Forever Our Ever (6 page)

Mick strode from the room and she heard the front door open. He came back a few minutes later with a large white box and put it on the bed to open it.

Inside was a beautiful pair of brown suede boots with fur at the top and down the front. They reminded her of typical Indian attire, but they were high and would probably lace up to her knees. Mick gestured to the mattress and she sat down, allowing him to put them onto her feet. They were wonderfully soft inside, and when he tugged her upward, her soles sank into the inner lining. “These are practical as well as beautiful. There are many low-growing plants with thorns and these will protect not only your feet, but your calves.”

“I wish that I could see them.”

Kris chuckled and walked over to the closet, pulling open the door. Inside was a full-length mirror. Ever wanted to see the boots, but not herself. She moved timidly toward the door, trying only to look down at the floor. The boots really were beautiful, and they would look really nice someday when she could see her legs again. What surprised her was that her legs appeared no larger than they had before. She had always had nicely shaped calves and ankles, her thighs weren’t bad either. Ever slowly pulled up the robe until the bottom of her shorts were showing. Her legs hadn’t changed at all. Maybe Kris and Liam had been right that the only place that was fat was her stomach. She braced herself and glanced upward, looking at her entire body. Ever had been reluctant to look below her neck, and her bathroom mirror at home had given her a very limited view. Anything that was larger, she had avoided looking into.

Her stomach was just as she assumed, bulging out in front of her body. She turned to the side and gazed at it. She was absolutely huge. Her breasts appeared slightly larger, but the rest of her body looked pretty much the same. Tugging up the robe, she examined her ass, it was a bit bigger, but not as much as she had expected.

Kris stepped into the image, peeking around from behind her. “See? We told you that it isn’t as bad as you think. You are absolutely beautiful, Ever. Once the babies are born, you will have little trouble getting back down to the size you were beforehand.” He stroked her hair, which had gotten noticeably longer in the last six months. “Say something.”

“Okay. I’m not as big as I thought. I look like someone shoved an exercise ball into my robe. If anything, I look abnormally skinny everywhere else. Isn’t it normal to gain weight everywhere?”

Mick took her hand. “You are not normal. You are were. Human women gain weight everywhere. There are also other medical issues that you don’t have to deal with that many human women do. Weres are not known for suffering from human pregnancy conditions. They retain much of their animal conditioning when it comes to pregnancy. Weres don’t get diabetes, and we are less prone to cancer. Of course, our diets are different also, which may have something to do with it.”

Ever supposed that was a good thing. She had never heard of a wolf becoming obese, and what Mick said did make sense. She had not indulged in unusual foods and had no cravings for ice cream or sugary sweets. “What human diseases do weres get?”

“Not many. Remind me tomorrow and I will make you a list. Of course, you did get the flu, so you are not completely immune.”

Ever tugged the robe back down over her legs. The robe was beautiful and she didn’t look nearly as horrible as she had assumed. Maybe it was stupid to avoid mirrors, as she had done for the last month or two. It was just so hard because she couldn’t see her legs over the baby bump. At least she looked presentable. “Can someone get me a brush?”

Liam took her arm and urged her over to the padded chair that stood before a small vanity. As with everything in the majestic bedroom, it was a very nice piece of furniture and looked almost antique. Ever sat down and Liam took the brush to her hair. He had said that she was glowing, and he was right. For such an occasion, she would have normally considered putting on some makeup, but she honestly didn’t need it. As he brushed, her hair began to shimmer, the ends curling as he twisted the brush slightly. Her hair had always been very straight, but now it had waves to it as if she had curled it. The softness of the boar-hair bristles against her scalp made her skin tingle. Ever sighed as bursts of pleasure flared downward with each stroke, making her feel warm and cozy. All three of her men liked to brush her hair and Ever enjoyed the attention very much. It made her feel attended to and cared for. It was strange that such a small act could have such a profound effect on her, but it did. Her eyes were closing, her mind drifting in the pure luxury of Liam’s skilled touch.

She saw movement in the mirror. Mick walked across the room and handed her a drink. “You might as well take this now.”

Her enjoyment was shattered as Liam set the brush down, and she emptied the glass. The drink was good for her and really didn’t taste all that bad. Ever handed the empty glass back to Mick. “Thank you.” She should really say that more often to them. She didn’t want them to think that all the little things they did for her went unappreciated.

Using the arms of the chair, she pushed herself to her feet. It was a feat that was easier said than done, and Ever winced as the fluctuating stitch became a full-fledged cramp in her side. She was glad that none of the men seemed to see her pained expression and she immediately force herself to grin to hide it. “So when are we leaving?”

“Now would be good,” replied Kris.

“Are we driving or walking?”

“It’s not that far, if you want to walk. Are you up to it?”

The short nap had left her feeling oddly energized. Hopefully, this was a feeling that would continue. Ever was so tired of being tired. A walk in the woods on a warm night sounded perfect. “I would like that very much.”

Kris looked at Mick, who nodded. “I think she’ll be okay.”

They walked together toward the door and once they got outside, Kris put his arm around her. Mick took up a spot to the opposite side, taking her hand, and Liam walked beside him. It was the position of alpha, sub-alpha, and Liam who was simply a werewolf with high-standing brothers. He said that he didn’t mind holding a lower ranking, and never acted as if he did. Mick, however, wanted to be alpha and Ever feared that one day he might challenge his brother for the title. She had never witnessed Kris in a fight, but she still had a feeling that Mick would lose. In many ways, Mick had an alpha personality, but he was also lacking in the inner strength that Kris had.

