Chapter 14

T oday was market day. It made me kind of sad now to think about it. Market days used to be something to look forward to. Now? I just wanted to curl up into a tight ball and sleep through it. Goph and me, market day had been our thing.

Flopping back on the bed, trying to ignore the fact that my heart felt like it was in tatters and life just keeps changing shit up on me without my okay, quite drastically, in ways I never could have imagined, and in many instances in ways I probably couldn't have stopped even if I'd tried, I had myself a Beatles moment. Humming Let It Be under my breath, I stared at the ceiling.

Unearthing my foot from the bedding, I tapped it along to the song as it hung off the side of the bed.

Could I stay in bed all day and do nothing?

I so could.

Did I really want to, though?

"Hey! Ey! Hey!"

That familiar thud-thud-thud came-a-poundin' away at my door, I'd guesstimate about an hour after my stomach started screaming at me to find sustenance and my bladder cried, but me first!

"No one's home! Unless you have candy for reverse trick or treating, go away!" I called out hoarsely, grimacing at my croak of a voice.

"Someone's home! Rek hears Jojoknee! No not home! Open!"

A snort left me. "Whaddaya gonna do, make me?"

"Opens door, Jojoknee," Rek warned.

Lifting a hand, despite the fact he couldn't see it, I flipped the door the bird. "I think… I won't," I quipped, dropping my hand to get back to my humming and staring at the ceiling.

"One…" he counted down.

Which just sent me switching to All Together Now, count-singing along out loud over him.

It was about when I hit the part about bringing a friend to tea that a loud growl issued from the other side.

One moment I was singing my little heart out, the next I had a beast of a headache breaking down the door.

Rek came charging through, taking the door with him on his second ram, which did not install the warm and fuzzies on the safe and sound from a Krampus front for me, flying into the room to slide right in, door and all, and right into the table legs.

"What the hell, sock monkey?!" I bellowed, snatching up the blankets in an attempt to cover my chest, because this nightgown, while thick and warm, left little to the imagination. Mad nipple tips on display was not the way to go in this moment.

Rek grunted, picking himself up off the floor. He got as far as lifting up on all fours, when those wild green eyes found and caught on my hairy assed leg swinging in the breeze. Jerking it back under the covers as a covetous rumble that had me instantly squirming in place left him, the purr beneath it was unmistakable.

"Get out of this hut!" I shouted over the din as he finally picked himself up, along with the door, and would have walked over to shove it back in place if a familiar fluffy mop of white hadn't popped in, spied me fit to be tied and Rek purring away, and stepped right in to intervene like the legend he was.

"Booger! Good! You're here!" Jerking a finger at Rek, I growled, "That Rektal cramp of a Lo denaii just barged right in here and won't leave! He broke my door!"

"Rek barge in and not leave? Rek just got in here!" Rek barked, slamming the door he'd broken down next to the opening left in his wake.

"I'm not decent, you dunce! Don't just stand there with the door open!" I snapped.

"Rek go to put door back, but Jojoknee let Boogers barge in. Rek move it. Now want Rek move it back." Throwing his hands up, he snarled, "Makes up mind!"

"Get out! That simple enough for you, freakshow?! Or am I being too gropey for you?!" I shot back.

Booger's gaze pingponged back and forth between us, stilling on Rek's when the abominable pain in my ass made a choking noise and garbled out, "Gropey?"

"Oh, you didn't hear? Because from what Kirch is saying, that's what you think, that I'm some gropey attention whore!" Nightgown nipples forgotten, I tossed the blankets aside, hopped up from the bed, and advanced on him. I was right up in Rek's face before I realized why he was acting like he'd just swallowed his own tongue. Really, in this outdated thing? That's what got his motor runnin'?

"Hey! My eyes are up here!" Snapping my fingers, I motioned from my tits to my eyeballs.

Rek made another choking sound while Booger studied the ceiling.

"Rek no say gropey… attend-shun flore…"

"I'm running on fumes. I don't have time for you today." I could feel my blood pressure rising just being this close to him as the rest of me deflated. "Just… leave." A long, exasperated sigh left me. Crossing my arms over my chest, covering my breasts, seemed to help Rek think.

