Page 344 of Bride of Choice

“No one really talks about it,” I admitted. “I’m not entirely certain everybody knows.”

Buu made a sound in his throat. “Buu not welcome villages. Buu different. Think Buu… bad like Krampus.”

“They won’t,” I swore. “Not my people. Not Rosa or Mal, or Gopher. Not once they see who you are. Rosa’s mate, he’s part Zhubar beast, so are her kids.”

“Zhubar beast in village?” Awe filled his voice. “No makes him leave? Lets him stay?”

“He goes on hunting trips with the other beasts and everything. Built his house under a tree. It’s really badass. And Zhuii is smart. He’s kind of a mad scientist beastly inventor. I should introduce you to him, too,” I murmured as I glanced his way one last time, snuggled down and then closed my eyes. “Do males ever snuggle females while they sleep?” I asked on a yawn.

“No,” he grunted out. “Females sleep in females’ den,” he admitted.

“How come you left yours?” Tugging up my pelts, I snuggled down.

“No leave.” Clearing his throat, he murmured softly, “They leave. Die. Old. Sick. Fight in the outside. Krampus take. No come back. Buu only one of Buu blood clan left. Kehr-tir. ‘Lone ‘til find Dace.”

If that wasn’t the saddest, heartbreaking shit I’d ever heard. “Would it be alright if I slept with you? Cuddled with you?” Sitting up, I hefted my blankets up along with me.

Buu stared at me as if I’d just asked him if I could suck him off. He couldn’t move fast enough to make room for me.

Dragging my pelts over to him, I made my bed right next to his and snuggled right up against him, the big spoon to his little spoon.

“You have me, and Bump now, too, and soon you’ll have a whole village,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

His clicking purr, which had really gotten going by this point, sputtered out a bit when I talked about going home. I knew he had his worries about it but he’d see.

We’d get thawed outta here and head out and he’d find himself with so many friends and family he wouldn’t know what to do with them. He’d have a clan again.

My arms wrapped around him tighter. I couldn’t even imagine what it must have been like for him, losing everyone you love, being left all alone.

As much as there was a tiny green gremlin grousing about his mysterious roommate in the back of my mind, I was honestly grateful he’d stumbled across a human and brought them back to his cave, to then take them in as clan. As green-eyed as I could be, it was too damn selfish to be an ass about that.

Whenever, if ever I met this Dace, I assumed a woman from the way he’d briefly described them, squeaky voiced, small, long hair and large eyes. Trying to picture a man like that, I just kept picturing a ring loving creature from a much enjoyed fantasy book made into a movie and snorted my ass off.

Well, whomever they were, I owed them for befriending my preciousss.

Smiling to myself at my silly thoughts, I settled against Buu with a happy sigh.

His lack of tail flicking and the soft twitches taking over his frame, didn’t occur to me until later. Much later.

Sometimes odd signs are there, we’re just not paying them any mind.

Sometimes, our new partner is alien and it doesn’t click right away.

Sometimes, we’re too happy to pause and just think.

Sometimes, it’s already a problem, it’s been a problem, but by the time the problem is clearly acknowledged and seen, it’s too late.

Chapter 44

Back at the village

Carrie

This was all my fault.

If only I hadn’t been such a needy, clingy pest, that little voice in my head kept nagging at me, then maybe they wouldn’t be in this mess.

Maybe, if I’d just stopped resisting when Rek put me in one of the unmated ladies’ dens, huts, whatever they wanted to call that shack of loneliness I’d be staying in completely by myself seeing as I was the only unmated human female around here, then perhaps Rek’s mate, his Joanie, wouldn’t have assumed the worst. Maybe she’d have let him explain. Maybe then, she wouldn’t be gone.

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