CHAPTER 14

 

“And you can take that glimmering hope bahooky I’d stupidly been duped with, you- you- you cotton-candy-headed... ninnymuggins, and shove it up your- Hey! I said no! What do you think you’re- Unhand me!”

“Stop fighting. Rosie agitate Tokre,” Noyel grunted out, “make Tokre-”

“Oh for heaven’s sake, say it right or shut your fuzzy muzzle! I know you can!” Pointing to Noyel, then to Zhuii, my other hand gripping the pelt shielding my nudity, clutching the material to my chest hard enough my fingers were going numb. “Now just… don’t you come any closer. Either of you.”

My words were more plea than demand; not that it mattered as they ignored me and continued to slowly stalk forward.

They were closing in on me, surrounding me. I was cornered and I knew it, felt it. But like hell would I go down without a fight on this one. Like fucking hell.

“Zhuii be gentle,” the orange-eyed beast crooned cajolingly, holding his large hands out in front of him, palms out. And would the insta-half-boner he sported more often than not, barely disguised with that furry foreskin and the fluffy pelt surrounding it, be kind to my furburger, hmm? Huh?

“Rosie will like it,” Noyel began, cutting himself off at the blistering look I sent him.

I had to remind myself he couldn’t read minds and had no idea the track my brain was trotting along.

“Like it?” I scoffed. “I’ll like it! Well then, why don’t you go do it then, hmm, to yourself!!” I didn’t need them to help me do it. I totally would’ve. Eventually. Sooner or later…

Okay, brain, whose side are you on?!

Noyel blinked, then blinked again, sharing a quick look with Zhuii.

A growl was building in my throat, slowly seeping out as they took one, two steps closer. “Nuh-uh,” I muttered belligerently. “No doin’.”

Holding my hand out, my fingers curled, forming claws, as if I meant to swipe at them if they dared take one more god damned step. Going for their balls, I promised. Right for the fur covered testicles!

Zhuii sighed and backtracked, spotting my eyes darting to his goods repeatedly, going back to his original spot.

Good, I thought, allowing myself to breathe a little. Now it was just time for Jolly Fur to back that ass up.

“You too, furred balls,” I barked at Noyel.

Tokre made a grumbling noise from the bed in his sleep and I winced, promising myself I was going to keep it down, if only for him.

The beast healed unbelievably fast, and I had no doubt those stitches of his would need to be coming out very soon, lest he risk his skin growing over them. He was already getting his hair back where the gashes had sliced portions clean off.

Whatever these Lo denaii were, they were some type of super Abominable. Super alien beast men looking for love, and I’ve somehow gotten myself mixed up in this bride-napping business.

Those beings, creatures, were definitely not of this world- No, not of my world, I reminded myself.

A shuffling caught my attention, almost too late.

“Ah-ah-ah!” My hand swiped at Noyel’s bluffed lunge, the slim but towering beastie jerking back in shocked surprise as my hand skimmed his lower belly. I’d be lying to myself if I said I wasn’t actually enjoying myself a bit, flexing my inner tigerlady claws, sharpening my teeth in their beastie hides. Hell, they were more upset by the turn of things than I was.

Noyel let out a plaintive yowl, though I never made contact. “Did you see that?” he burst out. “She almost clawed me!”

“Little warrior,” Zhuii murmured proudly, turning to me with a short nod and a lopsided half-smile. “Roso-lawn-dely fierce.”

Ugh. “If you can’t manage a simple Rosie, Rose, Rosa, which are all acceptable as far as I’m concerned on the Rosalinda train, just go back to the Rosie-lindy thing,” I muttered on a groan. “Rosie-lawn-lady, lawn darts, and whatever the hell else shit you’ve been tossing at me since you two assholes waltzed in here at the ass crack of dawn, isn’t working for me.”

The boxy beast flinched visibly, jerking as if I’d just kicked him. “Zhuii try to be smart, talk big humans talk like Noyel,” Zhuii mumbled dejectedly, his voice low and uncertain to the point the guilt started to nag at me, jealous of his even more annoying counterpart.

Staring at Zhuii, I pointed to Noyel warningly. “You come near me and even think of touching me, Neal, and I’ll unman you.”

Noyel shot up from his crouch, ready to try for another pounce, but made a funny noise at my proclamation and gasped dramatically. How old was this idiot, anyway, I wondered, about to voice my thoughts aloud. Cute idiot... Gah. No. Bad Rosa.

“Mama’s Jesus,” Noyel huffed, his shoulders stiffening in affront.

Butt-hurt much? The beast was almost downright adorable all huffy and puffy like that—or he would be, if I wasn’t ready to crotch punch him.

My gaze shot from Zhuii to Noyel, to Tokre, who was still fast asleep, softly snoring from the big bed I’d been rudely ejected from not so very long ago. “How old are you all?” I felt the sudden need to ask.

“Not old,” Zhuii assured me, though he looked like he was pinching in a fart as the words left his lips.

“Old enough,” Noyel replied primly, which made my nose crinkle as my eyebrows tugged low, my expression pinching as I studied him.

“Oh boy,” I muttered tiredly, scrubbing a hand down my face.

Zhuii took that moment to make his move. He was super fucking fast, so fast they had my pelt ripped from my fingers, Noyel rushing up, hoisting me up between them before I’d had a chance to let out the shocked scream building in my throat.

“You’ll feel better once we’re done,” Noyel soothed.

