Pumpkin Bride: Brides of the Hunt: A Brides of the Hunt Holiday Novel

by Jeanette Lynn

  “I- We- We’re mates,” I blurted, staring after him as he finished dressing me.

  “Yes,” he said simply. When I merely eyed him but didn’t argue, relief filled his expressive face, his body instantly relaxing. With a devil may care smile as I wiggled the hem of the dress down, he picked up his pelt and tossed it over me, leaving me to wrestle it from my head with a squawk of his name. His chuckle as I fought to free myself and my resounding chuff had his purr off to a rumbling start.

  The door creaked loudly as it opened, right as I pulled the blanket from my head. My hair was clingy with static, like I was the one who’d been balloon rubbed for a change. I felt like I’d just gone down one of those tube slides. If I touched someone I’d probably shock them.

  Booger stepped in then, Joanie loudly following. The pair took one look at me and Joanie’s bitching rant trailed off.

  My hands shot to my hair, smoothing down it to try and tame it. It was no use but I gave it a go anyway.

  “Well, well, what a pretty non witch someone is,” Joanie complimented, then leaned in to elbow Bauheg and send an overdone wink his way. “Cleans up nice, doesn’t she, huh, Booger? She lookin’ like a witchy poo to you now?”

  “Bauheg,” the beast mumbled distractedly. His gaze lingered, straying in places longer than I cared to comment on, making me self-conscious. The big beast’s jaw was all but swinging as he shuffled closer. Not to be outdone, Joanie pushed in past him, all sass and hold the hell up.

  “I don’t look that bad,” I finally muttered, still watching Bauheg as he stood there unblinkingly gaping. “My hair is all pelt-trified, but it’s not that bad...” I tried to joke.

  When he just stood there, a funny noise leaving him as he finally blink-blinked and then stared some more, Joanie called out to him loudly, “Catchin’ flies, Booger butt.”

  Grunting, jaw jutting, the amber-eyed Lo denaii snapped his trap shut. My face reddened. God, what was it? Did I have a booger hanging out of my nose? A weird love mark somewhere?

  A tittering laugh left Joanie and she let out a tsking sound. “Someone is feeling a bit tongue tied, eh?” A huge smile pulled at her face and she beamed at me.

  “No tease, Joansie,” Bauheg muttered curtly, but there was a softness in his face when he looked Joanie’s way. These two were friends. He cared about her, and I was beginning to suspect from the way she henpecked him she did, too, if in a platonic sense.

  “I’m jealous, Pumpkin. You got the grumpiest of the lot and the best mate dresser.”

  Something came over me, like a fluffy pelt to the head. She recognized me as his mate, Khri said I was his mate... Shuffling to swing my legs off the side of the bed, I was about to put my feet on the floor when Khri made a sound in his throat. “Sawwks,” he muttered, with a terse, “Mally-mine wait.”

  “Aww. Hear that, Boogered buns? They have pet names and everything already.” Hand on her hip, she shook her head. The bangle bracelets on her wrists clanked as she gestured with her free hand. “Y’all are so stinkin’ cute right now. It makes me sick.”

  For all of Joanie and her weirdness, I just freaking liked the woman. She spoke bluntly, a bit crudely at times, but I knew I’d always know where I stood with her—there’d be no doubt about it. Even if I thought she was certifiable.

  And then Joanie opened her mouth to speak again and things just spilled forth, things that made me question my previous sentiments.

  “This could have been you, you know, bahookie,” she told Bauheg, “if you’d handled things differently.”

  Blinking, I cringed inwardly. The woman just said it, absolutely no filter whatsoever. She needed an off switch.

  “You’ve got that look on your face.” Joanie’s smile turned devilish. “Oh, honey, welcome to the Yeti wives club. Rosa and I have totally got our thirdy.”

  “I suppose you do,” I said on a laugh. I could always complain about Joanie, to Joanie, with Rosa, if the woman got out of hand.

  “Not boogered buns or bahood-kees,” Bauheg growled at Joanie. An unhappy rumble rattled his wide chest with his displeasure.

  “Apologies, boogie-woogie.” Joanie gave a jaunty salute. “No more bahoodkies, No Buns Bauheg. Gotcha.”

  Booger beast turned slowly to stare down at her. An incredulous huff of a chuff left him. “Joansie know how say it. Joansie say Bauheg name right now.”

