Page 225 of Bride of Choice

Nodding, I stood and went to put on my boots and coat. “We’ll need to make a pit stop at Celuk’s first.”

Rek and Doogie glanced at each other in surprise but nodded.

Grabbing up the horns and Bum-bum’s big old blue stone dick, I shoved them into my basket, then the vase and the blanket Bum’d given me, the plates, cups, anything I could think of that had come from him.

The trek to Celuk’s place took longer, I felt, with a chill in the air and it being near to pitch black out.

“It’s scarier coming up this way late at night like this,” I admitted.

Rek grumbled about me being too stubborn to let him carry me, yet pressed me more tightly into his side.

“What we go Celuk’s for?” Doogie asked.

“A pelt,” I said simply.

It was like a hush stole over them at my words. We carried on the rest of the way in silence.

“Huh. That’s weird,” I muttered, pointing at the smoke puffing from the chimney. My steps slowed. “Crap. Do you think Celuk’s here?”

“Why Jo care Kooky here, Jo stay at Kooky’s all the times?” Doogie scratched at his chin as he lifted his nose and inhaled deeply.

“Kooky, not Celuk, dummy. And, uhm, ya know, maybe because I’ve never actually met Celuk?” I muttered as I sped up ahead of them.

Doogie said something to Rek in Lo denaii that had Rek grumbling at him harshly in their language in answer.

Didn’t matter. I didn’t care. Wasn’t listening.

Maybe if I went in by myself it would go over better?

“You two wait here! I’ll be quick!” I called out over my shoulder as I ran to the door.

“Jo, wait!” Doogie called as he sniffed, then sneezed.

I already had the door open as he spoke.

The room was filled with Lo denaii from the hunt, a sea of familiar faces. What were they all doing here? What the hell? What about the hunt?

The tang of iron in the air was apparent even with my puny human senses. Was someone injured? Someones, I noted, spotting several banged up beasts being patched up.

Spying Lukar tending to a male who snarled every time he placed a cloth with liquid on it over a cut, my steps slowed as I got a good look at the three males being fixed up at the big table.

“What the hell happened?!” I breathed.

Despite all the males crowding in, you could have heard a pin drop, it suddenly grew so quiet.

Doogie and Rek came rushing up and inside, nearly bowling me over.

Odix turned his head in time to see Rek’s arm come around me, gently holding me back through the eye that wasn’t swollen shut. He snarled, looking half grizzed out already, at the sight.

Rek let out a warning growl and bared his teeth. Doogie joined in, warning him off when he looked half mad like that.

Gopher was looking a bit too looped out to properly digest what was going on, huge slashes on his shoulder exposing muscle and blood and ick and I didn’t even know what else.

“Celuk!” Lukar snapped.

Kooky shot up, elongated fangs pink with what I could only assume was blood.

He had slashes going up both arms, his fur covered in varying shades of pink and red.

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