“Not scary,” Zhuii said on a grunt. Butt naked and sandwiched between the two behemoths, shouting at them from the top of my lungs, I panicked.

“No! I’d rather be dirty! Blood is good for my skin!” I howled, kicking my legs out while they each grabbed ahold of one of my arms and a thigh, my legs splayed wide, unintentionally exposing my cooch to the open air. “Animals! All of you! Fucking beasts! Help!”

“Stop squirming,” Noyel grunted out as they shuffled farther away from the safety of the wall, my wall. Yes, that was my fucking wall, god damn it! I’d claimed it—was willing to pee on it to mark it if need be.

“No want to drop Rosie-Lin- Uh, Rosie,” Zhuii said not unkindly.

And speaking of claiming pee… “I, ah… uh… I need to, uhm, go!”

Both males stopped dead in their tracks.

Glancing down at me, their eyes roving the entirety of my person, going so far as to briefly but not so discreetly eyeball my lady junk, the tragically dunderheaded duo gulped.

When their eyes met mine, my livid expression and the furious blush staining my face, they froze.

Busted, assholes.

Zhuii had the good grace to blush, bless his peepin’ heart.

“We got this far,” Noyel reasoned. “There’s no turning back now.”

“Of course there is,” I insisted, glowering at the obstinate male.

“Zhuii not wish to chase again,” the orange-eyed beast said after a long moment. “Rosie wily.”

“And fast,” Noyel added.

Act like ya gotta pee, woman, I bellowed at myself in my head, proceeding to squirm like my bladder might bust.

They switched to beast speak when I added little pained yips and eeps, then both grunted in agreement, and we were moving again.

“Hey, wait! What about- I just said- I gotta wee!”

By now they were moving along either side of the lip, raising me over the top. “Pee when done.” Noyel was not in the mood to be persuaded. “We’ll be quick.”

“Do you have any idea how unsanitary that is?” I was winging it, going by the seat of my pants—as usual anymore—grasping away at straws, but something had to work, because this was not happening. “What if I get a bladder infection, hmm? They say you should never hold it like that, not for something like… like this! You should always go before, and maybe even sometimes right after,” I lied.

“Go ahead,” Zhuii said flatly, then waited.

“Are you serious?” I whispered, gaping up into his furry face as he stared down at me with a purposefully, perfectly blank expression.

“What you mama say, No-yell?” the fluffy haired brute asked of his partner in crime.

“Say for what?” Noyel mumbled absently, his gaze sliding to my pussy hole repeatedly.

My lady muscles clenched, whether out of reflex or the idea that he was so enamored with it my warped little mind found it flattering, I wasn’t entirely sure, but a strange, soft, warbling noise began to vibrate his chest, like a box fan stuck on low.

It kept up, the funny noise, and then it clicked. He’s purring, I realized.

“No-yell,” Zhuii grunted out, while I was contemplating how fucked up it was I was thinking about clenching that crap up again, just to see what he’d do. She’s waving hello, ya hairy dick. Don’t just stand there and gape, go on and introduce yourself, you furry perv.

As if he could sense my thoughts, or, uh, smell, erm, things, Noyel’s ‘box fan’ kicked on high.

My side tingled from the vibrations rumbling from his chest into my own ribs, and I found myself gulping hard, a light sheen of sweat breaking out along my hairline.

He was like one of those fancy arm chairs with a massage setting for your back. Or a vibrator… Gah! I’m contemplating vaginal muscle clench flirting and walking, talking, furry vibrator fantasies with an annoying, bossy, fat headed beast who is currently trying to- Double gah! What is wrong with me?!

“No! No! NO!” I burst out, but it was too late. I was right where they wanted me, and there wasn’t a single damned thing I could do about it. “No means no!!” I screeched. “Unhand me, knaves!”

The door burst open then, the large beast from the clearing—Berkr, as it was explained to me—grumbling and snarling his way inside.

“Enough!” the large male roared, his thick, dark fur ruffling in the sudden breeze whipping in from the open door. Fat snowflakes covered his wide shoulders and the top of his head, dusting his enormous body like rapidly melting confetti.

I shivered for a million different reasons, on the verge of a good case of the shakes.

Zhuii and Noyel froze, glancing from one another guiltily.

“I’m naked!” I squawked to no one in particular, stating the painfully, plainly obvious.

The darker furred beast grunted, staring at the sight we presented. He suddenly looked so supremely perplexed.

“Drop me!” I bellowed, wriggling free enough to slap at the two morons holding me.

Blinking stupidly up at Berkr, the males complied.

“No, wait- Ahhhh!”

I fell with a slapping, resounding splash, my round, not so little backside taking the brunt of my tumble. “Argh!” I garbled out, slipping and sliding in the wide tub. My legs shot out, feet up, head down, dunking my squealing bum.

Surfacing with a squalling gasp, hands flailing, sucking in a mouthful of soapy water in the process, I spit that mouthful trying to choke me everywhere, cussing and cursing, throwing my hands up to shuck my hair from my eyes.

“You fucking assholes!” I screeched between coughing fits. “You dropped me!”

Berkr growled something in beast-speak that had Noyel glowering over at him and growling back, though Noyel’s snarls came across more plaintive than plain pissed.

“Not mean same,” Berkr argued, switching to English.

“Means exactly the same!” Noyel barked back.

“Fine,” Berkr muttered on a chuffing grunt, but then his scowl deepened as my squalling protests caught his interest. Fucking finally! At least someone is paying attention!

