Chapter 8

T his is kinda genius, I had to admit, trying not to squirm at the memory of those thick hands holding onto my waist until I was sure I wasn't going to drop down into the dark pool of water he'd taken me to. He was married, after all!

A quick glance over my shoulder assuring me those dark, blue-grey eyes with a hint of bright blue, so dark and deep it was startling, were still turned away from me, his back to me, and hopefully squeezed shut tight just like he'd promised, I rapidly scrubbed at my skin until it was pink.

It wasn't a proper bath, per se, but it would do.

There wasn't a soul in sight as I had this weird moment, bathing in the small private hot spring situated behind the enormous hut he'd taken me to and toted me out back behind to wash up.

Glancing at my clothes, I grimaced.

"I don't suppose your mate has any clothes she might be alright with me borrowing?" I asked, ignoring the snow threatening to freeze the top of my head as my lower half basked in the comfortable heat of the water. Biting my lip, I mumbled, "Maybe you should go tell her where you are, you know, what's going on and everything… so she doesn't worry or get upset?"

"She know," he said simply, like that settled that.

He was half a snowman as he stood there, eyes closed, facing away from me, pointed tipped ears swiveling this way and that as if trying to catch wind of something.

"You bullshittin' me?" I paused to glance his way once more, unconvinced.

All he did was grunt, tap his ear, turn his head enough for me to see and then tap his nose. Whatever that fucking meant. But then I wondered… "Is she a Lo denaii?" Some of them had insane hearing. Hopefully she heard all the parts about me saying don't be all flirty with me, Mr. Purrypants, you're hitched.

"She… different," he offered.

"Like Bum-bum?" I blurted before I'd thought of it. If Bum-bum was like Fuck N Run, and this guy's mate was like them, maybe they knew my Fuck N Run personally?

Damn… Had I just given Bum-bum away? Did this guy even know he was different? Shit. I needed to learn to keep my fat mouth shut.

And did I really think just because a bunch of people sported horns sometimes that meant they all must know one another? Gee, that's stupid. Duh, Joans.

"Different enough, obviously, that unlike me she isn't the type to get jealous easily, I'd wager," I mumbled, mostly to myself. Louder, I asked, "So… what's she like?" to realize the male that had just been standing there had vanished. Poof. Just gone.

Frowning, staring into the darkness, it hit me, how vulnerable I was right now. I was all alone in the backyard ‘cuzzi of some as of yet known to me Yeti's place, hot tubbing it up for a quick wash in the middle of a wild snow storm.

Damn. I'd scared him off. Now what? I can't see two inches in front of my face, can barely walk… what now?!

The sound of footsteps fast approaching, out of nowhere, had me dipping down until the water was just below my nose.

Shit. Shit! What the fuck am I supposed to-

Taking a deep breath, I dipped under the water.

That's awesome, I'll just drown myself while someone walks by. Smart. Really smart.

When I couldn't hold my breath any longer, I broke the surface as quietly as possible.

My gaze darted about, desperate to spy any interloper stumbling across me. A small lantern sat beside the water, a soft but eery green glow casting across the snow. It was situated next to a pile of material sat atop a box. I gaped at it for a full minute before snapping the hell out of it.

Inching my way cautiously towards the items, my gaze darted around.

Assuming my beast rescuer had helped a gal out and offered me a moment, I lifted up enough to start going through the pile offered to find two of the woven cloths they used to dry off with, their version of bath towels and whatnot, a hand-made dress and pants that looked about my size, and a thicker woven bit of material I planned to use like a shawl. Lucky me.

Slipping from the water, I had to be quick or freeze my tits off, quite literally. My teeth were chattering something awful as I hurried out, using one bit of cloth to sit on, the other to quickly dab down my body and hair, my legs still resting in the water.

A soft exhalation had my gaze shooting up, meeting that of my furry helper as he nearly dropped the large object in his hands he was carrying closer.

"S-s-scurr-reen," he haltingly spluttered out, a soft stutter making itself known as he hurried to get the word out.

