Page 329 of Bride of Choice

“No ‘member?” he grumbled in annoyance.

“It escapes me,” I replied tiredly.

“No need know, then,” he returned.

Right then. Maybe I don’t need to know.

“I’m sorry I asked.” Snuggling down into him more, my lips twitched when he let out a surprised sound bordering on a shocked grunt.

He’s warm, I’m in pain and cold. It wasn’t that complicated. He could be aloof all he liked and I wasn’t about to say jack, he’s rescuing me after all. And I’m still gonna snuggle down deeper while I can, because I had a very strong feeling he was about to dump me the second we reached our destination so I needed to catch some shut eye if I wanted to hopefully feel well enough to take care of myself, possibly by myself.

By some miracle, either induced by my inability to take another moment of pain or he was just that comforting to slap up against as he walked, I dozed off and caught a few winks.

The cave he took us to looked nothing like the ones closer to the village. It was all a blobby mess but the colors were what threw me. Faded greens, blues, and golds dominated the low lit cave system.

It was snowing so heavily as we came up on it, he had to set me down, mumbling something that sounded like an apology, to dig the entrance out.

I’m sure all six or eight or however many arms I thought I was blurrily looking at made it a bit easier. I’ve been rescued by a furr-ipede.

He was still shockingly warm when he came back for me. I couldn’t say the same for myself.

My arms and legs had locked up. I couldn’t move them if I’d wanted to.

“Am I dying?” I asked him through chattering teeth.

“Krampus bite no goot. Make sick,” he rumbled out as he scooped me back up.

“That d-d-doesn’t ans-s-s-swer my ques-s-stion,” I chattered out.

“No,” he said simply.

“H-how d-d-o you know English?” Tilting my head as he ducked inside the cave, I found it much easier to open my eyes in the low light. The walls glowed with odd spots, like little neon dots.

Instead of answering, he let out a loud grunt as he made several lefts and then a right. He traversed the catacombs with ease.

My throat began to work as he took us to a large room full of small, bubbling pools of water.

Setting me down, he got to work unzipping me from the sleeping bag.

For once, I was glad I couldn’t see correctly. I didn’t think I was ready to see just how bad off I was yet.

“Is this your mate’s? Is she here? Can- Can she be the one to get me naked?” I mumbled weakly as he ignored me and proceeded to unwrap me like a sausage roll and assist me in removing the rest of my clothing.

Pointedly staring at my face, bright, purple eyes, a soft lavender with spots of royal purple shot through met mine. “Safe,” he grunted out before picking me up and gently scooting to the edge of the water.

Mumbling something that sounded an awful lot like yet another apology, I heard his legs splash into the water first.

With a grimace I feared was for me, he popped us right into the water.

The second the salty water tickling my nose touched my skin, it was agony, worse than the wracking pain I was already in.

Too weak to fight, hoarse cries left me as he held me down up to my neck in the water.

It was too much. My hands slid over his wet fur, slick and slippery. I couldn’t get a good hold of him to try and get away from the water. My cries turned to soft pleas, then outright begging. Was he helping me, or killing me that much faster?!

His hold on me tightened. Black bubbled the water as it oozed from my wounds. I couldn’t gape at it a moment longer, squeezing my eyes shut tight.

Tucking my head under his chin, he talked, hummed, anything to distract, but nothing could take away the pain.

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