Page 367 of Bride of Choice

“Hide scent,” Tor grunted out as he sniffed at my neck.

“I am not,” I blustered out, squirming uncomfortably but unwilling to shove Celuk’s hand away or smack Tor’s nosy butt away from me. I’d missed them. Fuck, how I’d missed them. Celuk was touching me. He was here. He’d found me. I could barely wrap my head around it. I’d missed him horribly. Tor, too.

“Not Jojo. Jojo’ Buu,” Tor pushed out past his pressed lips. With a loud grunt as if to clue me in to his location, Tor carefully reached around me and slid his hand next to Celuk’s along my bump. A soft, surprised grunt left him.

“Why would Buu hide our scent?” I blurted, right as Celuk garbled out gutturally, baring his teeth at Tor, “Mine.”

Tor reared up at the ownership in Celuk’s voice but then thundered, “Mine,” and snarled right back.

Seated as they shot up to snarl-argue over my head, I pointed out, “If you wound, maim, and or kill each other, as moved as I am by your show of possession, I can’t exactly drag the winner home.”

Celuk’s snarl cut off and he retook his seat next to me.

Tor huffed and chuffed but slowly did the same.

Cupping my hands over my belly protectively, leaving no room for anyone else to get a feel in as I rubbed my hands along my stomach lovingly, I confided in them, “Buu says it’s a girl.”

“One baby?” Celuk asked as Tor began to rumble-purr.

“That’s what he said,” I told them.

Uncurling my legs from beneath me, I grimaced as I wiggled my feet in my boots. “My face is scarred up, I’m scarred up, I’m pregnant and I’m puffy. Let’s get that all out there so no one pisses me off making comments about it at random when my guard’s down, okay? Like, we’ve addressed it. Moving on. I-”

“Puffty?” Tor frowned and glanced to Celuk, who was looking equally as frowny faced.

“Yes. Puffy. Super puffy.” Lifting my hands, I showed them. “It could be my super power, kinda- Hey! What’s the big idea, behemoth?!”

Tor had his grubby paws on my boot and was working to get it off before I could finish my damn rant. An unhappy noise left him as he exposed my foot to the cold night air.

“I was using that,” I huffed as I motioned for him to give me my damn boot back already.

Celuk grumbled something at him that had Tor looking to me sharply, dragging his gaze from my marshmallow of a foot, to quickly hand it back to me.

Stuffing my foot back into my boot, I slumped where I sat with a sigh.

“It’s not exactly warm and sunny out here, bud,” I muttered petulantly.

“Tired. Sleep. Celuk watch.” Pointing at the tent, he jerked his chin in its direction.

“I’d love some water. I forgot mine back at the log. Does anyone have some they could spare?” I asked instead of dignifying his order with any sort of response.

“Tor get.” Tor was up and taking off before Celuk could respond.

Turning to Celuk with a pointed look, I pursed my lips. “What were you telling him not to tell me?”

With an equally stubborn look, Celuk leaned in closer, until our foreheads were nearly touching. “Drink. Relieve. Rest. Celuk tell.”

“How’s about I drink some water, eat the food I’d brought, sit here and wait for Buu, and you can stuff it and keep your stupid secrets, I don’t need them,” I countered.

Celuk grinned in the face of my fit of pique.

Closing the distance between us, his forehead bussed mine, cutting me off mid eye roll. Our noses brushed. His actions weren’t even overtly sexual but they hit me like a ton of bricks all the same, as if he’d planted one on me.

My throat worked and I found myself blinking back tears. Smiling crookedly, I croaked out, “God, I’ve missed you, you crazy asshole.”

Celuk closed the distance then. My hands came up to cup his face as his arms wove around me and his lips found mine. He kissed me like a male starved, like this one would be our last.

“My Jo,” he breathed, as we came up for air.

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