Two beast mouths opened, one slowly shut, two sets of fur bristling. Dirty looks were exchanged, all around. No one liked feeling painted into a corner.
Noyel blurted in a rush, so fast I almost couldn’t make half of it out. It was a confession of beastly proportions, blurted like one giant, run-on sentence. “Noyel wanted time alone with Rosie, and Zhuii say so long as Noyel stayed with Tokre, you wouldn’t be hurrying to come back, and Zhuii could take Rosie to Zhuii’s place, to show you. Ahem.”
Oh, good, he’s stopping to breathe. Breathing is important.
“And Zhuii could present his mating pelt for Rosie.” Noyel made a show of clearing his throat, forcing a smile that shouldn’t look nearly as charming as it did, the plotting fur turd.
“Erm, what?” Talk about a sudden admission, and, hello, subject change.
Warning bells were going off. They didn’t tell me Rek had left to keep a hold over me, had they not? Was that just one more thing to keep me compliant!?
“Zhuii’s going to do the same for Noyel when Noyel takes Rosie to see things, and to Noyel’s.”
“And that,” my hands flapped between Noyel and Zhuii, “was what that, ah, whatever it was, was all about?”
“To stay with Tokre so Rosie wouldn’t hurry, and Noyel knows Zhuii will do the same for Noyel? Yes.”
A Plan B when A was starting to grow spotty. “I see,” was all I said.
“Tokre too,” Zhuii added, as if to make sure he scribbled his friend’s name on my shit list, right along with him.
For cripes sake. Really?
“When? How?” I asked, more curious than anything about his part in all this, wondering when this supposed secret convo had taken place.
“Swimming.” Noyel said with the practiced ease of a younger brother tattling on one of the elder.
“Fishing. When Tokre better.” Zhuii started to look uncomfortable, guilty even, as Tokre started to make his tell me what’s up, asshole look at Zhuii.
A conversation I’d love to be a fly on the wall for, but I had bigger fishies to chop the metaphorical heads off of.
“So… you guys were all, like, planning alone time with me? When?” When did they have the freaking time for this? And why was my crazy ass kinda flattered?
“When Rosie short sleep,” Zhuii grudgingly admitted, though he looked upset the cat had been dumped right outta the bag. When I’d taken a short nap, he meant. Or I should say, when I’d demanded Tokre have a rest, and he demanded I join in, and I apparently was the only one to catch some zzzz’s.
But there was still the matter of my aggressive suitor. “Don’t try and dodge, Neal, Noyel, Nealy boil, boyo, Oh, yeah, don’t think I didn’t catch on to that, and we’ll be discussing that later, m’kay. What’s this shit about Rek? How did he leave? Why did he leave? And why didn’t any of you furry butt munches tell me?”
“Zhuii no munch on-”
“Zhuii!” My accompanying warning look could blister.
“Zhuii shutting up.” The beast mimed pinching his lips. “But Zhuii no munch the butts.”
At my look Zhuii slapped his hand over his eyes, prompting a laugh from Noyel.
My gaze swung around to his, until he noticed the dark look trained on him and his hearty, gut tumbling laughter died. In another situation, I’d say it was a lovely sound, smooth and happy. Not right now.
Noyel gave a nervous laugh under my annoyed regard. Outwardly, I was pissed, inwardly, I was cheering on the tigerwoman snarling like a beastwoman.
“We were going to tell you?” The tall beast had the decency to look embarrassed, if only at being caught. The eventually at the end of his sentence was tacked on silently.
“Like when he came back.” It wasn’t a question. I already knew the answer. Though this did beg the question, “Did Tokre know?”
“That Rek left?” Noyel shook his head.
That got my hands slapping to my hips. This family unit stuff, yeah, this keeping things crap was gonna be the first thing we fixed. “Any reason you were keeping it from him, too?”
“Rek left, but Rek be back,” Zhuii relayed. “Wait ‘til Rek come back with-”
“Until he comes back for sure,” Noyel interrupted, earning a weird look from me and Zhuii.
Noyel’s eyebrows raised and he looked pointedly at Zhuii. “When we were sure he’d made it back, we were going to tell him. Right, Zhuii?”
“Zhuii not- Ah, yes.” The thick beast nodded. “Zhuii and Noyel wait ‘til Rek be back, then tell.”
