“Yes, Heart!” He answered as he pulled on first the jeans, then the teeshirt, then climbed back in, holding her in his lap as the others climbed in. Delilah and Daniel had shifted back, Daniel now dressed and running to get in the Suburban before it left without him. Avaleigh got in behind him, Goldy, Sadie and Amos already in the back seat. Bam yelled out, “Ya’ll take my truck,” and tossed the keys to Maverik as he drove off past him, leaving a dust trail behind them.
Delilah came out onto the porch, last one dressed, and she and Kaid got into Bam’s truck as Maverik fired it up, ready to go.
They were going to celebrate the newest member of the clan tonight. Daisy had decided tonight was the night.
Chapter 22
Bane lay back in the hospital bed, wrapping himself around his exhausted Mate. She slept peacefully in his arms. The clan were strewn around the small room, taking turns holding the little child that had stolen all their hearts long before she drew her first breath. She was swaddled tightly once again. Each member had unwrapped her to look at her tiny little toes and then once again wrapped her tightly before snuggling her for as long as they could until the next one complained about not getting their chance yet. It was actually very important that they all had a chance to hold her and snuggle her. She needed to get their scent, to KNOW her people. Kaid and Delilah had held her together, with Delilah snuggling her close. She raised her eyes to Kaid as she held the baby against her, and Kaid laid his huge hand against Daisy’s back. The look of longing on her face was clear to all. “Soon, my Monster, soon,” he told her. She giggled at her new nickname, loving it. Since he’d met her Monster, that was now his pet name for her. Baby wasn't so special since he called both her and Avaleigh Baby, and she didn’t mind that. Especially since she now had a pet name that could never apply to anyone but her. Sadie had been the first to hold her after Janie and Bane, and she’d cried when she welcomed her granddaughter, then turned and handed her to Goldy, “Meet your granddaughter, Goldy.” He had beamed with so much pride that they thought his chest would burst. It was clear he loved that little girl. Avaleigh and Daniel had held her and cooed over her, with Avaleigh offering to babysit anytime they needed. Everyone noticed, though, that Daniel was a little on edge. He did not take his arms from around Avaleigh at all. Maintaining touch at all times, he wasn’t sure what to expect, but just in case she became upset, he was not going to let her out of his sight. Even Amos had tickled her chin a bit and pronounced her a fine young’un. But when Bam held her, the most amazing thing happened. She struggled to lift her little head, and naturally his Bear knew what she wanted, so he helped, holding her back in his huge hand, supporting her head as it lay in his palm, her body tucked close to his body like a football. Then she focused her beautiful brown eyes on his, and they flashed gold. His intake of breath let the others know that something was different, so they all crowded around to see. She looked at Bam again, and her eyes flashed to gold again. They all exclaimed and oohed and ahhed at her.
“What? What’s happening?” Bane moved to get up, but Bam stopped him.
“No, stay there, I’ll bring her to you.”
Bam walked over snuggling and kissing Daisy, leaning next to Bane and holding her so that Bane could see her, “Watch her eyes,” he said quietly. Then his Bear spoke to hers, and her eyes flashed gold again with her little baby Bear.
Bane teared up, reaching for her with the arm that wasn’t cradling his Mate. “Hi, Daisy! Hello, my little Bear,” he cooed to her. She turned her head toward her Daddy and squirmed until Bam placed her on Bane’s chest, where he could hold her and Janie at the same time. Daisy immediately settled down and snuggled into her Daddy’s neck, wrapping her tiny fist into his shirt. Bane looked up at all of his clan mates, tears in his eyes. Then the door opened, and a huge stuffed wolf, at least five feet tall, entered the room, followed immediately by Maverik.
He looked around the room at everybody with tears in their eyes, “What?! What did I miss now!” he whispered exaggeratedly.
“Her eyes flashed gold, like Bane’s,” Avaleigh told him.
“Awww, and I missed it! I always miss everything,” he complained.
“What cha got there?” Bane asked him.
“I got her new favorite toy. I got her a stuffed wolf. She can climb on it, and nap on it, and snuggle with it. Whatever she wants,” he said proudly.
