Page 192 of Bride of Choice

Chapter 25

The day of hunt number… damn, I was losing count now as the days ticked by- well, hunt a bajillion and one arrived, and with it a load of anxiety.

Last night’s Lo-de-dudes-Gettin-Learned club —it was a working name in progress— was actually kinda fun. Rom Coms were a really big hit with these guys.

Next meeting? I was thinking Die Hard or Red, two of my favorite Christmas movies, shake things up a bit. Oh, and they were so Christmas movies— yipeee-ki-fuckin’-yeah they were. I also really hoped Wapli had worked things out with his group brother. They’d apparently had a big blow up and he was torn up about it.

That dick-bat from Bum-bum that I’d chucked into the river, the blasted thing just kept showing up on my doorstep. The thing was a curse, a bad penny. No matter what I did to it, there the damn thing was the next morning, plus something extra. What the fuck, man?!

I’d tried hunting the ridiculous male down who’d thought it was an awesome idea but every trip to bang on his door and blister my hands bellowing for him, I just found more crap at my door the following day. I had an entire dinnerware set of swirling blue and white, cups, bowls, plates, you name it, and one humongous wiener statue to use for the centerpiece.

Rosa and Mal had even heard some talk of it, but I’d laughed like it was the funniest thing ever, and they’d blown it off to some gossipy loving biddy wanting to tittle tattle about the next big thing.

It hadn’t stopped Odix and Gopher from gifting me with their own marbled likenesses. I was still trying to figure out if it was done out of jealousy or as a joke. I prefer to go with thinking it was done as a joke.

Gopher’s was white with bits of pink in it and resembled quartz. It came with a pink bow tied around it I’d left on.

Odix’s was purple with gold, and so I didn’t get offended, probably thinking of what happened at Daisy’s, he’d made the guy a little belt, sword, and silly hat.

A shiver rolled through me just thinking about them. It reminded me of our recent… escapades. I’d polished that goofball’s knob last night when we met up for one last romp before they left until he’d yodeled. Gopher was walking a little funny from where I’d gotten him with my claws in that cute little caboose of his too because they were macho men, they didn’t need healing salve, nope, and that was all thanks to me. Best beastly sleepover ever.

The more time we spent fooling around, the easier it was for Gopher to get ahold of himself. I had hope he would fully accept me one day as his mate without issue.

Odix tended to take Gopher’s lead in things, so I expected him to claim me properly shortly after Gopher did. I just needed to be patient. They weren’t going to do me like Rek had.

My gaze darted over the beasts gathering, looking for Gopher and Odix to wave them off. We were still doing the biweekly meet ups. I wanted to ask for more but this little voice in my head said don’t be greedy. Honestly, I was harboring similar reservations as I had with Rek.

Odix sometimes looked like he wanted to say something but held back. It typically happened after one of them had brought up Rek.

I had no idea what Rek was up to after he’d said he was done. I’d accepted it. After quietly shedding a few buckets of tears alone in my room about it, I’d like to think I was over him.

The way my heart thundered whenever I thought I caught a glimpse of him told another story.

Things were still off with me and Kooky. I’d yet to return to Celuk’s. He accepted my excuses time and again, and made it a point to linger and hang around with me at Dorothy’s whenever we crossed paths.

Smoky, blue-grey eyes caught mine as he passed. A silly smile tipped my lips as he immediately reversed directions and headed right for me.

“It’s going to be a big one,” I enthused, though I wasn’t exactly feeling it.

“Jo goot?” he asked, eyeing me like he needed to see for himself.

“I keep busy. Hey, did I ever tell you about the time Booger wore a flying monkey costume I made and we, Boog, Mal, and I surprised Rosa’s kiddies?” My grin was unrepentant.

Miming wings, to which I nodded, grinning evilly, he laughed.

“Every witch needs her flying monkey, right?”

“No know what flying monk-needs for,” he admitted with a shrug.

“Henchmen, of course, silly.”

“You stay, eat first?” he asked.

“Oh, are you guys going to do the dead beast on the spit thing with all the sides before you leave? How kind of you to fatten yourselves up for whatever tusked, horned, fanged monstrosity that’s going to pick you off,” I joked.

“Bah.” He laughed even as he waved off my snark like a bad smell.

We stood there for a moment longer before he rumbled out softly, “Jo… When Jo come to big, empty hut.” Mock shivering, he grumbled, “Need big boobs, keep warm. So cold.”

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