The second his brain popped back online, he blurted, "Who Joanie have in here?"

Staring at him, blinking uncomprehendingly, Booger saved the day, rumbling, "Jojoknee no haves anyones. Just Jo. See nother males?"

"We aren't together, Rek," I reminded the bossy, underhanded, backstabbing buttface of a male. "I don't have to answer to anyone, least of all you."

Rek glanced from me to Booger uneasily. "She no say no males," he grunted out petulantly.

Deciding a different tact was in order, I turned to Booger. "So, what brings you to my neck of the woods? You try out that sauce recipe yet?"

"No talk like Rek not here. Rek here. Rek hears. Rek sees and smells and- What this!" Rushing over to the woven blanket in question, he held it up triumphantly.

"Bum-bum let me borrow it," I said with a shrug. "He found me when I saw- Erm… When I, uh, ran out into the cold."

"What see? Why runs into colds?" Booger asked, picking up on shit way faster than Rek. Bless that fuzzy headache's soul.

"Uhm…" Did they know? I was asked to keep this all hushity hush. What if one of them told someone else, who warned someone else…

"Jojo see bad beast?" Rek rumbled out.

"What see?" Booger pressed.

"Look, I saw something. It was scary and looked about to lick my window." Snatching the woven blanket from Rek, I ignored the low rumble building in his chest as I wrapped it around my person. "I panicked and took off. Bumping into Bum-bum, he looked into it, and then he took me back here. He told me the shit Kirch was saying you said. He wouldn't lie to me."

"Where take ‘fore here?" Rek grunted out, eyes narrowing to tiny little slivers of suspicious green.

"Does it matter?" I grumbled right back. Of course that's what he was focused on. "I was by myself but safe, and warm, while he scoped shit out." Playing it off, I shrugged. "It was kinda nice… having a big, strong male to take care of me." Giving Rek a dirty look, I deadpanned, "One that doesn't think I'm an attention whore or a groper."

"Rek big. Rek strong." Rek made loud grunting sounds between words.

Grabbing his face, mushing it until his lips were smooshed together in mad duck face, I cooed, "Aww. Of course you are, snookywookums," then shoved his fat head the hell away from mine.

Rek rubbed at his face, looking like he wanted to say more but was concerned for the muscles in his cheeks and mouth.

"So…?" I prompted Booger.

"Jojoknee… busy?" Boog asked.

"Got all the time in the world for you, bud!" Smiling up at him, I lifted my hand the second I felt Rek breathing down the back of my neck.

Rek jerked back fast enough my mock karate chop of a slap up of my hand barely got the tip of his nose.

"Mean," Rek grumbled.

"Fix my door, you walking crash test dummy," I muttered to Rek, smiling up at Boog sweetly all the while.

Boog chuckled but nodded his thanks.

"Just give me two shakes and we'll head out." Collecting my clothes off the chairs, I laid them out on the bed. Waving my hand over my shoulder with a deep sigh, I tutted, "Booger, could you be a dear and take the trash out with you?"

Glancing up to find Boog nodding, gaze darting from Rek to the door, the bigger beastie grabbed Rek up, stuffed him under his arm like a pigskin, and nabbed the door with his free hand, turning it to walk out sideways, Rek first, then place the door where it should be.

"What big ideas! Put Rek down!" Rek growled.

"I won't be mad if he slips!" I called out, to a loud thud and an, "OW! She say if slips, not dump Rek on Rek's head!"

Boog let out a short grunt. "Oops the daisies."

A witch cackle of a laugh left me as I scrambled to dress while Boog stood watch in front of the door.

"Rek fixes that," Boog pointed out.

"Boogers fix it. Rek fell on Rek's head," Rek fussed and huffed.

"Oh, you are so fixing it, Rektum. Also, have fun telling Dorothy and her mates, and Bia, you broke it but don't want to fix it, and how that somehow makes me the gropey attention whore!"

Rek let loose a snarl that had me shivering. I was glad he couldn't see me or he'd be trying to rip my clothes off with his teeth and mount me ‘til I couldn't walk.

