“Delicate,” Dorothy said finally.
“Sweet,” Zhuii corrected.
“Sensitive,” Noyel went one step further with.
“My goodness,” a chuckle left the healer, “I see there’s no sense in trying to have this one out with you two, is there?”
“No.”
“None.”
“You’re decided, then?” she asked cryptically.
“Yes.”
“No doubt in my mind, Mama.”
Dorothy made a noise, exhaling softly. “In that case, I’m happy for you. And good luck, especially with that one hovering about. I’ve a feeling you boys are going to need it.”
“You… You approve, then?” Noyel asked hesitantly.
“Noyel no need approval,” Griever huffed out, sounding annoyed. “Noyel a Lo denaii or a hooman? Silly… tiny…”
“I’m a human, Griever dearest,” Dorothy reminded, which shut the male right up.
“A bit of both,” Noyel said thoughtfully, earning himself a delighted chuckle from his mother.
“And not a damned thing wrong with that!” Dorothy cried out victoriously.
There was shuffling, and the bed moved as someone bumped it.
“Zhuii gets a hug, too,” the large male insisted, to which Dorothy told him, “Of course, honey, you’ll be one of my boys soon enough. No use being silly about it now.” Which earned them a warning grumble from Griever. “Hush,” she told her mate, who only grew louder. With a long sigh and more grumbling, the sound of shuffling feet had my ears pricking. “We better go. It’s getting late and these two need their sleep. Poor things. Been through enough today.”
Griever had no comment to that, though I made out his chuffing huffs, his heavy, stomping steps as he tromped to the door. “We go,” he told his mate.
“Tokre not broken. Not idiot like Noyel, like Griever say,” Zhuii felt the need to tell Griever and Dorothy, as if to defend his friend.
“Gee, thanks, Zhaboobies,” Noyel grumbled dryly.
“Welcome, No-yell,” Zhuii grunted out curtly.
Noyel made a rude noise, but Zhuii wasn’t finished.
Clearing his throat, Zhuii continued, “Tokre just different. Like Rosie say. Not bad mate, or broken like Rek say, just different. Tokre no hear. Ears no work good. Still good Lo denaii. Fishes. Weaves. Traps. Smart. Teach Zhuii how to talk to Tokre, hand-talk words, how to make Zhuii’s things for Zhuii sell. Tokre teach Zhuii lots, and… and Zhuii no smart.”
“Why, Zhuii, hun. Now I can’t say I know you that well, but I do know this, I’ve seen the things you’re capable of crafting. Talent like that? Sweetie, you are anything but stupid.”
“Work with hands. Not smart. Zhuii work hard, not smart.” There was a hint of steel to the orange-eyed beast’s voice that spoke of just how resolute he felt about this.
The poor thing truly thought he was stupid and would not be persuaded otherwise.
A tiny fissure opened up in my chest where my heart was supposed to be, that stupid thumping organ skipping more than a few beats, aching like it does for Tokre and all the bull he must’ve gone through.
How had it been for Zhuii? Who’d made him feel that way? So stubborn to refuse to believe he wasn’t smart?
“Your strengths are someone else’s weakness,” Dorothy proclaimed louder than necessary, “like when you’re a warrior and your family is full of all sorts, healers and warrior and the like, those healers there to stitch your stubborn ass back up!”
Griever made a grumbling noise of assent.
Then Dorothy told Zhuii, lower, “You are not a stupid male. You are sweet, and kind, and big and strong, and I think you’ll all make a fine group. And one day, if you fellas play your cards right, that little lady over there will realize just how lucky she’ll be to have so many talented males to look after her, right?”
Zhuii made a soft, happy noise. “Thank you, Doro-thee. Zhuii needs Rosie choose Zhuii back.”
There was a pat-pat sound. “I’m sure she will,” she encouraged the fluffy haired beast. Like he needed anymore damned encouragement! “And,” Dorothy’s hands clapped loudly, “we’re just going to steep this tea, get some in your friend over there, and then we’ll all just be on our way.”
“All?” Noyel repeated warily, like he understood some hidden meaning behind her words that I certainly didn’t.
