Bride of Glass

by Jeanette Lynn

  “Put Griever down now!” Noyel’s daddy bellowed.

  “Sorry.” Zhuii plopped him down and stepped back. Rushing back to us, he practically bounced in place. “Zhuii going!” Plucking me up, he planted one on me, setting me down gently to head towards our room, barreling down the hall. “Zhuii pack!”

  Noyel’s father made a noise in his throat, brushing his hands down his fur, clearing his throat repeatedly. Shaking himself out, he took a deep breath. “Go too. Ready for hunt.”

  Noyel tossed his sire a jaunty salute, to which the male pointed at me, wagging a finger. “Rosie teach my Noyel silly things. No know if like.”

  Glancing between the males, I pulled the spork from my mouth to set it down. “Boss, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “That! Like that!”

  “Noyel, my Not-Neal bit of handsomeness?”

  “Yes, Rosie, my love, my mate, my life?”

  “Do you have any idea what he’s talking about?”

  “Not the foggiest.”

  “There! That! Ugh. Never mind.” The male waved us off, shaking his head as he turned to leave.

  “Thanks for stopping by!” I called after him, chuckling when he grunted in response. “I think he likes me,” I confided to my tall mate.

  “He loves you,” Noyel said easily.

  Zhuii chose that moment to come running back out, a fat pack on his back. “Okay. Zhuii ready. Now Zhuii go.”

  Tokre and Noyel joined me as I grinned at Zhuii’s excitement. “It’s not until, uh, morning, super early,” I told him. “Wouldn’t you like to eat supper with us first?”

  Zhuii paused, nodded, and dumped his pack. He was shaking, he was so excited. My heart hurt in the best kind of way watching him.

  Taking his hand in mine, motioning the others to follow, I led them towards the kitchen. “Come on, Zhu. Let’s eat to your adventure. You all can each grab a dish. Help a preggers lady out.”

  Tokre came up behind us, scooping me up to take off. Zhuii barked out at being thwarted, but sedately followed after.

  “Tokre!” I laughed. What are you doing?!

  Noyel called out from behind Zhuii, “I’m supposed to tell you he said he wanted to carry his favorite dish.” Tokre purred happily when I grinned up at him.

  “Flirt,” I tittered, signing and batting my lashes jokingly. “It’s working,” I told him, making him laugh.

  By the time we made it to the kitchen I was smiling so wide my cheeks hurt.

  Glancing from one male to the other, I told them all, “I love you, you know.”

  Tokre signed, You fill my heart, his left hand going to my chest as mine went to his.

  “I know,” Noyel said quickly. “Just kidding. I love you, too.”

  “Zhuii love Lindy-mine the most,” he boasted, puffing up proudly when Tokre and Noyel kept silent, smiling as they shared a telling glance, letting Zhuii think he’d won.

  “And I love you two, too,” I told my belly, kissing my fingers to press them to my stomach.

  Three answering purrs and a hand each automatically going to my belly had me tearing up, feeling emotional.

  I had everything I wanted, right here, in the middle of some godforsaken beast village on some alternate plane. I’d never have imagined a bride-napping by a beast man from some other realm could ever end in a happily ever after, but there it was.

  Zhuii sniffed, then grimaced, cutting in on my happy daydreams. “What that smell?” he muttered.

  “Oh my god,” I gasped out, wiggling free of Tokre to rush to the pot on the stove.

  “I burnt it,” I grumbled dejectedly.

  “Still good,” Zhuii lied, the lie obvious as he coughed not to gag.

  “Crispy,” Noyel tried.

  We find Rek, throw it at him, Tokre suggested.

  Noyel and Zhuii, surprised by this response, gave him instant twin glowers.

  Leaning on the counter for support, I laughed my pregnant ass off.

  “Best. Mates. Ever.” I got out between gasping laughs.

  CHAPTER 26

  I was anxious, dancing from foot to foot. I knew he’d be gone for at least six weeks for this hunt. Six long weeks, but we were going on nine, and I was starting to get antsy.

  Tokre came upon me huddled under the crazypants tree above Zhuii’s den, Joanie’s borrowed binoculars around my neck.

  Zhuii okay, Tokre swore. Be back.

  I worry, I signed back. “I’m allowed to. I’m his wife.”

  Yes, he agreed, taking up sentry beside me.

  Reaching into his bag, he pulled out what was left of the bread I’d sent him off with for lunch, breaking off a piece to hand to me to eat or dunk into the fat mug of tea warming my hands.

