Forever Our Ever (27 page)

Ever looked at Kris. She hadn’t even thought to grab her purse, no less anything else. She would have felt rather silly when she got into the SUV and realized that she didn’t have the keys. As a matter of fact, she wasn’t even sure of how her vehicle had gotten to the property. Obviously, someone had driven it up while she was out of it.

As Charity made her call, she looked at Demetri and Kris. “Thank you for the drama of dumping me on the podium to wallow in my grief. I needed someone to kick me in the ass and give me a new perspective on this. I never imagined that I would grieve my children that much, but I really do. It’s weird because I love the three of you equally, if not more, but I guess it’s a different kind of love. I felt as if my body was being torn to shreds because I had failed my children. Now I have hope, and that has changed everything.”

Demetri stood frowning at her, but Kris dragged her into his arms. “I’m thinking that with all that has happened, you might have one human side effect after all. Don’t human women have something called post-something depression?”

Ever chuckled. “I think this is more like post-life depression. My body and mind have been through a hell of a lot in the past few weeks.”

Kris kissed her, solid and romantic just as she liked.

Liam put his hands to her shoulders, rubbing them as he kissed her neck. “Love the mother hen, too?”

She giggled and turned to him. “I think that you are wonderful with the babies. Of course I love you. You are an amazing combination of smooth and rough, if you know what I mean.”

“I know very well what you mean. The rough has been put on hold for a bit, but it will be back soon.”

“I’m glad, because I really miss it.”

She needed to talk to Demetri to see if he had any thoughts on dealing with Tella. When she turned to find him, he was gone. “Where’s Demetri?”

Liam shrugged and Kris was up on the porch, talking to his father. Sherra arched her finger to indicate that he had gone around the side of the house. “Be right back.”

Ever jogged after him. Demetri was just out of sight, leaning against the wall under the kitchen window. He appeared more upset than she had ever seen him. “What’s wrong?”

He turned his eyes to the backyard and Ever purposely stepped back into his line of vision. “Talk to me, Demetri.”

“I heard you tell Kris and Liam that you loved them. I’m the outsider, and it is tearing me apart because I love you.”

She reached up, putting her palms to his cheeks. “I was telling all three of you that I loved you. You are included. I adore you. You have so many little traits that Kris and Liam don’t have. They can teach me about werewolves and nature and being part of a clan. I need you to teach me about magic and the side of nature that can’t be seen. You bring a whole new side to this relationship, and we are not purposely excluding you. I have noted more than one time when you did that to yourself. Stop feeling like an outsider and stop acting like one. I want you as part of our pack and so do Kris and Liam. Have they done
anything
to make you feel unwanted?”

“I thought Kris was going to attack me earlier when I carried you to the podium.”

“He was upset because he had no idea what you were doing. He didn’t turn and stop you, and he certainly didn’t attack you. Once he understood what was going on, he helped you.”

Demetri pursed his lips and gave her a slight shoulder shrug. Why was Demetri suddenly lacking in ego?

“I just have images of me sitting back while Kris and Liam save the babies and kill the bad guys. What the hell am I supposed to do?”

“You are supposed to help us. I was actually looking for you because I think we need to discuss the magic aspect of this. We don’t know all that much about Tella and I don’t want to walk into this blindsided by our ignorance of what she is capable of. You are the only one that can help us with that part of it. Talk to me, teach me, help me. You are the one with the know-how that may save our lives. Brute strength and brawn only go so far when they are not balanced by knowledge.”

A sly smile played on his lips and Ever knew that she had said the right thing. It wasn’t hard to say, it was the truth. Demetri might be the one to give them the ammunition to win this battle. “I do love you.”

“Nice of you to tell me.”

Ever giggled. He was right, she had never told him before. Not speaking about feelings was a flaw that she hated in a man. Now she had done the same thing. “I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. I guess that I have just been caught up in the downside of life for what seems like forever.”