Sadly, I knew, deep down, despite all the fucking bullshit, I'd probably still let him.

???

"S o… what are we looking for?" I asked of my best buddy ever as we scoped things out.

Booger hesitated before shrugging. Picking up a random gem looking rock, he held it up for me to have a gander at.

When I nodded and smiled at it but didn't pick it up, he set it back down.

"Hungry," the pain in my ass grumbled at my back, following at a safe distance from these arms, legs, and my big ol' yellow purse.

"So then go eat," I snapped, confused as to why he'd trailed us here if he was just going to complain.

Truth be told, I'd been so distracted, I too had forgotten to eat.

Searching through my purse for a snack, I found two individually wrapped cough drops. Tossing one to Rek, I muttered, "Here, suck on this," then unwrapped and popped my last one into my mouth.

The sound of Rek sniffing it, slowly unwrapping it to sniff it some more, then making oooh, awww, what the hell is this sounds, made me smile despite the sour mood his bitching put me in.

Less than a minute later he made a gargling sound. "It spicy," he muttered.

"So spit it out," I muttered back as I spied a bit of pretty hand-made cloth two stalls over.

"No know… Rek like," he grumbled as he continued to loosely gum the cough drop and comment on all the weird to him flavors.

"Smell funny spicy," Boog commented.

"Those were my last two. Unless you want the one in my mouth or to wrestle him for the one in his, I'm afraid that's all she wrote, boogster," I sassed.

Boog mock shuddered and shook his head, making me laugh.

"Spicy flop drop mine," Rek grunted out, right before he started crunching it with his teeth.

"I believe I said to suck on it," I sang as I made my way over to the pretty material that I am just now realizing is actually a sort of scarf. It was loud, yellows, neon greens, pinks, purples, bright blues mixed in. It naturally shimmered in the sun. I loved it. Mine. I wished. They probably wouldn't trade anything with me because they aren't interested in the promise of sweets or sewing, or simply because I'm unmated and they're afraid I want their balls. I don't want you, you fools— I want the scarf pretty!!

"What creature you see?" Booger asked quietly as he held up yet another bauble, stopping me on my journey to examine the pretty.

"What kind of beasties are out there?" I asked innocently.

As Booger launched into a long winded and nightmare-inducing encyclopedia-like educational info dump on all things out there that may or may not be out to kill me, I had a very healthy appreciation for staying within the village boundaries without a tank handy, and a greater fear of Krampus than previously.

Rek, wandering up to us, thought it helpful to put in his two cents every chance he got, with the intent to scare me, I felt, so I thought it only fair to make up a rash of shit about imaginary beings come to life and play it off as legit.

By the time I was done, I felt rather proud of just how freaked out Rek was pretending not to be of Baba Yaga. Boog was looking a bit leery too but that was par for the course. In war, there was bound to be casualties.

Rek had that calculated look on his face, like he meant to scare me back into his arms. He hit the nail on the head when he kept saying Krampus this and Krampus that, until I was all but hiding the way my hands had started to tremor. The urge to tell him to shut up was riding me hard, but Boog did it for me when he took note of how bothered I was and snapped something at Rek in Lo denaii that had my ex lover giving the boogster a dirty look but easing back on the full throttle fear fest.

And finally, thank fate, we had arrived at the scarf stall!

They weren't all so much stalls as blankets laid out, some temporary tables set up with goodies laid out. There were three large stalls but they usually had tools or weapons dangling from them, situated around the large smithing area. Smaller, temporarily set up stalls surrounded those.

Market day was mostly for mingling, a small reprieve from endless chores, some downtime to bs, etc.

I suppose that was why I loved market day so much. That, and this was as close to shopping as it got.

Recognizing one of the males at the scarf stall as one of the Krampus searchers from last night as I ran my fingers along the silky material, the male from last night said something to the male beside him, they both glanced my way, then laughed.

Dropping the scarf like it had burned me, cheeks flushing before I could get away from them, realizing my trademark sass had floundered in the face of pure fuckery, their laughter stopped the moment a deep snarl issued from behind me and a slim figure hanging off far back enough from us I hadn't spotted him, came storming forward.

