Bride of Glass (Brides of the Hunt Book 2)

by Jeanette Lynn

  “MINE! Zhuii’s ALWAYS! NEVER!” With a stifled roar Zhuii dropped down until he was on all fours. As if to tell me to hang on tight, one hand pressed me into his massive body. An angry, roiling rumble tumbling his lips, he was off.

  We were flying, snowflakes blurring as he sped past houses.

  Success, I thought, though what we were going to actually do once we got to his house, I hadn’t gotten all worked out yet.

  Zhuii’s body trembled and his heart pounded heavily as he ran. Whatever Rek had said to him had shaken him up good.

  Another pickle I’ve gotten myself into, yet farther away from a certain clinically insane loser beast and his pickle. Double ick.

  Out of one frying pan and into another, Rosalinda.

  Screw you, demon woman, I snarled at the hag on my shoulder, flicking the bitch on my left clean off. Then the right, for good measure. Conscience? Guiding voices, who actually wanted or needed that shit? No one needs to hear your incessant nagging right now, ya crazy bitches.

  Though on brief reflection, I mighta gone totally bonkers, had I not started talking to myself, amongst my, uh, selves, erm, in the first place.

  My hands tightened in Zhuii’s fur and I squeezed my eyes shut. His hand lifted to my back, brushing along my spine sweetly, petting my pelt cape, and he let out a hungry growl. He didn’t lose his stride with one less arm and two legs. The switch was seamless, as if he was used to carrying on like this.

  And that lip smacking, beast gonna drool sound? He wasn’t hungry for mystery stew.

  The beast didn’t want food, nope, and the thickly bobbing appendage slapping at my ass certainly wasn’t on the menu… What the hell am I supposed to do?!!

  “Mine. Mine. Mine,” the gravelly voiced speed demon muttered over and over, while I mouthed, don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic, with bug eyes and a flat out panicked look.

  Rek pounded after us, his shouts echoing in the distance. He was still calling out for me, but also shouting female. Freak, I thought, lifting a hand long enough to flip him the bird. Yeah, fuck you, buddy.

  Faster and farther away we went. My hands clenched my Zhubeast’s fur to the rhythm of my unsteady, wildly thudding heart.

  “It’s going to be okay,” I mumbled on a stutter. “Everything is going to be okay.”

  But I knew, deep down, it totally fucking wasn’t.

  CHAPTER 18

  We stopped in front the biggest tree I’d ever seen, fat, icicle spiked balls of pink and green fruit dangling from thick, spiraling, pastel blue, green, purple, pink and white swirling colored branches. It was like a value sized box of Chunky Charms marshmallow cereal had been planted, sprinkled with magic fairy dust, and this monstrosity had sprouted up.

  The leaves were black, satiny sable, a sheen on them that made the tops sparkle. They were shaped like fat hearts, gathering to sprout in bunches, leaving other parts of the tree and its insane color scheme untouched.

  “Wait,” Zhuii ordered, setting me down on my feet gently, groaning as he made sure I slid down his thick frame slowly. My fingers followed of their own volition. Every hard part of that male found every soft piece of mine. If I wasn’t fully clothed I’d have deemed it foreplay.

  As soon as it started it stopped, and Zhuii stepped back.

  “He’s going to catch up,” I pointed out, peering up into the treetop. A canopy of dark leaves, clinging to light. “Purple,” I said aloud, realizing the leaves were a deep purple upon sprouting, rich and royal as they started to unfurl from the tiniest of branches, deepening to a dark midnight right before they fell off.

  The snow at my feet looked like a Dalmatian, black leaves polka dotting the white snow.

  “Gotta ask… why are we here?” staring down at my booted feet, I pressed one foot into the soft snow, then the other, watching as they sunk in, leaving two perfectly formed boot prints behind as I stepped out of them.

  “Lindy-mine claim Zhuii. Zhuii home,” he said in answer. He was winded, breathless, causing me to glance over.

  A big, rather nicely molded blue ass was sticking up in the air, his tail jerking as he worked. I blinked at the ginormous pile of snow he’d kicked up, his front paws unearthing a thick wooden door similar to that of a storm cellar.

  Ignoring the whole claiming thing, glancing over my shoulder every three seconds waiting for Rek to catch up and pounce, I moved in closer. Curiosity really was my kryptonite. “You… you live under the tree?”

