Page 303 of Bride of Choice

Joanie was so wrapped up in Joanie, deep down into that rabbit hole of what the fuckery, it hadn’t even occurred to me- But now I knew, and I could do better. We could do better, be better, together.

“New me. New us. I’m not turning over a new leaf. I’m burning all of the old ones and sending them to Hell while I wait for new ones to grow and fall. A total do over.” A smile lifted my lips when he rumbled his pleasure at the idea. Leaning into him, I pecked a kiss to his chin, then nipped it, making his purr stutter out as a deep rumble overtook it. “I’ll make you a deal. From now on, I’ll trust you with all of my bullshit, full length, deleted scenes stuff put right back in, all that jazz, balls to the wall, if you can do the same for me?” Brushing my cheek along his, I grinned when his rumble grew tenfold, until his purr was fighting with it, numbing my hands as they pressed to his chest, fingers sifting through his fur, and I pressed up against him.

Holding up my hand, pinky finger out, I waggled it as I waited for him to hook his with mine. Curving his pinky finger around mine, we gave them a shake, then sealed it with a kiss.

That kiss lingered, until he was curled around me, hands sliding down my waist to grip my ass and lift me up. “My Jo,” he growled out between hard, urgent kisses.

“Your sisters,” I blurted.

“They wait,” he bit out, urging me to wrap my legs around him.

A snarl and an answering, “No poke! I take to Go’! See? Crazy huedman. Pokies… sharpies… Worse than- Jo!”

With something akin to horror garbling in his throat, Gopher’s grip tightened on me, namely my ass. His head shot up at that sound and a fur covered ball holding a rather sharp looking knife to Doogie’s throat marched into view.

That growl speak was distinctly Lo denaii but they spoke with a softness the males didn’t possess. It was like she had a small voice and was trying to make it sound big.

“Ow. Stop pokies, meanie head female,” Doogie grumbled, confirming that was in fact a female holding him hostage. “See? No know where seesters. There Go’ you ask for. I take, no?”

The ball of fur with skin so pale she reminded me of a walking corpse lifted her head as Gopher growled something at her sharply. Her arms were the only thing visible in that lump of animal fur she was donning.

That ball of fur was a pelt coat with a heavy hood, thick pants and boots to match.

My jaw dropped as she jerked her chin, lifting her head higher, and her hood fell, revealing a tall, red eyed albino of a human-Lo denaii hybrid. Long white hair framed an oval face, thin nose with snooty little upturn at the tip, a small mouth that looked like it never smiled, and narrowed red eyes with a splash of pink at the centers. Curling her upper lip at Gopher, she bared her fangs at him and growled something at him that he bared his teeth more and snarled louder at her for in return.

My gaze darted between them. “Did you catch any of that?” I asked Doogie.

“She not nice. No like her. She smells,” was all Doogie would offer, glaring at her from over his shoulder.

Gopher snapped his teeth at Doogie, who jerked backwards, sending the woman trying to hold him hostage stumbling back.

Spinning on his heel, he had her disarmed, his arm barred across her shoulders, effectively pinning her to his chest, in seconds flat.

“My Mama no like males that bully females. Mama also say, okay to fight females if you need ‘fend yourself,” he growled in her ear before releasing her to send her stumbling towards Gopher and me.

Looking pissed at so easily losing, her fangs lengthened as she bared them, already long, black claws fully unsheathing until I wondered if she was the real life embodiment of Wolverine, looking ready to attack and try again, when Gopher snapped, “Amee-lee! ‘Nough!”

Whirling around on him, she snarled, “Yood not Mommedma!”

“I oldest!”

“Byed dis manies!” she hissed at him, holding up five fingers angrily.

“Ba no trust you for this!” he growled at her.

His comment made her flinch. It was like she curled in on herself at his rejoinder.

“Go’ no mean like that,” he corrected softly.

With a sniff, she glowered. “Where see-sees?”

“Go’ hut,” he rumbled out softly, then pointed in the direction of his place.

Avidly studying the exchange, Doogie offered with a sigh, “I show Crazy.”

Amee-lee spun around to stare at Doogie as if he’d grown three heads. “I find,” she snapped. “No need yood help!”

“Not help for you. Help for village, no male see you, think take female with pretty eyes, find she meanie head that pokies,” he muttered, gesturing for her to lead and he’d bark directions and follow.

---