Placing one of the leaves I'd retrieved from the small pouch Boog had gifted me, a sort of furry fanny pack or waist purse belt with over the shoulder carrying option, I pressed one of the minty, gingery leaves into the side of the inside of my cheek. It was one of the few things that had made any difference with my temperamental guts of late.
“Khri! I’ve missed you,” I cried out happily, but was slow to make my way over to him. No sudden movements, no jostling, and everything was gonna be just fine.
Khri slowed as he watched me snail my way closer. “Mally?”
“Felt sick, blew chunks. I don’t recommend you kiss me until I’ve washed this mouth out properly, but other than that I’m fine,” I admitted with a small smile.
Closing the distance between us, I was enveloped in strong, furry arms.
“Ugh. I’ve missed you so much,” I mumbled as he smothered me into his fur. He smelled like the snow and that hint of the herbs they used to camouflage their scent. I wanted to rub myself all over him and keep his scent with me forever.
“Where Boog?” he asked with a frown, once he’d loosened his hold enough I could pull back to stare up at him and his gaze darted around the mostly empty space. No one had been expected back for a few days yet.
“He’s helping Mina’s mates chase a tebbimenk out of their room. Sounds like one of them found their way in the house, a nice, cozy place out of the cold, and decided to have their babies under their bed. Kirch is deathly afraid of them. Had a bad reaction as a little one. It was so bad, Vek said, he lost all the hair on his bottom after accidently sitting on one.” Having seen the welts on Boog after a run in with them for cotton ball-like ear plugs for me—Lo denaii were extremely susceptible to something on the adorable little demon furballs that humans didn’t seem to be—I shuddered to think of having something like that on such a sensitive area.
“Kirch not ‘fraid!” Kirch called from the spot he was sitting under, watching over their brood. Two little ones were asleep, snuggled up in pelts near their watchful daddy. “Kirch just not wish to get bit and be bald,” he bit out, scowling.
“S’okay,” his little girl reassured him, sat in his lap. Reaching up, she gave him a gentle slap to his face like a there-there pat with a chubby hand. He winced with every harsh pat but grinned down at her.
“Daddy thank hims princess,” he said with a kiss to her head.
Hugging a deformed looking plushie, not quite sure exactly what it was intended to be but it was the fugliest thing I’d ever seen and she called it Candy, which made Mina bust up laughing every time she heard it, she beamed up at her father. With a happy noise, she snuggled into his chest. A rumbling purr started up in his chest, like the crooning soft purrs I’d heard others make to their little ones. With a yawn, her eyelids started to droop. Soon she was dropping off with the rest of her siblings. Instead of setting her down next to her brothers, Kirch grabbed a pelt from the pile in the bag Mina had sent him with, pulling out a pink one with white polka dots covering it to tuck it in around her. He looked loath to set her down right that moment.
My heart pinched with that slow building ache that had been overcoming me of late at the sight of all these big bad beasties gone total softies for their very much loved babies. The sight had my emotional butt, particularly amped up since Khri’s departure, getting all watery-eyed.
“Mally?” Khri asked worriedly.
“I’m fine,” I tried to assure him.
His arms came around me again just as he’d started to release me to go drop of his packs of meat like everyone else was. I leaned into him, soaking up his presence, taking in his scent. “Missed you. Love you,” I told him, to his happy rumbling purring.
“Loves Mally-mine,” he garbled out over the insane purr kicking up in his chest.
“Hey-o!” Boog called out, lumbering up with Joanie rambling at him a mile a minute. I wasn’t jealous of their bond, the exact opposite. Joanie needed people who understood her. She was different, there was no doubting that, but there was much more to her than you saw on the surface. The woman was a damned onion. It was complicated. Watching the way she doted over Rosa’s kids was a prime example. She loved those kiddos like they were her own and protected them just as fiercely. There was a big heart hiding behind that big mouth.
Rek might not have clued in to just how sensitive she could be, but I hoped he wised up. It didn’t take a genius to see the way she looked at him when she thought no one was looking. I couldn’t talk to her about it because she wouldn’t, it wasn’t Joans’ way. My friend was struggling but she had to come to me, on her own time. Seeing her spilling something to Boog had a smile tipping my lips.