  Well, it did make sense, he’d mentioned something about digging or denning, a den? Or something a time or two. He’d dug a home under the freaky marshmallow swirlies tree.

  “Tree live over Zhuii,” Zhuii stopped to toss over his shoulder. Grunting, he grabbed a fat, red and black mottled, metal looking handle and tugged. Two heaving, muscle bulging tugs and a growling snarl later and he unearthed another door, this one whiter than the snow around us.

  Alrighty… now he had me completely intrigued. Rooted to the spot, I couldn’t move. We were literally preparing to go down a rabbit hole. No, a beast hole.

  A small snort escaped me but I muffled it when Zhuii paused, jumping down into the pit between doors and glanced up at me.

  “It looks magical,” I admitted, glancing up. Lifting a hand, I encompassed the general area.

  “Zhuii think so,” he said as he turned. “Lindy-mine make anything magical. Beauty claim her beast.”

  My chest warmed, even as guilt ate at me, another part of me starting as he made an offhanded comment about my favorite fairytale.

  How the hell did he know anything about Beauty and the Beast? Or was it yet another happy accident mixed in with a compliment?

  He was strange like that, good for the odd flattery when I least expected it. I never knew what was going to happen next with the male. He seemed so whimsical one minute and grumpy bore the next.

  “The Beauty and the Beast?” I queried, moving in closer until I was standing over him, my hand curving along the edge of the dark, cellar looking door. It came off as part dungeon, part magical, hidden doorway. I couldn’t bring myself to put the two together.

  Zhuii stuck his claws in the door, twisting something that made a clicking sound, and the second door swung inward. Warmth blasted us from inside, a low glow emanating from within.

  The hybrid beast grunted, his shoulders shifting, and he admitted uncomfortably, “Zhuii not smart. Try to read, but bad. Zhuii trade with males. Find books for Zhuii. Pictures… Zhuii likes pictures.” His thick blue head swiveled, his horns brushing the dirt entryway, and he glanced up.

  Solidly black eyes met mine where orange irises had once been. Zhuii’s breathing grew labored as he stared up at me, but slowly, so slowly and hesitantly I wondered at the meaning of it, the significance to him, he lifted his arms and curled his fingers.

  Thick, dark clawed hands beckoned. Without a thought I went. My dress caught as strong arms hefted me up, then dropped me down, but before I could say a word his hands slid down my thighs, under and over my dress, catching the snag and releasing it.

  I shivered at his touch, his heated palms, the gentle caress of his ministrations. A small dizzy spell hit me and I made a funny noise. I was weak in the knees with a spinning head.

  Zhuii leaned in with a rumbling purr, his hands cupping my hips to bring me to him. Blinking rapidly, my hands went to his thick chest, sliding up. I was actually thinking about this, for so many reasons, many of them not so reasonably, I leaned into him when his head dipped.

  “Is… Is my beast going to k-k-kiss me?” I blurted.

  Zhuii’s answer was a thick, garbled, rocks tumbling sounding purr.

  If it wasn’t for Rek’s sudden shouting, my cringe-worthy vagina twinges, and the fat cock digging into my stomach as we molded to each other, I might have gone and done… Who the hell, myself included, knows what I’d do anymore.

  “Female! Come! Rosie! Zhublii! Come! Rek-”

  “Is going to die,” Zhuii growled out vehemently.

 
; Yay, I cheered inwardly, but then I had to pause, think about that, and even though I didn’t change my mind, at least pretend so.

  Zhuii stepped off to my side, letting go of me reluctantly, and made to step around me, stepping right over me when I jumped in front of him, hands outstretched to get that megabeast to hold them horses. He was stepping past the threshold when I took serious action.

  Rushing him, I dove for his waist, ready to hug an ass I could bounce a quarter off of if it would stop the potential bloodshed—I hated Rek; it wasn’t right to want the beast-hole dead, was it?—but my great Zhubeast must have heard me coming and turned.

  My face mashed into his groin, getting a proper dick smacking from my snarling friend. That snarl turned into a shocked, guttural purr as my chubby cheek mashed his thick, bright blue fur encased Zhuben-dick and I groaned.

  “Ow,” I mumbled, the movement of my jaw over his junk sending his ridiculously thick member jumping excitedly. Awesome, it likes me, now I just gotta teach it to heel. Along with its owner.