“Idiot and Zhuii… washing female?” Berkr blurted, stuck with this perpetual look of scowling confusion on his stern mug.

“Grrrrr. How many times do I have to- I am not an idiot!” Noyel sputtered, though his voice lacked any conviction.

“They’re trying to drown me while my mate sleeps,” I cried out, lying my bum off. “Help me!”

Glancing between the gobsmacked duo, the beast at the door watched as their jaws swung open, gums flapping, eyes bugging at my cried out declaration. At the look the beast gave them they began waving their hands, muttering strange beast gibberish frantically.

Eying the spectacle we made with new eyes, something the mumbling pair said registered, the beast’s confusion swiftly clearing to be replaced with what appeared to be his typical, somber semi-glare.

Grumble-growling something in their beast tongue, Berkr grunted, snorted, then, shaking his head, promptly stomped back outside. Muttering under his breath, his hand shot up over his head and he waved us off.

The beast was saying things, probably not so complementary to any of us, his snarl of a voice echoing as he stomped from the house. The door slammed shut with a clattering bang that sent the plaster-like material on the walls dusting the front of the small entryway.

“He left me,” I muttered on a squeak. “I can’t believe he left me! With you two!”

“Zhuii no think Berkr good mate for Rosie-lindy,” the barrel-chested male murmured quietly, so quietly his voice was barely above a whisper.

“Berkr…” Noyel paused as if to search for the word. “Berkr, mm… Berkr.”

“Abandoned me!” My hand flicked up, then down, waving at the door, sending water droplets everywhere. “Left me, with you two, all alone!”

“Berkr is…” Noyel’s face scrunched in thought.

“Is a complete and utter donkey’s bum. Now give me the soap and back the hell up! I’m not an invalid! Your assistance is not wanted, nor needed, I can assure you.” My eyes narrowed and my chin lifted, a haughty glower aimed right at the two lunkheads responsible for my little mermaid water show. “And get out of my house, while you’re at it,” I snapped waspishly. “If I’d wanted a bath, I’d have had one.” Nope. Probably wouldn’t have. I’d have sponge bathed and loathed every minute of it. “When I was ready, on my time, in the privacy of, well, uh, in my own privacy!” No, that didn’t sound right. “On my own privacy?” Yeah… that didn’t sound right, either. “In private! The private privacy of my own home, uh, in private!” Ah, yes, Rosalinda, because that totally explains it, my inner bitch remarked snidely.

The twin set of double blinks I got for my efforts just further ignited my fervor.

“You all know what I mean! Like when Dorothy comes to check on Tokre, like she’d said she would, you jerks!”

And another set of blinks from the Zhu-man.

“Jerk is a bad thing?” Zhuii muttered to Noyel through the side of his mouth questioningly, as if I wasn’t sitting here in my birthday suit in a tub full of sudsy bubbles and- Oh my, that smelled nice. What was that? Lavender… a hint of orange blossom? Bergamot…? No, not even, or maybe all at once, and more—I couldn’t put my finger on it, couldn’t decide. It was lovely, that was for sure, whatever it was. Am I seriously sitting her contemplating bath scents? That easily distracted? I sniffed, wiggling my nose, and blinked. Definitely a hint of honeysuckle in there somewhere.

“Yes. Like calling Berkr donkey’s bum,” Noyel told Zhuii, running on a different wavelength than I currently inhabited. My brain was on a whole other planet.

“What a donkey’s balm?” Zhuii chuffed and made a huffing sound. “It like a sqwua-err-ell? Humans eat those, too?”

“We don’t eat squirrels. Erm, I don’t eat squirrels,” I corrected absently, staring down into the tub’s bubble covered water’s depths. “There are tiny flowers in my water.” Chasing a few to cup them in my palm, I studied them curiously. “Like, everywhere.” And would probably end up all up in my everywhere by the time I climbed out of this giant wash bin.

Bringing them to my nose, I gave them an experimental sniff.

Huh.

I sniffed them again, my expression lightening as that soft though wonderful, fragrant scent. Vanilla-lavender with a hint of orange blossom, calming, soft, fully invaded my senses. Wow.

“Rosie likes?” Zhuii asked hopefully.

“Did Zhuii put them in here?” My eyes shifted, meeting his, and I lifted a single, barely plucked eyebrow at him.

“Yes.”

“Then, no.” Grinning at the look on his face, I flicked the flowers in my hands at him, my smile morphing into a smirk as he stared down at me, stunned.

“She likes them.” Noyel rolled his eyes, a very human thing to do, squatting down beside me, his arm resting along the lip of the tub, his hand idly playing in the water. He seemed so at ease with me, giving way to a similar sense within me.

“You cut your claws off,” I noted, staring down at the blunt ends.

“Zhuii, too,” the shorter beast felt the need to confide, his wide hands practically thrust right in front of my face, splaying them thick sausage fingers out to show me his drastically filed down claws. Black and thick, they almost looked human. Almost.

“Why?” My head tilted curiously, knees poking out from the steaming water as I curled my legs to my chest, my hands cupping the caps of my knees as my arms tucked flush to my sides. There, almost properly concealed from eager, beastly eyes. Pretty much. Almost. As close to covered as I was going to get.

“To touch,” the orange-eyed beastie confided, almost shyly. His eyes couldn’t quite meet mine as he stared down at my wiggling toes in the water.

“To not hurt.” Blue eyes met mine, the deepest yet warmest blue, like the ocean with the sun glistening along the top of it, specks of gray that were anything but drab circling the pupil—sparkling ocean blue.

