by Ever Coming
“That’s better,” I mumbled as he climbed into bed, wrapping his arms around me and pulling my back to his front. “Thanks for the kitchen.”
I still couldn’t wrap my head around it. I had an outdoor kitchen—in the bayou—and it made me the happiest woman in town. I was even getting used to the rain, bugs, and commute. There was something about this place that had me feeling more myself than I ever had in the city.
“It wasn’t me. I walked in on the guys and helped with the finishing touches.”
“It was all them,” I assumed, and it didn’t make it less special, that Etienne put them up to it to keep them out of our house which had become a gathering place thanks to my cooking.
“I reckon they like you here as much as I do.” He kissed the back of my neck, his erection pressing firmly against me.
“Doesn’t feel that way,” I saucily replied. So much for sleep. My libido was ready to go—like always when I was anywhere near Etienne or thinking about him or seeing something that reminded me of him. So yeah, all the time.
“Naughty girl. Behave.”
To which I replied with a wiggling of my bum against him because why not.
“And they do, just in a very different way.” His voice faltered slightly. Good gator was not as unaffected as he wanted me to believe.
“Then what is up with the ‘we’re not really crew’ mumbles every time someone says the word?” That had been bugging me. Someone would say crew, and then there would be some obvious discontent from others and then ignoring by all. And the roles changed, so I couldn’t even say it was a Justice thing or a Callum thing. It was a them thing, and it was weird.
“That’s not about you, Tans. That’s a shifter thing. We aren’t a crew ’cause we have no leader.”
“No one willing to step up?” Looking back, I could see they were all bossy fools to each other. It wasn’t like they were all passive people who wanted no part of controlling their environment. They had that in spades.
“Not exactly.” He pulled me closer. He wasn’t going to distract me with his smexiness and obvious desire now moving against me. Nope. I needed to know, especially if he was distracting me away like that.
“Can you human it down for me?” I cringed at my use of the word “human,” waiting for Etienne to use it as an excuse to hypothesize I wasn’t really human, either, once again. Thankfully, he didn’t.
“Being alpha is more than just taking over. You have to have something more. It’s hard to explain.”
And a little lightbulb sparked in my brain. Of course. That was what had happened at the station. How had I been so blind?
“More like the way Bruno can throw his power around like that with a smile on his face.” It wasn’t a question. Bruno. Huh. Go figure. Not that I wanted him here with us, ’cause heck to the no on that one. I might feel sorry for him, but that didn’t make me like him or want to have him around.
“Yeah, like that.” His voice had that inhuman quality he only had while struggling with his gator. I shouldn’t find it smexy, but I so did.
“Stop.” I rolled over, slapping him in the chest playfully before allowing my fingers to wander their favorite playground.
“What?” He feigned innocence.
“Don’t what me. I could feel your gator getting all riled up.”
“Just doesn’t like Bruno treating you that way.”
I didn’t, either, but that wasn’t the point.
“He’s a creepy arse. He treats all people that way. I feel bad for his crew.” And Janis and anyone he pulled over and pretty much everyone he came in contact with. Didn’t mean a part of me didn’t feel for him.
“Don’t. He is crew adjacent. He lives near us but is not part of us, not that we are a crew. It is complicated and with you pressing your delectable body against my cock, all I can think about is sinking into you.”
I was on board with that one, even if I knew it was a distraction technique. Best. Distraction. Ever.
“I thought we were going to sleep,” I teased as my hand slipped lower and lower.
“As we should. Now close your eyes, little vixen.”
“I have a better idea,” I teased as my hand reached his cock, giving it a light brush. Etienne rewarded me with a groan.
His lips found mine as his hand found me wet and wanting. I pumped my hips, begging for his fingers to move faster, go deeper, and continued to work him. I couldn’t help it. With Etienne, I was more brazen than I’d ever been in the bedroom, and every time he called me his Tasmanian devil, I couldn’t be happier. It meant I was satisfying him as much as he was me, and that was an amazing place to be.