Grabbing the dress to slap it to my chest, praying for decency, I barked when he just stood there, gripping the divider until it started to creak ominously, "Don't just stare at me! Turn around!"

With a grunt, he whipped around, hastily set up the screen, and then walked behind it.

Rushing to redress, I was just plaiting my hair when he called out from the other side of the screen, "Deed-sent?"

"You have a very uncaring or super patient mate," I mutteringly told him. "If I had a mate and heard about this nonsense, I'd be a big old sass-hole about it." Taking a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves, I took one more before I called out, "Okay. You're good."

A head popped around the divider, still snow covered and half snowman-ed out. Staring at me as if he was looking at a new person, he settled for a soft grunt of an answer.

Sliding my legs out of the water, I started to dry them off but he rushed over, shoving my hands out of the way, and finished for me.

I protested, quite vehemently I might add in my own defense, but he just gently moved my hands out of the way and insisted on helping.

"Hands," he said simply, gesturing for me to put them back inside the cloth I'd wrapped around me for a makeshift shawl.

His fingers were so freaking warm, but there was a wealth of guilt to follow, knowing I was enjoying this and he was taken. It made me feel queasy to think about it.

My hands closed over his when he would have put my socks on for me. "You have a mate. Don't touch other women like this when you have a lady. I wouldn't like it, if I were her. It would break my heart."

Taking the socks from him as he swallowed thickly, nodded, and backed off, I noted him standing, walking away, grabbing the divider and dragging it back wherever he'd gotten it from.

Returning by the time I'd put on the pants, socks, and my boots, he had a weird looking canister in one hand, steam coming from it.

He must live very close by and be cool with mega Mc-Yeti-mansion owner to be coming back so fast.

"Hot," he said simply, offering up a small metal cup to pour some of what looked like broth into it.

"Just like Granny used to make," I joked. Thanking him, I gave it a curious sniff and carefully took a few sips.

"Goot?" he asked.

Not exactly the word I'd use to describe it but it wasn't awful. "Did your mate make this?" I wondered aloud. Honestly, as far as broth type stuff goes, this was the best I've ever had.

Pointing at himself, he grunted, waited.

"You made it? It's good." I took a few more sips. There was a warmth it left behind in it's wake, making me wonder if it was like all those stories I used to hear about chicken soup and bone broth or whatever helping what ails you. "What's in it?"

"Finish. Need see Rothy. Owed-ies bad," he informed me.

Not one to let other people tell me what to do, I snorted. "Soon as I'm finished with my broth, I'll be going back home, but I thank you all the same, sir."

"No home," he grumbled, but poured me another cup of broth as I polished off the first one.

"Ain't that the truth," I mumbled around the rim of my cup. Mm. It was like the more I drank, the better it tasted.

No home. It was the painful, hard truth. I wanted one. Always had. In a lot of ways I'd found a home in Rosie, but she had her own home now, in her mates and babies. I respected that. She needed to live her life and I needed to get myself one.

I wanted that too so badly it hurt.

"Krampus hunt," he reminded.

Blowing out a deep breath, I grimaced. "I'd almost forgotten all about those assholes for about two seconds." I could try Rek's place, Booger's, or even Gopher's if I was feeling ballsy, but Rek was probably pissed at me and may just try and pull a Misery on me at this point, I really didn't want to un-break up with him and the asshole needed to understand I was not his willing, waiting hole. Gopher was probably hiding from me, if he wasn't halfway to Canada running from me or himself, whichever, I wasn't quite sure yet. And Booger, that might just freak him out… God forbid he might decide to cut his losses on waiting for his one, lose his marbles and try to toss himself into the mix. It might kill me. I had zero love or lust or sexy any kinda feelings for the male but platonic love.

Not wanting to involve Rosie in any of this, or let anyone else in on the drama, I had next to no options. Like hell was I going to get Dorothy involved in this. She'd slap some beasts around, get their mates in on it. It would be a hot fucking mess before I could blink. I didn't want hands forced in any of this. It would only lead to unhappiness and resentment.

