Page 294 of Bride of Choice

Rosa and Mal come up on my sides, boxing me in protectively.

Mina smiled and waved as they passed. Her little ones stopped to hug me and ask when I’d be babe-need-sitting them again because they’d had a blast the last few times I had.

Veck, assisting Mina as she proudly showed off the new baby bump led the way, Bia and Tarnk in the middle herding their brood, and Kirch with their fussy youngest strapped to his chest brought up the rear.

Pausing before he’d have passed me, he stopped and turned to me. “He’s beautiful,” I told him, setting down my things to reach out and brush a hand over a soft brown fuzzy mane.

“Has Mina eyes, hair,” he croaked out.

“And your stubborn temper?” I joked, smiling down at the fuss monster mini of him growling in his sleep.

Looking surprised as much as relieved that I would even speak to him, like he was expecting me to ignore him because of Rek, he reached out in a rare display of platonic affection and clasped his hand to my forearm.

When I clasped mine to his back, he smiled.

Dragging him closer to me, I whispered, “This does not mean I ever want to see or hear about him just because we’re cool.”

Kirch nodded and released my arm and we went on our separate ways.

Groaning as he fought to catch up to me with two blue furred demons clinging to his legs, Doogie glanced from Kirch’s retreating back to me. “What hims say?”

“Showing off the newest addition. He really is a miniature of him, isn’t he? What else?” My shoulders lifted in a shrug. Glancing down at my favorite nephews, I asked them with a wink, “Want a little help, fellas?”

“Yes!!” they cried.

“No!” Doogie countered.

“Aw, c’mon, Doodie,” I taunted. “What’s the matter, afraid of a little competition?”

“We race!” the twins announced.

“I gets Jojo-me!” Zhuel cried.

Dipping, I motioned for him to hop on my back. Shoving all the shit in my hands at Doogie, I took off with my race buddy in tow.

Scrambling to hold all my crap and catch up, Doogie bellowed after us, “No fair! She cheats!” His companion giggled like this was the funniest thing ever, then ditched his Doodie to enlist Zhuii to race with him.

Tokre joined in with Kehko, and soon they were scrambling for second place.

Doodie came in last, solo, unless carting all my crap counted as another person.

“Calls rematches!” Doogie demanded.

Stopping just outside the village, we rematched. He won the next one, of course. Then Zhuii, and then finally Tokre.

By the time it was all over, I was dead tired and my face hurt from smiling.

As I was escorted to and then dropped off at my door, I couldn’t help but sense someone was watching me. Walking up to my door and unlocking it, I paused to stare out into the woods. Yeah, sometimes it felt like that odd sense Celuk was watching me, but other times… Ignoring what looked like horns peeking in the trees yet again, I stepped inside and closed the door, and nearly walked right into a rug set right by the door.

Doing a double take, I had a moment of what the fuck, like, is this the right place?

My bed was remade— fresh woven sheets in a rainbow colored display covered my bed. My comforter was missing. In its place, was the blanket from Tor. Folded and waiting for use, my mating pelts were neatly stacked at the end of the bed. Every single one but for Rek’s. I’d buried that in the back garden on one of my bad days. Right after I’d set it on fire, cried that I had, put it out, then decided burying the smelly remains were the only option.

A blue-swirls vase with my favorite tea flowers sat on the table. My shelves were filled, beyond stocked. The fire was glowing, fresh heat rocks and wood stacked beside it.

The place gleamed like it had been cleaned top to bottom.

Walking over to the table to set my things down, the smell of stew in the pot and fresh bread tickled my nose.

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