As Everly and Valerie approached they could all hear her tinkling laughter, and the hushed, excited tones of her and Valerie talking as they hurried back to where her wedding would take place. Just as they came into view Everly’s eyes met Bam’s, and she stuttered to a complete stop. Valerie had taken a few steps more and suddenly realized that Everly was not beside her. She looked back and found Everly standing still, staring. Valerie turned to follow her line of vision so she could see what had Everly frozen in place, but still wasn’t quite sure. She went back to Everly, “Ev? Honey? What is it?”
Everly shook her head, still slack-jawed, then she smiled a slowly growing smile. “Look at him,” she whispered. “Just look at my male. He is magnificent!” she said in a hushed tone. “I thought everything was perfect before, but now? Wow, just wow!” And he was. He was the most magnificent male she’d ever seen, ever dreamed of.
Bam stood, dressed in a perfectly fitted black suit. A cream-colored shirt, a golden tie, and in his lapel…one of Everly’s favored white roses with decorative golden leaves wrapped in golden tulle ribbons. He was truly stunning. His choice of shirt and tie along with her favorite flower, made his outfit a perfect compliment to her dress. He watched her as she stood taking in his appearance. She’d never seen him dressed in anything other than jeans and teeshirts. No one had, and he hoped she liked what she was seeing. There was no way that he could ever be an equal to her beauty, but he hoped she liked his suit. He looked down at himself, brushing his hands down his jacket, and then his pants. Then he looked back up at her, “Is it okay?” he asked her.
“It’s more than okay, Bramley. You are perfect. So beautiful. You are everything I always dreamed of,” she answered.
His face split into a huge smile, he reached out his hand to her, “Come on, Ever, let’s get married.”
Suddenly Vince jumped up, “Hold up! I got to walk her down the aisle to you.”
Vince hurried back to where Valerie and Everly stood. He hugged Valerie and sent her to take her spot as Everly’s Maid of Honor beside Delilah who waited opposite Bam. Then he backed Everly up to where the golden swath of cloth started and placed her hand on his arm. She looked up at him, “Thank you, Vince.”
“You’re very welcome, Everly. I’m so proud to be able to give you to your Mate.” Vince looked at the clan all gathered for Bam and Everly’s wedding, each so happy for him. He looked at Everly who was staring intently at Bam, and Bam staring intently at his Ever. “Let’s get this show on the road!” he said happily as they took their first step toward her destiny.
Bam watched Vince escorting his Ever to him so that he could make her his legally. Everyone, everywhere would know that they belonged to each other. She was gorgeous, her hair glowed under the lights, her dress fit her perfectly, and everywhere he looked everything was gold. When they finally got to him where he waited in front of the preacher, Vince kissed her cheek, placed her hand in Bam’s hand, and hugged Bam.
Bam said, “I hope you don’t mind, I wanted Bane and Avaleigh to be my best men. Well, technically Avaleigh isn’t a man, but she always knew I was enough. From the very first minute she met me, she knew. So I wanted her to stand with me and Bane. So since Valerie’s your best friend, I thought maybe Delilah could stand with you and Valerie, since she’s, well, you know, Delilah.”
Everyone chuckled, and Everly said, “It’s exactly as I’d have planned it. You were right, I’d have asked Valerie and Delilah.”
“So I did good?” he asked, nuzzling her cheek with his nose.
“You did so good!” she said, kissing his chin.
They exchanged vows, Bam slipped a slender gold band onto her finger with her engagement ring, and she slipped an identical gold band onto his finger. He lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her rings. She did the same, lifting his huge hand to her lips, kissing his wedding band where it sat on his finger.
Then he took her chin in his fingertips, turned her face up to his, and kissed her lips oh so softly, gently.
Preacher Manley shook his hand, turned them both to their clan and introduced them, “I have the honor of introducing to you, Mr. and Mrs. Bramley Marchande’.”
The clan danced, ate, and celebrated into the night. Bam and Everly spent most of the night locked in each others arms, slowly swaying, dancing to their own rhythm as they looked intently into one another’s eyes, regardless of the music playing.
Finally, after several hours, it became apparent that the party had just about been partied out.
They’d hired the waitresses from Vince’s Place to help with the party and to help with the clean up, but when it became apparent that they were breaking it all down, the clan pitched in to help anyway. All except Delilah, not because she was lazy, but because she was busy devouring her third hunk of wedding cake.
Avaleigh was folding up the table cloths to save for Everly when Kaid noticed a flash on her hand. He walked over and took her hand in his to get a better look. Which Remi immediately noticed, because a man that wasn’t his papa was touching his mommy. “What’s this?!” Kaid exclaimed.
Remi ran circles around them chanting, “Mommy and Papa are getting married.”
Daniel’s voice carried as he approached, “Means we’re having another wedding soon,” he said proudly.
Kaid placed his hand on Avaleigh’s cheek, looking her in the eye. “Congratulations, Dragon’s Mate.”
Kaid lifted Avaleigh’s hand and showed off the ring that she now wore, “Guys! Look what happened when we weren’t looking!”