Gopher looked like a furry avenging angel as he pushed past Booger and Rek, who were bickering over the quality of a knife a stall over, wrapped his arm around me, jerking me to him, and snarled something at the males in his language that had them both apologizing to me shortly in English.

Taking my left hand in his, he lifted it up, dragging my jacket sleeve up to expose the bracelet that wasn't coming off short of cutting it and ruining it.

My hand remained limp in his. I was too stunned stupid to do much beyond a weird spluttering noise.

"What do you think you're doing?" I mumbled softly to him the moment I found my voice.

"Not nice," he hissed at the males in English, who dipped their heads and tilted their necks in a very public display of submission. At my grumpy beanpole who was a hell of a lot thinner than their lot? My gaze narrowed on them. What did they know about my sweet gogo-booted babboo that I didn't?

"Who not nice?" Rek nosed in.

"Says mean things my Jo," Gopher snapped.

"Not Goober's Jo," Rek grumbled, sounding like he was going to kick up a fuss, but Goph shot him a look that could peel paint and my cowardly ex thought better of it.

The male from last night held out the scarf I'd been looking at to me but held Gopher's gaze the entire time.

"Uhm, no thanks." Lifting my hands to wave him off, I shook my head. "I'm good." Slipping out of Gopher's hold, I held my hands up higher so they were sure to see them and waved . "Keep your shit. I don't want it now."

The male from last night looked hurt that I'd turned it down, which was confusing as shit to me.

Turning around without another word, I would have left but a short wave of dizziness hit me.

"Wow," I muttered to myself, headed back to my temporary digs until Kooky returned, "I waited way too long to eat." Truth be told, I was still reeling from that little display from Gopher. What the hell did he think he was doing?! Had he not just dumped my ass?!

Did he think he was, what? Helping me out? I didn't need his help!

Pfft! I didn't need anyone!

"Spicy drops not good food. Rek hungry still. Rek tummy spicies now, too. We go," Rek rumbled, trying to steer me towards his place instead of my temporary accommodations.

"What do you think you're doing?" I leaned in to hiss-whisper as I tried and failed to slip from his grasp as discreetly as possible. The male was like a damn octopus.

That perfectly innocent look on his face wasn't fooling anyone. "Jojoknee needs food. Rek has food," he stated reasonably, like this was the best course of action, "Rek-"

"Ohhhh. No-no-no. No, you don't," I cut in, for him to cut right back in with, "Yes, Rek has food!"

"I am not going to your place. I'll go to mine or Booger's, but that is it. If you think I'm that gullible or that I'd allow myself to be left alone with you without actual adult supervision back at your place, you have lost your damn fuzzy lined mind!" I slipped free of his hold, but he just held me right back.

There was something to this back and forth that gave me hope, yet time and again he'd open his mouth and ruin it. I missed our closeness, the early morning cuddles, the late night talks. The secret sweetness and fun taunting. I missed us before he'd gone and screwed it all up.

"Would you stop touching me!" I finally snapped, slapping his hands away. "You're awfully touches and feelies for someone who claims it's me!"

"Ey! Hey!"

I swear, everything in me cringed, tightened up, then shriveled at the sound of Rek's secondhand headache calling out to him. Great, just what I needed, another pain in my ass butting in where they weren't wanted.

"Booger!" I called out. "Boogy-woogaloo?! I seem to have misplaced you!" I made a show of calling out, digging my boot heels in as Rek willfully ignored Kirch calling out to him in favor of dragging me towards his place.

"Here, Jojoknee!" Booger called, closer than I'd expected.

Thank god! He must be trailing us.

"Hey! Rek! Jojoknee!" Kirch was bellowing now, making a scene.

"My god, now who's the attention whore?" I muttered under my breath.

"Excuse me?" a feminine voice called out to my left, effectively calling me out.

Turning to find Mina staring down at me in surprise, that surprise slowly morphing into offense, the next few minutes here were probably going to suck.

Do I play this off or spill the beans, I debated on what to tell her.

