Page 30 of The Buck Stops Hare

“We didn’t get to know him too well before he got pregnant, my love. And as he is nursing, both times are not conducive to consuming alcohol… I assume in a mammalian form it’s the same either way.” Brook gave River a patronizing stare that cooled the little spitfire down.

“Ooh. Good point, babe.” River nodded and pulled Brook in for a kiss before dismissing him to goplay with the other boys. I smiled as I watched him go.

“So, be honest with me,” River said, his face switching in a heartbeat from jovial and light to something as dark and cold as I imagined a drowning river to be. “Grim and his piggies. What did they do to you?”

Rushing water, darkest depths, and trembling ice rolling downstream filled my mind at those cold words. I could only shrug as I gathered my thoughts. “Nothing much, really. They kidnapped and drugged me. Started my heat—”

“Forced Buck to see you through it. How many of them touched you? Who needs to breathe their last in the coldest depths?” The way his gaze narrowed at me made my blood go cold.

“I keep telling everyone that, all things considered, they were total gentlemen. They dosed me and brought me to their pig leader dude and Grim put a stop to it. Gave me a safe spot to chill out until Buck got there and…” I averted my gaze and shrugged, earning River’s suspicion.

“Details…” River made a gesture, and I sighed.

“He wouldn’t top me,” I grumbled from the corner of my mouth.

“Wouldn’t. Consent isn’t earned in heat. Consent isn’t given. Heat strips you of your faculties and weakens you.” A sharp flash across his face showed me sharp teeth, shark-like for just a second, as he bit out the words.

“He consented.” I averted my gaze as I muttered lowly. I wasn’t sure what Buck was comfortable telling, but it made me clench up with sickness at the thought of River thinking Buck was some sort of forceful pervert.

River paused, eyes slanted. “What?”

“I… Um… I toppedhim. I fucked him.” I bit down the words and River relaxed, brows furrowed.

“Oh. Well, that’s alright, then. I fuck Brook all the time. He likes it.” As if an intense pressure lifted off my shoulders, the world around me brightened and warmed as his mood lifted. “Good on Bucky for getting railed.”

My cheeks burned and River beamed, guiding me over to an old cinderblock pile riddled with weeds, gesturing for me to sit next to him. “Those pigs hurt Rayne pretty bad, but Grim had his own politics and put his name behind it. Now that Grim has dropped his whole asshole routi—”

“Oh, that reminds me! Did he send a gift your way? He said he was, for crossing your territory.” I glanced over River as his posture stiffened.

“I’m sure he hasn’t had time to leave it, but he’s not crossed my lands yet. Thank you.” River gave me a genial nod. “You’ll do fine, Cliff. Don’t let Buck forget to breathe. And when he sleeps, wish him sweet dreams. It makes all the difference, I promise. Because once the sleep starts, the bad dreams start. I don’t think Storm had the capacity for nightmares because he never suffered like us old ones have. Sacrifices to my waters don’t come peacefully.”

A leaden weight filled my stomach before I turned to see the cascade of wolves running across the land, led by two horses and a great buck with an impressive form. I couldn’t help myself as I eyed the deer with recognition. He was Buck; I knew it. “Nice rack!”

One of the horses stumbled, his hair a flowing mane tangled with pondweeds, and Buck halted mid-step, glancing at me as River fell out laughing. “Rack! Mother’s graces, I like your mate, you old stone.”

Buck snorted, flitted his tail, and bounded off, ignoring River happily as the tail end of the pack of running wolves finished with a few rowdy pups and a barking hare.

River squinted at the procession. “Yours?” He pointed at Jacque.

“Eh…yeah.”

River raised a brow. “That little fucker has some real Pecker energy, there.”

“Hey, don’t compare my bunny to that horny feather duster.” I sneered at River and earned a snort of derision.

“You are very alike.”

I knew Rayne and I shared some things, and now more things, but it hurt to admit. “I guess omegas think alike.”

“Hmm… We do, don’t we. Hold on.” River stood and cupped his hands, shouting out. “Rayne!”

I turned to see my brother storming up with tense concentration in his eyes, worry, something less than fear. “Please do not screw with my brother, River.”

“I’m not. But question! Does Storm let you fuck him?” River’s shouted question stopped Rayne in his steps. I expected my brother to be shameless, but he had some sense of reservation about him.

“What?” Rayne drew closer, face twisted. “No. Gods. Ugh.”

“See, vers is more fun.” River gestured, and I winced.

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