“I know. You are amazing, by the way. You challenged them all and forced them to rethink their unjust hatred. Unfortunately, history has shown that this happens.”

Ever considered the comment. She had mentioned family feuds, but the Hatfields and McCoys were a more specific reference. Their feud had been famous and had lasted for years. There had to be some mention of why weres and shifters were enemies, but that was a question that could be answered after they rescued the babies. Ever just hoped that she was not setting herself up for a fall. What if the children couldn’t be found? Or even worse, what if they weren’t found alive? They were thoughts that she pushed back in her mind. She needed to remain positive and if the worst happened, she needed to deal with it and move onward. Hopefully the prophecy was a crock of shit, but if it wasn’t…

* * * *

They walked back into the front yard. Demetri seemed to be feeling a bit better and he had wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Charity still had the phone to her ear, and everyone else was sitting on the porch stairs with the children. Ever walked toward Charity.

The woman nodded and hung up the phone, handing it back to Ever. “Okay. The last report that my sister received was from my son. He said that Tella has stopped at an out-of-the-way home located near Roxbury, New Hampshire. That is about two and a half hours from here. Once we get there, I can take to flight and find a more precise location.”

Ever suddenly realized that she had no idea what town they were in. She knew the clan property was somewhere in upstate Connecticut, but she wasn’t sure where exactly. “Great. I thank you so much for your help, Charity.”

“Thank me when we get your children back. I lost my second-born son to a bear and even considering it makes me want to curl up and cry. I have an idea what you are going through, and I can only hope that we can get them back safely.”

Ever hoped so also, but she didn’t have the luxury of considering the what-ifs of the situation. She needed to keep her mind on the task ahead and keep a positive attitude. The time for tears was over. Now was a time for action. Walking over to sweep Avia and Errant from the lawn, to give them a hug and kiss, she handed them to Sherra. “You two be good little weres for your grandparents. Mommy and your daddies have something important to do and we will be back as soon as possible.”

Avia held her hands out to Ever. “Ommy.”

She smiled in amazement. Taking her daughter back, she gave her a huge hug. Gloating at Liam, she grinned sassily. “And the first word spoken by my child is ‘Mommy.’ I rule.”

Errant giggled. “Addy.”

Kris snorted with laughter. “Serves you right,
Mommy
. Cockiness is unbecoming.”

“Yes it is,
Mommy
,” commented Liam with a chuckle.

Ever rolled her eyes and gave Avia back to her grandmother. She lightly squeezed Errant’s cheeks. “You are a little devil, my son, but I love you dearly. I love both of you. Now be good.” Straightening her back, and glad for the moment of laughter, she nodded. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

Kris ran into the house for the keys and handed her her purse. “Thought you might want this.”

“Thank you. How did my car get up here?”

“I sent someone down to get it. I have that prerogative as alpha.”

“Thank you again.”

“It works out better because we all won’t fit in my truck too well. Who is sitting where?”

“If you don’t mind, I will sit in the back with Demetri. I need to pick his brain.”

Kris grasped her chin and gave her a kiss. “Liam, you have shotgun. Do we have something more specific for where we are going?”

Charity spoke up timidly. “No, but I can direct you. I know the way as a hawk flies.”

“Okay, I guess you ride shotgun.”

Kris seemed none too pleased to be allowing a shifter to lead them, but he had little choice. Ever thought it might actually be a good thing. He would be forced to talk to the woman and maybe get to know her. Ever hadn’t really had the chance to do so herself, but there was something about Charity that she really liked. It was nothing specific, simply an underlying sense that Charity was an honest and honorable woman. They would find out, one way or another.

The ride was spent in surprisingly pleasant conversation. They had talked in length about Charity’s family and her life as a shifter. Ever was stunned to hear that the woman, who could pass for twenty-two or three, was seventy-two years old. Obviously, weres weren’t the only ones who had extended life spans due to their physical anomalies.