“Yes. All,” she reiterated. “Don’t think I’m so old I’m senile. Leave you two brutes alone with that sweet, naked, bloody, dirtied, poor, unprotected little creature while her mate’s incapacitated? Oh-ho-ho, boys, have I got news for you.”
“B-b-b-but-”
“Zhuii never-”
“We wouldn’t-”
“Of course you won’t, because you’ll be coming with us,” the woman called out cheerfully.
I couldn’t hide the relief I felt at her proclamation.
“Little,” Griever agreed with his mate. “Tired. Tiny. Need sleep.”
“But who will watch over them? Protect them?!” Noyel burst out.
“Detret and Berkr. Warriors,” Griever put in dryly.
At Noyel’s unhappy snarl, his father expanded. “Watch Tokre hut, outside.”
“It’s been such a short period of time. She needs to adjust to everything. More than most,” Dorothy reasoned. “You boys do want her to adjust, don’t you?”
A round of grudging, “Yes”s reached my ears. I’d never heard a sweeter sound.
CHAPTER 13
“Now don’t you boys worry any,” Dorothy soothed as she ushered them out the door. “I’ll be back to check on them later.”
“Make sure Rosie warm?” Zhuii muttered worriedly.
“And washes,” Noyel added.
“Of course,” Dorothy agreed. “I’ll have one of your daddies bring in a tub. Later.”
“Rosie hungry when wakes. Needs food.”
“Rosie will need clothes.”
“Clothes and food, uh-huh, that would be assumed.” I wasn’t quite sure she was listening anymore, as they’d begun to ramble, one speaking over the other.
“I could-” both males said simultaneously, to have Dorothy interrupt them.
“Fellas! She will be just fine!”
“Tiny mate be fine,” Griever rumbled above the din. “Tokre, too. We go. We ALL go.”
“But I-”
“Rosie-lindy need-”
“Those stitches, Mama-”
“Who talk for Tokre?”
“We. Go.” Griever’s tone implied resistance was futile, and proved as much when one grumble started, then another, and his started up, a snarling growl that drowned everyone else out.
There was the sound of scuffling, sharp snarls, shouts, then muffled grumbling, and shuffling, and then the door slammed open, the sound of grunted out growls pricking my ears.
Cracking an eyelid open as that wooden portal to the outside beast world was slammed shut, I spotted Griever with a thick, squirming, hogtied bundle.
Noyel was trussed up, his hands tied behind his back, a roll of what looked like gauze sticking out of his furry mouth, the end of it fluttering in the cold breeze. One hand dragged behind Griever, his huge paw of a hand gripping Zhuii’s nape, dragging the unconscious beast behind him.
“Griever no need introvepent,” the big beast could be heard muttering loudly as they took their leave. “Griever good Lo denaii. Big, strong mate. Protect Rothy and offspring. Teach warrior skills.”
“Intervention,” his mate gently corrected. “You’re a stubborn, nasty, knobheaded old fool, and you drive me nuts. You know that, right?”
Griever could be heard making a grunting noise. “Maybe. Maybe that why Rothy loves her big warrior Lo denaii beast most.”
“Hah!” Her soft, tinkling laughter and his happy, deep rumble followed them.
CHAPTER 14
“And you can take that glimmering hope bahooky I’d stupidly been duped with, you- you- you cotton-candy-headed... ninnymuggins, and shove it up
your- Hey! I said no! What do you think you’re- Unhand me!”
“Stop fighting. Rosie agitate Tokre,” Noyel grunted out, “make Tokre-”
“Oh for heaven’s sake, say it right or shut your fuzzy muzzle! I know you can!” Pointing to Noyel, then to Zhuii, my other hand gripping the pelt shielding my nudity, clutching the material to my chest hard enough my fingers were going numb. “Now just… don’t you come any closer. Either of you.”
My words were more plea than demand; not that it mattered as they ignored me and continued to slowly stalk forward.
They were closing in on me, surrounding me. I was cornered and I knew it, felt it. But like hell would I go down without a fight on this one. Like fucking hell.
“Zhuii be gentle,” the orange-eyed beast crooned cajolingly, holding his large hands out in front of him, palms out. And would the insta-half-boner he sported more often than not, barely disguised with that furry foreskin and the fluffy pelt surrounding it, be kind to my furburger, hmm? Huh?