A thick finger lifted to brush my cheek, startling me, my eyes dragging away from distracting ocean blue’s.

The burly yet sweet, blue-fluffed pain in the ass of a beast’s fur was soft, distractingly so, tickling, teasing as it bussed my flesh.

“So soft,” Zhuii’s deep voice rumbled out gravelly, his voice thick, much deeper, huskier than moments before.

Swallowing past the sudden lump in my throat, I shivered, my spine tingling, face heating, goose bumps popping up all over me from head to toe, racing up my arms. “I, ah, I moisturize.”

Holy Hondo’s Taquitos, with a large of cherry slush, a certain part of me that was still aching quite fiercely for an entirely different reason most certainly wouldn’t be in need of anymore moisture, I thought offhandedly.

“Is good.” Zhuii’s face was much closer than seconds ago, so close I could feel his breath as it rasped across my shoulder. His breathing was slightly labored, a small, barely detectable hitch to it that had my heart thumping wildly in my chest. I did that to him—me.

Fur brushed along the opposite shoulder, warmth pressing gently but firmly—they were closing in from both sides. I was trapped. But why didn’t I feel trapped? Boxed in? Why wasn’t I nervous? Panicking? Why was the sudden urge to flee I’m hounded by more often than not suddenly… gone?

Because they don’t want to harm me, and I… Did I dare say for some fucked up reason I trusted them?

Gulping, I shifted in the tub—squirming, it was more like—but I kept that fun little fact to myself. My skin shivered anew and I found myself slinking down in the water. The movement pushed my breasts up, squished between my thighs as they were. I couldn’t look at either beast, staring a hole into the tops of my knees, my fingers tightening on my kneecaps, my nails practically digging in. My toes wiggled, the ripples bubbling to the surface of the bath water sending the flowers cascading along the top into a lazy, twirling frenzy.

A soft, pleased rumble rent the air, another following directly after, that vibrating hum practically rattling right into the back of my head, blending seamlessly with the one emanating right in front of me.

“I, uh, I think I can take it from, uhm, here, guys…” I mumbled awkwardly, my cheeks beginning to burn as I blushed furiously.

They closed in at the same time, warm mouths mere centimeters from tasting flesh, my flesh, and still I did nothing.

What. The. Ever. Loving. Fudge. Woman.

I had nothing.

I was of two minds about everything, and neither wanted to do a damned thing.

I shivered visibly, right as long, tapered fingers smoothed over my nape and a purring mouth brushed a feather light kiss across my shoulder, as if to chase the cold away. A furry cheek brushed mine, barely grazing my temple and the side of my cheek, testing its welcome, tempting, but I felt it all the same.

“Helloo?!” There was a sharp, short knock before the front door swung open, sending me skittering to the other side of the tub like a frightened kitten.

Water went sloshing everywhere, splashing the floor and the two males on either side of me.

“Anybody up and at ‘em? Don’t mean to interrupt, I just wanted to pop in, see how you two-” Dorothy froze upon spotting us.

Oh, the sight we must’ve made, two oversized beasties hovering way too close, practically right there in the tub with me, they were being so ridiculous, while I cowered in my corner.

Skin flushed a mortified pink, face redder than red, almost purple, eyes bulging, mouth flapping, butt naked in sweet smelling water with a million tiny pink and purple flowers floating around me, the words pampered future wet hole of three nutty beasts came to mind.

What the fuck was I thinking? Sanity prevailing, I felt mortified, horrified at what I so easily would have potentially allowed to conspire. Was I nuts? Apparent-fucking-ly!

That lifelong wish of mine for the capabilities to summon a hole beneath me from which to swallow me up whole surfaced yet again.

The healer’s eyes widened as she took everything in, then narrowed. “Now what in the world…” she began with a huff.

“They made me! Forced me! They wouldn’t listen!” I squawked and squeaked, my hand shooting up to point at each male. Tattletale—I’d have to add that to my list of newfound personality quirks. “Nothing happened,” I felt the sudden urge to add.

“Noyel! You didn’t?!” Dorothy let out a soft gasp, her blue eyes narrowing, lips pursing prudishly.

“She was covered in blood,” the tall beast dutifully reported to his mother.

“Smelled,” Zhuii added, without an ounce of tact.

My finger pointing hand slapped the water. “You cotton candy headed- How dare you! I do not smell!”

“Rosie-lindy no smell no more,” Zhuii informed the room. He grunted and a deep rumble rattled his chest. “Smell nice now.”

“I never smelled!”

“Did,” he argued gently. Holding his hand up, he gestured, using his thumb and forefinger, squinting through one eye as he stared at the gap in the pinch of his fingers. “A little.”

“A bit.” Noyel gave a short nod. “Like Bohki blossoms and Phetis now.”

“You know what,” I shouted above their babbling of my stink. “Doesn’t even matter. I don’t care. Oh, look at me, pretending none of this happened, isn’t happening, will not be happening in the future. La-la-la, lah-lah.”

Dorothy stepped into the room, shaking her head as she made her way to the table. “Did you boys even let the poor thing catch a single wink?” Her tone reeked of disapproval.

“Rosie-lindy slept. Longtime. Zhuii counted.” The beast held up his hand. “At least this many.”

“Five hours,” I muttered sourly. “You let me sleep for five freaking hours? That’s it?”

