Bam's Ever

by Sandra R Neeley

  “We need to go pick up our trucks,” Vince said. “Anybody want to go over with me?”

  Goldy answered, “Yeah, I’ll drive us over in Bam’s truck. Yours is there, and Kaid’s. Who’s coming with us?”

  Daniel volunteered, “I’ll go. We can get over there and back pretty quickly.”

  They headed off to pick up the vehicles, and the rest of them settled in as the long chore of waiting for Bam to wake began.

  Through the afternoon and night he’d wake off and on, for the most part when Everly left his side to go to the bathroom, or when Delilah made her eat a little bit. But as soon as she’d return to him, he’d quiet and drift off to sleep again.

  The next morning brought a little change. His bruises were fading, and his cuts healing, but slowly, much more slowly than was normal for a shifter. They figured it was because his Bear was trying to purge the drugs from his system.

  Everly, still reluctant to leave his side, woke, made a quick trip to the bathroom, brushed her teeth with the toothbrush that Janie had given her and went straight back to the bedroom. She slipped back into bed and drifted off to sleep again, waking when Janie brought her breakfast. She sat up in bed, and Janie placed the tray across her lap. “Thank you so much, Janie. You didn’t have to do this,” Everly said.

  “Of course, I did. I couldn’t let you stay in here hungry. You need your strength,” Janie told her. “Besides, it won’t be long before the rest of the clan is here again, and I thought you might want a few minutes to eat and get yourself together before they all started their visits.”

  “Thank you, I really appreciate it,” she lifted a piece of toast and dipped it into the fried egg yolk on her plate. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was - it took her only minutes to devour her breakfast. She leaned toward Bam, feeling bad that he hadn’t eaten. He’d turned into a fetal position during the night, and she’d spooned right up against his back. She wrapped herself around him again, her lips near his ear. “Bramley? Are you hungry?”

  He didn’t respond to her question, but he took her hand where it lay across his chest and snuggled her closer. She smiled and kissed his ear, laying her head on the pillow next to his.

  By that evening, everyone in the clan had visited at least twice. Bane was never far, and stopped in to speak to Bam often. By nightfall, she was exhausted again and slept fitfully next to Bam.

  The next morning, they all had a surprise.

  She lay on her side, sleeping, a warm breath blowing across her face. She was inordinately warm, hot even. She tried to adjust her body more comfortably and found that she couldn’t. She cracked an eye open, and saw… black fur. Her eyes popped open, and she struggled to focus in her newly awakened state. Sitting in the bed, right in the middle of the bed, was a huge fucking Bear. Lying like a noble sphinx, face toward her, snout inches from her own face, watching her sleep. She sat up, “Bam!”

  He followed her every movement, and when she moved closer to him, he licked her, chin to eyebrow. She giggled - then, she outright laughed. The sound of her tinkling laughter brought Bane running and Janie right behind him. The bedroom door opened; Bane took in the sight before him and burst out laughing. A huge black Bear sat in the middle of Bam’s bed with a goofy grin on his face, licking Everly. Janie came in right behind him and giggled herself.

  “Welcome home, brother,” Bane told him. He knew better than to approach the bed, with Bam’s Mate lying in it, to embrace Bam, so he said the words instead, “I’m so fucking happy to see you sitting there. I’m gonna hug you like a little baby as soon as you shift back.”

  Bear threw his head up and down, nodding, and chuffed at Bane, then he licked Everly again.

  Janie ran for her phone and snapped a picture of the scene unfolding in Bam’s bed, sending it out to Kaid, Avaleigh, Maverik and Goldy. It wasn’t long before their home was crowded with family again, but this time they were all laughing and happy. Thankful that Bam was healing. His Bear having gotten strong enough to take over and allow Bam to heal.

  Bane asked him, “Are you hungry? You gotta be starving by now. Come in the kitchen and we’ll find you something to eat.”

  Bear looked at Bane, then looked at Everly, and laid down beside her on the bed.

  Bane laughed, “She ain’t going nowhere. Come on.”