  The smirking heathen straightened out her expression and batted her lashes prettily, widening her eyes in some poor half attempt to act innocent. Her lashes were purple with pink glitter today, and her claws for nails had little glittering pumpkins on them and alien looking eggs. I believed those were those egg things from that alien movie... they sucked your face or something when they hatched. I was more of a reader than a movie person, but even I’d plopped my butt down on my sofa for those. Admittedly, it had been a while since my last romp into sci fi horror movies, but I’d know those alien eggs anywhere.

  The harder Joanie tried, the more her innocent act really fell flat on her. Nobody, absolutely no one who’d been in Joanie’s presence for even a second, was going to buy what she was trying to sell with that overdone look. “Booger, my beastly boy buddy, I’ve no idea what on earth you mean.” Her lashes batted rapidly, making me want to make a helicopter joke.

  Joanie, if I’d learned anything about her in our short acquaintance, was anything but unassuming and innocent.

  “No on Earth,” Booger grumbled out, chest rumbling with his annoyance.

  “Caught that, didja.” Joanie shot him a finger gun, of which Bauheg flinched at, and then the crazy woman followed it up with an overdone wink. The winking thing, I was pretty damned sure, was another part of her annoy everyone to keep them at arm’s length tactics. Turning to me, she gestured at her friend. “He’s been Dorothy’d,” she said in way of explanation of the rough hide patch covering his eye. “Yeti pirates are so in. Who’s ready for Halloween now, right?’

  “It’s... distinguishing,” I replied tactfully, proud I could keep a straight face with her gameshow host grand gestures and over enthusiasm.

  “Rothy say ‘fected.” Booger pointed to his patch covered eye, his good eye meeting my gaze briefly before it fell. Lifting up a small jar with goopy looking dark green stuff sloshing in it, he gave a grunt. “Pinked eye, Daisy say.”

  “Daisy is kind of a know it all, but we all know Doro knows better, my friend,” Joanie added, cupping her hand to speak through the side of her mouth, leaning away from Booger.

  “Daisy not so bad,” Bauheg murmured with a shrug. With a long look down at Joanie, he muttered almost petulantly, a hint of something in his tone, “Daisy no say Bauheg’s friend, but tell Rothy cut eyeball out so Joansie no have to see it. Daisy no say it ickdy.” Bristling, he let out a grunt and a chuff.

  “Well, I’m sorry if it looks like a nasty, goopy seeping mess, Booger, like a boogery eye gone wild, but Lukar got the joke.” Snorting, she rolled her eyes. “I’m pleased to note someone around here has a sense of humor.”

  At a pained noise from Booger, Joanie blinked and bit her lip. Glancing from Booger, who was starting to look miserable, enormous shoulders starting to slump, the colorful human went supportive friend in a second, gushing suddenly, “Just kidding! Hah! Got you, man! Shoulda seen your face, dude. And, really, Mal did you a favor, you know, poking some sense into you like that. If she hadn’t tried to blind you, would she be here now?”

  Bauheg glanced from me to Joanie. “Bauheg no know...” But she’d distracted him, and now he was thinking about it.

  “You know,” she went on, tapping a claw tipped nail to her lips, “pirate yetis really are the thing this spooky season. I bet you there are a ton of kids dressing up like that this year, especially after that cute Yeti movie I’d seen coming out. “Mm. Coulda sworn... I think I thought I heard the short haired red head ranger chick with a stick up her butt saying pirates are sexy.”

  “Reddie just say so mates get jealous and make the sex with her,” Bauheg
huffed out under his breath. “She no like Booger eye patch, she like mates snarling and bones jumpings. Reddie wants the loves from her males, not Bauheg.”

  Joanie frowned up at Bauheg, “Work with me here, Boog.” Her hand waved, gesturing between us. “I thought you said you wanted to catch the witch.”

  There my face went again, impersonating a tomato. Maybe I shouldn’t be so grateful I was freckleless—they’d probably tone down the beet red blush overtaking my apple cheeks.

  As Khri reappeared from his closet, what he was in search of in hand, he strode across the way, immediately heading for the kitchen area, a quick detour, at the noise my stomach suddenly made. How he heard that soft gurgle all the way from over here, I had to get me some of that snow beast hearing, his tersely muttered, “Sawwks. Foods. My Mally hungry,” had me blushing and smiling at the same time, in spite of Joanie and Boog and all that uncomfortableness.