  Huddled in my mating pelts, the rich colors of Zhuii’s tapestry blanket pelt sticking out, I had to sniffle back those pesky pregnancies sniffles.

  “Miss him,” I muttered, taking the bread from him, and the kiss he offered, gratefully.

  “Love you.”

  Love you, too.

  We stayed like that, huddled, cuddling, until Noyel came in for the night.

  I’d been having nightmares lately. Sleep eluded me this night. It was in the wee hours of the morning when I heard it, half awake, groggy, the sound of the front door opening. This time I wasn’t dreaming.

  Slapping at Tokre and Noyel, popping up, I was up and scrambling down the hall before either could let out a grumble.

  “Zhuii? Zhuii?! Is that you?” Skidding into the main chamber, our living room, I came in just as Zhuii was closing the door.

  He was blued out, in Zhubeast mode. Not a good sign, I thought with a pang.

  “Zhuii,” I whispered, panicked when I saw a swath of material slung over one shoulder.

  It was when he turned, a wide smile on his face and a chubby bundle in his arms that my heart skipped a beat.

  “Like Zhuii,” my beast mate stated proudly.

  The tiny little Zhubeast hybrid in his arms curled closer to its newfound protector, wide, deep lavender eyes watching us assessingly.

  “Four,” Zhuii boasted, counting four tiny little chubby arms with little black claws for fingertips. The little one’s fur was pale blue, with deep streaks of cobalt and cerulean mixed in.

  When I just stood there and stared, his smile slipped. “She no family, like Zhuii. Zhuii think… Zhuii want…”

  “She?” I whispered. She was precious, beyond precious, a perfect miniature little beast. She was absent of horns, her tiny little tail with a fluffy white tuft on the end curled around Zhuii’s arm, strangling his forearm as she held onto him for dear life. “Hello, little one. I’m Rosa-ah, uhm, Lindy.”

  The thumb of her upper right hand was tucked into her mouth, the fingers of her left buried in the fur of Zhuii’s chest. Her lower right hand lifted when Zhuii grunted something at her, and she tossed me a shy little wave.

  “See?” Zhuii told her, gazing down at her lovingly. He switched from beast-speak to English, and even signing at the wee little beastie. “This my Lindy-mine. Her nice.”

  Zhuii’s happy purr started up, his hum garbling into a sweet beast song that reminded me of some kind of lullaby.

  The little beast in his arms rocked from side to side, her little chest humming along with him.

  “Can she stay here with us?” I whispered.

  Zhuii grinned as his eyes met mine. “Family,” the big beast purred.

  Tokre and Noyel came stumbling in then, bumping into each other, scrubbing at their eyes.

  “Zhuii,” Noyel greeted happily. When he went to slap Zhuii on the back, the cutest little growl I’d ever heard warned him off. “Oh. Whoop. Well,” Noyel squinted down at the tiny being, “hello. Who do we have here, Zhuii?”

  “Zhuii no know what to call her,” my Zhubeast admitted, “Zhuii be calling her Kehko.”

  The second Tokre saw his mother’s name being signed, he moved closer. His nostrils flared and he blinked. Kehko? he signed.

/>   “If Tokre no like name, Zhuii teach her ‘nother one.”

  Keep it. Tokre likes it. Tokre peered down at the tiny bundle. When she just stared up at him he knelt down in front of her. Without a word, he held his hands out to her and waited. Without hesitation she took his hands, using all four arms to crawl to his chest. Tokre grinned, wrapping his arm around her, cuddling her close. His humming purr thrummed to life and he asked, We keep her?

  When I nodded, he grinned wider. The tiny beast gazed up at him wonderingly, her fingers dangling from her open mouth, setting her little humming purr going to match his.

  Kehko. Our little Kehko. Tokre gave her a little bounce. Cute.

  “She is,” Noyel agreed.

  Kehko kept glancing at my belly, then my chest, my face. I got the impression she was taking my measure.

  “Kehko,” Zhuii told the little one, who looked to him, “Lindy-mine, Noyel, Tokre, and Zhuii want to be Kehko family.” He gestured at each of us as he pointed everyone out. “Kehko stay with us?”

  Kehko glanced between all of us and slowly nodded. Easily climbing down Tokre, she walked right up to me, staring up at me curiously.

  Four pudgy hands lifted and she motioned, little hands lifting up, opening and closing. Up.

