Page 195 of Bride of Choice

Panic attack. I recognized it for what it was in the back of my mind— and I knew my reaction was a bit overkill but it wasn’t even completely about that— it was fucking everything I’d built up— that imminent implosion— that conk on the head was just the straw that broke the camel’s back— the catalyst.

My eyes watered. Everything was too loud. It was all too much. I was babbling, I’m not even sure what all I was blubbering.

Warm hands cupped my face as my world slipped into chaos.

“Jo.” Smoky blue-grey eyes came into focus. “Jo,” he crooned, “look. See. See?”

My hands had automatically shot up, gripping his.

“Be ‘kay. Jo ‘kay.” His voice was firm, sure and strong. I believed him.

“I’m bleeding,” I whispered, my voice hoarse and filled with anxiety.

“Bad trick. Blood berry. Doogie thinks him funny.” Lifting his head to growl something over me, those eyes were quickly back on me. “He not.”

“I’m- I’m not bleeding? It- It was a prank?”

“Jes,” he soothed. “Little pinked spot.” Another loud growl that wasn’t aimed at me. “No blood. Jo ‘kay.”

My fingers slid down his palms, settling loosely on his wrists. His fingers smoothed over my skin where they cupped it.

“‘Kay?”

My nod was jerky and awkward. “Okay.”

Odix and Gopher’s unhappy grumbles at Doogie’s lame prank came into focus but it was the louder one that had me pulling free of Kooky’s hold to try and find it.

I had just enough time to see Doogie hop up, ignoring everyone grumbling at him for his lame joke and its epic backfire, and shoot off.

It took me a moment to figure out the blur that nearly trampled folks, snarling as they chased after him.

Shooting up myself, I instantly gave chase with a screeched, “NO! REK NO!”

The hunt sendoff turned into madness, pure chaos.

Doogie ran for his life, Rek ran for him, I ran for Rek, there was what felt like a train of people behind me, but I couldn’t let Rek catch him.

Doogie was Doogie. He was a big dummy sometimes with the crap practical jokes and the brotherly teasing, but he was also like family to me. Was I mad at him, of course— I didn’t want him dead!

“Zigzag!” I shouted after Doogie. “He’s not good with a zigzag!”

Rek snarled at me as if to say, Stop helping him, woman!

I used his momentary slow down to tackle him.

Like I weighed nothing, Rek quickly popped up with me latched on and his hunt continued. “Don’t you dare! It was a stupid prank gone wrong! I’m fine! You can’t kill him!”

Rek’s growl said, Wanna bet?!

I felt like I was on a bucking bull, holding on for dear life as I flopped this way and that.

Doogie had made it all the way to a clearing near his hut.

I’d be slapping that boy around later not only for that prank but, really, dummy? A clearing?! Climb a fucking tree or something! Don’t lead him to an open space!

Doogie paused and turned to Rek. He was giving him what he wanted— a fight.

Doogie was not the greatest fighter and neither was Rek, to be honest. Rek was too much of a hot head and Doogie was too deep inside his own head to think properly. They were quite evenly matched.

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