  Everly threw back the covers and got out of bed. Bear sat up and watched her. She slipped her feet into a pair of slippers that Janie had loaned her and started toward the bedroom door. Bear lumbered off the bed and followed immediately. As she came down the hall, a huge black Bear hot on her heels, the clan started laughing and exclaiming. They were all so happy to see him up and moving.

  He chuffed at them all on his way to the kitchen, closely following his Mate.

  Janie was already in the kitchen, “I can make breakfast, or warm up leftovers, or make something new. What do you want, Bam?”

  Kaid, Bane, Maverik and Goldy all called out at the same time, “Pizza!”

  Janie stepped back from the fridge and looked at them, questioningly.

  “He’s sending us all pictures of pizza,” Kaid laughed.

  Valerie picked up her phone, dialed and waited. Then she said, “Hey! We need pizza, can you bring us pizza?”

  Then she said, “Bam’s awake, er, well, Bear is, and he’s wanting pizza.”

  “Oh. Well, that’s fine. It’s better than nothing. We’ll see you then,” and she hung up.

  Then she said to Bam, “Vince will bring pizza for lunch, but it’s too early for the pizza place to be open yet. So, how about something else for now and pizza for lunch?”

  He gave a soft rumble and sat on the floor as Kaid and the rest of the clan approached to hug him, tell him how much they missed him, and how glad they were that he was back.

  It wasn’t much longer before Everly and Janie placed a huge platter filled with eggs, bacon, toast and grits in front of him. He dove into it, cleaning it so well you’d never know there was food on it before.

  Everly laughed when she saw the grits clinging to his snout, and when she pointed to them, his eyes crossed, trying to focus where she was pointing. She sat on the floor beside the fireplace, and he immediately lay down beside her, his huge head in her lap.

  Then Daisy awoke. Bane went to get her, and when he walked back into the living room with her and she saw Bam, you’d have thought Santa Claus had arrived. She squealed, and jabbered, and squirmed until Bane put her down. Then she made a beeline to Bear, climbing all over him, giving him kisses and pats. Bear greeted her happily, giving her a big lick and settling down low again, so she could get to him. After she seemed to satisfy herself that he was okay, she curled up against him, leaning on him like he was a huge pillow, a piece of bacon in her fist and watched her cartoons while the adults visited. What they didn’t know was that her Bear was busy soothing Bam, healing him as much as her powerful little Bear could. She sensed pain and hurt. Not just physically. And she was busy healing as she appeared to watch her cartoons and munch her bacon. It took a lot out of her, and she fell asleep against Bear. Janie took her back to her bedroom and put her in bed for a morning nap. Then Kaid started telling Bam what had happened, from his point of view. Bear listened. Then Everly told how she’d run away, just after she’d spoken to Bam the last time on the phone. How she’d eventually felt agitated and had to come back, then finding the message on the mirror in her bathroom and in her cabinet. She told of how she’d taken Vince’s guns and gone after Bam, alone.

  Bear was clearly distraught at the thought of her coming after him alone. He was grunting and whining. She stopped her story and stroked his head, then his shoulders, smiling sadly at him. “I couldn’t let them hurt you. I had to come for you. You’re my Mate, even if you don’t want me. I could never let anything happen to you.”

  He chuffed at her, using one huge paw to pull her closer, and his head over her shoulder to hold her to him.

  Then Delilah spoke, “He is your Mate, Everly. I have searched for in
formation and I have found it. The male, Grady, told me of auras.” She turned her attention from Everly to Bam, “The colors you see are auras. It is part of the healing nature of your Bear. And the reason you could never see yourself as golden or Everly as golden, is that you cannot see your own aura, or that of your intended once she meets you.”

  She paused to let the information sink in. Bear looked from Delilah to the others, then he leaned back to look at Everly’s face.

  She said nothing, just looked at him, tears in her eyes.

  “It is that simple, Bam. You are unable to see your own aura. You have been destined for a Mate since birth. You have always belonged to Everly, and she you. You just had no one to tell you of your own nature. But I have learned much. I will tell you, and Grady will tell you what I have not yet learned,” Delilah said. She turned to Kaid, “I must send Grady a telephone. He has agreed to speak to me on the phone if I should have questions. But he does not have one, so I shall send him one.”