"You know what, I know a place," I said as I thought of the bunker we watched movies in, blinking as the world started to slide out of focus. "Ohhhh. Ah… erm… what the hell was in that shit?" I blurted as I dropped my cup. It tumbled to the snow, spilling everywhere.

My snow encrusted companion, only those lovely blue-grey eyes clearly visible in my swimming vision, picked up my cup and set it aside. "Help. Safe," he grunted out as a helpless noise left me.

It was hard to feel panicked when I was so warm and toasty, even more so when he picked me up and my belly dipped. "Oi, frosty, I thought you had a mate," I muttered as our eyes met and held and he started to lean in.

"Soon," he purred softly, waiting for me to push him off, and when I didn't he then gently placed his lips over mine.

I knew who he was the instant his lips touched mine and that oh so familiar, bone deep, toe curling rumble left him.

"Mystery Mate," I blurted the second his lips left mine.

My eyes were already heavy and closing, the world slipping into blessed silence as the broth took over.

This whole time, I'd been with my Mystery Mate.

???

T his loud, awful sound was the next thing I could clearly recall. Coming to in an unfamiliar place was my least favorite pastime. Wherever I found myself, it was busy, bustling with noise and that wide awake energy.

Sitting up with a grunt, clearing my throat and smacking my lips with that cotton feeling in my mouth, I stared at the thick white pelt laid out over me. I knew this pelt. My Mystery Mate.

"Oh my god," I blurted. I'd met him. I mean, like, I knew him.

I did now , I mean.

Okay, I didn't know him, but now I knew him.

Kinda…

He'd be hard to pick out of a lineup unless he was the only one with snow stuck fur and pretty dark, blue-grey eyes but… that was him. My Mystery mate guy. A small, semi hysterical laugh left me. He'd said he had a mate. Had that asshole been meaning me?! The whole time? God, or did he mean someone else? What the frick?! He had to have meant me, right? I had the pelt and everything to prove it. What a dick! More laughter spilled free. "That turdlet!"

"Eh! Jo. Needs… go?" One of Dorothy's mates popped their head into the doorway of the room I'd woken up in to ask. This guy I knew, blinking stupidly up at him in stunned surprise.

"Do I need to… go?" My brain wasn't quite runnin' on all cylinders at the mo'. "Go where?"

"Go poops," the male stated bluntly. Dorothy had a lot of damned mates. It was hard for me to keep up with all of them, I'd admit. I wasn't particularly chummy with any of them either.

"What made you think I needed to-" And then it hit me. Turdlet. I'd said turdlet.

It started off small, and I'd blame the mickeyed broth to get me here in the first place if it ever came up, but soon I was holding my gut, busting with laughter.

Swiping at my eyes, realizing two things quickly at once, Aunty had arrived, and the fact my life was an even bigger mess than before I'd come to Yetidom, those laughing tears and soft chuckles turned into a weird torrent of poorly muffled sobbing.

"Rothy!" her male leaned out to bark, but rushed in all the same to helplessly give my back these weird, I wanna comfort you but I'm so not touching you there-there pats.

"What's happened? Is she awake? What's the matter? Oh my god! Mosoau! What did you say to her, you big moose?!" Dorothy came rushing in, wiping her hands on a towel. One look at me and she ordered her mate out, who was shaking his head wildly and waving his hands frantically.

"Mosoau not say no thing," he grumbled, though his lips were still twitching with barely suppressed humor at her calling him a moose.

Closing the door, she grabbed a few things from a dresser on the far wall and sat on the edge of the bed. "Hey. Hey now…"

When I swiped at my eyes, nodded, then quickly shook my head because who the hell was I kidding, I squeezed my eyes shut tight and forced myself to take a few deep breaths.

Taking my hands in hers, pulling them away from my face, she started to gently dab at my face. "Are you- Did- I heard about the Krampus and the-"

"I fell, got lost in the- in the snow," I blurted out, talking around everything. I tried to say more but I couldn't. Frankly, I didn't really want to.