Zhuii shifted uncomfortably, while Noyel busied himself helping his mother, the taller beast reluctantly stepping away from his claimed side of the washtub to follow Dorothy to the table.

“Did you boys at least feed her?” Dorothy groused, then glanced at me. “Or show her the clothes you collected from my closet for her?” The dry look on her face, though her lips tipped in the tiniest of Mother Knows All smirks, had Noyel grimacing bashfully.

“I was going to tell you,” he mumbled, glancing guiltily to the satchel he’d brought over from his initial visit yesterday. “Once I’d made more to put those ones back.”

Dorothy made a noise in her throat, “Mmm. Hmm,” ruining the note of disapproval when she snorted and gave a short eye roll.

“I would’ve…” Noyel scratched at his arm with his blunt nail tips and shrugged. “Eventually.”

“You stole your mother’s clothes to have me wear them?” I muttered incredulously.

“You didn’t have anything to wear.” Noyel’s face soured, the mirrored look on his mother’s face, almost identical to his, comical.

“Rosie-lindy can’t go naked,” Zhuii said agreeably, though he was sure to avoid eye contact with Dorothy.

This woman had these beasts on their toes. Why was she still here, then? If she held this kind of clout amongst them. Was it because her mates were always hovering? Even now I could hear a male, new male voice, grumbling away outside, and I knew the male was probably one of hers. Maybe more than one, as she seemed to have an entourage.

Always hovering, smothering, this lot did.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I’d always be cared for, whether I wanted to be or not, protected, even if I didn’t need it. Tokre did all of these things…

Adding Noyel and Zhuii to the mix, I might just burst my ear drums screaming for some semblance of personal space.

Then again, I’d never be alone…

Thinking of my old life—and that’s how I thought of it anymore, my old life—how miserable and lonely I was, I grimaced.

Hell, I haven’t felt less alone since the second a giant beast took off with me.

Now, escape plan-wise, all this smothering mothering would suck balls. My eyes drifted to Tokre and my face scrunched up harder. Why?! Why did everything have to be so messy and complicated and… ugh!

“No, honey, I see your point,” the healer conceded, glancing up at her second youngest. Walking over to her Noyel, she reached out, patting his shoulder, giving his arm an affectionate squeeze. “You did good, baby. Just wished you’d have given me the choice in which articles of my clothing I was to donate, is all.”

“Oh. Sorry, Mama.”

Dorothy’s eyes grew a mischievous twinkle as she chuckled at his short, sheepish response and winked. “Ah, all’s well that ends well.” With a shrug of her own, sloughing off his impulsive decision, she smiled. “Mate first, right? Your fathers would probably have done the same thing.”

Not that I was going to look a gift horse in the mouth or anything but, “That’s it? You’re not going to chew him out? Demand he leave?” Something! Make him go, woman, so that I might wash my ‘smelly’ hide in peace! And have him take blue fuzz with him! Or, erm, relative peace, I thought, glancing at Tokre laid up and snoozing away in the bed, and then Dorothy, who was having a peek at his wounds.

Dorothy tutted and clucked her tongue, mumbling and muttering to herself as she pulled the poultice wraps and gooey paste slop off of him.

“Had a talk last night,” she said after a long moment, sparing a quick look at Noyel, clearing her throat. “The general consensus seems to be I do torture you,” she added most reluctantly, her face pinching, posture stiffening, as if it pained her to admit it. “Though I heartily disagree, I, uh, guess maybe I could possibly, you know, might, ah, see their point…”

“You do?” Noyel couldn’t have looked more stunned if she’d beaned him over the head with one of Tokre’s fat cooking pots.

Dorothy’s finger shot out and she pointed it at her son meaningfully. “Torture, is an ugly word. Never, would I torture my babies.”

When Noyel grunted, his head tilting inquisitively, she continued.

“Now…” As she paused, looking for words, the right words, her hands lifted in front of her and she spread them out, fingers wiggling as if to stretch, staring down at them thoughtfully.

It was a submissive gesture, though the woman was anything but.

“Now I might nudge too much, prick and prod, and maybe I even henpeck ya a bit, I’ll admit,” her left hand fell and her right hand shot back up, her pointer finger waving at her adult child menacingly, “but I ain’t never tortured any of ya. You got that?”

“Yes’m.” Noyel and Zhuii answered the healer simultaneously.

Upon hearing his deep, rumbling response, I glanced to the Zhu-man. He just shrugged. “Doro-thy like Lo denaii mama. Allll mama. ‘Cept her mates.”

Ahhhhh. And a clearer picture began to paint itself. My eyes shifted towards the woman, who’d been stealing surreptitious glances at me when she thought I wasn’t looking.

Something shifted in the woman’s eyes, her countenance, her gaze sliding away from me unhurriedly at that last run. “Don’t you boys have chores and things to do?” Dorothy inquired chidingly, as if yet again speaking to children.

Respect commanded respect, but unchecked mothering by a professional motherer, respect or not, led to smother mothering. Doro-thy, if left unchecked, would rule beast-dom. The only thing holding the woman back was probably her equally as commanding, bossy mates.

I couldn’t see myself really connecting with the woman—she was like Joanie times a bajillion. Though Joanie was more likely to smother someone with a pillow…

“Fellas?” Dorothy prompted.

The ‘fellas’ had grown wandering eyes, zoning out at some point during my internal ramblings and whatever it was Dorothy might’ve been saying whilst I was lost in said La La land, a set of beastly peepers glued to the tub and the contents therein.

