Page 239 of Bride of Choice

The day of the Festival was here and I couldn’t feel any less prepared. Odix and Gopher were doing their best to worm their way back in good with me.

God damnit, it was working.

My new door was due to be installed today. Gopher was insistent that he handle it and I was stressing so hard over it I let him.

Bum-bum’s antics were not a one-off in retaliation of mine. Waking up to a life size blue statue of myself, smack dab in the middle of my garden, was not my idea of a good time. I mean, it mighta been, if the statue wasn’t being railed by an enormous, horned beast. Odix had been almost too eager to take it off of my hands. I honestly didn’t want to know and was struggling not to dwell too hard on that. He gave me his word he had no intention of putting it out on display or embarrassing the fuck out of me with it. I decided he better not or I was going to skin him alive and told him as much.

Trying to forget there was a very realistic sex statue of myself in existence, I dug into helping with food prep.

It was cold, and I was sweaty, baking and freezing my ass off simultaneously.

The Festival was a pretty big deal. It was their holiday custom type deal. Beasts from other villages traveled here. It was seen as a sort of hub, the original “Unwanteds” mecca.

I was a little anxious, I’d admit, to see Celuk again.

I had no clue if he’d be there or not but a very big part of me was hoping.

“Thanks for all your help,” Daisy and Red said at once, glanced at each other, then laughed.

“With the costumes for the kids, I meant, but this, too,” Red explained. “My guys looked at me like I was crazy when I told them what I wanted to make.”

“She helped me with the costumes for me and mine, too,” Daisy squeaked.

“I’ve been busy,” I murmured absently, with a shrug. Halloween was a foreign concept to many beastly dudes. Which made me wonder what they thought of the Earth custom after Mal coming to town all green faced and witchy looking.

We’d gone with food as a theme this year, oddly enough. A costume party of foodie proportions. Scary stuff was out of the question and we respected that.

It was actually kind of funny, the whole costume thing. Some of these fellas could put me to shame making boots, a dress, but ask them to make a fruit, veggie, or creature getup for their little one and they’re butter fingers.

I was happy to help. Auntie Jojo to the rescue.

My feet wriggled in my boots. My brand new boots. I’d woken up to them sitting in a wrapped bundle outside my door. Odix hadn’t seemed happy about it but he said they were from Rek.

“I think someone wants to talk to you.” Daisy nudged me and jerked her chin at a spot somewhere behind me.

Glancing over my shoulder as I kneaded sweet bread, I paused as I spied Rek leaning against a tree, watching, waiting.

Daisy hip bumped me out of the way and took over my bread lump. “Go on. You’ve been running yourself ragged, from the sounds of it. Take a break. We’ll see you at the festival.”

“You telling me to ditch you, Cottontail?” I sassed.

Reaching out, the bunnylike blonde smacked me one across my ass. “Yes, ma’am, I am. Now go on! Git!”

Red looked as shocked as I did. Sputtering out a laugh, I stared at the tiny woman.

She was resolute. “I mean it. Go.” Lifting her hand, she pointed towards the spot Rek had been moments before, banishing me from further help.

“Fine. Whatever.” Clacking my claws, I flicked them at her, chuckling when she instinctively flinched. “Don’t come crying to me when you’re short a loaf or three or a casserole thingy or four!”

“We won’t,” Red quipped, blowing me a kiss when I flipped her off.

Smart asses.

“You glared, milord,” I drawled. Stopping a few feet away from him, I crossed my arms over my chest.

With a grunt, Rek pushed off the tree and stalked away. Wondering if he was expecting me to follow, I stood there and watched, waited.

Rek came marching right back, grabbed my hand, and shoved it into the crook of his arm. Still holding my fingers captive in his, he grumbled, “Shout, Rek kiss Joanie on mouth, front everyone. Jo say Rek not Jojomine mate then.” A harrumph left him.

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