Page 173 of Bride of Choice

Spying Odix deep in conversation with Righty, I watched as he absently stroked his forearm, right over where I knew there’d be bitemarks from this lady right here.

“So, Doogie, how did you and Joanie meet?” Daisy called sweetly from her end of the table.

Doogie and I blinked at that. Doogie recovered first, frowning down the table at her. “Mama,” he said simply.

A large shadow that belonged to a grumbly brute came into view. Vurhg wasn’t the most… He wasn’t what I’d consider polite company.

“She you mate?” Vurhg grunted out.

Doogie glanced up at him, his gaze darting to me. “Jo? NO!” he burst out.

“No want Jode?” Vurhg grumbled.

Doogie shook his head vehemently.

“I don’t want him, either. Not that anyone was asking,” I put in dryly.

Ignoring my response, Vurhg dumped a bundle onto the table between me and Doogie and took the empty seat next to a wide-eyed Doogie.

To make sure there were no misunderstanding, pretending the wrapped lump on the table didn’t exist because god only knows what the hell it was, I met Vurhg’s glittering pink eyes as I told him, “If you’re asking if I’m available because you’re interested, I’m not. On either counts.”

Vurhg gave a grunt that said we’d just see about that, and joined in the conversation about the upcoming hunt.

Daisy gave me an Oh my god, I am so sorry wince. This was a setup. My god, she’d thought Vurhg was a good option? Or Doogie? Mind ya business, woman! I was going to kill her.

The male beside me started to lean in as if to chat me up. Cutting off all of this bullshit at the pass, I grabbed a dish off the table, dished out a little onto my plate, and shoved the steaming serving dish into his hands with a firm, “No.”

Doogie glanced from me to the male next to me in astonishment. He grinned when I gave a little shrug and accepted the next dish coming my way.

The second I saw pod peas I scrambled for a napkin.

One pinged off my forehead as I bent, finding my napkin had fallen to my seat and I was half sitting on it. With a glower Doogie’s way, I launched it right back.

Vurhg caught the next projectile, grumbling something at Doogie in Lo denaii that had Doogie’s skin flushing and his hands dropping.

“Hey,” I barked, “did I ask you to intervene? Leave him alone.”

“What he you?” Vurhg demanded to know.

Chucking the pod pea in my hand at his head, I grumbled right back, “He’s like a baby brother to me. So if he wants to be a heathen and chuck peas at me, and I’m not fit to be tied over it, butt the hell out.”

Lefty attempted to draw Vurhg back into their conversation, but it would appear I’d attracted an admirer.

Whatever. I’d send his ass packing just like all the rest.

“Doogie hear she eats poop,” Doogie told him, nodding. It was his lips twitching that gave away his bullshit, or maybe Vurhg could smell the bullshite to it.

Wishing I had one of my backup treats in my purse, I sighed at the indignity of it all.

“They call me Poop girl,” I said as I lifted my mug and took a long drink. The cool, crisp water did nothing to calm my nerves. I wasn’t keen on the way Vurhg was staring at me.

“No eats poop.” Vurhg scoffed. “Silly thing female says, no want warriors catch her.”

“I’m not up for grabs, Vogue.” I made a clucking noise with my tongue. I could feel my left eye twitching.

“Vurgh,” he corrected.

My hand lifted, nails clacking, and I flicked them at him. “Whatever.”

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