Who knew I’d be so popular in beast town? Certainly not me, that was for sure.

Never would I have thought I’d ever shun a Miss Popularity contest. Until now.

“Boys.” Dorothy cleared her throat overloud, immediately drawing both males’ attention. “I got things to do, same as you all.” Jerking her chin to the door, she hooked her thumb at it, giving them each a meaningful look. “Miss, uh…” Dorothy paused to glance at me.

“Rosalinda,” I supplied, because it’s not weird to converse while naked in a vat of scented water like we’re out to Sunday brunch with two big ol’ beasties hanging out sneaking peeks. Nope, not awkward at all.

“Right.” She offered me a friendly smile, dusting her hands off as she backed away from the bed, collecting used bits of gauze-like strips of material and soiled cloths as she went, and gave a short nod. “Rosalinda would probably like to have herself her bath, in private, unencumbered.” Her gaze speared each male tellingly, shrewdly. “And you can rest assured I’ll assist her, should she need it,” she got out before either beast could protest.

“The hand-speak. Who say the words for Tokre?” Zhuii demanded, though his words were tempered. It was still hard for him to admit he knew how to sign. Was it considered so odd to these beasts? Worth a shunning different? “And Tokre-”

“And Rosie,” Dorothy interrupted, giving the orange-eyed beastie a cutting look, “have been plodding along just fine so far without words. I’m sure they can manage for a little while longer.” To Noyel she waved her hand, walking over to her basket on the table to rummage through until she unearthed a small paring knife. “Tokre’s gonna be alright. Did a fine job patching him up, son. Your pa is mighty proud of you. They all are.”

“Coulda fooled me,” Noyel said on a grumble. He looked awfully pleased for someone who said it with such a growl in his throat.

Dorothy picked up a dark colored, gold speckled rock from the small basket Tokre liked to keep on the middle of the table. It was the fat one Tokre used like a soapstone. Lifting it up, she began sharpening her knife, swiping the blade across it.

“For the stitches,” she explained at my sudden, wide-eyed look. “He really is healing wonderfully. Probably won’t need any more of that tea, if I’ve got it right.”

Two gruff mumbles started up, sending the both of us glancing up sharply.

When they looked like they still might kick up a fuss, she let off a whistle. “Lukar, darling, could use your help in here right quick!”

Noyel cursed under his breath, and Zhuii growled. They were both moving before the door had even opened.

“Zhuii be back,” the beast promised.

“Noyel, too,” the tall beast-healer-in-training seconded.

“Really wish you’d talk like I done taught you,” Dorothy muttered under her breath, her voice low, lips barely moving as she spoke.

Noyel paused and Dorothy smiled. “I said, my, you two go on and have fun now! Doing your man things.”

“Lo denaii,” the duo corrected.

Though Dorothy smiled and nodded, I could see it, the barely contained flinch at that word. What was her deal with what they called themselves, my inner sleuth questioned. Why would it bug her so?

“And now you’re going, going, gone!” Dorothy sang, waving wildly, mockingly, grinning like a loon the entire time as the males finally took their leave.

The door shut with a clattering bang, deep grumbling and unhappy noises following.

Dorothy waited until what felt like an hour—but was probably five minutes—had passed before she turned to me. “I heard one of the other brides saying that. I’ve always wanted to try it out! All these newfangled phrases the new ladies teach us, I love it.”

The gleam in her eyes hinted at her teasing nature, but then she paused, frowning suddenly. Biting at her lip, her shoulders hunched slightly. “I, ah, I did use that properly, didn’t I?”

“Better than I’d have expected,” I said easily.

“Good.” Dorothy’s cheeky grin was back, her apple cheeks pinkening slightly. “I never know if I’m saying those things right.” She turned with her newly sharpened knife to walk back to Tokre’s bedside, presumably to remove his stitches, talking all the while. “We get books sometimes, on the males’ trips through the portals—odds and ends from the other realm, you know?”

No, but I was beginning to.

“They don’t take you with them?” I asked tentatively, trying to unobtrusively fish. “On these journeys?”

Dorothy turned from her work, her back shielding my squeamish butt from her stitch removal job. My smile was small and I really wasn’t feeling it. I had no clue if it was painfully obvious it was a bullshitter’s smile or not.

“Hunts,” she said after a lengthy pause, then turned back to her task at hand. “And heavens no. Too dangerous.”

“Dangerous?”

“Mm. What if the portal closed and we ended up stuck? For who knows how long! Oh, I shudder to even think.”

“You mean they can’t control it? The, uh, the portal transport deal-y things?”

“Control? If those boys could control it the blasted thing would remain open like one of those, what was it the girls called it? A mini-mart?”

I blinked at that. “You don’t know what a mini-mart is?”

Dorothy gave a slow nod. “I think I know what they are, unless I understood wrong, but, no. I’ve never seen one in person, but one of the ladies drew us a picture of one in the dirt. Those mini-stores she talked of, it was after my time.”

“Uh…”

At my blank stare she laughed. “Time moves slower on the furry side.”

That information had my tummy dipping drastically. “H-h-h-how s-s-slow?”

“Haven’t quite got it down to an art, a science, whatever the phrase you’d like to insert here, slow enough I can confide Mitsy and Bitsy, they’re twins, you’ll meet them eventually, were shucked clean off of their Pa’s covered wagon, and neither looks a day over-”

“Oh god.” Forget drastic tummy dips, I just might hurl. My back slumped heavily against the thick wooden tub and my eyes started to burn.