“Boog-mine, Joans,” I greeted them, to one of Boog’s smiles and a hello wave from Joanie. Something was bothering her but she was just bottling it up. Rosa couldn’t even get a hint out of her as to what the heck was going on. Joanie being Joanie, we’d have to wait and see.
Rek’s absence, gone along with the group on the trip, I’d thought might maybe give her some sense of ease, a small break for the two, but I’d almost say she’d seemed depressed. That woman worried me.
“Be ‘kay, Joansie,” Boog said after a moment, bringing her in for a quick, friendly hug that had a real smile tipping her lips.
Patting his chest, she carefully extracted herself. “Thanks, boogster.”
“Welcomes,” he told her. To us, he puffed up his chest. “I help.”
“Oh good, then you can tell me what’s got her all sad puppy dog eyes, and then Rosa and I can mock her and then help her get over it,” I taunted as if I was speaking to him, raising a single eyebrow at Joanie.
“He’s like a vault,” Joanie joked back, easing the panicked look in Boog’s eyes about being put on the spot like that.
“It’s alright, darling,” I grinned at my amber-eyed mate, “you can have your secrets.”
His body eased completely, so I felt the need to add, “Heaven knows I have mine.”
Boog scowled at the idea. Khri, not one to fall for my little baited tease traps, leaned in to press a kiss to my temple. “Mally. Mally-mine,” my dark-eyed male murmured against my skin.
“What heavens known seemcrets?” Boog asked uncertainly.
Joanie, already turning to leave, shook her head. You’re so bad, she mouthed, then tossed me two thumbs up.
“I know,” I told her, to her cackling laughter and Boog’s annoyed confusion. He was really cute when he got befuddled mad.
“Later, bitch,” she called out.
“Snoochie boochies, assbutt,” I shouted back.
Her hand lifted in a wave over her head as she sauntered off.
“Bad. Mally-mine bad, bad female,” Khri said on a laugh, but he sounded like he liked his bad mate just fine. Nuzzling his way to my nape, he was a face-rubs-for-hugs deep nuzzle in when he paused.
Boog cleared his throat and leaned in. “Smells nice, Khri’ mate, yes?” he prodded my blue-eyed beast.
Khri’s answering rumble had me laughing and trying to move his head from its eager nuzzling. It tickled, and he was making no move to remove himself.
“Careful,” I warned, placing my hand over my belly. “I haven’t been feeling well lately, remember.”
“Say it,” Kirch barked, then winced as his little princess, passed out on his chest, began to stir.
“Say what?” Wilhelmina asked, trotting up with a triumphant look, her mates Tarnk and Vek flanking either side of her.
“Tells her. Him. Him. Them.” Kirch jerked a finger between all of us. “Games not nice. Females no like the games,” he warned Boog cryptically, then looked to his mate as if he was looking for an atta boy.
Mina turned to us and two perfectly shaped eyebrows winged upward. “Ah, gotcha.” Facing Kirch, she tossed him a wink. “I dunno, some games can be fun... Wouldn’t you say?”
“Making babies fun,” Tarnk chimed in, to Mina’s snorted laughter.
Vek started to purr, grinning down at his much sm
aller mate at the mention of baby making.
“Shh!” Kirch hushed them all, bringing a hand over their baby girl’s ear protectively, glancing worriedly at their boys and looking like he was lamenting his lack of extra arms. “No wake my babies!” he whispered fiercely.
Tarnk lit up at the sight of all their little ones passed out near Kirch. Setting the bow and quiver of arrows he seemed to take with him everywhere down near the tree they’d settled under, he joined Kirch. Vek came up behind Mina, wrapping his arms around her, setting his thick arms over her chest to wiggle them playfully until she took his thick digits into hers and intertwined them. He was a bruiser of a guy but he was a total teddy bear for his mate.
I had that, had all of it, with the exception of one thing, one tiny little thing that if I was correct, was just on the horizon.
“Kirch tell them,” Kirch glanced up at Mina to blurt suddenly. “I tell them now.”
“You’ll do no such thing. Let ‘em figure it out on their own,” she tsked him, ruining her huffing and puffing with a shit eating grin.
“I think I’m pregnant.” There, I’d said it out loud, now let it be true. My gaze darted from Mina and her family group to the males I loved more than anything. “That’s what he wants to say, right, what Boog’s been acting all super protective about since I started having bouts of nausea. I’ve got a baby baking and you wanted to wait to talk to me about it once Macho Man warrior guy first husband got home, right?”
