Chapter 44

Back at the village

Carrie

T his was all my fault.

If only I hadn't been such a needy, clingy pest , that little voice in my head kept nagging at me, then maybe they wouldn't be in this mess.

Maybe, if I'd just stopped resisting when Rek put me in one of the unmated ladies' dens, huts, whatever they wanted to call that shack of loneliness I'd be staying in completely by myself seeing as I was the only unmated human female around here, then perhaps Rek's mate, his Joanie, wouldn't have assumed the worst. Maybe she'd have let him explain. Maybe then, she wouldn't be gone.

She didn't leave him. She loved him. You'd have to be stupid not to know Joanie loved Rek something awful.

I'd heard the whispers, wondering if she might have just up and left, along with the horrifying thought that she could have been taken by another creature hanging around in the woods just waiting to pounce.

I was going with the latter. I probably watched her as often as Rek had, partially because I stuck to him like glue whenever possible. Odd as she'd been acting for a while there, she had no intention of leaving. She had family here and she obviously loved them, too.

If I hadn't been such a coward… maybe- Maybe things would have gone differently.

But they hadn't, and I'm a total chicken shit.

Rek was safe. Rek might yell and get grumpy with me, sure, and yeah he's hurt my feelings, but he's never put his hands on me. He's never made me fearful for my life. He's big and scary looking but when it comes down to it he's sorta my hero.

Guilt gnawed at me.

And I'd repaid him for all of that he's done for me by getting his mate to shun him and most of the village in the process. My fears consuming me had led to this.

I couldn't help but feel like this was all my fault. Who else was I to blame?

If Rek had been with her, she'd have been protected. He'd have died for her.

Watching him now, listening to his muffled sobs as he clutched her purse like a lifeline, then mumbled her name over and over in his nightmares as he tossed and turned. Yeah, this was my fault.

Because I was scared and didn't want to be alone.

He'd tried to introduce me to others but it was hard when everyone thought he'd just picked me up and decided to keep me.

I'd heard what others say, think, about us, about me. Some didn't even try to hide it.

I hated myself for it. All of it.

I'd quietly, selfishly been relieved he couldn't find someone else to pawn me off on.

I didn't want Rek, no. Absolutely not. And he wouldn't want me anyway. Everything the male lived and breathed, was his Joanie. I'd say his interest in her bordered on obsession but it wasn't my place to say and better her than me.

Rek was safe for me, he was a thousand percent uninterested and mainly occupied with his mate. That left me too much time to quietly sit in my intrusive thoughts, while he sat in his, and bask in this odd, self-deprecating parallel play we'd fallen into.

But we didn't even have that now.

This was no longer all about me, my feelings, my pain and fears and hurts.

Rek wasn't doing good. I mean, really not doing good.

He'd sort of become kind of like the odd, heavily hairy cousin I'd never had, or big brother even, maybe, and he was killing himself trying to find his Joanie.

I was terrified to think of what he'd do if he couldn't find her.

To make matters worse, he'd passed out during one of many a hunt for her, sleep deprivation, lack of food, he'd barely been coherent, and long story short they'd, and by they I mean all the really big scary guys running around day after day looking for her, well, they'd basically banned him from hunting.

Kirch, the guy he seems to quietly look up to, was put on babysitting duty.

This is where we're at.

Sitting in Rek's backyard so I wasn't front row seat to their latest shouting match, Rek weakly trying to fight Kirch off to get past him to leave, the only family it appears Rek has knocking some sense into him, literally if necessary, keeping his butt grounded.

Wincing as I heard a loud crash and a snarl, I focused on the bowl in my hands and filling it with snow to boil in the weird filtering pot system Rek had set up underneath a bunch of strange, glowing stones.

He usually had enough water for more than both of us but he'd given up on daily chores. Since Joanie had disappeared, he'd given up on a lot of things.

From the smell of him lately, I was pretty sure he'd foregone bathing completely. I'd never been so happy to not have that crazy Lo denaii sense of smell in my life.

I was almost done with my task when I heard it, a faint crunching sound.

Feeling like my heart had jumped into my throat, I glanced up just in time to see the beast woman that had shown up during Joanie's wedding to Gopher and Odix and never left.

A soft eep of a noise left me as the woman pounced.

She was too fast and I was far too slow.

Timid. That's what my ex used to call me. A timid, shy little mouse. But I fought this time. I tried to kick and swing my arms. There was no use screaming, as she had her hand tightly clamped over my mouth and the arm banding around me was squeezing my ribs so hard it was hard to breathe.