  Then she looked back at Bam and said, “She is your Mate, Bam. And you are hers.”

  Bear looked at Everly again, chuffing softly he leaned over, rubbing his face against hers. She leaned into him and smiled as Maverik started talking.

  “Let me tell you about your woman, Bam. This female is hawt!” and he started relaying the story of finding her, a gun in each hand, standing over an unconscious Bam as she defended her male.

  Days had passed; they were spent with Bam as Bear, healing. The boys had taken it upon themselves to do a little work on Bam’s place and make it nice and cozy for when Bam and Everly wanted their own space. They laid a new floor and put plush, thick, warm carpeting throughout. They replaced the windows and revamped the kitchen, putting in a full-size stove and refrigerator. They put a new tub in and a new vanity and faucet in the bathroom. They added a propane heater/fireplace with ceramic logs in it. It was really pretty and had an elaborate scrolled grill on the front. It kept the whole place nice and toasty. They also replaced the floor on the deck outside and the railing around it, and added a new patio table and chairs. All this was done with Bear lumbering around watching. He refused to give up control while Bam was still healing. So he was underfoot while they worked on his place. Everly had to tell him, “I love what they’re doing to your place. It will be so comfy for you.” Which just pissed him off cause it wasn’t his place - it was hers, too. And if Bear would ever let him resume control, he’d tell her that. For now, he had to just constantly send barrages of pictures to Kaid, trying to make him understand. Finally Kaid got it; he approached Everly, laughing, “Everly, honey, he’s having a fit. It’s not his place. It’s your place, yours and his. And each time you say his place, he gets more and more frustrated because he can’t tell you it’s not his place.”

  Everly listened to Kaid, dumbfounded, then turned to Bam, “Really?”

  He let out a soft rumble, rubbing his face on her.

  “Okay. Well, then I love it. I think it’s perfect for us.”

  He licked her face again, and she giggled.

  It had been a week of Bear refusing to give up control. Bam’s body was slowly, but surely, healing. The guys were finished revamping Bam’s and Everly’s place, and she really wanted to spend the night there.

  As they sat on the porch and darkness fell, she leaned against Bear and said, “I’d like to spend the night in our place if we can. Do you mind? I just feel like we’ve intruded on Bane and Janie for too long now. Besides, I’d like some time alone with you.”

  He nuzzled her cheek, then got up and started down Bane’s front steps. He paused, looking back at her. Everly smiled, got up and followed him. They walked over to their home, and he nosed her to start up the stairs ahead of him. She opened the door and stepped inside, holding the door open for Bear to follow her inside, then closing it behind them. She walked into the center of the room and smiled, looking around it, “I love it here. Feels like home already.”

  He chuffed at her, sitting down beside her. She noticed a box on the kitchen counter. She walked over to it and pulled a card from the top of it. She opened it and read, “Everly, for whenever you may need it. Welcome to the family. You have no idea how long we’ve all waited and prayed for you. PS: I stocked all the cabinets, kitchen and bathroom. You should have everything you need for a while at least. Avaleigh.”

  “Aw, that’s so sweet,” Everly said. Then she opened the box; inside she found a soft golden silk and lace nightgown, like a woman would wear on her wedding night. It had a matching lace-trimmed robe and soft golden ballet-style slippers for her feet.

  She held them close to her, not turning around to look at Bam. It was not lost on her that the color of this gown was golden. Just like Bam saw when he saw Mates.

  He chuffed at her, nudging her with his nose til she turned around. He nudged her again; she moved a few steps toward the hallway. He did it again, and finally she asked, “What?”

  He nudged again, and she looked down the hall, “Do you want me to put this on?”

  He nodded his huge head, a grin on his face.

  She looked at the gown in her hands, then back up at him, “Okay.”

  She went into their bedroom and stripped her clothes off, replacing them with the gown, robe and slippers. When she’d taken the gown and robe off the hanger, she’d also found a golden lace thong, so she slipped that on, too. She opened the door and stepped into the hallway, slowly walking into the living room.