  Kneeling, I carefully picked her up, one hand under her little bum, the other at her back. Small upper hands wove around my neck, where she held on tight, her little lower arms and legs wrapping around my middle. Her lower left hand lifted, popping her thumb into her mouth, and she rested her little head on my chest. “Linny Mama,” she mumbled, wiggling down until her ear was pressed to my chest. Her little hands began to kneed, her tiny toes gently caressing my belly. “Kehko’s,” she told everyone. “Kehko mama.” A tiny hand reached down to give my belly a soft pat. “Kehko chuchbuhs.”

  Zhuii walked up, wrapping his arms around us. Kehko lifted her lower arm, her eyes slowly starting to close, motioning Zhuii to quit squishing her. “Seep,” she whispered, out like a light within minutes.

  Zhuii placed a kiss to the top of her head, then mine, tucking a small blanket from his sling around her small form.

  “Oh. Oh…” I was dying inside, my heart melting and reforming, melting and reforming until I thought it might explode with happiness. “Oh, Zhuii.” My hands clutched the tiny little being in my arms. “Oh, Zhuii…”

  Zhuii jerked his chin at the newest member of our little clan. “Kehko special.”

  “Zhu…” my voice caught, “just met her and I love her already.”

  “Wow,” Noyel murmured, still trying to clear the sleep from his eyes, and now, maybe something else as they looked a bit glossy, “not that Noyel’s complaining, but, wow, that happened fast.”

  When Zhuii dragged his gaze from us to Noyel, the healer smiled widely, throwing his arms out to announce, “Congratulations, we’re parents! Uh, early!”

  Tokre a daddy, my beast-husband signed. Then, glancing down at our babies to be. Again!

  I laughed silently, trying not to wake the little beast baby passed out, lulled to sleep by my heartbeat’s lullaby.

  Kehko Rose, I thought, has a nice ring to it.

  “Now,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to Kehko’s fluffy down. “Now our family is complete.”

  EPILOGUE

  ˜΅˜

  “Mama?” Kehko glanced up from her paper and fat nub of charcoal for a pencil.

  “Ooooh. It’s okay, baby. Mama’s just. Ah- Oh… Mama just…” Grimacing, I gripped my enormous belly as another contraction hit. “Mommy just needs a, owie, minute.”

  “Hurt,” she whispered. Those beautiful, wide, glowing purple eyes watered as she watched me worriedly. Her fluffy, blue tipped white fur turned completely blue before my eyes, her tail quickly sprouting. “Mama hurt,” she sniffled, her tiny little Cupid’s bow lip trembling.

  “Mama’s okay.” I forced a smile, stumbling towards the hall. “The babies just want to come say hello.”

  “Brubbers? Chuchbuhs?”

  “Yes, sweetie. They just want, well, they’re just so darn eager to see you, they’re playing the drums on mommy’s insides.”

  Her makeshift pencil fell from her fingers and she gasped, toddling after me. Tiny little face bunching, she pointed a chubby digit accusingly at my belly. “Top dat! Nice to Mama!”

  Gripping the doorframe for support, I said through panting breathes, “If only it were that easy, babes.”

  Kehko’s head jerked and she called out, “Daddums?! Brubbers kick my mama!”

  “What?” Noyel followed the sound of his tiny tot’s voice, finding me bent over in the hall, Kehko patting my hip comfortingly.

  “Being mean to Mommy,” Kehko told Noyel with a little pout.

  “They are, are they?” Noyel bent, setting his bag aside, and scooped his daddy’s girl up.

  “Yes,” Kehko relayed, very matter of fact. “Tell them no, Daddums,” she ordered sternly.

  Noyel couldn’t help but grin at her fiery little spirit.

  Propping her on his hip, he bent to offer me his free right arm for support. “Let’s get you to bed. Can you walk, or should I-”

  “No, I can do it like this,” I insisted.

  “You tell ‘em stop?” Kehko asked curiously.

  “Yes,” Noyel promised. They had a special bond, those two. Tokre was her Pop-pop, her fun daddy who taught her to swim and took her fishing, and Zhuii her Da-mine, her hero and protector when she was feeling sensitive, but her and Noyel, two kindred spirits. He just understood her.

  She was loved by everyone, spoiled rotten by her horrible Aunt Jo-Jo-me, even worse by her daddies and granddaddies. Lord, Noyel’s fathers were awful.

  “How far apart are they?” Noyel asked quietly.

  “Less than a minute. It’s happening. Fast.”