  A soft growl from Khri as he noted my discomfort at the hands of our guests, had Booger shaking himself out of it to flat out point. “Red. No ‘kay. Pumpkin face red. Not good.”

  “Oh, honey, I’d be red too if everyone came barging in, interested in getting a gander of the new girl, and I was fresh from a wild night of mating, all loved up on and squeaking in fun places. Especially with you pointing at her like that,” Joanie added as she slapped Boog’s hand down. “Stop it, babes, you’re scaring her.”

  “Not babes,” he complained. Shaking his hand out, Bauheg snapped his trap shut.

  “Babes? Who babes?” A shout sounded from outside, followed by that gone psycho in a second snarl.

  Really? Was the rest of the crew going to come in now?

  “Sawwks. Bread-fast,” Khri announced, walking over with a cloth wrapped bundle to hold out a freshly warmed, sliced round loaf of bread. Lifting up a small, round table by one of its legs, he carted it in one hand, the bread in his other, a fat, rolled up pair of the thickest looking pair of socks I’d ever seen tucked up under his arm, over to me.

  Motioning for me to sit, he pulled the table up to the bed.

  Sparing the kitchen table a quick glance, I was just fine sitting here eating yummy smelling bread in bed. Two mugs of tea, some assistance getting into those socks, and a round crock of blue butter was next. The butter was a little salty and sweet, but that was pretty much where it’s resemblance to Earth butter ended.

  “Oooo. Thank you,” I murmured, pleased when he joined me. Khri sat as close as possible, until our sides were flush and I was all but leaning into him.

  “Why Jo-jo-knee still here?” Her unhinged admirer barked. “Rek say hurry, not take all the days!” that familiar grumbling huff barked from the doorway. And then the male himself appeared, stepping inside the room. “Take too long. No one care Bauheg weak male, no take what hims.” Reaching around Joanie, tugging her into his side to hook his arm under her breasts and heft her up, Rek just lifted her up like she was nothing and began backing out of Khri’s hut. “Say the byed byes. We go.”

  “Hey, what’s the big idea, tube sock! I told him I’d play wingman! What part of I’ll be there in a minute, do you not understand?” Her hands slapped at his furry arm but Rek ignored it.

  “Jo-jo-knee say Rek get Jojo things,” Rek gritted out through his bared teeth, “Jojo take care of Rek. Rek get things. Now Jojo do Jojo say.”

  The colorful woman stiffened where she dangled from Rek’s hold. Her eyes widened, eyebrows arching. “For someone who’s all hushity hush about a whole lot of things,” Joanie huffed out, lips pursing mulishly, eyes narrowing dangerously, “you sure are pretty open about wanting so-” Before she could finish that sentence, Rek’s free hand closed over her mouth.

  “No more words,” he warned her.

  An evil look overcame Joanie as she pressed her face into his palm. Rek tensed, letting out a steady snarl, but he didn’t loosen his hold. “Bites me, Jojo,” he leaned in to snarl in her ear, “Rek bites back.” Snapping his teeth near her ear, he got a squeal from the woman but then it looked like she bit down harder.

  I sat there huddled next to my mate—wow, it felt weird to say it—blinking in disbelief, staring at the odd couple as they disappeared out the door and into the cold. Fast as a tornado showed up, took names, did some damage, and rushed off, they were gone.

  My hand lifted and I waved in their direction weakly. “That doesn’t... someone should look into that. He’s not-”

  “Rek stupid for Joansie. Joansie stupid for Rek. Everyone know but Rek,” Bauheg grumbled out, then let out a long, disgusted sigh. Scratching at a fluff covered, pointed ear, he jerked his chin from me to Khri.

  Khri said something to Bauheg in their beast speak that had Bauheg hurriedly replying. Those amber-y yellow swirled eyes lit with what I took as a hopeful look and Khri grunted out a few short grumble-growl speak words in response.

  “What are you two...” I started to ask, but Bauheg was already nodding, muttering something, rushing from the room before I had a chance to get him to spill the beans.

  Glancing up at my mate, studying the unreadable look on his face, I lifted a finger and gave his side a gentle poke. “What was all that about?”

  Khri glanced down at my finger. Capturing it before I could give him a harder jab, he lifted my rather short and stout digit to his lips and nipped at it teasingly.

  “That’s not going to distract me from what I want.”