Deciding neither was going to work for me, I turned on the source of all of this bullshit. "This is all your fault!" I barked at the male responsible.

Rek's lips parted and he gave me a dirty look. "Rek fault? How you say Kirch whore Rek fault?"

"I didn't call him a whore!" I challenged. Realizing Mina had a baby on her hip, I started coding bad words. "I called him an attention w-h-o-r-e, but only after he accused me of being one first!"

"What the h-e double hockey sticks is going on?" Mina demanded to know.

Kirch came up on us right as I started pointing and talking, finishing off the little circle we formed with Gopher, still tagging along for some god forsaken reason, bringing up the rear.

"Rek told Kirch for reasons I'm still clueless on that I'm touches and feelies and made the comment that he thought I did things for attention, namely that the beast I saw at my window wasn't at my window last night, like I'd made it all up, and I'm just an attention whore." Shaking my head, I wrapped my arms around my middle. My stomach felt like it was gnawing at itself and it had very little to do with being hungry. "I ran into something in the woods once." Swallowing thickly, I cracked under the questioning look Mina was giving me and quietly admitted, "Bum-bum recognized it and said it was a Krampus. It marked me apparently, and there's like a whole hunt season thing going on and to protect everyone, I was temporarily relocated."

Mina looked stunned, hugging her baby tighter to her as I struggled to finish. "I knew there was stuff going on, I just didn't know it was this bad," Mina murmured worriedly.

Kirch jumped in as her gaze skittered from mine to his, offering me a reprieve as Mina wrapped an arm around me in a quick hug and gave him a strange look. "Kirch nose works good," Kirch began, talking fast as he gave his mate a let me finish before you get mad at me look, which had my stomach dropping before it knotted anew. "Kirch say why Rek smell like Jojoknee. Rek say he not smell like Jojoknee. Kirch say yes. Rek say no. Kirch say YES. Rek say Jojoknee the touches feelies kind, that why Rek smell like Jojoknee. Kirch say, tell her no touches feelies all over him. Rek say that Jojoknee, she gets upset easy. Kirch watch Rek and Jojoknee. Always together. Always play. Both upset easy. Pretends eat poop?" I got a long look for that one before he continued, "Kirch tells Rek, Rek plays too much. Rek say Jojoknee-"

"Hold up. Wait a minute here." Mina held a hand up, waiting for him to stop before she gave Rek a withering look. Refocusing on her mate, she sighed. "I've talked to Rosa a little about the deal with Joanie and Rek. It's not lost on anyone they hang out a lot and she hasn't really shown any interest in any other male, and Rek hasn't shown any interest in joining anyone's family group, or gone out on any hunts for a bride, am I right?"

Fuck me.

This was all unraveling so damn fast.

"We… dated for a while, to see if we could be compatible," I hedged. "I'm not going to be forced into a bridal hunt. Someone'll be missing a d-i-c-k before I'll allow myself to become someone's unwilling broodmare. Anyway, it didn't work out, me and Rek, so we went our separate ways."

Rek made a bunch of scoffing noises that no one was buying. Finally relenting, he grumbled, "Fine," and dropped his head to stare down at his feet.

"I'd rather the things we talked about today were kept quiet. I'm breaking the promise I made to Rek that we'd keep our affairs between us, and my promise to… unnamed others looking out for the village as a whole, that I'd keep my fat trap shut about the Krampus stuff. They want to avoid mayhem and panic and I get it."

Gopher rumbled something at Rek in Lo denaii that had Rek baring his teeth at him, Booger snorting at Rek, and Kirch looking at Gopher in surprise.

"Did you really call her an attention whore?" Mina demanded to know from Kirch.

"Not say those same… ‘xact words," the big, yellow-eyed beastie with a mane to make a gal jealous hemmed and hawed. Trying to motion at Rek without Rek noticing, he was basically putting it all on Rek's shoulders.

"How Kirch know that word?" Rek shot at Mina meaningfully.

Mina blushed three shades of crimson and clamped her trap shut.

"Tentionmore," the baby on her hip chirped.

"No," Mina stated firmly, and the little one immediately piped down.