As they neared the New Hampshire border, things turned more serious. Demetri pushed her to focus her mind on her internal natural power, and then began to test what she could do with it. Ever was surprised to discover that she had a talent for creating a protective shield around herself or anyone that she focused it on. Demetri taught her how to condense her energy into an invisible mass and then allow it to spread out from her fingertips. She put up a barrier around Liam and Demetri then tried to punch through it. Demetri ended up splitting open his knuckles, which he then challenged her to heal by channeling her power to recreate and bond the skin.

She had simply gathered the glowing sensation into her palm, but instead of flowing it outward with an imagined image of a bubble encasing Liam, she centralized it, picturing instead the healing process. Everyone in the car, but especially Ever, was completely shocked when it worked. Demetri’s skin knitted back together, the wounds on his knuckles closing and then disappearing as if they hadn’t existed a few seconds before. The only remaining evidence of his injury was the spatters of drying blood.

Liam had pulled out a tissue from the box on the floor and had given it to Demetri. Using some spit, he had cleared away the evidence to reveal perfect skin without so much as a discoloration to discount her ability.

Charity seemed to be on high physical alert as she leaned to the side and gazed out the window. “Find somewhere to pull over, please.”

Kris drove for a bit longer and then pulled alongside a clear spot in the forest. “What are you seeing?”

“I believe that I saw my son, but I will have to fly to make sure. Sit tight. I will be back as soon as I can.” Without further words, she got out of the car and raced into the woods.

“We might as well get out and stretch,” said Kris as he checked the rearview mirror and opened the door.

Liam obviously agreed with his brother as he slid out, offering her his hand. She shimmied over and stepped out, allowing him to drag her into his arms. “So are you going to buy me a pretty pink apron when we get home and make me wear it?”

“I think a black leather one would be more appropriate, and I don’t
make
you do anything, Addy.”

Liam chuckled. “I guess knowing that you think of me as the mother hen is a sort of emasculating idea.”

“Please don’t tell me you have been stressing about that for the entire drive? I was breaking your balls, nothing more. I think you are wonderful with the babies. One of us has to be.”

“Why? You don’t think that you are?”

Ever shrugged. “They are, what, a month old? And I have spent part of their life comatose and living as a spirit as they fed from my unmoving body. Then I didn’t have control over my body, and then I emotionally deserted them. No. I suck as a mother.”

“Ever, you are talking about things that you had no control over. Things will get better. They are still babies, and for all intents and purposes probably won’t remember anything as years go by. Do you remember your infancy?”

She considered his question carefully. Did she honestly remember anything from the time of her birth? She had some vague memories of going to a big family campout when she was probably four or five. It was predominantly centered around a sunfish that she had caught in the stream behind the campground. Ever had wanted to keep it as a pet, but it had died and been floating on the top of the water bucket the next morning. Her father had assured her that it would be fine as he put it back into the stream. The fish had floated downriver and disappeared. Even as a child, she had known it was dead. “Not really.”

“Okay, then why are you stressing about it?”

Liam had just turned her question back on her. “For the same reason that you are stressing about me jokingly calling you a mother hen. Stupidity.”

He chuckled and shook his head, releasing a long sigh. Kris and Demetri had joined them and Demetri stroked her hair. “I guess we are all having the same problem with stupidity today. Well…except Kris.”

“I’m not excluded. I wanted to tear Charity up without even hearing her out. Ever is the only one who had enough sense to do that. After talking to her, I can’t believe that I have spent my whole life hating shifters and don’t even know why I’m supposed to hate them. The first thing I’m doing when I get home is to call a clan meeting to try and find the truth of this opinion. Something must have happened to prompt hundreds of years of families passing their sentiment down to their children. Shit, my father doesn’t even know the reason.”

He swept Ever into a tight hug and twirled her around. Liam must have jumped out of the way, because she was shocked that her legs didn’t slam into him. When Kris set her down, he drew her into a long, lusty kiss. “I am amazed by the things I heard from the backseat. Has she been a healer all along, Demetri?”