I was on the verge of blacking out as she toted me away from Rek's, down a path I'd been warned not to take, bypassing all the other huts, and straight into one of several vacant huts, this one less cozy looking than all the others, more of a shack really, and far enough out it would be harder for someone to hear me, should I start screaming. The second we were inside she tossed me away from her to make her way over to the door to lock it.

Spinning around on lithe feet, she snarled, "Human! Know where Go's Jo go?"

"Do I what?" I sputtered, gaping at her. Cowering in the corner, I struggled to make eye contact. She was big, like- like a fuzzy, villain She-Ra on steroids with mad anger issues.

She repeated herself, and I finally caught Jo mentioned in there. "I don't have anything to do with Rek's mate going missing." I was proud of the anger in my voice, instead of letting how terrified I was of her show.

Honestly, I was so taken off guard by her accusation, and after all that Rek's been put through because of me, it just pissed me off, to think I'd have a hand in any of this. If I could track Joanie down myself for him, I would.

When I said as much, the pacing, angry beast foaming at the mouth before me paused and cocked her head. "Why want Jo back? Puny human no want Jo back."

"Of course I want her back! What's the matter with you? I'd give anything to get her back!"

This gave my aggressor pause.

A loud snarl issuing outside made us both jump.

"Oh my god, is it a cramps monster?!" I squeaked out worriedly.

"Krampus," she grunted out absently.

At a loud snarl, she grimaced. "Worse."

"Worse? Worse?!" Oh my god, what the heck was worse than a cramp monster thing— whatever the heck they're called?!

"L," I thought she grumbled as another ominous growl issued and the door rattled on its hinges.

L? What was an L? And why did beast woman seem so worried about it?!

Ducking beneath a very rickety looking bedframe for cover, I scooted in until I was pressed up against the far wall.

Maybe if it couldn't see me, it wouldn't get me and give beast lady time to fight it off or lure it away from here.

The door slammed open. A small but totally giving my position away scream left me.

There was an insane growl. It rattled the boarded up windows.

Beast woman growled back. They started a back and forth that after a while sounded like a conversation in their growling language.

She could communicate with it? Could she tell it to go away?! Maybe she could convince it that humans taste horrible?

"OUT!"

I could clearly make that one word out.

L's voice was deep, but not nearly as scary deep as so many of the other beasts in the village.

Staring at a pair of furry boot covered feet and fluffy fur covered legs as I shifted for a better view, a small whimper of a noise escaped me when beast woman's furred boots stomped several times before she finally left. Just like that, a grumble on her lips, she stormed out and left me all alone with this L creature.

Loud grumbling and muttering reached my ears. The sound of toe claws scraping on wood pricked my ears. "Out. Comes out," this L ordered.

I felt like my heart had stopped. I forgot how to breathe. It wants me to come out? To be killed?! I don't think so!

My hands slapped to my face. My nails dug in as I clamped my hands over my mouth to try and muffle the noises I was involuntarily making.

A muffled scream left me when a large body dropped down and bright blue eyes scanned my hiding spot. That shockingly bright gaze narrowed as it fell on me.

"Please don't hurt me," I whispered, gaping, wide-eyed, at a very unamused looking Yeti person.

I shook, they looked so pissed.

One deep sniff and they cursed, quite clearly, in English. I'd only ever really heard Rek say naughty words in my own language before. Not that I had a ton of meaningful interaction with any other Lo denaii, as they called themselves, mind you.

"No hide," L grunted out. "Come out now, Rek human."

"For the love of god, I'm not Rek's human!" I burst out. My hands immediately clapped right back to my face, this time even harder.

L jerked at the vehemence in my tone. Those wild blue eyes narrowed, shimmering like two glittering chips of blue ice. "Why stay with Rek? Make Go's Jo sad, not Rek's? Make Jo think you Rek's."

"I don't belong to anyone," I mumbled through my fingers.

"Bad female. Pfft," I thought I heard them grumble as they sat up and turned to sit with their arms hanging loosely off their knees.

"I'm not a bad female!" The very idea- It was plain insulting. I was so sick of being told I was wrong, I was bad, I'm a liar, I'm incapable. I'm none of those things!

The derisive snort issuing above me had my eyes narrowing, teeth gritting. "Hey! Hey, you! You don't know me!"

"Know you stay with Rek, follow Rek, like you Rek's female. All say you Rek's. Whine and chase after Rek, like Rek's. What all think? You Rek's."