“It’s lovely,” Ms. Sadie told him, “but you do realize that it will be many months before she’s strong enough to play with it, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. That’s why I got her this one, too,” he reached into his back pocket and took out a very small, stuffed wolf that fit into his hand, an exact replica of the huge one that he had brought with him.
He looked at the little girl longingly, snuggled into her Daddy. And Bane saw it.
“Would you like to hold her, Mav?” Bane asked him.
“Really? I can?” Maverik perked up immediately.
“’Course, you can. You’re Uncle Maverik,” Bane told him.
Bam took her gently from Bane and made his way over to Maverik, who took her with no hesitation at all. Holding her properly, even rewrapping her blanket around her the right way, swaddling her tightly. “Hey there, Baby Girl. I’m Uncle Maverik.” She cooed at him. “I will always protect you. Even when you think I’m not around, I will never let you down,” he said to her as he moved toward the chair against the wall behind him. He settled himself in the chair and smiled when she reached out and wrapped her hands in his newly grown thick beard. He’d grown it just for her. He didn’t want his scars to frighten her, so he’d decided to grow out his beard to cover them. He allowed her to pull his face close to hers. “I promise I will always love you; you already stole my heart, Sunshine,” he whispered, “and I didn’t even know I still had one. Who would have thought that you’d be the one to find it?”
The clan stood around the room, watching Maverik, open-mouthed, stunned. He was speaking with the little girl, while oceans of tears silently coursed down his face. His voice cracked, a sob escaped. But still he kept up his constant vows of protection and love to Daisy. Finally giving up trying to speak to her, he pressed his face into her belly, inhaling deeply, and let out one more sob. Then, as if suddenly realizing that he was not alone, he looked up at everyone watching him. And his eyes landed on the two newest people in the room. Instead of being angry that he’d been seen opening up like he had, he offered a smile to one of them. To Valerie. Valerie was speechless. She and Vince had come to see Janie and Bane and greet their new daughter. She never dreamed that she’d walk in to find Maverik in tears, holding the tiny girl. “Maverik,” she said to him quietly, acknowledging his presence.
“Hello, Valerie,” he told her softly. Using the long sleeve of one arm of his shirt to wipe away the tears from his face. He stood, looked to Bane who nodded his approval, then approached Valerie to hand her the baby. Once he very carefully placed Daisy into her arms, he tucked the wolf into the space between Valerie’s chest and Daisy. “That’s her new favorite toy,” he explained. Then he turned his attention to Daisy, “This is your Aunt Valerie, Daisy. She’s an amazing lady.” Then he smiled sadly at Valerie again, and left the room, pulling the door silently closed behind him, and disappeared.
From the Author
Thank you for purchasing this book. I hope that my stories make you smile and give you a small escape from the daily same ole/same ole. I write for me, simply for the joy of it, but if someone else also smiles as a result, even better. Your support is greatly appreciated. If you liked this story, please remember to leave a review wherever you bought it, so that more people can find my books. Each review is important, no matter how short or long it may be.
See you in the pages of the next one!
Sandra R Neeley
Other Books by this Author
I’m Not A Dragon’s Mate! Avaleigh’s Boys, Book 1
Bane’s Heart, Avaleigh’s Boys, Book 2
About the Au
thor
Sandra R Neeley is a writer of Paranormal Romances with a small-town feel. She is a 50-ish Mom, Nana, Wife and Author who masquerades by day as an Administrative Assistant and Manager. She is pretty much a homebody that lives in the Southern United States with her husband, kids, and a menagerie of animals. She has lived for most of her life with various and sundry characters running around in her head thankfully (and sometimes not so thankfully) distracting her from the standards of day-to-day life. They finally got so loud that with much encouragement from her husband and her mother, she decided to give them voice.
You can find her at any of these places:
www.sneeleywrites.com
Send her an email at [email protected]
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https://www.amazon.com/Sandra-R-Neeley/e/B01M65OZ1J/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15986167.Sandra_R_Neeley?utm
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