The Mate Keeper : Everlee's Beginning

Chapter 16 - Dominick

"Guys, Ever called us HER kings before we left tonight." I say with a smile on my face. "Yeah, but that is drunk Ever talking, can we really read anything into it?" Devin asks. "I don't know bro but it felt real good." I say and they all agree with me. I had a great time tonight even though I got on the other lane team from Ever. We joked and teased with Ever like she has always been a part of our gang. Ever just fits with us, and I don't know if its because she is a Stone triplet or if it is something more. "Tonight was great for the most part." I say to no one in particular. "I can't believe you promised Catrina a date though Ryder. I didn't even know you liked her." I tease. We all know Ryder has a thing for Ever, just like the rest of us saps. "Ugh don't remind me dude. She is so annoying and I didn't even mean it like that." He rubs his face as if remembering she kissed him and making sure there isn't any lingering germs. Thinking about getting a kiss from Catrina makes me shiver and it's because of they way she threw herself at Ryder and Ellis tonight that I was grateful I was on the lane farther away from her.

"I am still surprised Ethan and Evan let Troy walk away without a beating tonight." Devin says and I find myself nodding to agree. "They wouldn't go against their mates wishes." Ellis says. "Besides he isn't going to get another chance alone with Ever again after tonight." Ryder throws in and we all definitely agree to that. Ryder breaks the silence after a few minutes. "I really wish we knew what Ever's gift was. At least how rare it is. That way we can keep her safe." Ellis clears his throat. "I have a few ideas. You aren't going to like them." He says and I find myself turning around in my seat to get a better look at him. "Well, what are they?" Ryder prompts. "So Ever doesn't touch people, and she has a gift. There a few gifts that could be. She could be telepathic, which after some of the things I have had running through my head I pray if she is that its through touch alone." We all nod to that one in agreement. I have had plenty of dirty thoughts about the things I would do to that beautiful woman if she let me. "What else?" I ask as I shake the dirty thoughts I am starting to have out of my head. The last thing I need is to be aroused in a car full of guys. "She could be a seer. Most likely one that sees things when she touches people. Like their deaths. Seers aren't that rare and range from strong to weak. The strongest ones being able to see whatever they want without touch." I hears Troy's mom was a really strong seer. I also heard that Troy's dad kidnapped her from her pack and forced her to mate him. "It would explain La La just kissing Ethan without fear, if Ever seen it in a vision." Ryder says rubbing his chin in thought. "Which leads me to my last possibility. This is probably the most dangerous one to have and most sought after gift. The Mate Keeper." "The what now?" Devin and I ask at the same time. Oh great the Stones are rubbing off on us.

"The Mate Keeper is a rare gift. I think there has only been a handful of them in history and their fates are never pretty. A mate keeper can see anyone's fated mate by touch alone. All it takes is one touch, and they will have a vision which tells them exactly who someone's fated mate is, and how many they have." Wow that sounds amazing. To be able to touch someone and know if they are your fated mate or not. "I have never heard of a mate keeper before." Ryder says and I reply with, "Same." I guess Devin is just speechless since he hasn't said much this whole car ride. As he pulls the SUV into our driveway I just have to ask, "So, I get why it is sought after, but why is it dangerous to have?" If this is what Ever has then I need to know so I can protect her. I can feel my wolf pacing inside of me. He doesn't like the thought of Ever being in danger anymore than I do. "Let's go inside and I will explain more." He says opening his car door and stepping out. "Good idea, I think I could use a beer." My brother says. I kind of feel bad for him since he hasn't been able to drink all night.