  “Lindy-mine.” Zhuii’s breath caught and he groaned. Trembling hands reaching for my head, stroking through my hair softly. He shifted a little, his massive man junk rubbing my cheek as I kneeled there, my arms gripping his butt cheeks until I was sure I was unintentionally spreading those blue basketballs for buns wide, face-hugging his blue beast dick.

  Oh god. My fingers tightened and he grunted. He shifted again.

  “FEMALE!” Rek roared.

  “Close the door and I’ll suck your cock!” I screeched mindlessly. I was moving now, popping back to fist a meaty cock fat enough I wondered how these beasts found females willing to sex them up at all.

  “What?” Zhuii’s dick jerked in my hand, a thick, angry red cockhead peeking out from his slit. Pre-cum started to well at the tip, and we both found ourselves staring down at it. Zhuii looked like he might pass out, his eyes glazing at the sight of my hands fisting his manhood.

  “I said close the door- doors, and lock them, so I can suck your dick.” As if to prove my point, I opened my mouth, sliding his furry foreskin slowly down his length until his knobby shaped cockhead slipped free.

  It was slimy, slicked with his body’s natural lubricant, not nearly as appetizing or close to ‘normal’ as I’d admit I liked, but close enough to a human penis I wasn’t put off. My mouth opened wide and I moved in closer.

  Once I got eyelevel with the thing, staring down his length, I pursed my lips, ignoring his disappointed grunt as he stood there and watched. Going for broke, I gently suckled the tip. Salty, tangy, a tart sweetness to his natural lube that reminded me of a hint of pink grapefruit. He was a giant, beastly sour gummy bear and he was all mine.

  I squirmed on my knees, clenching my thighs together. Nope, don’t even think it, girl. You’re broken.

  “L-l-l-lindy-m-m-m-mine.” Zhuii sounded like he was going to cry when I pulled away to stare up at him expectantly. The big beast had to grab the wall for support.

  “Zhu, baby? The door,” I instructed, jabbing a finger up above us.

  “Door… Door,” Zhuii’s hips were jerking, his cockhead tightening until the wide slit on his penis started to part. More pre-cum oozed. His meat juice was tinged orange, I noticed, the creamy white mixing with orange until it looked like a melted Creamsicle was dribbling down his dick

  I can still work with this. I can do this, I coached myself. A blow job… erm, blowjob/candy flavored handy, I corrected, knowing I wouldn’t be able to get more than the head in my fat mouth, he was so thick, was worth getting away from Rek. I hated the asshole mate snatcher that much.

  And there may or may not be other reasons, but those didn’t need a voice right now…

  Swallowing, wiggling anxiously, my hands slid to my thighs to clamp over my kneecaps.

  You’re a beast slut, honey, just admit it. And all you needed was the excuse. Not even a fucked up honey hole would put ya off. Why else did ya bring that paste, hmm? Ain’t fooling anybody.

  Fuck, she, I mean me, I mean- Damn it. Inner me was right, in a way. Sorta.

  “The door, Zhuii,” I reminded.

  “Zhuii’s… Lindy-m-m-mine has Zhuii’s- Ungh…”

  I glanced down, realizing he was frozen in place because I was still fisting him, my thumb stroking that spot along the underside of his cock, right by his ball sac.

  “Shit. Sorry.” Letting go, I scrambled back, flopping onto my ass. Graceful, I most certainly was not.

  “Need to move,” he explained gently, even with that gravelly voice of his, gesturing towards the second door with a jerk of his chin.

  Those black eyes gleamed heatedly, never once leaving mine, his chest rumbling as it heaved with every breath.

  We were both rattled, frazzled, wobbly kneed and dazed.

  “Damn it. Damn it. Sorry!” Crab walking backwards, and right down some steps I hadn’t noticed, I tumbled right into the main room, rolling to my stomach to slap my dress back over my ass and pop up.

  “I’m… I’m fine! Fine,” I lied, my ass smarting as my hip made a godawful cracking noise. “Crick-creak-whoop! I’m, uh, I’m good!”

  My demon-eyed seducer didn’t look convinced but turned to do my bidding. “Zhuii not,” the male muttered, making me grin like an idiot. “And Zhuii not sorry at all.”

  My grin widened, and I stood there swishing back and forth anxiously like a little kid, the hem of my dress gripped in my clenched hands, exposing my knees.