After kissing and torturing each other to the brink of orgasm repeatedly, I found myself underneath him, his body becoming one with mine. I let myself get lost in the sensation as he pumped into me, his lips never leaving mine, worshipping them with his, owning them, loving them. Loving me.
This was different than our usual naked fun. It was somehow more. And when we collapsed into a sweaty pile of satisfaction, I realized why. I was home. Not just a place to live, home. I was home home. I had Etienne, mind, body, and soul and, as a free gift with purchase I got a crew, even if they didn’t call themselves one.
“What’s that smile for?” He kissed my nose before pulling the sheet up, the place too darn hot for a blanket—ever.
“So, we’re living together now, huh?” Not sure why it took making love to my mate to figure that one out. I’d spent every night there since our mating and, slowly but surely, my things migrated there, and now—now I had a kitchen. Color me dense.
“There was a question?” He laughed, settling his hand on my hip.
“No, I just—it makes me happy even if I hadn’t planned it out or anything.”
“Mates live together. You bit me—you ain’t ever leaving.”
“Caveman.” No that didn’t feel right. “Gatorman.” Yeah that was better.
“Your gatorman.”
Mine.
Etienne
I got out of the Dart and went directly into the station with a belly full of king-nuts and coffee out of my favorite cup.
“You’re late, Robichaux.” I heard the bark before the door had even shut behind me.
“I’m three minutes late. Shoot me.”
Bruno was being a real dick lately. Then again, I guess I would be a dick, too, if I had some ghost following me around all the time.
“And where are your reports for this week?”
I leaned against the reception desk and decided to hear him out. Maybe he would shut up if he got it all out.
“They are on your desk. You know, where I put them every week.”
Okay, maybe that last comment wasn’t warranted.
“Oh, yeah, okay. I actually haven’t even looked. Haven’t been sleeping lately.” Now that I looked at him, he more than sounded like shit, he looked like shit, too. There were dark circles the size of my fist under his eyes.
Bruno reached for the coffeepot, but I stopped him with a hand on his arm. He growled so loudly, I thought he might let his bear out right then.
“Bruno, maybe coffee is the last thing you need. How long has it been since you ran?”
The man got in my face, and I almost gagged at the bear stench all over him. It wasn’t just animal, it was dirty animal.
“You think I haven’t thought of that? That’s all I do once I get out of here. I run and run until I’ve passed out. Then I sleep in my bear until dawn. Didn’t get to shower this morning.”
That would explain the gag.
“Tansy is trying to help you, okay? Just hang in there.”
He looked at the floor. “Not sure how much longer I can do this.”
Tansy
“Hello, sunshine.” Meemaw was back. It had been three weeks of me calling her name, hanging around the bakery more than I should, and Bruno escalating. He was about to lose it, and my guess was his ghost upped his game after hearing I was trying to help.
&n
bsp; “Where have you been?” I scolded, wishing she were corporeal enough to hug. That was one of the things I missed most about her—her hugs. Meemaw hugs were the best.
“That’s not something I could tell you.” She winced at her choice of words. What was the woman hiding?
“Could or would?” I rinsed off the pan in my hands before sticking it in the sanitizer sink and taking off my gloves. Dishes could wait.
“Does that really matter?”
“No,” I conceded. The likelihood was strong that knowing would actually make it worse.
“Ohhhh, marked I see.”
I yanked at my shirt, suddenly very self-conscious of the mark. Around the guys, I wore it like a badge of acceptance and honor. Around Meemaw, it was proof I had sex, and ewww.
“I want to hear all the details.”
“Do you? Do you really?” Because I sure as hell didn’t want to share them.
“Not so much,” she finally agreed after being given my best evil eye. “So, why have you been pestering me lately?”
