by J. K Harper
“Ready for dinner?” She gestured at the table in the corner of his kitchen, set by a window that looked out into a pretty little meadow tucked beside his cabin.
He looked at the table, then back at her. “Thanks for getting it ready for us.”
The rumble of his voice shivered over her skin. “You're welcome. Thanks for making the food. And inviting me up here.” She hesitated, then decided to be bold. “I've missed this place.”
Slade heaved a quiet sigh, still looking at her with something in his eyes she couldn't quite read but instinctively liked. “I've missed having you up here, little fox. Sorry for that.” Before she could respond to those words, he walked over and pulled out a chair for her. “Come on, let's eat.”
Dinner was good. Everly savored every bite, relaxing into the evening as she and Slade talked just like old times. It was easy and fun. She didn't want to push him about earlier until she'd finished spooning up the little bowl of fresh blackberries he'd produced for dessert. She knew he'd picked them himself from the bushes that grew in abundance behind the main lodge building, and her heart swelled at the kindness of it. He'd always used to do that for her in the summertime when she came up here.
After she'd popped the last one into her mouth and swallowed the deliciously juicy thing, she finally felt the time was right. “Slade. Why did you want Quentin to fight you? Abby told me you pushed him into it,” she admitted at his quick glance.
He drummed his fingers on the tabletop for a moment, then tipped his chin into his other hand, leaning on it while he looked at her. “Hmm. Truth. Because I've felt damned guilty I haven't been there for you ever since Jacob…has been gone.”
She caught his little pause but didn't care. She was just blown away by his willingness to be so regretful over his pulling away.
Dark eyes watched her carefully, not backing down from his words. “Ev, this is kind of nuts to say, but I've had this need to have my blood spilled ever since then.”
Her eyes widened, but she managed to keep her mouth shut as she stared back at him.
“It's felt like a penance I needed to pay. For Jacob, and for you.”
Biting her lower lip, catching the way his gaze darted down there for a split second before his eyes raised back to her face, she shook her head. “But you didn't do anything wrong.” Her voice was an aching whisper pulled from her soul.
He leaned back in his chair now, still looking at her. “No? I might have been able to save Jacob that night.”
She could see a vein throbbing on his head. Her heart squeezed for him. “You don't know that.”
He didn't answer. Just sat there, big huge bear who'd been her best friend in the world, who'd not freaked out when she kissed him last night but had returned it as good as she gave. The man who'd made her heart pitter-pat like it would jump right out of her body for years now.
For all those reasons, for all the things she could see marching across his face as he just sat there, face as open as she'd ever seen it, something crazy just fell out of her mouth. “Do you remember that one time in high school we kissed?”
He blinked and looked totally surprised. Well, that was adorable.
“Of course I do, Ev.”
The sweet, low bass of his voice made her fox sit right up and purr an aria. The expression on his face changed, slowly but surely. It made her insides squish and melt, made her heart start flipping around, made her nipples perk right up. Ooh, yes. Trouble. Sweet, delicious trouble.
They'd kissed their senior year, when they'd both been drunk the night of senior ditch day. They'd even made out for a few minutes, which were five of the most treasured minutes in Ever's memory. But they'd both freaked out that it would ruin their friendship, and Ever had freaked out silently inside that he was just kissing her because they were friends and drunk, not because he'd ever really like to kiss a lowly fox shifter. Back then, she still struggled to understand that in Deep Hollow, all shifter types were welcome, as long as they all played nice with one another.
His lips curved up and something stirred in his eyes. Not his bear. Not anger. Something much more interesting, something that stirred her entire body and made her shiver with something that might be pure delight. “I was such a dumb kid back then.” He shook his head at his younger self. “I was too afraid about not only fucking up our friendship, but for the way you riled up my bear so much I thought I was about to lose control.”
Oh, my. Everly's entire body felt flushed.
Holding her eyes with his strong gaze, he went on. “Do you remember when we kissed again, two years, two months, and just about a week ago?”