“Oh.” I kinda deflated at that. “You meant, like, he went somewhere dangerous and might not make it back. Like, he might die or something?” Right. Okay. I nodded.
I wasn’t going to lie and say I was opposed to the idea of hearing the news of the jerk’s sudden and untimely demise, but I’d thought they meant he went through the portal that lead to Earth. Were there other portals? Other bride seeking portals they shot through? Did maybe they come from one? Or those Zhubar things? Was this some kind of portal waystation? A gateway plane to a million other places. Was this the Tardis-like homeworld for Abominable Time Lords? A mystical, magical planet that allowed them to get around instead of a kickass blue police box?
No. Laughing, I shook my head. That would just be way too awesome.
“We, uh, wait ‘til Rek be back, then tell Tokre,” Zhuii repeated. The beast was fidgeting, hard. “Zhuii not say to make Lindy-mine mad. Not say to Rosie because… because…”
“Because you didn’t want to upset me. Gotcha.” Or they didn’t want to get my hopes up, should Rek’s mangy ass make it. I could get that, should that be the actual reasoning. I would have gotten all excited, yet anxious, hoping for the worst for the violent beast in hopes it worked out for the best for me.
“Figured that one out all by my lonesome there, Zhu-baby, but thanks,” I murmured dryly. “You know, for admitting as much.” Or they didn’t want to get my hopes up, should Rek’s mangy ass make it. Got it.
I could almost completely excuse this, if I knew for a fact this was why. Call me distrustful, but lies, half-truths, and omissions didn’t mix well with me. All or nothing, truth or dare to face my wrath. In anything, I would have to say my tigerlady resided and thrived right there, in that respect.
Maybe Rek was off wrestling chum-chums on some alien beast planet. My dark little heart pitter pattered at the idea.
No, maybe one of those blue beasties, those Zhubar things, follows him and finds him in a dark, gloomy forest and takes him for their mate. A dirtbag he-beast at the mercy of a randy blue she-beast. Hah! If only karma was so sweet!
“If fucking only,” I whispered, giddy at the idea, unaware I was grinning like the badass evil villain in the fairytale, until Zhuii called my name.
“Lindy-mine? We… we go?”
“Hmm? What?” Clearing my throat, my gaze darted to my mate-husbands.
Three pairs of eyes watched me apprehensively—two in worry, one in confusion.
“Yes.” I cleared my expression. “We can go.” Walking back, I gave Tokre a long, lingering kiss, laughing softly when I pulled back and he continued to try and kiss the open air.
Finding himself emptyhanded, his eyes shot open to meet mine.
With a deep, happy croon he ran his thumb and forefinger along my cheeks, a sweet, loving caress.
Covering his hand with mine, I turned my cheek to give his thick knuckles a kiss. “Be back soon,” I told him, then stood and sauntered my way to the door.
I could feel it, three heated gazes on my ass as it swished exaggeratedly.
“And you two.” I turned at the door.
Zhuii hugged the doorway, sucking his stomach in to let me pass. Ol’ blue fluff wanted, was hoping, I’d brush up along him on my way out.
Pausing at the threshold, I pointed a finger at Noyel and then Zhuii. “No more secrets. No bullshit. If we’re going to do this, you both are going to have to knock that lie by omission crap off, pronto.”
“Yes’m,” No
yel said quickly, though contritely. Contritely enough I thought he might mean it.
“Zhuii not want to lie to him Lindy-mine.” The beast suddenly looked stricken, his eyes widening until they were the size of silver dollars. “Zhuii Lindy-mine in here,” Zhuii’s hand spread across his chest. “No hurt my Rosolandra. Protect. Help.”
Rosa what-what? Lord of the flies, so help me…
“I’m beginning to understand that,” I told him as I slipped past. Reaching out, I gave his hand over his heart a soft pat. “And Rosie is just fine. Don’t know how I feel about the Lindy thing.” Stepping out into the snow, my smile was teasing as I dared a peek over my shoulder, a sly look on my face. “I look like a Lindy to you?”
The big beast purred, his wide mouth kicking up into the faintest of smiles. “Lindy-mine,” he fairly growled, stomping right behind me. If ever eyes could manage to smile and look heated, the Zhu man could pull it off.
Snuggling down into my fur cape, I grinned a little, foolish, flattered idiot that I am.
