Page 397 of Bride of Choice

Buu met my gaze and gave a small shake of his head.

What the fuck?!

“Buu,” I snapped at him, pissed and confused as he pinned his hand to his side and red seeped through. Was he mental?

Rek squeezed past Celuk. Looking sleep mussed, he marched right up to Buu and slugged him right in the face. “Rek know you do! Wrong you?! You no leave my Joanie!” he roared at him.

Buu weaved on his feet, blinking uncomprehendingly, then collapsed in a fainted heap.

Another scream tore from me. “Shift, damn you!” I was screaming, bellowing, I didn’t care who heard.

We’d already attracted quite a crowd.

Jeh-kal dropped Gopher, tossing him towards Odix.

With a snarl curling his upper lip, he threw back his head and bellowed. The roar my muscle bound mate let loose was insane. He went from roaring towards the skies to bellowing directly in Buu’s incapacitated face.

Before my eyes, Buu groaned and was force-shifted.

Soft gasps echoed around us but it wasn’t for Buu’s shift. Several Lo denaii suddenly popped horns and fun colored fur. The fearful looks on their faces and the shock of those standing around them weren’t lost on me.

Buu was worried about being the only Yowie in the village, but he was far from the only one. He was apparently one of several, a clan of them all their own, almost, I’d wager.

“Put me down now!” I commanded, but Celuk just adjusted his hold on me.

“Rek no’ well to punch in face back,” Celuk reminded me.

“I wasn’t- I’m not going to punch anyone in the face! Would you just- God damn it, put me down!”

Celuk slowly, reluctantly, set me on my feet.

Rushing to Buu’s side, I lifted his arm to check that his wound was healing. Looking to Jeh-kal and Celuk, I entreated, “Help me get him into the house.”

Rek stood off to the side, arms crossed over his chest, glaring at Buu but made no move to attack him in the state that Buu was in.

Jeh-kal slung Buu over his back and carried him into the house. Dogging his steps, I barked at him to be careful but then found myself rushing back towards the others. Buu was just a smidge shorter than Jeh-kal, and a bit slimmer but not by much. I’d always imagined Buu was somehow a lot smaller.

Celuk walked over to Rek and gave him the same sack of potatoes treatment.

“Eh!” Rek shouted as he dangled from Celuk’s back. “What big ideas!”

Celuk paused. “Rek say not princess. Celuk not carry like princess no more.”

“Nooooo.” Rek harped. “‘Luk carry Rek like bag of tubers because Jojomine not happy Rek hurt Buu for leaving my Jojomine and baby.”

Honestly, I wasn’t the least bit fussed about it, because a part of me quietly agreed with Rek, full of what the fuck on myself and my unborn child’s behalf, though the timing was fucked.

A loud crack sounded and Rek howled. “Quiet,” Celuk grumbled warningly.

Rek lifted his head to gape, stunned as he wisely shut up and let Celuk carry him into the house, lest he end up with his other ass cheek smacked.

Odix and Gopher dogged my steps into the hut.

It was a fudged reunion if there ever was one.

Elle came upon us just as I was about to enter the house. “JO!” she bellowed, rushing up on me to nab me up in a hug.

“Easy!” Gopher snapped, swiping at his bloodied lip, the one and only punch Buu had landed on him.

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