They were swarmed as everyone came to see Avaleigh’s ring and pat Daniel on the back in congratulations.
Bam came over, pulling Everly by the hand to see Avaleigh’s ring.
Daniel said, “Sorry, didn’t mean to steal your thunder, I just couldn’t wait any longer, and you saying that the Christmas Festival was the perfect place for you and Everly got me to thinking. It really is.”
Bam grinned, “I’m so glad you did it tonight; it makes tonight double special,” he said, beaming. “I’m happy for you, Avaleigh. You’ll be such a pretty bride.”
“I’m happy for you too, Bam. I’ve prayed for you to find your Mate for a long, long, time.”
He didn’t let go of Everly’s hand, but he pulled Avaleigh in for a hug, “I know you did. You always knew I was enough, even when I didn’t.”
Avaleigh smiled, happy tears filling her eyes, “I always did, Bam.”
“Can you believe that where we started brought us all to where we are now?” Kaid asked Avaleigh.
She looked around at all their family, their clan, and back to Kaid, “No, thinking back I really can’t believe it.”
Kaid hugged her, “Love you, Avaleigh.”
“I love you, Kaid. Thank you for taking me home to your family. Thank you for my life,” she said.
“Uhh, Kaid,” Delilah snapped, more than a little tone in her voice.
He rolled his eyes, though good naturedly, and turned smiling at his Mate, “Really? After all this time you’re still jealous when I tell Avaleigh I love her? You know she’s like a sister.”
She shot him a look that said, jump straight up my ass, and said, “That’s not the problem!” Then she looked directly at the wedding cake now lying on the ground, what was left of her punch splashed on top of it.
“Oh, well I’ll get you some more, Monster. It ain’t no big deal,” he said.
Then she clenched her jaw, started panting and held onto her stomach again. Her writhing stomach. Kaid turned white, Delilah snarled, and everybody started panicking.
Delilah having panted through the second contraction that she’d experienced that night, snarled at Kaid, “I don’t want more food! I want to make this pain stop!”
He rushed to her side, taking her by the arm, “Fuck! Delilah, I had no idea you were hurting, Monster. Why didn’t you tell me?!”
“I did!” she snapped. “Right after I dropped my cake, I tried to tell you!”
“Okay, okay
. Yes, you did. Let’s get you to the hospital. We’ll get you some pain medicine and it’ll make it much easier. Remember when Janie had Daisy, it’ll be fine,” he told her trying to soothe her.
“Wait!” Daniel said, “What if when the baby is born, it’s…” he tried to infer that maybe it would be Dragon. Bears were born human and didn’t shift right away, but Dragons could come out Dragon right away, not always, but they could…
Bam walked over to Delilah, “Can I touch?” he asked.
“Yes, you may,” she answered, still gritting her teeth.
He placed his hands on her belly and closed his eyes. He couldn’t quite see the baby, but he could see her Dragon. After a few moments, he opened his eyes, smiling at Delilah, “Your Dragon says it’ll come out human. She won’t tell me if it’s Dragon or Bear, or a boy or a girl, but it’ll come out human.”
“Well then that’s it! Let’s go, let’s get her to the hospital,” Bane said, a little calmer than the rest having been through this with his own.
They all turned and headed toward the exit for the Christmas Tree Garden so they could then move toward the exit for the Christmas Festival, Bam and Kaid each helping to support Delilah as they hurried her to the exit. They were almost there when another contraction hit.
They paused to allow her to catch her breath, and then saw Vince and Brandi walking toward them, “Hey guys, ya’ll leaving already? The Festival don’t close til 2AM! We just went to load some of the party supplies in my truck, and ya’ll all rushing off!” Vince called.
“Well you took too damn long, we leaving,” Maverik called back.
“What? Already? I wanted to spend a little time showing Brandi the Christmas Festival before we left! Introduce her to some more people,” Vince said.
Maverik smirked at Vince, “You still trying to convince her she needs to stay here?”
Valerie stepped on his foot, hard.
“What?!” he asked her, “He is!”
“Hush, stop causing trouble,” she told him.
He opened his mouth again and Valerie glared at him. He promptly closed his mouth and started trying to think of a way to rephrase things so Valerie wouldn’t be irritated with him.
“Well, we gotta go. But the Festival will still be here for the rest of the weekend so ya’ll got time to see everything, and you can come back plenty and convince her it’s a good place to stay.”
Valerie stepped on his foot again, “What?!” he asked again, exaggeratedly. “I’m being nice!”
Then he turned back to Vince, who was looking like he wanted to strangle Mav, “And besides, Delilah’s in labor, so, bye!” Maverik started to walk away.
“Wait, Delilah’s in labor?!” Vince called out, immediately falling into step behind the rest of the clan, pulling Brandi along with him, as they headed to the hospital.
“Yes, I am laboring, Lion. Come with or do not, but do not hinder us. I am not happy!” she snarled at him over her shoulder as Kaid and Bam hurried her toward the parking lot.
Vince chuckled, he was happy for Kaid, for Delilah, and Bam and Everly. He was very happy that he’d been absorbed, more or less into Kaid’s clan.