"That's okay. No need to say another word on it. When you were brought in last night, you looked a fright." One glance down at my hip and she asked, "It troubling you right now? The paste wore off? I hope you don't mind I tended to you but one peek and all I saw was black and blue! I couldn't just leave you like that." Nodding, she continued, "I gave you decency, as much as I could. I was quick about it. Made them all leave when I had to remove your pants. If I'd have left it, I doubt you'd be sitting up without passing out right now, it was that awful looking. You were pretty roughed up, and that's saying something comin' from me."

"I'm, uh, no. It's fine. Thank you. I- I'm just, you know- I, uh- Uhm, I'm emotional," I settled on.

Nodding in understanding, she handed me some fresh clothes. "We're trying to keep the Krampus hunt quiet so it doesn't scare the others. I can't even imagine- Seeing them up close." Dorothy gave a mock shudder. "Came across one on the hunt years ago when I first got here. Nearly scared me to death. Still can barely talk about it now," she went on sympathetically, misunderstanding my upset.

I let it lie.

"This room has a private bathroom," she told me as she pat my back comfortingly. "We try and save it for guests and such. Has some lady things in there, sweet smelling soaps, should you want use of ‘em. If you want, I've got a spare pair of pants and a warm shirt you could try out, keep them if they'll fit? And I'll go and wash what all you've got on now and get them back to you?"

Sniffling, sucking it up like a good little buttercup, I stood with her assistance, and made my way over to the bathroom. I felt so helpless, exposed. It was on the tip of my tongue to start peppering her with questions.

"Impossible to avoid getting paste on them and try and keep your decency." A grimace stole over her face. "Be a shame if they stained," she tutted, admiring the intricate beadwork along the trim. "Fine work. You make these ones yourself? Rosie says you're a veritable needle witch. Can't say I've taken to sewing as good as I'd like but Griever, he's happy to do the mending with me, and by do the mending with me I mean take over," she added with a soft chuckle. "I'll do my best to get your things good as new."

Again, letting her think what she liked, I smiled my thanks. "Did he- Is he still here?" I asked.

"Is who here, dear?" She looked so confused.

"The male that brought me in," I replied hesitantly, fighting a blush at my school girl crush on a perfect stranger. Well, not entirely a stranger, but I wasn't going to delve into that right now.

"All the guys are out there. I'm not sure who brought you in," she said easily, not catching the vibe of the situation correctly.

My heart thundered as I blurted, "One of the guys?"

"The guys. My fellas," she elaborated. "Be just a moment," she called over her shoulder as she quit the room swiftly. "If you need any help changing, just holler and I'll pop back in!"

Sitting on the toilet, I gaped at the small washstand in front of me in horror. One of her mates?!

No. No way! No-no-no.

What fresh hell was this?!

Scrambling to finish in the bathroom, then hobbling my way, pantsless, swaths of cloth I recognized in the small basket under the sink for what they were, period cloth strips, I had a long swath tied at my hips resembling a makeshift diaper on, holding it all together, beneath the long dress I was still wearing, hairy legs feeling the breeze— wishing my menstrual cup wasn't back in my hut, tucked away, if Rek hadn't hidden it away yet, the idiot— I wanted to crawl into a hole and cry. Or maybe scream. Hell, I had no idea. Being crazy and caught up in a fuckton of wonky is fucking hard.

"Here we go!" Dorothy announced, knocking and waiting before entering the room. One good long look at me and she paused. Setting the items in her hands down beside me, she checked my forehead for a fever, then my neck for good measure. "You're pale as paper. Look like you've seen a ghost. What's the matter?"

Motioning for me to wait a moment, she popped her head out to call for one of her mates. Lukar appeared, glancing between us curiously. "Who brought Miss Joanie in last eve, do you recall?" she asked him shortly.

Her large mate gave a half-grunt and shrugged his wide shoulders.

"Griever bring Jojo in," he rumbled out softly.