  “That’s okay,” Noyel insisted. “That’s just fine. Happens that way sometimes.”

  “I don’t-” My eyes darted to Kehko and he nodded. I’m scared and I don’t want her to know, I mouthed over her head.

  “I know,” he murmured. It was his way of saying, me too.

  It was slow going, but we made it to the backroom, where the guys had put together a sort of birthing room for me.

  Noyel assisted me to the bed, asking Kehko, “Hey, why don’t you get some things together, and we’ll go see Gramma? How’s that sound?”

  “Gamma?” Kehko chirruped. Her eyes lit up at the sound of that name. That name meant cookies and stories and as many hugs and kisses as she could handle, pretty dollies and piggyback-grandpas-rides. “Gamma!” she cheered happily.

  “Daddums is going to set you down so you can go get ready, okay?”

  Kehko nodded, waiting for him to set her down, and went to run off, rushing back to pucker her little lips, grunting as she leaned towards me. “Face mushes. Kisses, Mama.”

  Laughing at my little cutie patootie, I dutifully gave her a kiss, grinning despite the pain as she ran from the room.

  “No run in house,” Zhuii’s voice could be heard down the hall.

  “Yes, Da-mine,” Kehko cried out happily.

  I didn’t believe she’d slowed down for a minute.

  “Lindy-mine?” Zhuii called out.

  “In here!” Noyel shouted back.

  “It’s time!” I grunted out.

  “It time?” Zhuii squawked. Heavy footsteps stomped down the hall. It sounded like a heard of elephants was coming towards us.

  A small laugh escaped me as I listened, smiling my thanks as Noyel helped me out of my clothes and into the bed.

  “You’ll be alright with Zhuii ‘til I get back?” Noyel asked. “Only be gone a minute.”

  “I think so,” I hissed between another back burning, belly clenching labor pain.

  “Mama owies,” I heard Kehko telling someone in the living room.

  “Hurry,” I muttered to Noyel, who nodded and hurried out.

  “Lindy-mine?” Zhuii almost mowed Noyel down as they passed in the hall. My big beas
tie was wild-eyed, his fur starting to turn blue.

  “I’m okay. I’m okay. I’m okay. I’m okay,” I panted out, squeezing my eyes shut tight as I felt him approach. Zhuii dropped down on the pallet bed carefully, his soothing humming vibrating my side as he shuffled closer.

  “What Lindy-mine need her Zhuii do?” he murmured softly. His voice tremored, his hands shaking as he carefully brushed his thick fingers over my belly.

  “I- I don’t know,” I whispered.

  The sound of Noyel leaving with Kehko, the door clanking shut behind them, had me sighing in relief.

  Blowing out a panting breath, swallowing hard, I looked to Zhuii. “Hold me? Please? I’m- I’m scared.”

  “No be scared.” Zhuii was looking anywhere but at the fluid slowly seeping into the sheets beneath me, the sheet at my waist, covering my legs, soaking as well.

  “I- My water just broke. It’s- Oooo-” I writhed on the bed. “It’s hurting more.”

  Zhuii nodded, panting along with my short, pain-filled breaths. “Hold my Lindy. Hold my babies,” he mumbled, standing to help me lift up, shifting my pillows, to slip in behind me.

  “Want Zhuii like this?” he asked, offering me his hand when I gripped the sheets, groaning through clenched teeth.

  “Oooooh, ah- Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. It. Ah. It hurts. It really hurts. It burns. Zhuii,” I slapped at his leg, then clenched the fur. “Oh, it fucking burnsssss…Ohmyufuckinggodsomething’shappeniiiiiiiiing!!!”

  A door slammed open, then closed. Thudding steps skidded down the hall. Tokre came in just as I started tossing the sheet covering me off.

  Legs spread wide, covered in sweat, screeching my head off through gritted teeth, my mouth opened on a shocked scream as a small, furry head started to crown.

  Zhuii leaned over me, peering down at the gore of the miracle of childbirth. “Whoa,” was all he said.

  “Yeaaaaaah fucking whoa!” I bellowed, groaning as the urge to push grew overwhelming and my body said, yeah, this is happening.

  Tokre, his mouth moving, dark eyes wide, walked up to the bed. He dropped down, propping himself up between my legs. Like it was the most natural thing in the world to him, he grabbed a blanket from the stack on the dresser by the bed, flapped it out, and played catcher as the first of our twins came flying out of my birth canal.