Maverik himself was giddy, thrilled that Delilah was going to have her baby tonight. He grasped Valerie’s hand, and turned to look for Maia, who was not there. She was standing a short distance away at a lemonade stand.
Valerie noticed him looking for Maia, “Oh, I asked her to get me lemonade, my love. She’s right over there,” she said pointing her out.
“Awright, but who’s she talking to?” he asked.
“Probably somebody from school,” she said absently as she watched Delilah come to a stop, as she endured yet another contraction.
Delilah’s voice could clearly be heard above all the noise of the midway of the Festival, as she declared to Kaid, “You better enjoy this youngling, because you will never touch me again!”
The other males of the clan all started snickering, while the females, Valerie included, rushed to Delilah’s side.
Valerie reached her right after the others did, and Delilah turned her full attention to Valerie, “Prepare, Valerie. It is much pain!” Then she turned to Kaid again, “I will bite you if you try to touch me again!”
“But, Monster, it wont hurt for long,” he stupidly said.
“Well, then, we shall try to shove a watermelon through your penis! It won’t hurt for long!” she shouted at him.
Janie stood right in front of Delilah, snapped her fingers to get her attention, and when Delilah’s shifting violet and ice blue eyes focused on her, she said, “We need to go to the hospital. They can make the pain better. They can make you more comfortable. Let’s focus, Delilah. Let’s get there as quickly as we can. That’s our plan. Okay?”
Delilah, her contraction having passed, focused on Janie, “Yes, this is our plan.” She turned to Kaid, “Get me to the hospital now. It is our plan.”
And to his credit, he didn’t argue or even say a word, he just smiled lovingly and took her arm, Bam assumed his place on the other side, and together they started toward the vehicles again.
Just as they moved out of sight, Valerie heard Kaid say, “I love you, Delilah.”
To which she responded, “I know. I must surely love you as well - you are still breathing.”
Bam laughed, he thought the whole thing was hilarious.
“Do not laugh, Bam. Your Mate is expecting as well, and she can shoot, with both hands!” Delilah said.
Bam shot his eyes to Everly who was keeping pace beside him; she shook her head, and scrunched up her nose, “I won’t shoot, you, baby. I promise.”
Bam nodded, but still looked a little worried as he returned his attention to Delilah.
Maverik waited for Maia to join him and Valerie again so they could follow their family. As she approached and handed Valerie the lemonade she’d requested, and was happily strolling along sipping her own as they followed the clan out of the Festival, he asked “Who was that?”
“Who was who?” Maia asked.
“That boy,” he pressed.
“He’s just a friend. I met him a few weeks ago. He’s nice,” she explained.
“Awright,” he answered, looking back at the boy who was staring after Maia with puppy dog eyes.
Vince was waiting for them at the gate, “Ya’ll want to ride with us?”
“Yeah, sure. We rode with Delilah and Kaid, and ain’t no way in hell I’m getting in that truck with them right now,” Maverik said laughing.
“Well come on, they already driving off. Let’s get gone,” Vince said.
A parade of trucks, each carrying a family, each family a part of the clan, drove away from the Christmas Festival in the direction of the hospital to welcome a new life into their clan. A clan that had been born of a need to belong. A need to be accepted, loved, respected for who they each were. A clan who was made stronger as each found their place. Each heart was full; each heart loved, smiled and bled for the others in their clan. They were all exactly where they belonged; together. And that was as it should be. All was as it should be.
Well, almost.
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!
Bane’s Heart
Kaid’s Queen
Maverik’s Ashes
About the Author
My name is Sandra R Neeley. I write Paranormal Romance with a small town feel. Why, you may ask? Romance, becaus
e who doesn’t love a good romance, and Paranormal because, well, normal is highly overrated, so Paranormal it is. I’m 53, I have two kids, one 31 and one 11 (yes, God does have a sense of humor), one grandchild, one husband, and a menagerie of animals. I love to cook, I am a voracious reader, though since I started writing, I don’t get as much time to read as I once did. I am a homebody and prefer my writing/reading time to a crowd. I have had stories and fictional characters wandering around in my head for as long as I can remember. I’m a Self-Published Author, and I like it that way because I can decide what and when to write. I am by no means a formal, polished, properly structured individual and neither are my stories. But people seem to love the easy emotion and small town feel that naturally flows from them. A bit of a warning though, there are some “triggers” in them that some people should avoid. I’m a firm believer that you cannot have light without the dark. You cannot fully embrace the joy and elation that my people eventually find if you do not bear witness to their darkest hours as well. So please read the warnings supplied with each of the synopses about my books before you buy them.
You can find me at any of these places:
www.sneeleywrites.com
Send her an email at [email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/authorsandrarneeley/
https://twitter.com/sneeleywrites
https://www.instagram.com/sneeleywrites/
https://www.amazon.com/Sandra-R-Neeley/e/B01M65OZ1J/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15986167.Sandra_R_Neeley?utm
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15986167.Sandra_R_Neeley/blog
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