Sliding out from my hiding spot, ignoring the dust covering me, I glared at them for that. "It's not true. Take it back."

"Take what back?" L cocked their head. Their fur looked so soft, and much fluffier than some of the other Lo denaii I'd come across. The urge to reach out and feel it gave me touch the bear and die vibes. "That you small, loud, whiny female that follows Rek like lost kep-kep?"

"What, are you watching me, you freaking stalker? Maybe you're a bad male," I accused.

L blinked at that, realized I was completely serious, their eyes widening when I gave a sniff and dared them to comment, then promptly burst out laughing.

"It's not funny!" They were making fun of me. What the heck?!

Holding their stomach, they fell over onto their side, they were belly laughing so hard.

Leaning over them, I bared my teeth at them. "It's not funny."

Unfazed by me, they swiped at their eyes, still struggling to get a hold of themselves. Leaning in closer, hovering over them, in their face, shocking myself with my own boldness, I demanded to know as I jabbed them in the shoulder, "Why is that so funny?!"

Grabbing my hand, snarling at my hard jab, they had me flipped on my back and were straddling me, growling down into my face, before I could blink. "No jabs," he growled out gutturally.

It took me a full minute, it felt like, before I remembered to breathe.

Was this the appeal for Joanie? This virile, wild side? The strength, dominance? L wasn't hurting me. Quite the opposite. I was shocked by how gentle they were. And by how much I actually liked it.

"No pokes," he grumbled down at me as I gaped up at them. "No like be poked."

"Well- Well, I don't like being laughed at. It hurts my feelings," I blurted.

"Try to be funny," they said simply.

"You were laughing because you were trying to be funny?" That didn't even make any sense.

"You no understand," they muttered, rolling off of me to stand.

"I don't," I admitted, scrambling after them as they just rolled to their feet and strolled towards the door. Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I entreated, "Tell me."

With a sigh, they turned back towards me and stomped right up to me. Bending, getting in my face, bringing with them an odd musky smell that held a hint of sweetness to it, they met my gaze squarely, looking none too pleased about it. "Look." A clawed finger jerked at their face. "What you see?"

"Uhm…" What did I see? "White fur…"

L made an impatient noise in their throat.

Feeling put on the spot, I blurted out the first thing that popped into my overtaxed brain. "The bluest eyes I've ever seen."

L jerked back to frown down at me.

Scratching my head at that one, I shrugged. "You're big and strong… Tall… What am I supposed to be seeing?"

Trying a new tact, they fanned a hand towards me. "What smell?"

"You bathe?" I mumbled, noting upon a deeper sniff a woodsy scent with a hint of something floral. It was nice. I liked it. I didn't get them asking me to sniff them "You smell nice? I like it?" Glacing down at my person, I mumbled, "Is it me? What's wrong with the way I smell?" Did that paste stuff Rek showed me how to make and use for deodorant fail me?

A choked noise left L. "You nose broken." Jerking me towards them, I smacked against them. My palms splayed, landing flat on surprisingly thick, pronounced pecs. The nubs beneath my fingertips, buried in all that fur, hardened against my palms as my fingers flexed.

"Is- Is this your way of- of approaching me to be mates?" I squeaked. Because it was weird but it was kinda working, I had to admit. This was the first beast person I'd met that I felt any kind of anything for. Beneath all that scary beast stuff was something… a sort of, I don't know, attraction to L?

L took my hands in theirs but instead of holding them they dropped them to my sides and backed away from me. A short, humorless laugh left them. "No want L for mate."

"But I thought- You just- I- You don't know that." I was frowning right along with them now. What was so wrong with them I wouldn't want them? Or were they being condescending?

"No want," they repeated, sounding firmer in their resolve than before.

Was this what it was like for everyone else? An odd meet-cute, an awkward I like you? Denial? Then what? Was I supposed to chase after them?

The urge to do just that hit me as L turned without another word and walked right out of the wonky shack.

Have they changed their mind? Is this because of the whole Rek thing?! Was that why?!

"I don't think it's for you to decide what I do or don't want," I called out as I doggedly followed after them.

Good god, they walked fast.

Finally catching up to L, irked as I talked at their back and they ignored me, I gave the bear a poke, quite literally.

Turning on me with a snarl, they leaned in, teeth bared, fire in their eyes, grabbed my hand and growled out, "No play. Not funny game." Thrusting my hand away from them, they snapped their teeth at me to grind out as they pointed off into the distance, "Make you say? Think make funny me?"