  I’m a fool, a damned fool, but who… “Whoa.” My surroundings, a small antechamber that led right into a giant, open main chamber as big as three of Tokre’s houses, benches and shelves lining the walls. A workshop type area dominated the far wall, drying soaps and various books and things I couldn’t name along the other.

  A huge hearth warmed the room, tiny crystal looking rocks that hurt my eyes to stare at for too long crackling with blue fire, a mirage of sparkling blue beams lighting the room. I’d never seen anything like it.

  There was a round table that looked very Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, but where would he…

  “Pictures in books,” I whispered, gravitating towards the cramped shelves full of books, a fat, stuffed round sack, a beastly bean bag, big enough to fit Zhuii’s hefty frame set up next to it. Books were everywhere, laid about haphazardly, leaves sticking out of some as easy bookmarkers, others left open, stacked. I was drawn to that book nook.

  Picking one up from the stack, I plopped down in his chair. Removing the leaf bookmarker, the picture on the marked page had me biting at my lip, my hand brushing over the likeness of the male just before me drawn over the newly transformed prince as he dipped his chin to claim his beauty.

  My fingers drifted over the page, jerking back when they came away stained black. Coal? Charcoal, I wondered, spotting a small nub of charred wood with a sharpened end, much like a pencil. He’d probably used it to doodle in the book.

  Flipping a page, I found more of the same, but not the detail of the first. This one, I sensed, going back to it, must’ve been his favorite. And much like I’d always felt, he favored the idea of the beauty loving the beast as he was, no magical transformation back to human royalty needed.

  The slamming of the heavy wood and the sound of a latch clicking into place had me glancing up. Setting the book back where I’d found it, I spotted mechanics, engineering books just below it. Picking up a how it works book from the pile, I cracked it open. These too had tons of scribbles. Were they his notes? Did these squiggles and scribbles mean something to him?

  “Pictures,” Zhuii murmured. He spoke softly, much closer, keeping his voice low so as not to startle me. It didn’t work, and I double jumped when his arm came around my waist. “No be scared,” he crooned, but reality was a horrible thing, and nothing like the mention of a fairytale to remind me this wasn’t some kind of dream sequence I could just wake up from and all would be well. This wasn’t a game.

  “I… I…” My gaze drifted to the door. I
was fine minutes ago. I shouldn’t suddenly feel hemmed in. Claustrophobia was not the next big thing I’d be adding to my list of never ending neurosis. “I promised you a blowjob,” I blurted as I remembered.

  Zhuii’s hungry purr had me squeaking, shoving the book at him to leap away. “Oh my, I’m hungry. Aren’t you?” Smiling politely, careful not to look at his junk, I walked to the thick round table.

  Yep, definitely found an Arthurian tales book of some sort complete with pictures. Did he think of himself as more of an Arthur? A Lancelot? Or perhaps… a Merlin?

  “Lindy… Lindy-mine needs food?” Zhuii looked so disappointed, and when I lifted my hands helplessly and he spotted the black staining my fingers, he immediately looked to his fairytale book. “Okay. Zhuii go get.”

  Clearing his throat, he tucked his junk away and with one quick look to me, hurried from the room.

  Rejected. I’d know that look anywhere.

  I followed at a distance as Zhuii disappeared down a passageway to my left, poking my head around the corner to spot his shoulders slumping as he took a deep breath.

  Huge hands lifted to scrub at his face, grimacing as his rock hard erection jerked. A noise between a growl and a groan left the male and he slumped against the wall. Pulling his hands away from his face to stare down at them, he snarled, muttering something, and slammed his fists into the wall. I could still hear his words as he took a deep breath, straightened, and continued down the hall.

  Stupid, stupid, stupid, he was grumbling to himself.

  Bracing myself against the wall of the hearth, I felt like sludge. No, I am sludge. I’m sludgier than sludge. I’m sewage.

  I did that. I did all of that. With a few words and careless actions I’d crushed the male. I’d made him think I wanted him and totally blown him off. This wasn’t just some fling to him, this was everything.

  He wanted a beauty to his beast, but how was I going to explain to him I was anything but? And what if he figured it out on his own?

  Walking over to the table, I had to use both hands to drag out a massive chair, climbing into it to prop my elbows on the table. Resting my chin in my hands, I sighed, thoroughly kicking my own ass.