Page 359 of Bride of Choice

Buu nodded. Using that word again, he said, “They has many colors.”

“Auras,” I murmured. He could literally see auras. “Halos.” I mimed the shimmering outer layer like he was saying.

“Dace say Buu soul seer. If Buu Soul Seer, Joalee Tor what Gii mii say Many Souls.”

“Hey, so if someone is bad, can you tell by looking at their soul/aura?” I questioned, eyeing him.

Buu shrugged. “Bad colors, bad feeling, Buu stay ‘way. Not goot. No want. Krampus not goot. Dark. No sun, no moons. See through. Only shadow, Dace call it.”

Circling back around to my sidetracked question, I nodded to what he was saying but repeated, “And Dace is…?”

Buu squirmed where he sat. “Dace go Suns cave. Worry Joalee no like. No want see.”

“There’s a Suns cave?” I blurted.

Buu glanced down and away but nodded. “‘Spose finish help Joalee and leave. Buu no leave. No want leave. Want Buu and Joalee stay Moons cave.”

It took everything in me not to gape.

“Warmer. Clan travels to Suns cave for warm,” he grunted out as he stole a peek at me. “Dace strong. Smart. Know woods. Buu teach. Dace be safe.”

“You have colder and warmer caves,” I said slowly. And we got stuck in the cold one.

“Moon caves clan caves. Buu caves Suns caves. Buu no like cold. Buu and Dace at Moon caves for-”

Now, whatever he said came out a garbled growl speak mash I had no clue as to what. When I stared at him blankly, he grunted out, “Praise, for lost, dead, for new, growth. Dace say, fedstival of lives.”

“Sort of… Dia De Los Muertos,” I murmured with a shrug. “Kinda.”

“Find Joalee. Help. Dace leave, Buu stay. Joalee Buu’s now and Buu no want Joalee leave Buu.”

“Hey. I’ll say it until I’m purple and blue spotted all over, honey, I ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

Buu grinned at that, a habit he’s picked up from me, and I was swallowed up in another tackle hug.

Buu purred as he took me down to the floor. Playfully biting and nipping at my neck, he didn’t let up until I was a squawking, giggling mess.

“Mine,” he rumbled out softly.

“Mine,” I mock growled back, then laughed when his click-purr took the lead and drowned out the grr in his possessive growl.

He was mine, I was his, and we had a whole mess of beings waiting for us back home. Getting there was all that mattered now.

We just had to figure that shit out.

Easier said than done. Argh.

“Joalee miss her males?” Buu’s click-purring paused to frown down at me.

“I miss them the way I’d miss you if we ever had to part, god forbid.” Frowning at that, I looked towards Buu when he made an unhappy sound.

He didn’t just make an unhappy sound, he looked visibly upset.

“I love you all, no one more than the other.” Taking his hand in mine, I gave it a squeeze. “I don’t care what Rek says, it’s not some sort of competition. You may find him loud and obnoxious sometimes, and he can pester like no other, but I don’t love him any less.” My teasing smirk had him eyeing me.

“Joalee goot mate,” he said finally.

“I try- Oof.” Once more, I found myself a very willing participant of a Behr-hug.

---