Page 167 of Bride of Choice

With a finger to his lips, he silently closed the door behind him.

“What’s going on?” I mumbled, still half awake.

“Rek walking ‘round village,” Gopher whispered, “say to Go’, Jo hims. He first mate.” An unhappy grumble rattled his chest. “Say Odix, no be Jojomine’s mate, ‘less Rek says.”

“He fucking what?” I burst out, clutching a blanket to my chest as I sat up a little better. Rek had woken me up unbelievably early to pay homage to my promised land with his mouth. I mean, I hadn’t been complainin’ much at the time then but… “He’s doing what now?”

One sniff of the room and his nose wrinkled. Grabbing a small pouch out of his belt, he dusted the room.

We’d dusted it early this morning, before Rek’d gone downtown and had himself a little feast.

The blood drained from my face. “Who all has he told?” I blurted.

“Boog. Go’. Odix.” A silly little smile tipped his lips as he said Odix’s name.

“What?” I muttered.

“Odix punch him in face, ‘fore Boog or Go’ can. Nose go,” Gopher mimed a bloody nose explosion. “Smell like blood. Lots. No smell like Jo…” Gopher gave a pointed glance towards my downstairs.

With a groan, I flopped backwards. “That insecure little weasel! I’m going to kill him!”

“Not if Odix get Rek first.” Gopher snorted.

Sobering, gaze darting repeatedly to my bare shoulders, his brow crinkled. He looked like he wanted to ask a question, perhaps a few, but refrained.

“You know how they say sometimes the cure is in the poison?” I muttered, scrubbing my free hand down my face.

Gopher shook his head but listened patiently.

“Last night, it was totally like that,” I finished, motioning for him to turn around so I could get dressed.

“What Jo need cure?” he asked softly as I scrounged up a hoodie and leggings in a pinch.

“Loneliness,” I answered absently as I dusted the bed, then sprinkled it with the liquid concoction I’d made of shame dust, water, and dried, crushed flower powder and kept in an old hairspray bottle, and then quickly made up the bed.

Gopher turned towards me as I was putting on clean socks. “Jo… lonely?”

Finding my socks the most fascinating thing in the world, I mumbled, “It’s maybe a smidge more than that with Rek…”

Gopher grimaced but forged ahead. “Jo lonely.” It wasn’t a question.

“It was a moment of weakness,” I decided on.

There was no knock on my door as Odix came rushing in. Slamming the door and locking it behind him, he snarled, spun around, and pressed his back against the thick wood. One loud sniff of the dust of shame stink killing everyone’s nose and he relaxed a little but not much. “Rek come. Brings Berkr. Say Jo him’s, him first mate, we keeps her from him.”

“He said what now?” I had a hard time letting that one sink in.

He went to Berkr, the biggest sexist idiot of them all, all me beast man, you weak silly little female, mine-mine-mine, listen to me, female, and told him I’m his and Gopher and Odix are keeping me hostage?!

“We have do something,” Gopher snarled.

Odix’s face started to crumple, right before he got mad once more. Baring his teeth at no one, he snarled, “Rek say Odix no’ Jo male. Rek no say!”

Staring at the pair stupidly, I felt numb.

Boog knocked, announced himself, and Odix opened the door to let him inside.

“Ey! We go. No’ much times!” he barked, motioning for Odix and Gopher to hurry up and help him with the basket of vegetables in his hands.

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