Page 272 of Bride of Choice

Kirch grimaced as he followed my gaze to Rek. “Warrior training important,” he told me between winces.

Right. So Rek told him he was making up shit to avoid me, but not the other stuff?

“Oh, stuff it, you enabling furbag!” I snarled at him, whirling around to stomp the fuck away from him.

“My Jojo, wait!” Rek called out to me.

Picking up my pace, I flipped him a little birdy over my shoulder and took off.

Spying the wood shed and an abundance of the stinky plant used to make dust of shame, I grabbed handfuls and shook the plant, sending stinky pollen stuff filling the air, and ducked inside.

Rek rushed past, shouting after me.

Soon, the rest of the gang hiding in the archery shelter followed.

I waited a half hour after the commotion had died down to slip out.

Following along the tree line, I knew if I kept going it would lead to Celuk’s.

By the time I got there it was long past lunch time and heading into dinner.

Bypassing the house, I went around back.

Baby let out a trumpet of a sound to see me.

“Hi, Baby,” I crooned to her softly, glancing around for her bossy daddy.

Realizing it was just the two of us, I relaxed.

Resting my arm along one of the wood railings of her pen, I rested my cheek on my arm. “Why are males so complicated, huh? Or am I just beyond irredeemably stupid and shit at dealing with them? I feel like I can’t seem to do anything right,” I murmured as I pet her.

“Males stupid.” Celuk came up beside me, placing his arms along the rails to mimic my pose, facing me as he rested his cheek on his arm.

“How can you be so sure? I’m not exactly winning girlfriend of the year awards over here,” I muttered.

“Jo needs awards?” he asked, looking dead serious.

“No! Of course not!” Giving him a warning look that dared him to just try and pull some silly stunt, I muttered, “Try and give me a gold star, buddy, see what happens.”

Moving in closer, a grin tugged at his normally taciturn mug. “What happens?”

“You really don’t want to know,” I informed him with a sniff.

“No?” Coming up behind me, boxing me in, settling his arms over mine, gripping the railing, claws extending, he bent and began to nuzzle at my hair, then lower, until he was burying his face in my nape to inhale deeply. “What happen?” he purred.

Thinking of how weird Rek was acting and not wanting to rock the boat, I hunched my shoulders.

Celuk stilled at that.

“Rek’s been acting weird,” I mumbled in way of explanation. “I don’t know what’s wrong. He’s not telling me. I have no idea how to fix it.”

Celuk’s body was tense, jaw clenching as he pulled away with a curt nod.

“Kirch said you rip arms off when someone pisses you off. Or that you used to… or might be provoked to. I dunno. He’s weird. Whatever. Don’t do that,” I blurted, if only to make sure I was covering all of my bases. “Don’t hurt Rek,” I clarified. “I don’t like it.”

An unhappy sound left Celuk.

“Promise me. Promise you won’t hurt him,” I murmured.

---