Her mouth dropped open before she managed to stutter out, “How can you remember exactly how long ago it was?”
Before he even said it, she knew.
“Because the very next day the hotshot squad left for a fire, and then everything happened with Jacob, and I lost my fucking mind about everything in my life. Including you. Especially you. I didn't want to hurt you more.” Remorse laced his voice.
Then, the bright flames of truth.
“My bear acted up again after that, but by that time I'd finally wised up enough to figure out why.” His eyes seemed to reach right through hers, latching onto her soul. “It was because you're my mate, Everly. I finally realized you were my mate, but I couldn't find the guts to say it out loud.”
Trembling, frozen in her chair, she whispered, “And not telling me we were mates would keep me from hurting more?”
He flinched at that, but didn't drop his gaze.
Forcing out the next words from the deepest, most hurt part of her entire being, she whispered, “Was it because I'm a fox shifter? Is that why you couldn't admit it?” She couldn't stop the embarrassing tremble in her voice, the way her chin quivered. Dang it. She hated it, hated still sometimes feeling lesser, hated being a lower-class shifter, hated feeling submissive and weak in the presence of stronger shifters like grizzly bear shifters. Shifters like Slade. Even Slade, who had never, ever in his entire life treated her like she was less than. Like she didn't matter in this world.
In one sudden move, Slade shoved his chair back, making it clatter to the floor from the force of his push. He strode around the table to her. Dropping to his knees, he reached out and gently, tenderly caught her chin in his hand. Her breath stuttered again, this time at how gentle he was. Such a huge, brawly bear, but always, always, he'd been so gentle with her. So tender.
His voice gravelly yet still laced with softness, he countered her cowardly words. “Are you telling me you didn't know we were mates? That we are mates? You really didn't know?” He paused, then shook his head. “Or is it that you didn't want to admit it, either? Because you didn't think you deserved me, or maybe even that I didn't deserve you?”
Bam. Shot straight to the heart.
A long, stricken silence held them both. He wouldn't break their gaze, his chocolate-brown eyes swallowing her up, drowning her in their sweet longing, their promise of strong protection, their tantalizing glimpse of what he still might want to do to her. Her heart rattled in her chest so hard, she could practically hear it rattling in her throat.
Wait. That noise was her fox, moving up her chest, into her throat, making the soft noises like the sort a fox would toward family members.
Toward loved ones. A loved one, like Slade.
Finally, she nodded and whispered, “I knew. Somewhere inside, I knew. Or my fox knew. I was just too scared to believe it was real.”
He reached out, crushing her to his chest with the force of a mountain. Or of a mate.
“You have never been lesser to me, Everly Vos. Don't you think or say that sort of bullshit ever again.” His breath practically singed her hair with the heat of his words. “I'm saying it out loud right now. You're my mate, and that makes me the fucking luckiest guy in the universe. Full stop. I'm never letting you go again.”
Mates. Her mate. His mate.
Yes.
Shaking against his chest, hol
ding him with as much strength as she could muster, Everly knew one thing with such certainty she felt almost light-headed from it. She couldn't let him go again either. For better or worse, Slade was hers and she was his, no matter how much a tiny, fearful little part of herself still believed it was a match set up to fail.
9
After cleaning up the dishes, both quiet but the mood as comfortable as Everly always remembered it being between them way back when, they moved out to his porch, Slade drinking a beer and Everly drinking clementine-flavored bubbly water. No more beer for her, nopey nope. This amazing night, she needed to be as clear-headed and present as she could. Now and always.
She didn't want him to leave tomorrow. Which was ridiculous—he'd been gone most of the summer anyway, not to mention half the spring since it had been so dry all over the country. Besides, they'd barely seen one another during the past few years.
But it felt like she just got him back.