Trying to keep my breathing nice and even, I couldn’t help the way my heart pounded in my chest and my ears started to throb.

“Joanie,” I said on a whimper.

She turned at my whimper, her eyes widening at the look on my face. Dorothy set her knife down on the table and walked to the basin on the fish gutting counter to wash and dry her hands.

Without a word, Dorothy came up behind me, picking up a small bowl, and with a gentle prod to my shoulder, had me lean forward so she could begin to wash my hair.

I let her, sitting there in stunned silence.

Should I ever make it back, Joanie might not even be alive anymore. Or ever worse—or, worse as far as Joanie would see it—old. Would she even recognize me? Would I her? What would she think happened to me?

“This Joanie means a lot to you?” Dorothy asked quietly.

“Family,” I mumbled, holding back a mad case of the sniffles. The sweet scented soap bubbled as she lathered it in my hair—a honeysuckle and vanilla-like sweetness that just proved to make me all the more homesick.

Joanie hated honeysuckle and vanilla. She was strictly a stinky, gag you with cologne-like heavy perfumes kinda gal—or citrus, with the exception of her obsession with the smell of cherry lip gloss—there really was no in-between with her. I kept honeysuckle and vanilla candles—and when I was super desperate and in need of an insta-fix, air freshener—to smell up the place when she’d practically moved into my house with me and wouldn’t take my not so subtle hints for her to skedaddle her ass on back to her place.

“I’m sorry,” Dorothy murmured softly, and she sounded like she meant it.

My nose wrinkled as I fought back the hiccupping sob building in my chest. My eyes burned, and while I could pretend it was just soap getting in my eyes or some other such nonsense, having myself a little red-eyed cry in the comfort of a bucket of water, I didn’t. I held it back, held it all back.

For once, I didn’t want to cry, didn’t want to feel like this, feel anything at all, for that matter. Thankful for once for how utterly exhausted I felt, I squeezed my eyes shut tight and sighed.

“Tired?” Dorothy began rinsing my hair out, her fingers gently untangling the dark, wild mass I call hair as I sat there and dutifully let her. It was nice—kind of strange, yet nice—to just let someone else do something for me for once. To just… be. Even if she was practically a stranger.

I didn’t answer.

Could I just be here, I wondered. Was that even possible?

“Do you miss your family?” My voice was soft and low, questioning.

“This is my family,” the woman said easily. “My mates, my boys, they’re my everything, my home. I love them.” Her hands paused and I could feel her shrug. “These beasts, the women here and all their mated groups, this community, they’re my family, too.”

Right. Okay, but… “I mean your, uh, other family, your family from, uhm, before.”

Her hands resumed, more water was dumped on my head. “Oh, I s’ppose I miss ‘em sometimes. But, lord, it’s been so long and I- Well… I’m no fool, you know. I’m what this book I read calls a realist. I might like to talk fancy and maybe sometimes I sound like I walk around with my head in the clouds, but I’m a sensible woman. My old family, they’re all long gone to ground by now. No use fussing over what could have come and gone or what mighta been. Wasn’t close to the lot of ‘em, to be honest. Probably why I was so easy to pluck up in the first place,” she admitted on a chuckle. “These short, thick legs against my Mosoau. Hooo boy, I didn’t stand a chance.”

Her quiet laughter continued, and I wondered what it must be like, to be that damned happy, that seamlessly content, surrounded by mate hunting horny beasts, trapped in a primitive alternate plane.

Was it wild mushrooms? A pungent tea? An herbal tincture? A magical-happy-rock one simply needed to lick, then tah-dah, instant contentment? And if this was what my life was to be like, where the heck could I get my hands on some?!

Which did beg the question, seeing as I’d only seen her grimace in true, unhindered discomfort when someone mentioned the word Lo denaii.

“Why don’t you like their name?” I asked without thought.

“Who? My Noyel? Oh, pish. Can’t say I’m really truly upset with that. They aren’t the greatest with names, you may have noticed, but oh do they try. I do so love to tease that one.” She gave a small snort and sighed. “Guess there was a smidge of truth to Grieve’s bellyachin’, but lord does that male love to complain. Think he’d go a day without he might up and-”

“I meant the Lo denaii thing.”

“Oh.” Dorothy’s voice lost all of that enthusiasm and inherent laughter, falling flat. “That.”

Wondering if I’d just completely stuck my foot in it with that one, I sat there quietly while she finished up and we lapsed into an awkward, for me, crickets or whatever hoppy creepies they’ve got around these parts, kind of silence.

“I, uh, I think I can- I’ll finish up from here.” Turning, I glanced up to find Dorothy holding the bowl she’d been using to rinse my hair, a towel in her lap. She was seated on two of Tokre’s woven baskets, one stacked on top of the other, staring off at nothing, lost in thought. “Thank you for washing my hair,” I said louder, glancing around for the bar of soap to finish washing.

“Hmm? What?” Dorothy blinked, shaking her head. “Sorry,” she mumbled apologetically, “woolgathering.” Her hand lifted and she spun her finger by the side of her head in a quick, circular motion. “Lost in my head for a bit there. You know, woo-hoo.” She smiled, and though it was wide enough to make her blue eyes crinkle, it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

I wanted to ask my question again but refrained. “The soap?” I piped up, instead.