"Why Kirch no get babies listen like that?" Kirch lamented.

"Because I rule?" Mina tossed back, throwing him a wink that had the male rumbling happily.

Turning to me, Mina grimaced. "I'm sorry for my part in all of this. I encouraged Kirch to, uh, nudge Rek to quit dragging his tail. There's only so many times you can say, I have no idea what's going on with those two, before looking like a total moron, and I swear, we won't repeat anything you've said in confidence. And I'm sorry for any part I may have inadvertently played in you being accused of seeking out attention from Rek." Kirch cringed at the withering look she gave him. "I need to learn to keep my Earth words towards the positive and my big trap shut."

Nodding, I returned her smile, even if it was strained and small. "Appreciate it." Sighing noisily, I wasn't done yet. "If anyone bugs you about me and Rek, please remind them to mind their own business." I was firm, polite, no cussing in front of the kiddies.

Straining fingers reaching for me, soft grunting, had me looking from the little one to Mina for permission. Handing over her lil fluffmonster, she grinned when I laughed as a wet hand immediately went to my hair, playing in the bits of color from the last time I'd done my hair. "Pitties," the little one told me.

"Oh my god, I want twenty of you," I told Mina's babe, Zeb, a sweet, chunky boy with wild milky-white-blue eyes.

A garbled noise erupted from Rek and a strangled, choking sound left Gopher.

Rolling my eyes, I muttered under my breath as I danced the little one in my arms a little. "Not really, huh, Zeb-zeb? Huh? No way, José. Those guys are crazy. I'm just being silly. Right? Right?" I singsonged as I grinned at the giggling baby in my arms.

Kirch's lips tipped up in a surprised half smile as he studied us.

"You," Mina pointed at Rek, shaking her head at him. "You're a pain in the ass. I have no idea how she tolerated you this long but talk her back into it and put a ring on it. You need someone willing to tangle with you!"

"He doesn't need a wife, he needs a zoo keeper," I mutteringly corrected on a snort.

Booger made a sound that might as well have been an Amen.

"Rek not bad," Rek grumbled, glaring after Mina as I handed her babe back and she said her good-byes to walk off with Kirch.

"She's not saying you're bad. She's saying sometimes you're a really, really big thoughtless, selfish dick," I clarified.

Rek threw his hands up. "What difference?!"

Meeting Booger's gaze, ignoring the other two, I asked, "Did you get what you wanted to come to market for?

"Gofur ask Bauheg take Joanie Markets. Jo loves Markets, he say. Say gives Bauheg good chips, Jo buys what Jo wants. Any pretties." A grunt left Booger and he suddenly clammed up.

Gopher glared at him, his elbow still digging into Booger's side.

"I can buy my own things," I grumbled, not liking feeling like some kept woman. Some kept woman he doesn't even want. "Gopher dumped me. He has no sway. Don't do favors for him for me anymore."

Booger shrugged his large shoulders and rumbled, "‘Kay."

Needing a moment to compose myself and digest all of that, I hiked up my big girl panties and looked to my friend. "Homemade barbecue sauce drenched dried meat and all the soup fixin's? A sort of Friendsgiving pre Spooky season? My treat?"

"No spoopy season. Jojoknee just says is but there not. Rek knows better. Rek knows…" Rek grumbled, because it was easier for him to live in denial than even contemplate that any of that made up nonsense I'd spewed at him about my homeworld might even remotely be true.

"Shush up, fur flicker. Nobody asked you." Making a face, like he smelled so bad it was stinking up the whole place, I flicked my claws at him.

"No tick-tick nailies at me," he grumbled out prudishly.

"Pretend he isn't here." Another flick of my claws in Rek's direction had him flinching and Boog laughing.

"We go," Boog said easily, waiting for me to keep stride with me.

Feeling eyes on me, knowing they weren't Rek's and certainly weren't Booger's, I felt my neck heat. Yes, I was just going to pretend Goph wasn't there staring at me with that sad longing look permanently etched into his features everytime he thought I wasn't watching him and I chanced a peek his way.