Noyel’s snort of disgust as he waved after us, an unsure look on his face, had that tiny smile plastered on my face slipping into a smirk.
I couldn’t explain it, this strangeness with these beasties, the change I felt inside of me. At times I felt annoyed as shit, then bold as brass, wanting to give these males a piece of my mind and then some. Other times I wanted to bust some damned fluffy noggins in, then run up and hug their asses until they couldn’t breathe. For the life of me, I didn’t understand it.
Truth be told, a part of me liked this freewheeling, wildness to my new life—lifestyle—while kinda clinging to the constant companionship I’ve found myself swallowed up in.
Would it ever grow old? Perhaps. I’d just have to find out.
We’d walked a ways, cutting through huts of varying shapes and sizes. They were all done up differently, each unique, yet lined up perfectly, side by side, another neatly lined row just across the way. This was a tightknit little beastly community.
This was so strange and yet already so strangely familiar. Because there’s no going back, I knew, though I’d happily live in denial if I could. Home isn’t home anymore.
“This is my life now. This is my home,” I whispered, staring off into the distance.
There was a large structure, a notable speck in the distance from where I stood, a smaller hut-like building next to it. Must be the first beast rest stop, that smaller building. It was round, with bleach white rectangles I assumed were doors. It made sense.
What was Joanie doing now, I wondered. Or Hank and the ski bunnies? His aunt and uncle and my mangy spirit animal other half, for that matter? Had anyone noticed I’d gone missing yet? Was I even missed back home?
This is home. I could say it, and even buy it, but a piece of me would always be back on the other end of that portal.
More huts lined the path as we turned, fat snowflakes all around me, growing by the minute. Some huts were lit, amber light emanating, smoke stacks puffing away, warming the occupants within. That white stuff, it was everywhere, a veritable winter wonderland. There was a chill in the air, but I wasn’t just shivering from the cold.
A thick arm came around me and I glanced up. “Lindy-mine?”
“What?” My voice was shaking, my cheeks wet. I was crying, quietly sobbing. I blinked rapidly, but this just served to blur my vision until I couldn’t see. “I’m not crying,” I got out on as sob. “I’m fine. I am not crying.”
“No fine.” Curt but gentle, his words were tempered by the sad hum starting up in his chest.
I hesitated, but only for a moment as he nudged me closer. He didn’t demand I go to him, merely left the option open. He was leaving this up to me. My choice—like my terms to our arrangement demanded.
“Sad? My Lindy-mine sad? Zhuii make him Rosie so sad?” Thick thumbs brushed at my cheeks, carefully wiping away all traces of my inability to keep my shit together. “No cry my-”
“I’m not sad!” I was rather proud of the fact the warble in my voice was all but gone, squished by the sound of sudden annoyance, a hint of hysterics thrown in for shits and gigs.
Zhuii made a noise that said he begged to differ but wasn’t keen to argue.
“I’m fine.”
Another noise.
I pulled back, unhooking his arm from my hip, and trudged ahead. “I’m not sad, or crying. I’m just… I- I hurt my- my-”
“Hoodhad?”
“My what-what?” Charging up ahead like a short but round, raging little bull of a million emotions, huffing and puffing visibly in this arctic freeze, I stopped to whirl around. “Who’d had?”
Zhuii’s brow creased until his eyebrows became one, a million tiny lines popping up, creasing his thick fas as his expression pinched. “Hoodhod? Hooham?” The beast scratched his head, his other hand flicking in my general direction with utmost hesitation, like he wanted to do more but was apprehensive to.
The beast looked like he didn’t even know exactly what he was trying to say. English really just wasn’t his deal.
“Hoohim? Hoohoo-uhm?” A frustrated growl left the beastie as he mouthed something, like he’d memorized the movement of his mouth saying it, yet bunked the pronunciation.
It was distracting, but anything to take my mind off of everything. My chest still felt tight, and my eyes were still glassy with a fresh sheen of tears. It was a wonder my tears hadn’t frozen as they fell and I didn’t have icicles dangling from my eyelids.
Zhuii kept trying for that word—words? But it was no use. “Huh? Zhu, look, I-”
“Grrrr. That,” he said on a snarl. Finger thrusting out, stomping forward, he pointed to the crux of my thighs.
