Page 114 of Bride of Choice

Disappearing beneath my coat to put my shirt back on, I cackled out laughingly, “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

???

“Nots funny,” Doogie grumbled, still oblivious to his eyelash eyebrows, assuming everyone snickering at him as we headed back home were still chortling over my lil trick on him, pretending we got all wild and wooly.

“Doogie would know, hims mated,” Berkr grunted out.

“How would you know? Aren’t you an untried virgin still waiting for your one and only one, no other assholes allowed?” I butt in. I was being a busybody dick and I knew it.

My leg was killing me. It was better than last night but it was still excruciatingly sore and pained me to walk on it. After finding a stick that could hold my weight, I’d steadfastly refused a pick up from anyone. I was in tough bitch mode. I’d done enough whining and crying. The worst of it was over. I could do this. I could.

Rek wasn’t talking to me. In part because he was jealous and glaring daggers at Doogie and Odix, even though he’d been in on the prank— the silly weirdo. I so did not find his unneeded secondhand jealous fucking cute. I didn’t.

And he was also mad at me because I didn’t pick him to carry me, opting to pick myself up, so to speak.

The more I thought on it, the more I wondered if that’s where his odd demands emanated from— a fear of being set aside for someone else or replaced.

Like that fool could ever be replaced. Pfft.

We kept on like this, someone, just about everyone, offering to give a gal a hand, should I be willing to accept, our progress slow and meandering. I was practically dragging my bad leg, gritting my teeth as I put pressure on the opposite knee.

Sweat started to form on my brow, dripping down my neck. I felt oddly hot and uncomfortable and my leg was a roaring ache deep inside the wound, even if that numbing stuff they’d doctored me up with had killed all feeling on the outside.

“Jo?” Gopher turned to me to find me paused, stick fallen, hands on my knees, braced for impact as my cheeks filled with saliva and my stomach gave a preemptive heave ho.

“I’m sweating bullets and my leg is killing me,” I admitted. “I need to rest for a minute.”

Berkr made a noise that said, Fucking finally!

Had someone lost some sort of bet on just how long I’d last?

Some of the beastly rescue crew had veered away from the gathered group, hoping to catch the wounded Krampus lurking around these parts.

A shiver worked its way up my spine every time I dared to even think about it.

It was so not helping the bile rising feeling threatening to take me.

Flopping down right there on a mossy patch of damp ground, I stifled a groan as I stretched my bad leg. I had to turn to my side to accomplish the feat so my stitches weren’t dirtied but the odd position was so worth it.

“If Berkr ‘llowed pick stubborn female up, no be in mess,” Berkr muttered, picking his way over to me past the brush he was playing wild jungle man tromping through, absently whacking plants this way and that, making far too much noise for someone who kept hushing everyone else. He was bored, and just plain bossy, was my guess.

Peering up at him through narrowed slits for eyes, my eyebrow quirked up. “You mean I coulda ridden you piggy back style all the way home?” I asked sweetly.

“No ride Berkr’s piggy’s back all de wade home.” Rolling his eyes at me, a quirk I was going to give Mina credit for, he let out a huffy puffy chuff. “Berkr knowed that song. Meanie’s babies songs. Not fool no one, say silly things.” Another chuff.

“You stupid face,” Rek grumbled as he scowled at Berkr closing in on me.

Kirch laughed at Rek’s response, though I had a sinking feeling he was more so enjoying witnessing Rek’s jealousy piqued as I needled Berkr after his stupid remarks and Pepé took the bait.

“Mina says you were a pain in the ass when you first started dating,” I tossed out casually, giving Kirch a meaningful look.

Rek paused as he started to storm over here, scowling as Gopher and Bum-bum beat him to me. “What mean? Kirch win Meanie. Kirch favorite.” Puffing up his chest proudly, he growled out softly, “Kirch tell Rek. Tell Rek all about him mates with Meanie.”

Berkr let out a sharp bark of laughter that had Kirch growling at him warningly. I’d never seen Berkr really smile, not like that, with pure unadulterated joy, until now.

“You shouldn’t do that.” My hand waved airily. “It’ll frighten small children and the weak,” I muttered as I swiped at my brow yet again, my fingers coming away smudged with dirt and perspiration. Apparently my attempts to remove the mud caking my face last night after rinsing my mouth were half assed at best. So much for Gopher being my face wash wingman— he’d said it looked fine!

“I look like a smeary faced, recovering mud monster, don’t I?” I muttered, looking up towards Bum-bum for confirmation.

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