’t have a baby manual like humans do. The information we have is passed down from generation to generation. It is not written about by a hundred different experts, all with their own opinion on the way things should be.”

“He’s right, Ever,” said Mick. “How tired are you?”

“Very tired.”

“The ceremony starts in three hours and you should try and get some sleep. It will be a long night and we will be expected to stay.”

“I’m tired of sleeping.”

Kris sat up, giving her a smile. “We know. It won’t be much longer. How about you curl up with Mick and try to rest? We know he missed you.”

She missed him, too. Ever still wasn’t convinced that they were telling her the full truth, but she was tired. So tired. “Okay.”

Kris leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss. Liam followed, doing the same thing. Ever was seriously starting to miss sex. Their kisses had become vague rather than sexual and enticing. As with everything in her life right now, that was irritating her immensely.

Hopefully Liam was right and they would be born soon. She wanted them safe and healthy, but their movements were hurting her. She was beginning to wonder if they would be born with fur and claws. That was yet another horror to worry about.
 

Kris walked into the kitchen and slid wearily into a chair. Liam sat across from him. “Please tell me that it isn’t going to be much longer. She is getting so bad lately.”

Kris nodded. “I know. I keep reminding myself that it is just her mind reacting to her body. This is extra hard on her because of her human side. Even were women get testy toward the end, but from what Mick says, she is twice as bad as normal.”

“Did you ask the others what they thought?”

“Yes. Well…I just posed a general question to see if any of them remember becoming temperamental toward the birthing time, and they all said yes. I didn’t want to get really specific because if they tell her afterward, then she will be upset that we were talking
badly
about her. It’s a no-win.”

Liam chuckled. “Yeah, no shit. Hey, just think about what it must be like for Mick. He isn’t even one of the fathers. Should we tell her that this will probably be it?”

“After they are born. I don’t want to give her any new ammunition to stress over. She stresses, the babies react, and that makes it worse because they kick her. Anyway, Mick said there is always a chance that she might be able to have more. He’s not really sure. I don’t want to freak her out any more than she already is. Damn, she gets upset over everything, and I have no idea where she gets these completely delusional ideas. What the hell would make her think that she was going to die?”

“I don’t know. You’re right about not wanting to stress her more. Do you know that she freaked out because I accidentally killed one of the red-and-black salamanders in the yard? I was planting some flowers for her and hit it with the shovel. I tried to bury it before she saw it, but didn’t succeed. I felt bad, but she was devastated. She cried for probably two hours.”

“She does love those little creatures. Ever loves everything, that’s part of her charm. She is so incredible.”

Liam rose from the chair, going to the refrigerator. He pulled out a plate of glazed chicken that Pippin had left for them. Setting it on the table, he sat back down. “That is but one of many descriptive words that my mind has for her. Sometimes I look at her and wonder how the hell we got so lucky. Of all the women in this world, we found the perfect one for all three of us. She has so many facets to her personality, and she is so much stronger than she gives herself credit for. I think at times that it stresses her out just because she’s stressing out.”

Kris had to laugh at the comment. “I’ve had the same impression. I just don’t know what to do about it. Do you ever get the feeling that she is not being completely honest with us sometimes?”

“I don’t know. What do you mean?”

“It’s like she is thinking of something, but when we ask her, she says it’s something else. It makes me wonder if she is hiding something.”

“I think that when she is considering things that she knows are completely ridiculous, she hesitates to share them until she has time to think them through. What bothers me is that she has been saying the name Carmen in her sleep. I think she is dreaming about him.”

“Really?” asked Kris. He had never heard her say Carmen’s name in her sleep. “I wonder why. Have you asked her?”

“No.”

“I honestly wouldn’t worry about. She has no control over her dreams, and he is dead. It’s not like he can harm our relationship. I don’t honestly think he is going to return from the grave to reclaim her love.”

“I suppose not,” replied Liam. “So, do you think Father is going to challenge you?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him. Have you?”

“No. It is surprising, because we have been up here and we have been walking around when we weren’t working on the house. Not only haven’t we seen him, but no one has mentioned him to us. Maybe he left.”