Hoo-hah. Hoo. Hah. Hoodhad? Oh…“Good Great Pumpkin.”
“Great plumpkin?” If it was possible to look any more perpetually confused, the male had found a way to accomplish it.
“Plumpkin?” Immature, but a small titter of laughter popped free and I snorted. I couldn’t help it, it was just too ridiculous. And at any rate, “My plumpkin,” I loved that word so much I feared I may just start using it regularly, “is just fine, and it’s not making me sad.”
Zhuii gave a sniff, tapping the side of his nose. “It hurts.” He wasn’t asking, he was telling.
“I don’t know why they won’t allow you to be a warrior. You have a better snoot than Rek, Tokre and Noyel combined. I bet you’d bring in lots of, uh, meat or whatever. A lot of kills.”
“Zhuii not… Zhuii no hunt with males. Zhuii beast.” He kept grimacing, my almost metallic, sherbet swirling, funky eyeballed friend over there.
What should have been a compliment, the male took as a point in his failing as an Undesirable, Lo denaii being.
Zhuii’s chin dipped and he chuffed, staring down at his thick, snowy white fluff covered feet. If not for the light bluish sheen to his skin and fur, he’d have blended into the snowy background perfectly. The beast looked, I dare say, embarrassed. No, mortified.
It rankled.
He was larger than life yet kept questioning how worthy he was. By what standards, I wanted to demand. Its original clansmen? This new one, these Lo denaii? No society was perfect, or in most cases even remotely close. There was always this thrive or die atmosphere no matter where you went. But what about the others? Who was to help them out? Hold them up?
“Rubbish. You’d be a great warrior person, beastie thing.” I gave a short nod, my tone haughty, trying to fill this sick feeling in my stomach with ire. “You’re a Zhubeast. Exactly.” Another sharp nod. “You’re like the super beasts of, erm, beast people. I mean, look at you! You’re wide as you are tall. All the more reason why they should want you, no?”
Zhuii lifted his head reluctantly, as if it suddenly weighed a ton. “Lindy-mine think Zhuii good warrior? Good Lo denaii?”
“I don’t think,” I informed him. “I know.”
The big beast grinned at my vehement statement, his face lighting up like I’d just given him the gr
eatest gift. “Zhuii be good male. Best mate. Take care of Lindy-mine. Rosie see.”
“I’m just sure you will.” My tears had dried up, and I was feeling nominally better. Sometimes you just had to turn the valves and let the steam out a little. Or else I might explode, I added with a mental nod.
Zhuii stepped closer, until we were shoulder to shoulder. Together, we started walking again.
“Lindy-mine talk other things. Zhuii no forget.” The male looked ahead. I got the impression he understood I was feeling kind of fragile at the moment.
“All better now. Nothing to see here. Keep moving.”
“Zhuii and Lindy-mine keep moving. Lindy-mine tell Zhuii why Rosie sad.”
“What? No. Nope. Not sad anymore. See?” Pointing to my cheeks, I smiled wide, until my face ached. “See,” I said through an exaggerated smile full of teeth. “All good now.”
“Tokre hurt Rosie bad? Rosie need Rothy? Zhuii find Rothy, or Rothy mates. Help him Rosie. No be scared. We fix it. Zhuii ask Rothy help Rosie-lindy mates no hurt her?”
“Totally unnecessary,” I choked out, understanding his look of confusion at my comment for once.
Unless Rothy was gonna chop off a bit at the end there on ol’ Tokre, I couldn’t really see how she’d be able to provide much assistance in that department.
The earnest sincerity in those giant, freakish eyeballs fringed in long, white blue and black lashes had me blinking up at him.
“Seriously not crying over that. And really not needed.” Nor wanted at all. “So let’s just move on. Please.”
The stain on my cheeks couldn’t be denied. I turned burnt sienna, they flushed so dark—a rouge so heavy it felt hot spreading across my entire face, down my neck and across my chest, maybe even beyond that. I was aflame with embarrassment.
I don’t care if he means well. We are not having this conversation.
“Lindy-mine…”
“Look, Z man, we’d have been fine if we hadn’t fallen, alright. Lesson learned. I should probably lead. And obviously do it in a bed or something.”
“Lead?”
“You know,” I made a motion with my hands, “be on top.”
Bride of Glass Page 31