Boog nodded as Khri’s fur lifted, rippling with what I’d come to call, happy goosebumps. “Babies,” Khri purred.
“Boog want princesses,” he announced, like he was putting in a request.
“Not quite sure I’m the deciding factor in that one,” I put in mildly.
“Smell belly, close,” Kirch advised, lifting a hand to tap his nose. “Tell soon ‘nough. Boy, girl, boys, girls. Soon, nose know.”
One glance down at my tummy as if they were wondering just how pissed I’d get if either one of them whipped up my shirt and tried to catch a sniff right here and now, my hands slid over my belly protectively. “Once we get home, beastie boys. Don’t even think about exposing these jelly rolls to the light of day. You might blind someone with this pink belly,” I joked.
“Amen,” Mina chortled, lifting her hand for an air high-five.
“We go home,” Khri said quickly, before I’d had a chance to air high-five her back, scooping me up before I could protest, to start rushing off.
“Byed byes!” I heard Boog shout after our impromptu departure over my grumblings of rude good byes.
“There,” Khri said grandly, “Boog sayed the byes.”
“You’re incorrigible,” I muttered, but smiled.
“Mally on-courage Khri do many things,” my navy-eyed male pointed out.
“Perv.” My hand lifted and I clapped it to my forehead. “And I said incorrigible, not encourage-able.”
“Same,” Khri chuckled out with a shrug.
“Not the same,” I gently argued.
“Same to Khri,” my first mate husband said with a sing-song.
“I take it your hunting trip went really well?” I asked, loving his cuddly, good mood.
“Better now. Khri home,” he admitted, and he meant every word.
“Almost home,” I pointed out.
“No,” Boog said as Khri’s steps slowed, coming up behind us to lean over Khri, wrapping his arms around both of us, resting his chin on Khri’s shoulder as he leaned in and gave me a nuzzle. “We home. Home right now.”
“Mally home,” Khri finished, just in case I wasn’t sure where Boog was going with that.
“Home,” I murmured, turning to plant a kiss on each of their furry cheeks. Twin rumble-purrs had me grinning like a loon.
“MINE,” we all said in unison.
Epilogue
The Bump
“Hey, have you seen Joanie?” I asked Noyel, coming up to stand next to him as Khri stood talking with one of his daddies and his mama. His folks waved to me as I stopped to chat with Rosa and her grouping. Joanie’d left her trash beanie, as Rosa and I had jokingly come to call it, at my place the other day.
“Check Rek’s?” Zhuii asked as Tokre’s hands moved, interpreting for him. I was still really bad at reading Tokre’s rapid fire signing but I was trying. Rosa was working with me on it.
“Rek’s? Okay. Cool. Thanks.” My head bobbed in a nod.
Rosa’s males all exchanged speaking glances that said much more than I was privy to, but I’d decided a while ago some things just weren’t any of my damned business, and I was much happier that way.
It occurred to me, as I headed for Rek’s for a quick pop in, I should probably tell Khri were I was going to really quick, but it was just up the way from their big village shindig and I only intended to be gone a moment.
Coming up on Rek’s cottage, a decent sized hut with shutters on the windows and the thickest door I’d ever seen, I jokingly thought of it as his dungeon. Given his sometimes villainous attitude, it suited. My steps slowed as I heard weird noises issuing from inside. Something crashed, a grunt, a hiss, then a groan. The door was cracked open, allowing me to walk right up and peer in through the open space provided, minimal snooping required on my part. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. I’d heard stories about beasties sneaking into the village. Unlike Earth, aside from Lo denaii bridenappings, these chill you right up tales were all true.
A sharp cry and an even louder hiss had my heart pounding as I tiptoed closer. Holy hells what was... My hand slowly slid to my mouth as I blinked, blanched, desperate not to make a noise.