She wanted more time, dang it all. She needed more time with him. She'd always been afraid, whenever Slade went to a fire with his hotshot crew, that he would get badly injured or even killed. She shivered at the thought. It could happen. She'd never forget the tragic deaths of nineteen wildland firefighters in Arizona several years back. And his brother Cortez was on the local search and rescue team, and they'd had some terrible accidents happen to them. All these boys, and some girls, working in the wilderness, courting danger practically every day. She'd always worried. But Slade always told her he'd known since cubhood he wanted to be a firefighter. It wasn't the sort of thing anyone could demand he quit. That and fighting on the shifter circuit were his two passions. Those and…
Hold right up.
“Is that a new truck?” she demanded, sitting up straight. They had settled into comfy chairs on the back side of his deck, and from here she just noticed a huge, shiny new silver beast of a truck parked in his driveway. Slade loooved big trucks, but the one she'd been used to seeing him drive for a long time now was old, scratched up, and a boring dark blue. This one here was quite the monster beauty.
He puffed up with pride. “Damn right it is. That's my new truck. I won a sweet wad of cash at a fight the other night, and it finally gave me enough for a fat down payment. That, and I've been working on some fires that gave us plenty of overtime pay too.” He cast a quick glance sideways at her, the top of his beer bottle held to his lips but his eyes assessing her reaction with what seemed to be a sudden bashfulness. “You like it?”
The words fell out of her mouth before she could even think of what she would say. “Are you kidding me? It's hot, Slade.”
Uh, whoops. His eyes got darker, and a knowing smile played on his lips. Ooh, talented lips. Suddenly flustered, needing to get away from her sexy mate—and whoa, that was so big, she hadn't really been able to process it since they'd said it—and his super sexy pheromones that were driving her fox wild, she bounced up and headed right for his big, hot monster truck, wanting to see it up close.
The closer she got to the truck, the bigger it seemed. "It's gigantic!" she said in an admiring tone as she approached it.
Slade snickered behind her. Her ears felt like they were on fire. She didn't turn around, just continued marching ahead to the truck. Great. Acknowledge the sexy guy who'd filled her every waking thought for over a decade was her mate, and become a word ho who spoke in inadvertent double entendres. Clever fox.
She could swear her fox was snickering too.
The truck practically glowed against the dark trunks of the pine trees behind Slade's cabin, the shininess of its silver color dazzling her eyes. She ran a hand over the chrome bumpers, admired the fancy tire rims, raised her eyebrows at how tall it was. "Is there a lift kit on this?"
Dang, Slade had done well. This was a super fancy truck, and it was new. It had to have cost about a million-bajillion dollars. She didn't begrudge Slade one penny, though. She knew how hard he worked, and how much some of the shifter fights could pay. Despite the Silvertip Lodge catering to all types of shifters, and some of the stays being really pricey depending on how long they were and what sort of activities the guests signed up for, the Walker sons weren't from wealth, and they also hadn't been just handed money after the lodge began to do so well. Everly knew darned well each of them worked hard to earn every dime of his own money.
Slade made a pretend-offended noise. "Of course there's a lift kit, woman. This ain't my first rodeo.”
Everly snort-giggled.
“You want to check out the inside? It's got that shiny new car smell."
Heck yeah, she did. She immediately zipped around to the passenger side of the truck. Opening the door, she sighed happily as the aroma of new car wafted out. "Ooh, Slade, this is one sweet ride." She managed to haul herself up into the passenger seat, which was no small feat. As she settled in, she laughed. "But wow, this thing is tall. If I had to get in this every day, I'd need springs on my feet."
Slade, who'd swung up into the driver's seat, his hands caressing the wheel, shot her a sideways glance. "I can always get a step-up for the passenger side. Then a little shrimp like you wouldn't have any problems getting in."
"Hey! I'm not some oversized bear shifter like some guys I know."
Slade grinned at her. Everly grinned back. They had a little grin-fest, like total cheeseballs. Oh, how she had missed this easy, playful banter between them. It felt so good. Teasing, joking, just having fun. Being totally relaxed. Just hanging out with Slade, feeling completely relaxed and at ease.
