Page 339 of Bride of Choice

“Do you?”

His lips tipped up, a fangless smile, and he nodded.

“I like your silly name for me, too,” I murmured back as my smile grew lopsided.

“Goot. Buu no know how say right any the ways,” he told me, dead serious.

My laughter confused him but that was okay. I told myself I’d tell him later, when he was in a more relaxed mood.

Not only had I stumbled onto my new mate, my very last and final mate to an already overflowing pack, but now I found myself pregnant.

In a very short time, things had gone from dire and horror movie to just shy of a fairytale.

But I wasn’t stupid.

This bubble I was in with Buu-Kehr, snowed in deep in a cave, soon that bubble was going to burst. Would he want to hang around when it all came crashing down? When that bubble burst, was he going to be here in the aftermath of it all? For me? For our baby?

My baby… My god, I’m going to be a mom!

“Smell nice. What think ‘bout?” Buu grunted out suddenly.

“The baby,” I told him with a dreamy sigh.

“Bebeh need name.” He watched me like he was afraid I might disappear at any moment— protectively, covetously. It was the same way I felt about the baby already and I’ve only known about it for what feels like two seconds.

“I don’t exactly have any I’m in love with,” I admitted.

“Joalee think goot name. Haves time,” he said with a shrug.

“Don’t you want a say?” I asked curiously.

He blinked down at me like my question had thrown him. “Buu no carry baby, push out. Buu no’ get to name.” His upper hand lifted and he flicked it at my stomach. “Joalee name.”

Grinning, unable to help it, laughter escaped me. “So… I’m carrying it, doing all the work, so I get to name it, is that right? I’m the boss bitch of this baby business?”

“Jes,” he answered without preamble, though he frowned at my wording.

“Hah!” I couldn’t help but grin like a loon at that. “I think I’m going to like being snowed in with you, Peekaboo.”

Buu’s click-purr cranked up to eleven as he rocked a little where he sat, his tail flicking away happily, pinkish purple hairless tip on full display.

The rest of our evening was spent idly chatting about everything and nothing, and when it was time to sleep Buu made no move to make the moves on me.

Curling up in his furs, he wished me a good night and did this low, nasally humming thing that dimmed the splatter paint on the walls, got himself all nice and comfy, and then dropped right off to sleep.

No idea what I was supposed to expect, I squirmed in place, restless, and feeling a bit awkward.

Laying there in my separate pelt bed, glancing over his way in befuddlement, I wondered if this was what being mated to him was going to be like. That whole baring teeth to be mounted- smile mix up had me questioning if he was really into me, thought he was doing what was expected of him, or if the majority of his excitement about all of this was because we’d made a baby.

Biting at my lip, I told myself I was being silly. This was all so new, so different, I was already a pile of emotions and this just got chucked on top. Everything was new and we were basically aliens to one another. It would take time and a whole lot of adjustments.

We’ll figure it out, I told myself, struggling to play the optimist when everythig was a big steaming pile of I-don’t-even-pretend-to-fucking-know.

We’d get to know each other, learn each other’s ways, our quirks. Soon enough the snow would thaw and we could head off to the village together. If everything worked out and I wasn’t crowned Queen Asshole, we could raise our baby amongst my found family and he could be a part of that family too.

Swallowing past the lump forming in my throat, I forced myself to take several deep, even breaths. My fingers drifted over my scarred cheek, hovering but never touching, bringing my glowing blue veined hand better into light. I practically glowed in the dark!

Squeezing my eyes shut tight, I trembled a little in trepidation at the idea of a reunion, fearing the worst but hoping for the best.

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