The room was a mess, stuff just thrown everywhere, like a tornado had hit. Joanie was on the bed, a sock stuffed in her mouth, eyes about rolling into the back of her head as she was bounced up and down on the bed. A large roll of plastic wrap and roll of condoms were on the floor, which explained what that crinkling sound was and the plastic bits sticking to Joanie and Rek. Pulling out enough to make the condom covering his cock visible, plastic wrap over his crotch, a hole for his junk through the cling wrap, like he didn’t want any actual part of Joanie’s skin to meet his, he pounded away into her. They were screwing like this would be the last time they had sex ever. Joanie’s nail’s clawed at his back, gouging his flesh. Her name was a muttered chant on his lips. Bits of plastic wrap covered Joanie’s neck, right where a Lo denaii male might bury his face in his mate’s neck. His mouth was open, only that clingy wrap separating his teeth from her skin as he nipped and snarled, thrusting into her hard enough Joanie fell deeper and deeper into the mattress. One hand was buried in her hair, exposing her neck, the other hand holding one of hers, their fingers intertwined.
Eek. Shuddering, I couldn’t pull back and scurry away fast enough. I supposed I maybe knew what Rek had been willing to go on a mission to Earth for now. No one should have to see their friend mid boning. It was like that madness was burned into my brain.
Scrambling away from the sight I was wishing I could rewind and erase, pretend I’d never seen it, the second I was out of the sharp gasps and sucking wet noises range of things, I spun around and ran. I was almost back to the celebration when I bumped into my amber-eyed mate. “What wrong? What up my Mally?” Boog asked.
“What? What’s up?” I parroted. What was up? What was up, was I needed eye bleach, that’s what was up. “Oh, nothing, nothing at all,” I said instead. “Went to go find Joanie and give her her hat back.” Lifting the need-to-be-returned item up, I waved it around.
“No find her?” he asked, scratching at his chin as his other arm came around me and he urged me to cuddle in close to his side. Gripping his mating pelt, set atop Khri’s over my shoulders, he hiked it up a little bit as if the shudder that fell over me was from the chill in the air.
“She was, uh, busy,” barf, “I’ll swing by with it later...” maybe never, “you know, or just leave it with Rosa,” I improvised on the spot. Gah. Why hadn’t I just done that in the fi
rst place?
“My pumpkin ‘kay?” Boog rumbled softly. “Be okayed?” His free hand went to my belly and he brushed a clawed hand lovingly over the bump where the girls were already showing.
“I’m okay, boog-man. Thanks.” My hand slid over his to give his fingers a squeeze.
“Babies?” he asked quickly.
“The girls are good, too.” Turning to him, I lifted my face to his, waiting for him to close the distance and kiss me. “Thank you,” I whispered against his lips when he eventually let me up for air.
“Good.” Happy rumble amped up, he nuzzled my temple to peck a kiss there, and then we were off again.
Girls. Two. My amber-eyed male told anyone who’d listen his female was giving him not just one but two princesses.
Kirch had looked practically green with envy at the news Bauheg would have twice the cuteness coming his way. Mina thought her mate’s reaction was hilarious. Her only daughter was a perfect mini of her mother, down to her sassy attitude and stubborn hide. Joanie called her Mini Meanie, though she’d started to babysit Mina’s munchkins when Dorothy wasn’t available and Mina and her mates just needed a few quiet moments amongst themselves. Joanie said it with such affection no one cared. Joanie was already working on teaching Mina’s minions how to raise hell. Joans was the honorary crazy fun auntie of Yeti land.
Coming up on Rosa and her grouping, I had to laugh at the sight that greeted us. “Someone’s suddenly gotten very festive,” I commented.
Zhuii spotted us first, lifting his hand in a wave as Boog jerked his chin. Lifting his free hand, Boog signed to Tokre, who glanced up to see I’d returned with one of my mates in tow. Balancing the babe on his wide shoulders with practiced ease, Tokre signed back. Rosa’s hearing impaired mate bounced his baby girl on his shoulders, waiting for her to tap him to do it again. Noyel had one of the boys, Tohkrii, climbing all over him, a little pumpkin dressed cutie, with pumpkin top leafed hat and everything. Rosa’d gotten really into the artsy craft stuff, dragging Joanie and me along for the ride. Rosa was big with the holidays for the kids. Zhuel, now dressed as a turkey of all things, was squawking, “Gobble-gobble,” clutching his mother’s waist. The costumes were Rosa’s first attempt at making a complicated outfit, with Joanie watching over her. Rosa was as excited as the kids to see them sporting their duds.
Pumpkin Bride: Brides of the Hunt: A Brides of the Hunt Holiday Novel Page 14