  An arm came around my back, pressing me closer to him. Dark, deep navy blue eyes bored into me, lightening until swirls of cerulean were clearly visible. “What Mall-y mine want?”

  “I- I want-” He was so close. Those full, firm lips were right there and he was giving me that look. His purr was already starting up.

  “What Khri Mally want?” he entreated, his voice getting all deep and sexy, guttural. A clawed finger gripped my chin, tipping my head up so he could nuzzle his way along my jaw and lower. One lick, a teasing nip on the column of my throat, and I was a hot, shivering mess. Heat pooled in my belly. “Mally?” he stopped to prompt.

  My hands were already kneading those thick shoulders, urging him closer. “It won’t work. You’re trying to d-d-d-d-distract me and it won’t- Aw-oh.”

  He paused once more, doing that thing with his tongue and teeth that made me feel tingly from head to toe, to then suckle the spot.

  On and on his torture went, stopping only long enough to prompt me to answer him, when we both knew at this point I could barely tell him how to spell my own name.

  I was on the edge, hands buried in his mane, ready to jump at him, tackle his fuzzy buns and wrap my legs around him if need be, when I’d finally had enough and caved. My fingers tightened in his hair and I jerked his head out of the crook of my neck. The noise he made led me to believe he thoroughly enjoyed my rough handling, the fact I was just bold enough with him to do such a thing. My grip on his locks tightened.

  “Don’t pussyfoot around,” I leaned in to growl into his face as he started to ask yet again what I wanted. “You know what I want.”

  Khri growled back, the sound animalistic, needy. Hefting me up to stomp across the room with me in tow, he brought us to the door. I wasn’t expecting that. Thinking he meant to take us elsewhere, I was just about to point out how little I was willing to relocate or prepared to, when he slammed the door and locked it. Setting me down, he turned me to press me against it, until I was forced to bend and press my cheek into the wood. I wasn’t left wondering what the hell he was doing for long as he brushed my hair over my shoulder and began working the ties of my dress loose.

  “Mine,” he muttered, with surprisingly nimble fingers, all things considered with the size of his hefty mitts.

  “Okay,” I blurted as my dress pooled at my feet and he came up behind me, “I like this.” Daring a peek at him from over my shoulder as he tilted my hips, his furry thighs pressing up against the backs of mine, I felt that thickness bobbing heavily between his legs searching out my heat. His teeth pulled back in a teeth baring, sil
ent snarl as he found what he sought, lining us up, and slowly began to sink deep. Soreness from too many muscles I hadn’t used in so long he probably would be carrying me around later, a combination of wild sex and an insane snow trek that led me here, had me biting my own lip against the groan that threatened to slip past them. I’d possibly be crawling, I corrected, dragging or rolling to get from point A to B. Ah, but this was going to be so good. Totally worth it.

  Pure satisfaction lit his beastly features, a long hiss leaving him as he pressed his advance and my body, already primed and ready, eagerly accepted him, all of him. We fit perfectly, as if it was always meant to be this way, us, together, just like this. MINE.

  As if to echo my thoughts, Khri growled that single word out loud, drawing it out as he pulled his hips back, a tremble overtaking his large frame, to slide back home. His chest rattling declaration ended on a guttural groan. Hips wiggling for him to get this party started and quit fiddlefarting around, I braced my hands on the door and clenched my channel. Khri hissed and his cock jerked. He was already shaking from head to toe, movements growing jerky. My eager beast wasn’t going to last long if we kept playing like this. There was an odd sense of desperation to his movements, like he suddenly felt an urgent need to reclaim me.

  Reaching behind me, I grabbed onto a thick, furry beast thigh. “Where you think you’re going? You keep up like that,” I warned between pistoning thrusts of his hips, sending me bouncing against the door, “you’re going to shoot off without me.”

  Relinquishing my hold on him to brace my hands on the heavy wood, lest I kiss it, the way he was pounding into me with abandon, it was either he came and I rode it out with him hoping I was snagged up along on that euphoric trip along with him, or I kept my hand where it was on a thick slab of snow beast butt and thigh and risked decorating his hut door with a nifty face imprint.

  With a harsh growl, his hips began to jerk erratically, and then he rammed home hard and held perfectly still. It came as no surprise to me to note he’d come rather abruptly. A part of me, while bereft at being left behind, was almost flattered he’d flown apart so fast.