“Meaning you hear but ignored me?” I had assumed she couldn’t hear me. Never had I thought she heard, but disregarded my calling. It caused a little bit of hurt, sure. But it also meant there was so much more to what I could do than I even knew.
“Meaning, I heard but was otherwise occupied.” She had the this-conversation-is-over tone she was so famous for, and I decided to let it drop for the meanwhile. Once she got to that point, anything else was a fool’s errand.
“Bruno is haunted.”
“Bruno is awful.”
“Truth, but he’s being driven mad, and I’m pretty sure I escalated things, so if you could help me figure out how to get a drunk ghost filled with hate, vengeance, and complete unclarity to move on, I’d be pretty excited.”
Meemaw bounced to the other side of the room and moseyed back. She had been a pacer when she got too pensive. I guessed this was her ghost version.
“Drunk,” she mumbled just as she got back to the sink I was now leaning on. “Of course. I thought something was off about him but figured Bruno ate him and deserved it.”
“I kinda did, too. But I need to help him.” The last thing this town needed was a bear losing control, and I’d never say it so bluntly to Etienne, but I was terrified that was exactly what was about to go down.
“Sounds like they both need help.” She bopped across the room again in her ghostly pacing. “Let’s get them to Etienne’s place. That way, if Bruno loses it, the crew—”
“They say they aren’t a crew.” Holy cow, I sounded like Loic.
“Even they don’t believe that.” Meemaw was right. I didn’t. Etienne didn’t, either, but something was going to have to change before they all realized it and embraced it. I wasn’t even a shifter, and I felt its importance. They had to as well.
“Bruno will come. He wants the ghost gone.”
“Excellent. I will meet you there.” She disappeared before flashing back in and adding, “But don’t tell Bruno why. If his ghost catches wind of it, then he may make things difficult.”
“Wait!” I screamed louder than necessary, afraid she would leave again before I was able to talk to figure out what she had meant by all of that. “You can go places?”
How had I not known that?
“Not randomly, no. But I can hang here or follow your backside all day long iffin’ I want.”
“So, are you haunting me?” How had I not realized that? “Technically, I mean.”
“No. I’m not haunting anyone or any place.” Because that clarifies things not at all.
“That makes no sense.” I spoke to what was now an empty room, because, of course, she left.
I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and typed away. Bring Bruno to Shotgun Row. Don’t tell him I asked you to. Ghost Buster time.
I sighed as the phone started ringing in my hand. It couldn’t be that easy.
Etienne
“I really don’t want to do that.” That was the nicest way I could think of to tell Tansy I didn’t want to bring Bruno to Shotgun Row. Not only was he an ass, there was a distinct possibility the crew would tear him a new bear asshole.
We didn’t take kindly to stinky bears. And by kindly, I meant not tearing his head off and turning him into a bitchin’ rug.
“Etienne. This ghost being around is crawlin’ all over my last nerve. Please. Get him here so I can solve all of this garbage and we can move on with our lives.”
If she was in front of me, there probably would’ve been less resistance on my part.
“Well…” I lowered my voice an octave. “What do I get if I do?”
I could almost hear her fists ball up and land on her hips. “Um, let me see, you get a mate who isn’t going to be mad as a hornet when you get home. How’s that?”
Damn, I loved it when she got fiery.
“Okay, okay. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Now, please. This ghost is not that nice.”
Well, that did it.
I stomped down the hallway toward the target of my mate’s request. I’d wrangle him into the trunk if I had to.
“Yo, Bruno, let’s take a drive.”
Smooth. Real smooth.
“Have you lost your mind? I’ve got work to do. And my nerves are a mess. Wait, where did you want to go?”
His office was a damned pigsty, and his hair looked like he’d combed it with a pork chop. Disgusting.
“Actually, over to Shotgun Row. There’s something I wanted to get your opinion on.” Like your opinion on getting rid of that leech of a ghost.
“Fuck, Eti, I don’t know. That leaves ole Theriot by himself. I’m not sure we can trust him yet.”