A choked noise left me as Lukar called down the hall for Griever.

Moments later a male that was most certainly not the male from last night popped his upper half into view in the doorway. "Jes?" he said with that same stilted way of talking as my Mystery mate.

"Do you know who brought Joanie in?" Dorothy repeated.

"Jes," he said with a soft nod. A rumble left him as he dipped and gave his female a sniff that had her laughingly batting him away.

"Later," she told him in whispered tones, then pressed a kiss to her finger to then press it to his lips.

Griever pretended to bite at her finger but pulled back.

"Do you care to tell us who it was, sweetie?" she pressed.

"No," he said simply, then promptly quit the room.

"What?" she squawked. Fanning a towel at him, she charged off after him. "What do you mean, you don't want to tell us? Why on earth not?!"

"Him says no say," I heard Griever rumble out in answer.

"What kinda silliness is that?" she burst out above the din of other rumbles. After a moment, she asked in the sweetest tone to rival even my over the top sugary sweetness, "Not even lil ol' me?"

"Say no say no thing ‘bouts no thing. Griever see Josie no' good. Say ‘kay. Him leave, Griever bring Josie in. We here's now."

"Well," Dorothy blustered, "I never."

"Griever do," the male said simply, ruining whatever he was going for with a soft chuckle.

As much as I wished to know my secret male's identity, I was relieved Griever knew how to keep a secret.

There was that.

Even if I was dying to know the identity of my secret Mystery Mate admirer/rescuer.

Why didn't he just tell me, present himself to me?

Thinking about Dorothy saying they were trying to keep the Krampus hunt all hushity hush, I told her when she made her way back into the room, "I think it would be best for all involved, if we just pretended none of this ever happened."

Dorothy nodded, agreeing, Lukar and Griever, fighting to stand behind her in the doorway, shoving each other quietly behind her, stopped shove-fighting to nod along with her.

"I fell," I stressed, "got lost in the snow, but with a bit of rest I'll be on the mend."

"You've got that awful ick. You fell out of bed," Dorothy improvised with a smile.

"Exactly," I agreed with a jokey finger gun salute and a fake, plastered on smirk. "I can't stay here, though," I pointed out. "Folks will assume I'm worse off, and if Rosie catches wind of it she'll come rushing down here."

"That's true." Dorothy tapped her lip, deep in thought. "You can't go back to yours, not with you being Krampus marked and all that."

"Krampus marked?" Was that my voice sounding all weird and squeaky?

"For the hunt. The Krampus hunt. They mark their prey. Their targets," she replied absently, while I sat there trying not to puke.

I've been marked?!!

"I think I need a bucket," I blurted as a gurgle started to leave me.

Ten points to whichever male had not only found and grabbed a bucket, but had it shoved under me before the first urge to purge hit.

By the time I was done and Dorothy had helped me rinse my mouth out, we were informed that the males overseeing the village had gathered and were curious about having a word with me about all of this.

"Fuck it, why not," I muttered, throwing my hands up as Dorothy protested the whole thing to her mates because as far as she could see I was obviously not feeling well.

"Are you sure?" Dorothy fretted, the best mother hen there ever was, giving her males the stink eye over her shoulder for even suggesting a meeting right now.

"I don't know how much help I'll be," I admitted, biting my tongue to keep from mentioning that Bum-bum was far more informed on all of this than me.

Before I could even attempt to stand, I had Veck and Tarnk, two of Mina's mates, Berkr, Righty of Cottontail's mates, and Borc, one of Red's ‘roided out looking males, crowding into the room.

One glance down at my yet to be removed from the room puke bucket and Veck glanced uneasily from me to Dorothy, who was glaring up a storm, her hands on her hips. "In a moment does not mean come shovin' your way in with Berkr leadin' the way," she scolded them.

Berkr snorted, the only one not looking contrite. This should surprise no one.

The second he started to lean in, I cautioned him, "I'll puke right on that skunky lookin' stripey face, Pepé, just try me."

Berkr jerked back as a startled laugh, poorly muffled into her hand clapping over her face, left Dorothy.

