Page 202 of Bride of Choice

“Maybe… maybe watch out for him, too. Maybe more so than Gopher…” The more I thought on it, the more anxious I felt about that big dummy doing even bigger dummy things, as if to top himself.

“Why Jo say that?” He was all but laughing outright. He knew. Oh… anybody who’s had a run-in with my ex headache knew.

“Gopher, I worry about because he’s not the biggest, or the baddest— beating Rek up doesn’t count because it’s Rek— but, I mean, unlike Rektal, he knows when to quit,” I burst out, shaking my head at the very idea of Rek running around all willy nilly in the wilds, on the loose.

“Lo denaii careful. Group hunts, keep groups. Safety in groups, big beast hunts. Jo males be safe.”

“None of them are my males, not really,” I admitted. It felt good to say it out loud, to confess this nagging in between I felt stuck in. “It’s like there’s bits to each that are missing and my just fucking say it half of me is catatonic at the thought of putting it out there, rocking the boat, and fucking shit up even more.”

His curious look invited me to spill my guts, so I did.

“They only popover to have fun, then they’re off doing whatever else. They call those booty calls on Earth. I just- It’s not- There’s something missing- I can’t-”

“Jo.” Kooky cleared his throat, then cleared it again as I rambled on. When he called my name again, harder, harsher, I finally shut up and glanced over to stare at him questioningly.

A garbled noise had my gaze shooting towards my hut, where two tall figures, one heavier and thicker than the other, had apparently been waiting for me.

Odix picked up his gear and mumbled something before taking off. Not once did he look back, his shoulders drooped, head low. He was too far away from us for me to make out what he was saying, or if it was even in a language I could understand.

“Odix, I- Wait!” I called out, but it was no use.

Gopher met my gaze evenly, the hurt in his eyes evident. His lips thinned as he spied Kooky’s grip tightening on my hand, holding me back when I would have run after Odix.

“Goph, I-”

Glaring at Kooky, sparing me a very short, disparaging look, Gopher took off after Odix.

“I just keep fucking this up,” I whispered as my stomach dropped.

“No fuck up. Jo no’ say being mean. Jo say feelings. Lo denaii good ears. Not want to hear, but truth.”

We were right in front of my door now.

“I wouldn’t want to hear it either, were I in their shoes,” I blurted, swallowing thickly. Shrugging from his hold, I started to pace in front of my hut. “I should go after them. Apologize. Explain myself. I-”

“No.” Kooky grabbed my hand, then the other. “No,” he repeated softly. “No follow. Jo no go, be in danger.” Dragging me closer, he grunted out. “I go. Jo stay, be safe.”

“And what? Explain I’m an idiot to them and I feel horrible?” I mumbled into his fur as he curled me close and hugged me to him tight.

“Prom-ess. Prom-ess Jo stay. No follow Odix, Gopher.”

When I didn’t immediately answer, a growl rattled his chest. Ooph. Kooky upset was so fucking hot, with a pinch of don’t piss him the fuck off.

“Promise,” I mumbled against his warmth.

Pulling back, he had to unsuction-cup my ass from him, forcing me to reluctantly let go.

“I go. Be goot. No follow. Serious. My Jo be goot,” he grumbled down at me.

With a tiny smirk I wasn’t feeling and no small amount of snark, I sassed, “Aren’t I always?” Wriggling back into his arms, I sighed, the sound long and loud. “Whatcha gonna do to me if I’m not, huh?” My eyebrows waggled playfully as I pulled back to stare up at him expectantly.

With a growl, he bent and kissed me, taking my lips hungrily. “Be goot,” he growled out between hard, panty wetting smooches.

By the time he released me, he was mate-lust snarling hungrily but still in full control of himself, eyes as black as pitch and all.

He got two steps towards the woods before he was rushing me, crushing me to him to scoop me up and take my parted lips in a hot liplock guaranteed to leave me wanting and aching.

The first tentative brush of my tongue along his and his claws extended, a soft, pained noise leaving me as claws dug into my arms.

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