Page 43 of Bride of Choice

Lifting a grimy hand, I got out between sniffles, “I look okay to you?”

He said nothing. Smart male.

Forcing it all down, as I well knew how to do by now, I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. I could do this. I am a strong, independent woman who doesn’t need fucking anybody.

Despite Bum-bum’s warnings about Krampus, I tried to stand, ready to limp back to my place and wash up, everything else be damned. I got as far as standing up, putting weight on my aching hip, and then cried out and collapsed.

“Fuck it. I’ll crawl,” I snarled out, wincing as I tried to do just that.

As if unsure what to do with me, or content to watch me act a fool, my new babysitter waited until I’d dragged my ass a few short feet away before standing and coming to me.

“Come.” Dipping into a crouch, he held his hand out. It was getting even harder to see in all the thick stuff coming down around us, but I could make out his pale palm as it was shoved in my face.

Slapping it away, I kept going.

This went on for a while. He’d just walk up, crouch, hold his hand out, then back up when I slapped it away to let me do as I wanted for a bit before trying again.

Admitting defeat, because I really didn’t want to die out here, I finally, haltingly, placed my hand in his on his next try. Tightening my fingers, I jerked him towards me. “I know you can smell things. None of you are dumb. Not a word of any of the shit you’ve witnessed out here, smelled, heard, none of it, or I’m turning your ass into my very first pelt. You got me, snow baby?”

“Gots,” the male answered. It was hard as shit to see in the middle of this snow storm, but I’d swear the idiot’s lips quirked and there was mirth filling that short response.

“I can’t walk. I’m not being a needy bitch or in want of your penis or anything. I’m just fucked up at the moment,” I explained, then added, “My eyeballs are on the fritz. I hit my head.”

“Jes. Hurt,” he said simply, his head bobbing along sending snow collecting on his fur my way.

Wrapping my arms around his wide shoulders, allowing him to pick me up, he started off for the other side of the village. “Whoa. Hey. My hut is that way,” I said quickly. A heavy frown tugged at my brow. “I think…”

“Not safe,” he garbled out.

Adjusting his hold on me, his thick mitt dug into my hip in the process, I cried out in response, and then it was lights out for Joanie.

When I came to I was jostling, smacking into a thick pec as he sprinted with me in his arms.

“Ow,” I mumbled as I smack-smack-smacked into him.

His steps slowed and he let out a sigh of relief as I mumbled like a big ol’ grump. When his head dipped and he started to give me a sniff-snuffle, my hand shot up, smacking into his schnoz. “Whoa! I don’t care what sniffing me will do, big fella! You are married, sir! Mated! Keep that thing away from me! I’m a floozy in my own right but that- that’s where I draw the damned line!”

“Who think holds?” he asked.

“I don’t know…” Damn, was he one of her sons? “A married guy that won’t be snuffling my anything?” I blurted lamely. My game was totally off.

“Who my mate?” he kept on.

“Wow, y’all can talk without referring to yourselves in the third person! It’s a miracle!” I sassed, getting a genuine belly chuckle from the beast for it. After a moment, I ventured, “Do I know your mate?”

“Jes,” he purred softly.

My eyes widened at his tone.

“Save that shit for your woman, perv,” I snapped, offended for this mate I supposedly knew but I had no clue as to who it was. Poor woman. Her male was a flirt. Ugh. Why should it surprise me there were Yeti cheaters out there too?

His snort had me stiffening in his arms. “I think I can walk now,” I muttered primly.

“No,” he grunted out simply.

“I want to try,” I huffed and puffed.

“No.” His next no was even more curt and short than the last. Bossy thing, this one.

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