Page 149 of Bride of Choice

A rumble filled Kooky’s chest when I smothered the smile tipping my lips against his fur at the magic that he was.

“You heard Mr. Grumpypants Khri has got himself a lady now,” I pulled back just enough to tip my head back to stare up at him and ask him.

Kooky’s grin matched mine as he chuckled and gave a sharp jerk of a nod.

Brushing a finger along my face, he pointed out, “No color.” A sniff told him. “Scared.” His head shot up and he gave Rek a shrewd once over.

“Rek no do it,” Rek grumbled, his head dipped and tilted, as if in some sort of sign of submission, glaring at him through the corner of his eye. “Rek no play with dead things… heads.”

Kooky glanced down at me sharply. “Someone left a severed head nearby. I found it. Bum-bum said it wasn’t him,” I explained.

“Say Jojoknee not hims mate neither. Say no want. Say go ‘way. Loud,” Rek found it pertinent to chime in.

My face flamed but I turned my head in his direction and glared at the asshole just throwing my shit out there like it was everyone’s business to shut up. “Are you just going to tell everyone?! Why don’t we make posters with all of my business plastered all over it and save you the trouble, huh?”

“Lots Lo denaii no know how read hoomans’ words,” Rek snarked back.

“Sometimes… I hate you,” I admitted.

“Sometimes, Rek think Joanie mean!” Rek shot back.

“Maybe because sometimes I fucking am!” I sniped at him.

“Rek go get things Joanie say from Joanie list. Joanie say-” Rek hesitated as he glanced between Gopher and Kooky, who were both giving him narrowed eyes stares.

“What Jo say?” Kooky rumbled out darkly.

“I wasn’t in the right frame of mind,” I mumbled through numb lips as Rek made weird sputtering, spluttering noises at the challenge in Kooky’s voice.

“Rek stupid.” Gopher snorted. “Joanie make silly list. Say who get things on list, she loves them for the evers.” With a roll of his eyes, he muttered, “She no know she even make list. Prokar’s punch.”

“Why you say Rek stupid?” Rek burst out. “Gopher and Odix help Rek find things on list, learn list words. My Joanie loves Gopher but Gopher too stupid and throw it ‘way! Throw it in face! He not even tries! Just say no, no want, like nothing! Who stupid now?!”

“My Joanie?” Kooky repeated curiously, but he was fully aware of my stupidity with Rek.

Rek and Gopher, rushing up on each other, looking about to square off, both looked like they were collectively holding their breath at his words.

Kooky looked from them to me, askance.

“Can we go home now, please?” I softly begged.

Nodding, he dismissed Rek and Gopher with a basic good-bye grumble I’d heard many a time, escorting me into my hut to collect my shit so we could leave.

Rek started to argue but Kooky made that same noise, rougher, louder, and Rek immediately shut it.

“I need to work on my Don’t fuck with me grumble,” I opined. “It’s not nearly as cool or effective. You’re over there all, Good day to you and your fuckery, and they’re all, Shit, alright.”

Kooky chuckled, the sound rusty, deep, as he led me along.

His nostrils flared as he entered my living quarters, but he didn’t say a word. Choosing to pull out one of my table chairs, he sat and tapped the top. “Tell.”

When I hesitated, he clucked his tongue and tapped the top a little harder, more resolute. “Tell.”

“There’s not enough chocolate in the world to see me through it if I just spewed it all out there,” I muttered under my breath, quickly grabbing my things. “If we wanna get home by dark,” I hemmed and hawed, “we better-”

Kooky grunted and just tilted his head, eyeing me in that way he does that makes me wonder if the feeling he can see right into my damn soul is exactly how he feels.

Biting at my lip, I gave him my back. “I don’t want you to look at me differently,” I admitted.

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