“Rosie will like it,” Noyel began, cutting himself off at the blistering look I sent him.
I had to remind myself he couldn’t read minds and had no idea the track my brain was trotting along.
“Like it?” I scoffed. “I’ll like it! Well then, why don’t you go do it then, hmm, to yourself!!” I didn’t need them to help me do it. I totally would’ve. Eventually. Sooner or later…
Okay, brain, whose side are you on?!
Noyel blinked, then blinked again, sharing a quick look with Zhuii.
A growl was building in my throat, slowly seeping out as they took one, two steps closer. “Nuh-uh,” I muttered belligerently. “No doin’.”
Holding my hand out, my fingers curled, forming claws, as if I meant to swipe at them if they dared take one more god damned step. Going for their balls, I promised. Right for the fur covered testicles!
Zhuii sighed and backtracked, spotting my eyes darting to his goods repeatedly, going back to his original spot.
Good, I thought, allowing myself to breathe a little. Now it was just time for Jolly Fur to back that ass up.
“You too, furred balls,” I barked at Noyel.
Tokre made a grumbling noise from the bed in his sleep and I winced, promising myself I was going to keep it down, if only for him.
The beast healed unbelievably fast, and I had no doubt those stitches of his would need to be coming out very soon, lest he risk his skin growing over them. He was already getting his hair back where the gashes had sliced portions clean off.
Whatever these Lo denaii were, they were some type of super Abominable. Super alien beast men looking for love, and I’ve somehow gotten myself mixed up in this bride-napping business.
Those beings, creatures, were definitely not of this world- No, not of my world, I reminded myself.
A shuffling caught my attention, almost too late.
“Ah-ah-ah!” My hand swiped at Noyel’s bluffed lunge, the slim but towering beastie jerking back in shocked surprise as my hand skimmed his lower belly. I’d be lying to myself if I said I wasn’t actually enjoying myself a bit, flexing my inner tigerlady claws, sharpening my teeth in their beastie hides. Hell, they were more upset by the turn of things than I was.
Noyel let out a plaintive yowl, though I never made contact. “Did you see that?” he burst out. “She almost clawed me!”
“Little warrior,” Zhuii murmured proudly, turning to me with a short nod and a lopsided half-smile. “Roso-lawn-dely fierce.”
Ugh. “If you can’t manage a simple Rosie, Rose, Rosa, which are all acceptable as far as I’m concerned on the Rosalinda train, just go back to the Rosie-lindy thing,” I muttered on a groan. “Rosie-lawn-lady, lawn darts, and whatever the hell else shit you’ve been tossing at me since you two assholes waltzed in here at the ass crack of dawn, isn’t working for me.”
The boxy beast flinched visibly, jerking as if I’d just kicked him. “Zhuii try to be smart, talk big humans talk like Noyel,” Zhuii mumbled dejectedly, his voice low and uncertain to the point the guilt started to nag at me, jealous of his even more annoying counterpart.
Staring at Zhuii, I pointed to Noyel warningly. “You come near me and even think of touching me, Neal, and I’ll unman you.”
Noyel shot up from his crouch, ready to try for another pounce, but made a funny noise at my proclamation and gasped dramatically. How old was this idiot, anyway, I wondered, about to voice my thoughts aloud. Cute idiot... Gah. No. Bad Rosa.
“Mama’s Jesus,” Noyel huffed, his shoulders stiffening in affront.
Butt-hurt much? The beast was almost downright adorable all huffy and puffy like that—or he would be, if I wasn’t ready to crotch punch him.
My gaze shot from Zhuii to Noyel, to Tokre, who was still fast asleep, softly snoring from the big bed I’d been rudely ejected from not so very long ago. “How old are you all?” I felt the sudden need to ask.
“Not old,” Zhuii assured me, though he looked like he was pinching in a fart as the words left his lips.
“Old enough,” Noyel replied primly, which made my nose crinkle as my eyebrows tugged low, my expression pinching as I studied him.
“Oh boy,” I muttered tiredly, scrubbing a hand down my face.
Zhuii took that moment to make his move. He was super fucking fast, so fast they had my pelt ripped from my fingers, Noyel rushing up, hoisting me up between them before I’d had a chance to let out the shocked scream building in my throat.