We all head into the house and walk into the living room. "Anyone else want one?" Dev asks and we all shake our head yes. As Dev goes to get the beers the rest of us get comfortable. I take the right side of the couch while Ryder and Ellis take the recliners. Shortly after Dev joins us and hands out the beers he takes the left side of the couch. "Okay El, spill the rest." Ryder says after taking a sip of his beer. "Okay, I am not an expert on this but from what I can gather, as you can imagine mate keepers are very well sought after. After all it takes some shifters centuries to find their fated mate while others settle with someone because they never find their fated. So when shifters hear there is a mate keeper they flock to the person for answers. In the past the people who had the gate keeper in their pack, clan, shadow, flock, etcetera have fallen to greed. They would charge people to see their precious mate keeper and denying those they didn't care for. Keepers in the past were enslaved and used only for their gifts, even denied the right to be with their own mates when they found them."

"Wow that is really messed up." Dev says. "Yeah but that isn't the worst thing." Ellis says taking a big gulp of his beer. "It caused wars." Ryder guesses, looking at Ellis. "Yes it did. The great shifter war of 1812 was because of a keeper. The dragons had a keeper they had enslaved and wouldn't share with the rest of the shifter community. She wasn't even a dragon she was a fox. They discovered her one day when their prince went to the near by market and bumped into her. She told him who his mate was and instead of thanking her, he kidnapped her and kept her locked up and used for profit. Once word got out the other shifters banned together to attack the dragons. Claiming she should be free to live her life and help who she wanted, though I am sure some of them just wanted to be the ones to own her. One night during the war a shifter managed to sneak into the dragons lair where he was keeping the girl, but before he could get her out they were caught. The shifter knew it was the end of the road for him, so out of spite he murdered the keeper before they had a chance to kill him." We were all totally silent as we processed what he was saying.

"So what you are saying is, if Ever is one of these keepers not only can she be kidnapped and enslaved, it could cause wars, and she could end up dead." Ryder said his face looking very white and missing color. "Well I doubt it will cause anymore wars, the council made laws about starting wars. But I am saying she is in danger of being kidnapped and enslaved. Hell if they think she isn't worth risking their lives for, someone might even just kill her. The last known keeper was 1898. He was bear shifter that told another bear that he wasn't her mate and she had him killed for not being with her." He lets out a big sigh looking each of us in the eyes before what he says next. "Guys, I really think Ever might be a keeper. It would explain why she doesn't touch anyone she hasn't previously touched before. Why La La seemed confident to kiss Ethan and why Ever suggested she kiss Evan too. She probably knows who Troy's mate is and that is why she was okay with dropping his friendship for her brothers. Though I am kind of hoping she dropped him because he is an asshole. Maybe it's why she won't touch any of us." Ellis says. I mean it would explain a lot. "Why wouldn't she touch us though?" Devin says, "We are her friends and we would keep her safe." Dev has a point, even if Ever wasn't my mate I would protect her. She is my best friends sister, and I always help out my friends. "Would you risk your life to tell your sibling's friends?" Ryder asks with a serious face. "I guess-""-not." Dev says with me finishing. "Not to mention, and this might be me wishful thinking but maybe, she likes us and is afraid to find out if we are her mates." I suggest. "One can only wish." Dev mumbles under his breath. I think we all take a minute to wish that what I suggested is true.

"So, where do we go from here?" Dev asks looking to Ryder our alpha. "Well, I think we talk to Ethan and Evan when they come home tomorrow. I don't expect them home tonight. They don't get much alone time with Delilah and with Ever as drunk as she was, they are probably spending the night there." "I am so jealous those bastards have a mate." Ellis mumbles. "Aren't we all?" I ask in return. All of us give each other a smirk. Maybe with Ever being a keeper I will get a chnce to have a mate of my own Though really the only girl I want to be my mate is Ever. "Well, I am headed to bed for some sleep." Ryder announces standing up. "Me too." Says Ellis. Dev looks to me and I give a slight nod letting him know I am on the same page. "Us-""-too." I say with him finishing. With that we all head to our separate rooms to get some sleep. After brushing my teeth and stripping down and climbing in bed it doesn't take me long to slip into the world of dreams where Ever awaits me with arms wide open.