Page 99 of Bride of Choice

“No bodies asked Joanie neithers,” Rek growled back angrily.

“‘Nough,” Boog barked, startling us both stupid.

Ignoring Rek and Gopher growling at him warningly for touching me, Booger grunted as he placed a staying hand on my shoulder, “Who closer?”

“Rek close,” Gopher grunted out.

“Jojoknee sick. Needs food. Tummy leaves. Now,” Booger grumbled out. Lifting my hand, gesturing at me with the other, my shaking hands gave away what my pasty pale face played off.

“Rek take Jo Rek’s. Jo eats. Rek gets more meats. Gopher get leaves, veg-ab-alls. We go Bauheg’s,” Gopher grudgingly dictated.

“We go Bia’s Jojoknee stays,” Booger surprised me by correcting Gopher.

Gopher and Rek grunted in agreement, and like I had no damn say over any of it, Rek wrapped an arm around me, securing his hand under my armpit, and started to lead me off, though it was more like dragging me along beside him, without one damn bit of my input, like I didn’t have any damn say.

“Hey! I can walk. Get off of me, Mr. Touches Feelies! You’re gonna give someone the wrong idea!” I caterwauled.

Rek shrugged and hitched me up, until my legs were pinwheeling, my hip pressing just above his, my body cinched to his side.

“I want to go to my place,” I groused, quickly tiring out.

Rek switched to scooping me up and carrying me princess style. With a dirty look aimed his way, I rested my head on his shoulder.

Shit, I missed this. Missed it so damn much.

Closing my eyes, I breathed in the fresh hair, the smell of him, sunk into the comfort of his arms, his warmth.

Fucking asshole ruined everything. My eyes pricked, unbidden. The bastard had fucked up EVERYTHING.

Anger quickly followed, but most of it was aimed at myself.

Rek was content to carry me, quiet for fucking once, while I had an internal melt down in his arms.

“Kirch and Mina said everyone’s been talking about us,” I stated quietly.

“Kirch and Mina stupid. Rek no care,” Rek grumbled, his voice bordering on a growl. Picking up his pace, his hands tightened around me.

Glancing over to see what would make him react that way, I spied the back of a familiar, towering male.

“Bum-bum no’ good male. No treats Jo good. Bad like Gopher. No want. Bad like Tokre.” Rek went on, rambling away, all the way up to his door.

I was stuck on the like Gopher, like Tokre thing.

“Are you- Are you saying Tokre and Bum-bum have the same problem Gopher does?” I blurted.

“Tokre hurts Joanie’s Rosie. Smells like blood, Rek go- Uh- Rek- Um-”

We were in his doorway now, stuck between the outside world and the fantasy we’d lived out hidden away behind these doors.

“Before you tried to take off with her that first time and you scared the pee out of her, literally, and she went running right back to the male that supposedly hurt her?” I asked sweetly, my face saying what my voice wasn’t.

“Rek-” Glancing outside his door, he paused, grunted, gave a fuck it half shrug, then shoved me inside to close and lock his door. Turning to face me, he admitted with a defiant air, “Yes. When Rek stupid and not see Joanie only female for Rek. Before Rek make Joanie so mad Joanie not want love Rek no more. Before Joanie leave Rek, leave hut- Before Joanie say she not Rek secrets boyfriend now and-”

“My god, if you’d just say, yeah, I totally want you just as you are, no upgrades needed, no bowing to my will, we’d be mated by now and probably half way through a bun baking in this oven!” I exploded. “If you hadn’t manipulated things to try and trick me into a mating with you, we wouldn’t be where we are right now!”

Rek roared, but I wasn’t about to cower to that bullshit, not with him. Folding my arms over my chest, eyes narrowed, face perfectly impassive, I mocked as he finished, “Feel better now, dick?”

“You dick!” he shouted, looking like he was ready to launch himself at me and choke me. When he lunged for me, I panicked and would have throat punched him if he didn’t see my hand coming, block it, then grab me up and slam me to him.

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