Page 405 of Bride of Choice

“Yeah but…” The woman’s oddly full lips pulled into an overdone pout. With tears filling her doe-like blue eyes, she glanced from me to Buu. Her frown deepened as her gaze snagged and held on Rek pinning me down. “Does… does she want to be here, too?” the woman finally squirrel squeaked out uncertainly.

“Believe it or not, I do,” I grumbled from my tangle with Rek.

“Rek protect my Jojomine from crazy face,” Rek grunted out, though his grip on me loosened.

I nearly lost it at his unkind, if apt, description of Buu’s Dace. The face she was making, her large lips and super-sized eyeballs, that tiny chin and rather small head with all that hair, those skinny limbs better suited to a twelve year old. She looked like a strange anime character come to life.

Pinching Rek’s hip, an action that caused him to momentarily lose his grip on me as he yelped, long enough I could elbow him and get free, I rushed the door. Making my way past Buu, I glanced around for this weapon she used to shoot they mentioned.

Spying a small gun nearby on the ground, I grabbed it and marched right back to her. Checking it first, I put the safety on but pointed it at her head. This Dace gasped, winced, then slammed her eyes shut. She waited. Nothing happened.

“Buu is mine,” I got down to snarl right in her face, “and we’re keeping him. Alright? That’s it. That’s the end of it. Celuk may run things behind the scenes but I’m the starring lead in this shit show.” I glanced up, waiting for my mates to all nod, say something close to being in agreement with me, before I continued. “You tried to shoot my mate!”

“It went off! I panicked! I’m sorry!” she whispered. She looked about ready to piss herself as she trembled on the ground.

Lowering the gun, I grimaced, held it away from myself, and held it out to Celuk. Not exactly fair, her all tied up like that, then threaten and point a gun at her all willy nilly but, damn it, she coulda unalived my man!

“My Joalee?” Buu croaked out.

Glancing over at my sweet, unassuming Kehr-a-boo, I met his gaze squarely. Ignoring Rek squished in next to Buu, glaring at him as if daring him to just try and leave his Joanie once more, see what happened, their height differences comical, Buu absently wrapped an arm around Rek as he leaned out the door towards me. “No hurt Dace, my Joalee. She no mean hurt my Joalee Celuk.”

“Celuk fine,” Celuk rumbled out from directly behind me. Where- How- That sneaky kooky pants!

Frowning over my shoulder, then down at Dace, who was trembling so hard in place she could barely hold still, I had to question whether Dace was piss her pants scared of Celuk and reacting to that, or whatever he might be doing behind me to freak her out, or if any of it had to do with the crazy pregnant lady that’d held a gun to her head was spouting crazy shit. It was sort of odd that I had to question that.

Sighing heavily, I stood, allowing Celuk to help me to my feet.

“Dace- Dace save my Joalee from Krampus,” Buu blurted.

“She what now?” That was news to me.

Swallowing thickly, Buu nodded. Miming bashing something until it was no more, his head bobbed eagerly, so eagerly he looked like a wild bobble head for about two seconds.

“You saved me?” Now I was the one squeaking.

Dace shot a look at Buu. “You weren’t supposed to tell,” she squawked, sounding oddly alarmed.

“Buu no choice. Buu have to tell,” he softly argued.

“You don’t understand…” Dace swallowed thickly. That terror tremble of before was nothing compared to now.

Celuk paused, glanced between the pair sharply. “Buu clan Dace save my Jo?” he grumbled out curtly.

This once more activated Buu’s bobble head impression. “Kill Krampus. Dace save Jo.”

“He was a very, very bad beast man,” Dace whispered. Her gaze stayed on the ground and she’d started blinking rapidly. It was like she was remembering the whole thing and it too had traumatized her in unexplainable ways.

There was something oddly childlike about the woman. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Maybe it was the baby voice, how ridiculously malnourished she seemed, or quite possibly how young if I was gauging things right… something was just definitely off.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt a hunt but… he was hurting her.” Dace’s voice cracked and she choked on whatever else she was going to say. “It wasn’t right,” she got out finally.

Buu let out a long, beleaguered sigh. “Dace…Buu tell, yes? Tell Dace all the times, Krampus not Lo denaii.”

Dace’s gaze darted to meet Buu’s briefly before sliding away. Whatever she’d smeared all over her face, tear tracks sent it cracking as wetness rolled down her cheeks. “You’re the only nice beast man I know of,” she croaked out hoarsely. Her nose crinkled as she added, “That doesn’t want… something from me.”

“Buu never want from Dace,” Buu assured her.

Dace smiled as if Buu had just given her the best compliment, the greatest present. “I know,” she replied softly.

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