Page 276 of Bride of Choice

A yelp left me as I stumbled in surprise. He said what now?!

“No take all the days!” Doogie called after me.

“Don’t rush me, woman!” I bellowed after him, making him chuckle.

I had a funny feeling Rek had given Doogie ample ammo on handling his feisty female, and that Doogie meant to put all of this knowledge to good use.

I am so damn fucked.

???

“What’s all that?” I asked Doogie as we stepped out from a lovely, lengthy visit with Mal and her crew. Doogie was still smiling from all the cookies he’d found room for in that bottomless pit he calls a stomach and the baby cuddles we’d nabbed.

Doogie glanced up to where I was pointing and frowned. “Portal open,” he said simply.

“Hunting season is upon us,” I intoned darkly.

This was quite a fuss, even for hunting season.

My gaze darted to Doogie as snarls rent the air.

Had a fight broken out? Already?

“Take back!” someone bellowed.

The, “Can’t take back! MOVE!” in response was what gave me pause.

Drawn to those snarling words, blood thundered in my ears. Feeling like I was in some sort of waking nightmare come true, I shoved off Doogie’s halting hand on my arm. He grabbed at my purse strap, claiming it as I let it go in favor of easily losing him as I hurriedly jumped into the crowd.

Elbowing my way closer amongst the sea of unhappy beasts, I heard, “Can’t have two! Lo denaii only have one!” among the unhappy rumblings.

I told myself I was wrong. My heart told me I had to be mistaken.

As I finally made my way to the front, my eyes told me a very different story entirely.

Arms thrown out, my male stood there, hovering protectively over a small little pipsqueak of a cowering woman.

The woman trembled like a leaf, clutching at Rek’s side.

The shock of it sent me stumbling back into the crowd at my back.

“What the fuck?” I blurted, when I’d finally found my voice.

Rek’s gaze immediately found mine and locked on.

Swallowing thickly, looking guilty as shit, he barked sharply, “Rek can explain.”

A pained noise left me. My hand clamped over my mouth to silence it but that didn’t do much to muffle the startled sobs leaving me.

“My Joanie,” Rek tried to croon, to pause and scowl down at his clinger-on.

“Don’t let them get me! You said you’d take me with you and protect me!” the woman squeaked.

“Not what Jojoknee thinks,” Rek pleaded, holding his hands out placatingly.

“Bullshit!” I burst out, breaking free of the crowd to advance on him.

The woman behind him, her eyes bugged and she released him to scramble back.

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