Hurt flashed in their eyes.

"I'm not making fun of you," I entreated softly. Throwing my hands up in dismay, I sighed noisily. "I don't understand. Please, make me understand."

"What she say?" L pointed off towards a spot in the distance. I knew they meant the wild woman.

"She said you were worse than a cramps-monster," I haltingly admitted.

"Cramps monster?" Leaning in, they gave me a loud sniff. "No smell blood. Hurts? It comes? Cramps monster? Need tea?"

"What? I- No." My face flushed red.

"Why make face? No shame." They let out a small grunt. "Shy?"

"A little," I mumbled.

"No be shy. Both have female's parts. Cramps monster all part of lady time." Reaching out, they patted my shoulder comfortingly.

"I- You're a girl?" I blurted.

When they gave me a look, I corrected, "I mean, a woman, not a girl- a- a female." When they continued to stare down at me, their expression unreadable, I laughed nervously. "I mean, of course you're a gir- female. Uhm…"

A soft chuff left L. "You no know." The corner of their mouth jerked up.

"I knew," I insisted, trying to cover up my major flub. Damn, I'd really put my foot in my mouth on this one.

My heart sped up for reasons not mating hopes related.

Were they mad I'd thought they were a male, and that I admitted I found them attractive? Did it matter to L?

Were they like Trevor? Did the idea of having a bisexual partner send them into a jealous tailspin that led to them accusing me of wanting every single human being I have any kind of civil conversation with? I hadn't even told Trev. He'd found out about it through an old highschool acquaintance I'd run into who'd asked me in his hearing if I'd gone all beef with age. So not funny.

Would I be treated similarly if anyone knew?

Truth time. "Okay, I didn't know, but you can't tell anyone."

L paused at that. Jerking back, she stiffened and nodded. "No worries tell you think Elle male," they scoffed.

Tears welled in my eyes when they laughed. I had no clue how it was intended but it felt mocking and that shit hit deep. "Am I just a joke to you?" Swiping at my eyes, sniffling, I went to rush off but L grabbed my arm.

"Why cry?" L frowned. "Not mock you, human."

"Carrie," I mumbled miserably. "Might as well have a name to go with your story about the human who thought you smelled like-" Hesitating, I let out a long, blustery sigh.

"Human who think Elle smell like what?" they grunted out. Cocking their head, they leaned in and gave me a sniff.

Were they checking to make sure I didn't lie to them? "What, uh, what do I smell like to you?" I countered, darting a peek at them as they scooted in closer and closer, then began snuffling at my hair.

A soft, humming purr rattled their chest as they buried their nose in the loose braid I'd pulled my dishwater blonde hair back into.

Surprise lit my features as that sound, soft and unsure, quietly rattling their chest grew. Lifting my hand, I carefully reached out and placed my fingers lightly over the spot. A soft gasp left me when that soft, quiet hum burst into a full on, chest vibrating rumble.

L pulled back long enough to glance down at my hand, then my face. "What byed-seg-soo-all? Mean want females?"

"It, uh, it means I like males and females."

L stared down at me thoughtfully and nodded. "Car-ree no mind L hunts, be warrior? L like males but not male. L warrior female."

"Uhm, no." I blinked at that. "I think you should do what makes you happy." Biting at my lip, I mumbled, "Do you care that I don't want to do those things?"

L shook her head. "Car-ree wants make home in hut, have babies?"

"I, well, I mean, kids never really came up for me… I haven't exactly been the best with relationships or anything- I, erm, I have a penchant for picking the wrong romantic partners." Realizing I hadn't answered their question, I thought about it for a moment. "If they're meant to be, yeah, I could see myself having kids some day."

"Goot. L want lots babies."

"I- You do? Is that, I mean, could we even make babies together? Is that possible."

L shook her head. "No."

"Oh." My heart sank. L wasn't talking about an us like a couple but more of in generalizations. Damn. There I go, putting the cart before the horse.

"Car-ree no pick Elle." L glanced around as if to scan the woods and make sure we were well and truly alone. Of course they did.

The way they said their name clicked before their words did. "O- Uh, alright."

Nodding, Elle turned fully to face me. "Elle pick Car-ree," they announced, like it needed to be formally verbalized.

I was so damn confused. "You- you do?"

"Jes," Elle grunted out. Bending, they scooped me up, shocking me stupid as they adjusted their hold, rumbling happily as my weight settled against them, and then just carted me off to wherever like a sack of potatoes.