"Needs more meats?" Gopher asked Boog, who had to pause to think about it. Damn, were we going to be digging into his stores for this?

"I only meant me and you," I told Boog, who glanced from Gopher to Rek and made a What are we gonna do? We can't shake ‘em look, and for once I wished he wasn't so laid back and chill.

"I could just go to Bia's place and eat. I have some bread and the stuff for soup waiting for me there. Afterwards, we can meet up for a movie night or," I started to say, to find three frowns pointed my way. Tossing my hands up, I relented, "Or not. Just sayin'."

"Rek has lots meat," my ex headache offered. "Other foods."

"Gopher has meat. Oth-ar foods too," Gopher chimed in.

Keeping my gaze firmly ahead, I shrugged. "I can go get what I've got. It'll be like a potluck."

"No pots for lucks." Rek rolled his eyes at me. "Jojo makes more up? More sillies?"

"Um, no, dummy, it's what you call what we're doing, everyone bringing ingredients or a dish to share with the group. Like the roast beast community feasts but indoors, and not the whole village gathering but a couple friends."

Rek gave a soft grunt. "Oh."

"I'll just pop over there and grab my stuff, then," I told Boog, who was already shaking his head in answer before I could lift my foot to trot off elsewhere.

"It's daylight," I pointed out, "and Gopher's place is, like, literally a few huts down from Bia's."

"Say Jojoknee marked," Booger reminded, which gave me pause.

"Do- Do they roam around during the day?" My eyes widened and my throat worked. "I believe I've only seen those assholes after the sun starts to go down…"

"No know. Only one time mark female, Boog know, before Jojoknee."

"Yeah, and how did that work out?" I meant to sound snarky, queen of sarcasm laying it on thick, but my voice came out high and tight, catching at the end.

Gopher rumbled something to Boog that had my friend pausing as we walked, headed for my hut, after one good look at my face.

It couldn't be good, whatever had happened. The blood drained from my face. "She died, didn't she? They grabbed her, took off with her, and mangled her to bits or something, didn't they?" Realizing I was choking myself with my jacket, I eased my death grip. The more I thought about it, the more the nausea building in my stomach grew.

"I think- I think I might just skip the pot luck," I mumbled faintly.

I really wished Kooky was here. He made me feel safe, like he wouldn't let a damn fucking thing touch me.

Rubbing at my forehead, I closed my eyes for what felt like a moment, jerking when I felt thick fingers grab my shoulder, keeping me from falling as I wobbled for a minute where I stood.

"Jojoknee? Okay?"

"Waited too long to eat." Waving Boog off, I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile and continued on towards my hut. "Didn't sleep much either."

"‘Cause of Krampus comes, tries to eat Jojoknee," Rek agreed solemnly.

"Shut up, fool. Nobody asked for your self-serving opinion," I snapped.

"No bodies asked Joanie neithers," Rek growled back angrily.

"‘Nough," Boog barked, startling us both stupid.

Ignoring Rek and Gopher growling at him warningly for touching me, Booger grunted as he placed a staying hand on my shoulder, "Who closer?"

"Rek close," Gopher grunted out.

"Jojoknee sick. Needs food. Tummy leaves. Now," Booger grumbled out. Lifting my hand, gesturing at me with the other, my shaking hands gave away what my pasty pale face played off.

"Rek take Jo Rek's. Jo eats. Rek gets more meats. Gopher get leaves, veg-ab-alls. We go Bauheg's," Gopher grudgingly dictated.

"We go Bia's Jojoknee stays," Booger surprised me by correcting Gopher.

Gopher and Rek grunted in agreement, and like I had no damn say over any of it, Rek wrapped an arm around me, securing his hand under my armpit, and started to lead me off, though it was more like dragging me along beside him, without one damn bit of my input, like I didn't have any damn say.

"Hey! I can walk. Get off of me, Mr. Touches Feelies! You're gonna give someone the wrong idea!" I caterwauled.

Rek shrugged and hitched me up, until my legs were pinwheeling, my hip pressing just above his, my body cinched to his side.

"I want to go to my place," I groused, quickly tiring out.

