Page 336 of Bride of Choice

I’d been so upset at the idea of being unfaithful to my mates afterward, I hadn’t paid much attention to his reactions, feelings, about everything, otherwise.

Fuck, I’d begged him to help me make it stop.

My throat grew tight and my grip on the pelt tightened. Shit. Had he felt forced into it?

Then I’d blubbered all over the place afterward. Like that’s not confusing as fuck?

Just thinking about all of this had tears welling in my eyes, my stomach instantly churning.

Fearing I might throw up, I inched closer to the snowed in entrance.

Luckily for me, my stomach was empty, leaving me dry heaving my heart out.

When the worst of it was over, I stumbled back to my spot to curl up on my side and place my face on the cool cave floor.

My mind was spinning. I couldn’t get my heart to chill the fuck out. It thundered in my chest as what ifs swirled in my head.

No clue how long I laid there like that, I forced myself to my feet and trudged my way down the hall when my teeth started to chatter.

I felt sick all over again as I entered the room he’d put the pelts he’d offered me to use in. Finding him absent, I moved quickly, grabbing up the pelts to drag the heavy bundle down the hall until I found the room he’d placed me in first.

It wasn’t nearly as warm as his room but it wasn’t icicles forming on my nose cold like the entrance either.

Huddling down in the pelts, I tried not to let the intrusive thoughts win as I struggled to sleep.

Sleep eluded me, all the same.

After what felt like an eternity, I found myself lightly dozing off. It was better than nothing, I guess.

“Joalee?!”

Buu’s frantic call snapped me out of it. My eyes snapped open. I listened for a minute, yawned, and stared off blankly at a wall.

One peek around told me next to nothing.

I assumed it was nightfall as the glowing stuff on the walls were at their brightest and the natural lighting coming in from somewhere high up in the cave ceilings was practically nonexistent.

“JOALIE?!!” Buu howled.

My first thought was, he’s hurt.

“Joalee?!” he cried out louder. This shout sounded even more panicked than the last.

Shit. Something was seriously wrong.

Popping up, taking several pelts with me, I took off after the sound of his voice, achy ass be damned.

“Peekaboo?” I blurted absently, ignoring the harsher bits of the cave floor it was easier to avoid bashing my feet on if I wasn’t running full tilt.

Buu spun around frantically. He was near the entrance to those salt pools.

“What’s wrong?!” I called after him as he started down a short tunnelway.

Popping back out, his large, purple eyes were practically bugging, all four sets of arms flapping about him uselessly. My boy was having himself a moment.

Was it, like, a critter skittering by? Was that it? Some kind of icky cave vermin? A very large bug? Was he one of those really big, strong, buff guys that ran screaming like a girl at the sight of a creepy crawly? Kinda weird phobia for a cave guy to have but okay.

“Joalee!” he barked.

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