"But you said…" I spluttered.

"Elle pick Car-ree. Car-ree no pick Elle. Elle pick Car-ree," they stressed.

Thinking back on my earlier statement about picking the wrong people to be with, I stared at Elle wonderingly. If that wasn't the sweetest thing I'd ever heard. A small smile tugged at my lips. "Can I pick you back?"

"No." Elle didn't smile, staring off ahead as she led us down a well-worn path.

My smile fell as my brow furrowed. "Ever?"

Blue eyes briefly shifted to meet mine. "Car-ree not say she make the bad choices? Picks wrong?"

"Well, yeah, but…" My god, I couldn't pick Elle EVER?

Elle let out a series of grunts that sent their purr sputtering. "Elle pick. Elle first mate. Elle make Car-ree happy."

My toes curled and my lips curved upwards at their words.

My smile fell and a squawk left me just as fast as they added, "Find goot male for second, also make Car-ree happy. Second male make Elle happy, help protect my Car-ree, put lots of babies in Car-ree for Elle."

I laughed at first because why wouldn't I? That sounds crazy. Elle did not laugh. They were completely, dead serious. "We're doing what now?!"

Elle grinned as I started to kick up a fuss over all these babies I was going to have put in me and this mysterious, unknown male Elle was going to find for me, for us. I squirmed at the idea of having a three-way. Polyamory so would not work for me. I'd tried it once and quickly realized I'm the jealous type and it just wasn't for me.

"I don't want to watch you making crazy wild warrior love to some random guy." Or anyone, I silently tacked on.

Elle stopped dead in their tracks at that. Their grip tightened as they leaned in and bumped their forehead to mine. "Lo denaii only mate one."

"The females don't. Rek told me," I blurted.

"Elle warrior. Elle only mate one," they growled out vehemently.

"And you'd be just fine if I mated some guy and we made love and had babies?" I mumbled in disbelief.

"Elle find my Car-ree goot male, goot mate, make my Car-ree happy." A fierce scowl took over Elle's face. "Or elssse," they hissed.

"You'd be just fine with watching me with another romantic partner?" I clarified.

"Elle not watch," Elle muttered. A snort followed.

My face flamed at the look they gave me, telling me they had no intention of being a voyeur hanging out on the sidelines.

"Mamma say no rush for babies," Elle conceded shortly. Clearing their throat gruffly, they rumbled out, "Elle not in hurry to share."

My face was so beet red, I thought it might catch fire as I pecked a kiss to a furry cheek and softly whispered as I nuzzled pale flesh and fur, "Good."

???

Dorothy

I couldn't lose hope. We had to find her.

My stomach was a ball of knots. Each day that passed with no sign of her and another formed to join the growing bunch.

Mal and Rosa were holding up much better than I'd been expecting, but they were holding each other up, and their mates as well.

Males came in and out of the village at all hours. They had search teams scouring endlessly.

I tried to be on hand, whenever, wherever needed, if my mates weren't forcing me to catch a few winks.

Kirch stood over Rek like a sentry. He'd dragged him out close to the fire. Rek looked abnormally pale, not a healthy hue but sickly and sallow.

The large yellow purse hugged to his chest as he rocked back and forth and absently mumbled to himself made that odd pallor stand out all the more. He'd lost a lot of weight. He wasn't doing good at all.

Sniffing, Rek blinked the moisture from his eyes as he vacillated between snarling and mumbling. If any tears escaped, he let them fall.

"Leave Baby at Rothy's." Celuk stopped next to me, waiting for me to confirm I was alright with it before thanking me. He looked as tired as he sounded.

His gaze drifted over the bonfire we kept going constantly. Grey-blue eyes so much like my mate's blue-grey eyes unerringly fell on Rek. His brow tugged low as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Odix and Gopher, who'd just come back from a fruitless search, joined Celuk.

Wondering if anyone else had taken note of their sudden interest in Rek, I spied another interested party.

Packed up and ready to head out again, Tor paused as Rek slapped Kirch's hand away when he would have comforted him.

Tor snapped something at Rek and lumbered closer.

Stiffening, Celuk broke from the small group he'd formed with Odix and Gopher and strode over to Rek.

Before Tor could utter a word, Celuk had walked right over, coming up behind Rek before Tor could, and put his hand on Rek's shoulder.

Rek jumped like he'd just been goosed and Tor froze in place.

It was like time stood still for a solid minute as the world struggled to right itself.