Berkr bared his teeth at me but kept his distance.

"They're sniffing around the area near my hut but they look wary of trying to cross the water," I told them. And because I knew it would be obvious, "Bum-bum said he was keeping an eye on things, and marked my hut to try and deter them."

"Jo see them before?" Veck asked.

"Once," I admitted, "but I didn't know what they were at the time. Ran into it in the woods, headed home. I was swimming in a hot spring. We bumped into each other."

"It just leave Bad Jo be?" Berkr's eyes narrowed as he studied me, like he was looking for some sort of tell I was pulling his dick. Disbelief was thick in his voice.

"We literally rammed into each other and flew back. It looked stunned. I took off while it was still staring at me like an alien it was debating on whether I might taste nice or what," I snapped at him defensively.

The pain in my head throbbed harder. Closing my eyes, I rubbed at my temples. "My head hurts. I fell, hit it, and blacked out," I admitted. "Hurt my hip."

Tarnk made a sympathetic noise that Righty copied.

Veck rumbled something in Lo denaii that several other replied with agreeing sounding grunts to. "Jo no' say Krampus on hunt? Not want scare fema- ah, others," he quickly corrected.

They didn't want to freak out their females, who were already kinda pretty isolated as it was.

"As long as you can all promise me everyone will be kept safe, you have my word I won't be sayin' jack," I swore.

"Why care she say jack?" Berkr let out an exasperated noise. "What jack? Who jack?"

Veck, smothering a laugh, his icy white-blue eyes twinkling as we shared on the inside joke, rumbled something at Berkr in his language that had the village enforcer turning a funny color.

"Berkr need get out more, as Meanie says," Tarnk teased the older male.

"Berkr no need gets out. Tarnk gets out!" he burst out, narrowing his eyes on the group gathered and smothering their own smirks. He was the only singleton in the bunch. "All gets out!" he snapped, offering me a short dirty look before he stormed from the room.

"Are you sure you want Pepé hall-monitoring for y'all?" I called out loudly, hoping he heard. "He's kind of a big ol' baby."

"Bad Jo baby!" he bellowed from deeper in the house. "Bigged baby!"

"See! Whoa, baby!" I shot back, laughing at my own ridiculousness as he snarled, the sound long and loud enough to rattle windows, then slammed out of the house. Where was my sense of self-preservation? It was like it had gotten tossed out the window after one chug of funky soup broth.

Dorothy, I noted, like Red's and Cottontail's mates, stared at me as if I'd lost my ever loving mind to taunt the male to those depths of foolishness, while Mina's and Dorothy's mates quietly chuckled at the shit I'd just stirred.

Bum-bum couldn't be bothered to join this gathering, I noted. Berkr, Veck, and Bum-bum were the village big guns, the unofficial leaders. Why this bothered me, that he couldn't be bothered, was beyond my means of contemplating, because I could acknowledge just how stupid my hurt widdle feelings over it were, just how absurd I was being. Why would I want to see him again, and so soon? That whole thing with him was bananas. Plumb bananas.

Yet… I was still thinking about it. Argh.

My brain must've been put in backwards. Even now, absent of dumb human men prone to idiocy to pant after, I've seamlessly switched to crazy Yeti men that don't know their heads from their asses, some with weird commitment issues, others with, well, I don't even know what, to be completely honest. I'm some kind of deranged, dick magnet— and not the fun kind.

Holding a finger up as Village Security filed out, I looked to Dorothy. "That still doesn't decide where I'm going to be staying in the meantime."

"Berkr's?" Someone laughingly suggested from the other room.

"Like fuck!" I squawked, to Berkr's hell no sounding shout in Lo denaii, Dorothy's mates cracking up, and Dorothy abruptly admonishing, "Language!"

Unsure if she was talking to just me, or me and Berkr, maybe everyone in general if she recognized the Lo denaii cursing, it was all so ridiculous I burst out laughing.

It was a weird way to start my day but no less entertaining.