Page 373 of Bride of Choice

Disappearing back out of the tent as that all sank in, my gaze kept going to the pelts covering me. I lifted them each up and gave them a sniff one by one. My mating pelts. They’d carried them all this way with them on the off chance of finding me? And Celuk had even brought me clothes?

The sniffles hit me, unbidden.

A low growl issued outside of the tent as I frantically swiped at my eyes but the sniffles just grew louder. Fuck you, pregnancy hormones.

Celuk lifted the flap of the tent and slipped inside. “My Jo? What wrong? Why cry?”

My hands lifted in a fuck if I know gesture and I shook my head. The persistent leakage continued.

Taking me into his arms, he dragged the pelts up my body along with. “Why cry, my Jo? No cry. ‘Kay. No cry.” Before I knew it, he was nuzzling the top of my head and softly rocking me. “Tor fix Jo’ Buu-mate clothes,” he assured me. “Celuk bring warm things for my Jo. No cry. Be warm.”

“It’s not that,” I blubbered.

About to tell him this shit was out of my control, blame the hormones, Celuk lifted his head and snarled in the direction of the tent flap. “You tell? Why tell? Celuk say, no tell!”

Frowning, following his gaze, I mumbled, “Tell me what?”

“What thing Tor not say? Tor not say any the things ‘Luk say not tell,” Tor grumbled back.

“What are you talking about? What aren’t you telling me?!!” Wriggling out of Celuk’s arms, I gave him a look. “Tell me! What aren’t you telling me?!”

Celuk looked like he’d like to kick his own ass as a scowl stole over his face.

“Is it Buu?” I blurted. “Have you seen him? Is he hiding nearby? Maybe he’s nervous about coming closer, like he’s unsure or-”

“Jo…” Celuk glanced away as he cleared his throat.

“What? Tell me.” Frowning up at him, I pleaded with my eyes. What the fuck was going on?!

Taking a deep breath, Celuk met my gaze as he informed me, “Smell beast by camp. Smell like Jo mate on Jo smells.”

“And?” There was a big old but in there, bigger than Odix’s bootylicious rump.

“They not here now,” he said finally.

“They left?” I sputtered. “No, that- No. That can’t be right. He wouldn’t leave me.” My fingers were buried in Celuk’s chest fur, absently kneading his upper chest. “When? I don’t- That doesn’t make any sense!”

“Not smell near anymore,” he confirmed.

“Since when, though?” My heart raced as fast as my mind.

“First night,” he admitted softly.

“Did you- Did you try and scare him off?” I blurted, struggling to understand.

Celuk shook his head. “No do that my Jo. Jo ‘tached her Buu. Buu help my Jo. Celuk want meet Buu,” he admitted.

“Why- I don’t- Why did he leave us?” I cried.

Celuk’s expression softened and he urged me back into his embrace. Humming softly in his throat, he ran a hand up my back, the other smoothing over my baby bump.

“I don’t understand,” I mumbled miserably into his chest as I wrapped my arms around his waist. “Why did he leave us?”

“Celuk sorry. Look for Buu for Jo, after Jo home, safe, and Rek-” Celuk stopped himself short.

Lifting my head, my frown was back as I stared at him. “And Rek, what?”

Tor let out a stream of growl-speak that sounded an awful lot like a mouthful of expletives to me.

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