Kris ate a forkful of chicken. “I don’t know. I have seen Sherra, but she hasn’t said anything about Father. I was going to ask her, but I got sidetracked. If he is here, I wonder how much of a following he has gained. I’d be surprised that they forgot that he married a human.”

“We are with a human.”

“No. We are with a half-breed who was turned by one of the oldest bloodlines on the face of the earth. Her blood is strong enough to bear our children, which is why I’m pushing for her to go to the ceremony tonight. I want everyone to witness her pregnancy. I want there to be no question as to who she is. I know that Ever is quite capable of defending herself, but it will be far easier if no one challenges her.

Liam nodded. “I agree. Especially now. She is taking everything far too personally.”

Kris chuckled. “Yeah, no shit.”

* * * *

Mick stroked back her hair. “So, how are you feeling?”

“Huge.”

He smiled and got up, taking out his stethoscope. Mick sat down beside her and put it to her stomach, listening intently. “Everything sounds good. They are moving around and their heartbeats are strong.”

“They are moving around, all right. I assume that they have gotten over being yelled at. I guess that’s good, right?”

“Yes, very good.” He then listened to her heart and took her pulse. He wasn’t going to take her blood pressure because she hated it. She would always grimace as if he was killing her, and say that the cuff squashed her arm.

Leaning toward the bottom of the bed, he poked her legs in different places. “I don’t see any indication of edema. That’s also a good thing. From a practical standpoint, you are fine. Your heartbeat and pulse are perfect. Is there anything in particular that is bothering you?”

“Everything is bothering me. I feel as if my world has fallen apart in the last year. I know that my life is perfect, but…I don’t know. Maybe everything just happened too fast.”

His grin was meant to be soothing and he nodded in understanding. Mick had often been told that his bedside manner was impeccable. “I suppose it did. My brothers and I are very set in our ways. We don’t hesitate about things that we know are right. To be with you was right. Now we are back on our homelands and you are carrying our children. It is perfect, but I can completely understand how it would also be overwhelming.”

The children weren’t his, yet they were. He was a part of their lives and the babies that Ever carried had been created with the strong blood of his brother, or brothers. They were three of the same flesh, and that made the children his. He would have preferred to be involved, but that hadn’t happened. Fate had other things in mind for him.

“Did you check into selling my house while you were home?”

“I talked to a friend of mine who came over and looked around. He likes the layout and says that it would be a quick sale if you were willing to sell. We don’t want to push you into anything, but it is safer up here.”

“I’m trying to figure out how hiding out in the woods is safer than my home with the alarm system and the neighbors nearby if there is a problem.”

Mick put the stethoscope on the table and lay down. He began to softly rub her stomach, just as Liam and Kris always did. “This is our land and we are surrounded by our people, even if you don’t see the houses. This house was actually built at the center of the land, and the road is gated. Our ancestors put up eight-foot fences along the outer sections of the property. More recently, security cameras were placed at strategic points to monitor the fence. Kris told me that they also have small drones that can be remotely flown to take images. I would love to fly one myself. Anyway, this place is a fortress, even if you don’t realize it.”

Ever appeared stunned. “Didn’t you see the gate coming in?”

“I was sleeping.”

“Oh. There is one, take my word for it.”

“How do we get through it?”

“There is no need to go through it.”

It was obviously the wrong answer, her face reddening with anger. “Why? Am I a prisoner here who can never leave?”

“No. It’s just that it isn’t safe for you to be going out alone. If you have one of us with you, there is no need to go through the gate alone. Not including the fact that we have everything here that you could possibly need.”

“Oh! So I am no longer free to do something as simple as going to the store by myself?”

“Holy shit. You are not a captive here. We have a store on the property and you have a computer to put in orders. The mailman leaves all the mail in a lockbox outside and it is collected once a day. If you really feel the need to go out on your own, which I wish you wouldn’t, one of us will take you to the gate and have you coded in for entry. It is a simple combination of fingerprint recognition and a camera.”