Rek switched to scooping me up and carrying me princess style. With a dirty look aimed his way, I rested my head on his shoulder.

Shit, I missed this. Missed it so damn much.

Closing my eyes, I breathed in the fresh hair, the smell of him, sunk into the comfort of his arms, his warmth.

Fucking asshole ruined everything. My eyes pricked, unbidden. The bastard had fucked up EVERYTHING.

Anger quickly followed, but most of it was aimed at myself.

Rek was content to carry me, quiet for fucking once, while I had an internal melt down in his arms.

"Kirch and Mina said everyone's been talking about us," I stated quietly.

"Kirch and Mina stupid. Rek no care," Rek grumbled, his voice bordering on a growl. Picking up his pace, his hands tightened around me.

Glancing over to see what would make him react that way, I spied the back of a familiar, towering male.

"Bum-bum no' good male. No treats Jo good. Bad like Gopher. No want. Bad like Tokre." Rek went on, rambling away, all the way up to his door.

I was stuck on the like Gopher, like Tokre thing.

"Are you- Are you saying Tokre and Bum-bum have the same problem Gopher does?" I blurted.

"Tokre hurts Joanie's Rosie. Smells like blood, Rek go- Uh- Rek- Um-"

We were in his doorway now, stuck between the outside world and the fantasy we'd lived out hidden away behind these doors.

"Before you tried to take off with her that first time and you scared the pee out of her, literally, and she went running right back to the male that supposedly hurt her?" I asked sweetly, my face saying what my voice wasn't.

"Rek-" Glancing outside his door, he paused, grunted, gave a fuck it half shrug, then shoved me inside to close and lock his door. Turning to face me, he admitted with a defiant air, "Yes. When Rek stupid and not see Joanie only female for Rek. Before Rek make Joanie so mad Joanie not want love Rek no more. Before Joanie leave Rek, leave hut- Before Joanie say she not Rek secrets boyfriend now and-"

"My god, if you'd just say, yeah, I totally want you just as you are, no upgrades needed, no bowing to my will, we'd be mated by now and probably half way through a bun baking in this oven!" I exploded. "If you hadn't manipulated things to try and trick me into a mating with you, we wouldn't be where we are right now!"

Rek roared, but I wasn't about to cower to that bullshit, not with him. Folding my arms over my chest, eyes narrowed, face perfectly impassive, I mocked as he finished, "Feel better now, dick?"

"You dick!" he shouted, looking like he was ready to launch himself at me and choke me. When he lunged for me, I panicked and would have throat punched him if he didn't see my hand coming, block it, then grab me up and slam me to him.

Instead of strangling me to murder me he was smothering me in a big bear hug.

I had to wriggle his arms looser to make out what he was mumbling as he cuddled me close and pressed almost frantic kisses to my head.

"My Joanie. My Jojo," he murmured as he clung to me like a barnacle.

"I feel faint. I need to eat," I reminded, trying to recall when I'd wrapped my arms around him and proceeded to dig my nails into his wide back.

Pulling back, he nodded, his eyes pink rimmed and oddly shiny. His nose wriggled with what sounded like forced back, quiet sniffles. Releasing his hold on me, he guided me towards his eating area to not only seat me but immediately produce a loaf of the crusty brown bread he knows I like, that yummy wax dipped cheese, and the yellowy orange dried meat that tasted like chicken with the texture of beef.

"Rek make tummies tea," he rumbled out softly, doing absolutely nothing to hide the purr in his chest, rattling away.

"Not necessary. I'm just tired and hungry." Yawning, I glanced towards his bed. No. I couldn't. Then he'd want to cuddle, and I'd give in, then I might give in more, then we'd be right back where we were, even worse off, and I'd hate myself for staying as he tried to manipulate me time and time again.

"Jojoknee sleepy," he rumbled out softly, his voice lulling me, just like it always did when he got all throaty and sexy crooning.

"Maybe a little," I conceded, resting my head on my forearms on the table.

Stomach pleasantly full, in a place that despite Rek's stupid stunts I knew was safe, I closed my eyes for a moment… Just one damn moment.