Yeah, because Theriot had only been an officer for seven years.
“Come on. Thirty minutes.”
“Well, all right. Shit. I guess it won’t hurt.” We told Janis where we were going, but she seemed to care more about who she was on the phone with.
On our way. I get a treat for that. King-nuts for you.
Tansy
“So, what are we doing here, Tansy?” Justice shook his head, not loving my impromptu crew meeting.
“I don’t know. Just drinking some beers and shooting the poop, I guess. Etienne is coming, with Bruno.” I lowered my voice to a whisper as I mentioned his name and threw a beer to Loic. Part of me hoped it sprayed all over him when he cracked that puppy open.
“I hate that fucker,” Callum mumbled before holding his hand out in a non-subtle hint to pass him a beer as well.
“I concur.” Loic cracked his beer and, sadly, it barely bubbled over the top. Oh, to go back in time and shake it first because I needed a laugh.
Not knowing what was going to happen had my nerves on edge. If Meemaw wanted the crew here, it was probably to contain Bruno’s bear, meaning I was in harm’s way. Or not. Meemaw was always pretty stupid protective. Maybe that was a front for what she was up to? Ugh. I needed to stop overthinking because that was going to get me exactly zero places.
“That’s all well and good, but Meemaw said to be here, and I might need you, so sit down and nurse your beer.” ’Cause drunk shifters sounded like an incredibly horrible idea.
“Damn, you’re a feisty one, Pansy.” Callum sounded, dare I say, proud.
“Ignoring your comment, but I will remember it next time dish duty is calling.” Not that any of them seemed to mind dish time, which was something I never would’ve expected, given their gruff nature, but I was gonna take it. The worst part about cooking was the cleaning, so with that gone, I was on top of the world in my new kitchen.
“Don’t care. Your grub is worth the girly work.”
“Here they come.” I could sense Etienne before I could see them. “Be cordial or just don’t be jerks,” I warned because with their attitude, chances were good they’d just tell Bruno to fuck off.
“Hey, Etienne.” I stepped to his door, just as it opened, wrapping my arms around him. “Just in time. The g
uys and I were getting a drink, and I was about to start on some food.”
“Don’t tell me you dragged my sorry ass here for a party.” Bruno slammed his door. “I ain’t no friend.” True. Story.
“Tell us something we don’t know.” Callum said what we probably all had been thinking, but in the most childish way ever.
“Callum. You are not five.” I waggled my finger at him, wishing I had a camera to capture the look of shock on his face. “I had you dragged here because Meemaw said it would be nice.”
Just then, Bruno’s ghost decided to show his face. He looked from shifter to shifter before settling his gaze upon me. He was not impressed.
“Hello,” I offered, hoping the guys knew who I was talking to. I didn’t need them interrupting. I didn’t know what I was doing as it was. Distraction could only make it worse. I took a step closer, pleading with Etienne over our connection to trust me.
“No,” the ghost screamed.,
“No, what?” I kept my voice as calm as I could. I hated trying to rationalize with drunks, and dead drunks only amplified that feeling.
“No.” He stomped his foot before pointing to Bruno. “No friends. He doesn’t deserve friends.”
Just then a breeze blew through that had all of us shivering and, from the way everyone’s jaw dropped, it wasn’t only me who saw Meemaw there looking pissed as hell.
“He does deserve friends—a crew—everyone does. You know what happened was an accident, right?” She got right in his face. I hadn’t seen her like that since she was pissed I didn’t tell her about what happened at school right away. I was generally happy about not being a ghost, but that happiness was multiplied by a million as she let her wrath on him. I took a step back and then another.
“His fault.” He pointed to Bruno, his jaw set. He had no idea who he was messing with. No one won a bout with Meemaw.
“Do you remember that night?” I asked, and he nodded in reply. “Tell me about it.” I crept up next to Meemaw. It looked like a good cop-bad cop kinda thing.