  Bear sat in the living room, watching the hallway for his Mate to emerge from their bedroom. When she finally did, he almost swallowed his tongue. She was stunning, her long red curls falling down her shoulders to near her waist, her huge green eyes, looking at him as though the only thing that mattered was his opinion of her in this nightgown. Her soft sweet curves and her scent carrying to him across the room. She was quite honestly the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. What was the word that Delilah liked to use for things not of this world? Ethereal, that was it - she was ethereal. His breath caught as he watched her approach. She stopped right in front of him and bent a bit, placing a small kiss on his snout.

  He immediately gave Bear an ultimatum, you leave, and you leave soon, or so help me, I’ll have Avaleigh shave your ass. You’ll look like a poodle!

  Bear just laughed at him and went back to watching their Mate.

  “Do you want something to snack on?” Everly asked.

  He nodded, so she went to the kitchen and started digging around, “Aha!” she said after a few moments. She turned to him, “Vanilla ice cream, blackberries and raspberries, and a drizzle of honey. What do you think?”

  He was drooling, it sounded so good.

  Everly scooped out two big bowls of ice cream, topped them with berries and drizzled some honey on them. She got a spoon for herself and carried both into the living room. She flipped on the television and sat down, putting Bear’s bowl on the coffee table. He immediately dove into his.

  After they ate, they watched TV for a while before finally going to bed. She was a little disappointed, wearing this beautiful nightgown and not getting to share it with Bam, but that was okay. She knew she’d have many other chances, and he had wanted to see it on her. So in a way, he’d enjoyed it, too.

  Bear climbed on the bed after Everly had gotten comfortable and curled up next to her. He was beyond pissed off. He wanted to hold his Mate. He wanted to kiss his Mate. He wanted to claim her, taste her, make her his and mark her. And Bear was an ass because he was not cooperating, at all. He tucked his nose under her hair, against her neck and fell asleep in a huff.

  Chapter 30

  Everly’s Fox slowly became aware. She scented the room and detected only herself and Bam. Then she realized what had woken her. A hand, huge and rough, sliding from her hip to her waist and back again. She started dancing in Everly’s mind, waking her. Everly came awake suddenly, her Fox throwing a fit. She lay still and assessed the situation. Then she felt it again, Bam’s hand, smoothing from her hip to her wa
ist. She pressed back against him and felt the length of his body, his human body, spooning hers. She smiled - Bramley was back. She rolled over, expecting to see him smiling at her and found his face, beautiful in sleep, tucked into the pillow just next to where her head had lain.

  She smiled, pushing her face closer to him, softly kissing his lips. He kissed her back. So she licked his lips, then kissed him again. His eyes slowly opened, and she smiled at him. He smiled back, and then realized he was back. He raised his hand to look at it, just to be sure. When he saw his human hand, he smiled again, then lowered his hand, stroking her cheek, smoothing her curls back. Then he kissed her, like he’d always wanted to kiss a woman, like he’d always wanted to kiss her. She moaned softly and kissed him back.

  He pulled his lips from hers and looked into her eyes, then over her pretty face, and then back to her eyes, “Mine?” he asked.

  Her eyes filled with tears, “Yes. Always.”

  He used his thumbs to wipe her tears away, “No tears. Not ever again.”

  She nodded, “I know. I just never thought you’d ever say that to me. I thought you didn’t want me.”

  “I was an idiot. I should have listened to Bear. He knew the first time he scented you,” Bam told her.

  “Are you sure? You want me? You’re not going to be sorry in the morning?” she asked again, fearing him refusing her again.

  He took her face in his hands, “Completely sure. You’re my Ever. My Mate.”

  She smiled through fresh tears, nodding, then, “Mine?”

  “Hell yes!” he said, though he said it softly. “I’ve always been yours, Everly. Always. I just didn’t know it.”

  She said, “Love you, Bramley,” and took his precious face into her own hands, kissing his lips.

  His heart soared as he answered, “I love you, Everly. My Ever. Marry me? Mate me?”

  She looked at him, her eyes huge, but saying nothing.

  “What? Is it too soon? You don’t want to marry me?” Bam asked, feeling unsure, afraid that maybe he’d rushed her.