“You’ll feel better once we’re done,” Noyel soothed.
“Not scary,” Zhuii said on a grunt. Butt naked and sandwiched between the two behemoths, shouting at them from the top of my lungs, I panicked.
“No! I’d rather be dirty! Blood is good for my skin!” I howled, kicking my legs out while they each grabbed ahold of one of my arms and a thigh, my legs splayed wide, unintentionally exposing my cooch to the open air. “Animals! All of you! Fucking beasts! Help!”
“Stop squirming,” Noyel grunted out as they shuffled farther away from the safety of the wall, my wall. Yes, that was my fucking wall, god damn it! I’d claimed it—was willing to pee on it to mark it if need be.
“No want to drop Rosie-Lin- Uh, Rosie,” Zhuii said not unkindly.
And speaking of claiming pee… “I, ah… uh… I need to, uhm, go!”
Both males stopped dead in their tracks.
Glancing down at me, their eyes roving the entirety of my person, going so far as to briefly but not so discreetly eyeball my lady junk, the tragically dunderheaded duo gulped.
When their eyes met mine, my livid expression and the furious blush staining my face, they froze.
Busted, assholes.
Zhuii had the good grace to blush, bless his peepin’ heart.
“We got this far,” Noyel reasoned. “There’s no turning back now.”
“Of course there is,” I insisted, glowering at the obstinate male.
“Zhuii not wish to chase again,” the orange-eyed beast said after a long moment. “Rosie wily.”
“And fast,” Noyel added.
Act like ya gotta pee, woman, I bellowed at myself in my head, proceeding to squirm like my bladder might bust.
They switched to beast speak when I added little pained yips and eeps, then both grunted in agreement, and we were moving again.
“Hey, wait! What about- I just said- I gotta wee!”
By now they were moving along either side of the lip, raising me over the top. “Pee when done.” Noyel was not in the mood to be persuaded. “We’ll be quick.”
“Do you have any idea how unsanitary that is?” I was winging it, going by the seat of my pants—as usual anymore—grasping away at straws, but something had to work, because this was not happening. “What if I get a bladder infection, hmm? They say you should never hold it like that, not for something like… like this! You should always go before, and maybe even sometimes right after,” I lied.
“Go ahead,” Zhuii said flatly, then waited.
<
br /> “Are you serious?” I whispered, gaping up into his furry face as he stared down at me with a purposefully, perfectly blank expression.
“What you mama say, No-yell?” the fluffy haired brute asked of his partner in crime.
“Say for what?” Noyel mumbled absently, his gaze sliding to my pussy hole repeatedly.
My lady muscles clenched, whether out of reflex or the idea that he was so enamored with it my warped little mind found it flattering, I wasn’t entirely sure, but a strange, soft, warbling noise began to vibrate his chest, like a box fan stuck on low.
It kept up, the funny noise, and then it clicked. He’s purring, I realized.
“No-yell,” Zhuii grunted out, while I was contemplating how fucked up it was I was thinking about clenching that crap up again, just to see what he’d do. She’s waving hello, ya hairy dick. Don’t just stand there and gape, go on and introduce yourself, you furry perv.
As if he could sense my thoughts, or, uh, smell, erm, things, Noyel’s ‘box fan’ kicked on high.
My side tingled from the vibrations rumbling from his chest into my own ribs, and I found myself gulping hard, a light sheen of sweat breaking out along my hairline.
He was like one of those fancy arm chairs with a massage setting for your back. Or a vibrator… Gah! I’m contemplating vaginal muscle clench flirting and walking, talking, furry vibrator fantasies with an annoying, bossy, fat headed beast who is currently trying to- Double gah! What is wrong with me?!
“No! No! NO!” I burst out, but it was too late. I was right where they wanted me, and there wasn’t a single damned thing I could do about it. “No means no!!” I screeched. “Unhand me, knaves!”
The door burst open then, the large beast from the clearing—Berkr, as it was explained to me—grumbling and snarling his way inside.
“Enough!” the large male roared, his thick, dark fur ruffling in the sudden breeze whipping in from the open door. Fat snowflakes covered his wide shoulders and the top of his head, dusting his enormous body like rapidly melting confetti.
Bride of Glass Page 20