There was something very commanding about Kris, even if he was very subtle about showing it. People listened to him instinctually and when push came to shove, Kris always knew what to do. Mick was less subtle, and he often came across as being bossy. He had learned quite a bit about medical issues, but wasn’t well versed in a roundabout way like Kris. Kris knew a surprising amount of information on a wide variety of topics. He was also better suited to living in the wild, where Mick was very comfortable with the conveniences of man. She didn’t really think that he would make a good alpha at all.

Kris rubbed her shoulder. “What are you contemplating?”

Her thoughts were not for their ears. “I was just enjoying the walk.”

“Are you scared?”

“Of what?”

“About meeting everyone?”

She had not been thinking about that, now that he mentioned it. “I don’t know if I would use the word ‘scared.’ I’m a bit hesitant. I’m worried about your father.”

“So am I. Tonight could have many different outcomes.”

That didn’t make her feel any better. “Are we in danger?”

“Not really. Weres are not big on attacking others of their kind as such. If there is a dispute between me and my father, it will be handled in a public forum. It will happen where all can witness the outcome, because the winner will claim his place and the loser…well, let me just say that he won’t.”

He did not want to tell her that one of them might end up dead. It wasn’t as if his reluctance helped. She already knew the rules. Kris and his father could live in harmony, or the man could challenge him and one of them would die. Had Kris been passive for so long that he had lost the edge he would need to win? That thought filled her with sudden fear.

Kris leaned to the side and kissed her head. “What’s wrong?”

Should she tell him? Would it sound as if she doubted his ability to win? “Will you fight as wolves?”

“Yes.”

“That sounds dangerous.”

Kris chuckled softly. “I guess you could say that.”

In the distance, she could see fires burning. Ever wanted to turn around and go back to the house. She wanted them to pack up and go back to her house. She wanted to go home where they were all safe…yet they weren’t safe at her house either, were they?

Kris snuggled her tighter to his side and she leaned her head on his shoulder. The cramp was still bothering her and walking was making it worse.

Mick stroked her hand with his fingers. “You okay?”

“Yeah, why?”

“You are squeezing my hand.”

Ever loosened her grip. Mick was right, she had tightened her fingers on his. It was the damn cramp. Hopefully it would ease up when she sat down. “I gotta pee.”

Mick released her and Kris steered her off the path. Once they were far enough from the trail, he stopped. “How do you want to do this?”

Ever had no idea. It wasn’t like she could squat down. “I don’t know. Any suggestions?”

Kris glanced around. “Not really, you can stand up, but you will get your new boots wet. How about you just lift your robe and pull your shorts to your knees? I will help you squat.”

It seemed like the only viable way. Ever hiked up the robe and Kris helped by tugging down her shorts. He grabbed her under the arms, lowering her into a sitting position and holding her there. Ever felt completely ridiculous, but she supposed it was a necessary evil.

When she was finished, Kris chuckled. “Wow. I guess you weren’t kidding.”

“Yeah.” If it wasn’t for the recurring cramp, she might even feel better.

Draping her wrists over his shoulders, she smiled. “You are so sweet and I have been positively rotten to you and Liam. I’m so sorry. I love you so much, and I appreciate all that you have done for me. The house is beautiful.” It really was, but it wasn’t where she wanted to live.

Kris stroked her cheek. “Thank you. We want the best of everything for you, Ever. We want you to be safe and happy. We understand that things are hard for you right now. We barely got to know each other and then…” He grimaced and rolled his eyes innocently. “And then I knocked you up.”

Ever smiled. He could be such a scooch when he felt like it. “Knocked up, huh? That’s a new one.”

“I figured that would make you smile. Your moods will return to normal once the babies are born. You are not normally a bitch.”

He was in a very good mood, and she couldn’t help but laugh. Kris always accompanied such rogue comments with an adorable wiggle of his brow that told her that he was kidding. “Thank you. I love you.”

“I know you do. I love you back, very much. We need to go.”

She was reluctant to release him. “Can’t we just go home?”

“No. This is my night to claim my birthright. If I don’t show up, it will suggest that I’m afraid. This place, our house here, my people, it will all be gone. I was never big on the idea of running a clan, but now that I have established myself, I have no choice but to take the position.”

“Why? Who was running it before?”

“There was a sub alpha here, but any serious problems were relayed to our father. He is getting too old and he lost face by marrying a human and moving out to Texas. He deserted his own, and now it is my time.”

She wanted an answer to her previous question and suddenly felt the need to push the subject. “What if he challenges you?”

“I will fight him.”

She already knew that. “Not that I’m thinking you will, but anything can happen. What if you lose?”

Kris stroked her cheek lovingly. “I know that you need an answer. You know the answer. I die.”

Just hearing the words made her heart sink in fear. “Then what happens to me and our children?”

“You stay with Mick and Liam. Eventually Mick will take the place of alpha when our father resigns. The clan would never hurt you out of respect for my family.”

Ever wished she could believe that. They had wiped out Carmen’s line and that already put her at a disadvantage. “What if your father wants me gone?”

“Liam will know and he will get you the hell out of here.”

“What about Mick?”

“If I die and our father goes against you, I don’t trust Mick not to take his side. I know he loves you dearly, but it might be too much to believe him capable of to give up a chance to be alpha. He always wanted the position. You can always trust Liam.”

Ever had a feeling that he was right about Mick. He might not be willing to go against his father to be with her. Ever had a supreme feeling that she was in far more danger as things stood now. Kris had to win. That was the only option.

They walked into an open clearing filled with people. Ever was surprised to see so many present and had no idea that the clan was this large. Of course, some weren’t from this clan, but from other clans in neighboring states. She wondered if those from Vermont had been invited.