Celuk rumbled something at Rek that had him stiffening where he sat. Celuk's grip tightened. Rek's soft grumbles dissolved into barely audible grunts.

I watched in stunned fascination as Tor paused to see this, cocked his head in wonder at that, and glanced from Rek to Celuk.

Rek frowned, his gaze darting between the two in confusion. His wide shoulders twitched as he fidgeted in place.

Celuk rumbled something out at Tor that had Tor's eyebrows shooting up and Rek's eyes widening in surprise.

Kirch, watching as the whole entire scene unfolded, hovering protectively, let out the deep breath he appeared to have been holding.

Rek's throat worked for a minute before he could clear it roughly. "Celuk… Celuk believe Rek?"

Celuk nodded while holding Tor's gaze.

Odix and Gopher, unabashedly eavesdropping on the whole thing, glanced to one another and scowled. Their scowls only deepened as they listened in.

"And Rek can go with Tor to- to look for my Jojomine?" Rek's voice quavered, exhaustion thick in it.

"After eat," Kirch stressed.

Rek glanced between all of them frantically. "Rek eat. Rek eat now. Rek eat," he said quickly.

Celuk glanced up, meeting Odix and Gopher's gazes evenly. He snapped something at them that had them answering in kind.

With a grumble, Odix muttered under his breath, "Still no like him's stupid head… For my Joanie…" and made his way over.

Celuk released Rek and made his way over to the table we kept filled with fresh, hot dishes ready to eat for searchers coming in and out. Making up two plates, he brought one over to Odix, the other for Gopher, then went back for one for Tor before making up two more. Seating himself directly beside Rek, he placed a plate carefully in his hands.

Rek's hands shook so badly he could barely hold it. I had no idea when I could honestly say I'd last seen him eat anything, and I saw that boy out here constantly.

"Eat," Celuk told him in English, retaking his plate to hand him a piece of meat he could easily hold. Pulling his hand back at the last moment, he grumbled, "Slow."

Rek nodded and took the offered bite sized morsel. His gaze constantly darted from the offered food to Celuk.

Gopher left to fetch water and went so far as to put a little in a mug to scoot it towards Rek.

"My Jo no like skinny males," he grumbled at him.

Rek bared his teeth at him, looked like he wanted to say something, snarl at him, but decided better of it and weakly nodded his thanks for the mug of water. Kirch had to hold it so he could drink.

Celuk looked calm and casual as he ate little bites here and there, but he was watching Rek, handing over small bites of food the second Rek was finished with one.

Rek's eyes began to droop, his words growing slurred. Quietly picking up a piece of meat to take a huge bite, Celuk absently began to hum.

Rek shook his fatigue off, growling at himself with the effort, but it was no use.

Kirch joined in with Celuk, until both males were singing the humming lullabies I'd heard my own males use on our sons when they were young, dead tired, and being stubborn.

Rek's fatigue eventually won.

Celuk grumbled at Kirch not to remove Rek when Rek slumped against him and a soft snore soon started to fill the air.

"No one touch," Celuk clipped out, leaving Rek leaned against his shoulder, even as a long string of drool started to dribble out of Rek's slack mouth.

A soft noise had me glancing up.

Carrie, I believed her name was, the woman Rek had brought to the village, stood quietly crying off to the side, happy tears, I took it, as she watched Rek and Celuk.

Elle, one of Gopher's sisters, stood closely behind her, patting her back comfortingly.

"Now, we go?" Elle asked.

Carrie nodded and placed her hand in Elle's, and they turned to leave.

As if feeling eyes on them, Elle glanced up at me sharply. Carrie followed Elle's gaze.

Seeing them holding hands, the way they were looking at each other, I wasn't grinning just for them finding their mates, but for Joanie. If it wasn't obvious to anyone that Rek was Joanie's and only Joanie's by this point, that should certainly squash any and all questions seeing Carrie mated and out of Rek's place. My hand lifted and I tossed them a little wave.

Elle nodded sharply, a typical Lo denaii hello back. Carrie's smile was small, uncertain, lifting up on one side more than the other. "Doogie mama," I heard Elle telling Carrie. "Goot female. Nice. Very nice."

One of my males came up behind me then to press my back to his front and hold me to him tight. Joanie's disappearance had shaken everyone in the village. Many had grown particularly protective of their human mates.

It was a crazy world out there beyond the village. This was a good reminder.

"We find," Mosoau rumbled out softly.

My hand slid over his as it settled over my heart.

"I sure hope so," I whispered.