Yeah, she'd missed having this one close person in her life. This one good, true friend. This person who knew her better than anyone else in the world did.
This bear shifter, this sexy man, sitting next to her in his sexy truck and smiling at her with his eyes all crinkled up, as happy and relaxed as she was.
Sexy mate.
She thought again of their kiss last night, and her words to him afterward. His words to her. Impulsively, she suddenly reached out to put her hand on top of Slade's where it rested on the wheel. He froze, the grin faltering on his lips as he looked at her.
"The truck is sexy, Slade.” Being so direct with him again felt new, she’d become so unused to it. But it felt familiar at the same time. “I like sitting in here with you. Talking to you. And just being with you again. So thank you for inviting me here." She looked at him as she said that, watching carefully for his reaction.
His mouth lifted again into a smile. A big, real one spreading again over the features she cared about so much. "I meant what I said, little fox. I've missed you too.” His smile dipped. “I'm really sorry. I—”
She put a finger over his lips. "Hush. I'm not drunk tonight, but I can tell you I still think you're sexy. And I want to kiss you.” She said the words steady, firmly. Then she quirked up an eyebrow. “I mean, if it's okay to sully your brand-new truck with smoochies."
He snorted out a laugh. "Smoochies?" Though his tone was light, his eyes were starting to devour her.
She nodded, scooting her butt on the seat till she was closer to him. "Uh-huh. Smoochies. Like this," she said softly before turning her head to his and reaching up to find his lips with her own.
This kiss was more tender than last night's. Soft, searching. As if they explored one another, testing out what boundaries might exist, learning each other's taste.
Slade tasted good. Real good. The sort of good that meant she wanted to keep tasting him for the rest of her life. She entwined her arms up around his neck, ran her fingers through his short hair, rubbed her cheek against his to feel the scrape of the sexy beard on his face. Oh, that felt good. So good. In fact, she wondered what it might feel like—
Her entire body flamed into overdrive, heating up like she'd just been lit on fire. Turning her face to kiss him again, she moaned into his mouth like an uncontrollable vixen in heat.
Well, she was a vixen. And Slade made her feel in heat. Totally in heat. She'd happily be in heat with him for the rest of her life.
His lips slid over hers, tasting her back just as hungrily. “Yeah, little fox,” he murmured back against her. “Yours.”
10
Ever looked so damned cute, so damned edible, that when Slade finally managed to pull back from her before he just yanked off all her clothes and had his way with her right here in the front seat of his new truck, it felt like he was losing his mind.
Hell yeah, that felt fantastic.
Her pretty hair was mussed up, her lips were all full and pouty from having been kissed so thoroughly, her face was sweetly flushed. Best of all, her eyes sparkled and her smile was real. So real, and just for him. It seemed like he'd just done something so incredible and amazing it made him feel about fifty feet tall. Which was totally dumb, since all he'd done was make out with a girl. Except this was the girl. The only girl for him. The only one he wanted for the rest of his life.
His mate. Sweet, sexy Everly, his mate. Oh, hell yeah.
She pushed some stray hair behind her ear and lightly cleared her throat. Still smiling at him, she dipped her head toward the window at the top. "Um, would you mind if we go for a walk? I haven't been up here in such a long time. I've always loved seeing the sunset from this place."
He was practically out of the cab before she finished talking. Anything she wanted, he'd give her. "We can walk all over the damn lodge property if you want. Might take us all night, but we can do it."
Laughter followed him as he closed the driver's side door and went to the passenger side. He reached a hand up so he could help her down like the lady she was. It really was a heck of a long step down for her, and she slid most of the way. Right into his arms, just where his Ever belonged. They grinned at each other like a couple of fools again.
He'd missed her so much. What a dumbass he'd been to stay away from her for so long. Planting a tender kiss on her forehead, he gently rubbed his thumb along her cheek. His bear rumbled with approval as her entire body shivered against his with pleasure. But then she gently pushed him back, out of the way so she could close the truck door. Grabbing his hand, she turned and tugged him down his driveway.