“Oh, hah, yes.” Dorothy picked up a tawny colored bar of soap, swirls of gold and citrusy oranges swirling throughout. Bits of pink and purple dotted the sweet smelling block, I noticed as I took it, along with the small square of woven cloth, and rubbed my hands all over it, working up a good lather.

“Smells nice,” I commented, trying to turn away just enough I half faced the wall. Newly exhibitionist, I’d never accustom myself to. It just wasn’t me.

“I believe Zhuii made that one. He’s a bit of an oddball, I admit, but a crafty thing, like I’ve been hearing about your mate. Those bars trade for quadruple what a single would at market. The ladies just love it, myself included, and the males, they love to please their ladies. I don’t know what he puts in them, exactly, no one does, but I’ve never smelled anything like it. Can’t replicate it.”

I’d just bet, I thought dryly. Nose crinkling, I leaned in, giving the soaped up, foamy washcloth a deeper sniff. It really was quite pleasant. Of course they loved it, it was like a hint of Earth, of home.

Glancing up, feeling self-conscious and a little squeamish all of a sudden, I got into scrubbing at my skin with gusto. I was thankful Dorothy had backed off, darting away to retrieve her basket while I finished up. Basket handle hanging over one arm, she walked over to the fish counter, where she stayed.

Unhooking a pot from the wall to tote to the long table, pulling some well wrapped chunks of blue meat, a few strange, tube looking bulbous fruit from a cloth sack in her basket, along with some long, green, stringy root looking stems, and proceeded to chop them up and chuck them in the pot.

Food, I thought, as my stomach began to snarl along with me. God, I was starved. Beyond starved. I’d have eaten this sweet smelling soap if I thought it wouldn’t kill me.

“It’s a large bar. That boy is head over furry heels,” Dorothy remarked on a chuckle, as if she simply couldn’t stand the lengthy quiet. “Worth at least two traps and a good hunting knife, maybe two knives, a shepvel, and a spear, I’d reckon.”

“Huh?” I mumbled, my gaze darting towards her to study her profile.

Intent on her task, she didn’t look up, chopping and chucking away. She missed the bewildered look on my face as I sloshed to the other end of the tub to set the soap carefully on her vacated, makeshift basket seat, then wrung out my washing cloth. I was just reaching for the towel sitting on the bench, about to lift it towards my face to towel off when her head lifted and her blue eyes met mine.

“We don’t have stores or a typical market, and with most everything we all share the load, the kills hauled in, the chores. We do a market day, for the craftier folks to trade their wares. It’s an opportunity for the artisans to show off a bit, and those who couldn’t otherwise do the warrior bit they all are so fond of, offers up something productive, a way to earn their own way.”

“Zhuii’s not a warrior-warrior either, like Tokre isn’t, is he?”

“He’s a warrior. He trained under the best of them, Veck and Berkr and Detret, my Grieve and Heckes and Mosoau, and all the like. But Zhuii, ah, is, ah… He’s, uhm… Zhuii’s… He’s not exactly… He’s… well-”

“Different?” I ventured, wondering at the cryptic look that crossed her face and her lack of words for once. Stunned stupid, this lady? Must be a big deal, to these Lo denaii at least.

“Zhuii is…” Setting down the small knife she’d been cutting up what looked like the makings of a stew with, she wiped her hands on a piece of cloth on the table the size of a hand towel and, setting it down, threw her hands up. “Zhuii is definitely different, but not for anything he had any say in.”

My eyebrows shot up at that, but then my face scrunched. Because doesn’t that just explain it? Pfft.

“What I mean to say is- That is-” Dorothy, hands on her hips, turned her face up towards the ceiling. “S’ppose I should just start from the beginning.” With a long sigh she gestured for me to go on and get out of the tub while she retrieved a folded bundle, presumably clothes.

By the time I’d carefully hopped out and wrapped the towel around myself as best as I could, she turned to face me. Flapping the material in her hands out, she gave it a good shake and held it up in offering.

Light and dark brown swirled with turquoise painted, dyed, however they’d decorated it, hide of some as of yet known animal made up the roomy looking dress, with small, glass looking beads sewn into the hem adorning the bottom.

“Might be a bit long,” Dorothy warned, “but it’s soft, warm, and my Khri did this one up for me, special, meaning it’s lined, so it should keep you nice and warm.”

“It’s… It’s…” I took it and nodded. “I’ll be sure and give it back as soon as I can,” I assured her, “and thanks.”

Fussing with the hem at the bottom, crumpling it up like a pair of pantyhose, she wiggled it and waited. “Come on now,” she coaxed. “You’ll need help figuring this out, and I don’t bite.”

“Uhm…”

Turning her head to the side, grinning briefly, she closed her eyes, chortling at my reluctance when I hesitated a full minute. “Just like my Bia. So shy. Won’t look, promise.”

Going for broke because I was tired, and hungry, and what the heck, fuck it, why not? I dropped my towel and quickly wiggled my way into the borrowed dress.

Dorothy let go the second I had my head and arms in, the material billowing out to fall just above my ankles. Swam didn’t even begin to describe it, part of the neckline dipping to expose a tan shoulder, but it was warm, so, so warm, and I was thankful to finally be freaking clothed.

“We’ll just fix it in the back here with the ties and…” Dorothy moved around me, fidgeting this way and that with the deliciously soft material, tugging at the two long ties at the back, tightening them. The neckline shortened and my new dress fit a lot better.

A little bunched at the top but not unflatteringly so. Definitely a much better fit now, I thought in surprise. Geezum was this sucker warm! More ties were pulled and tied, the waist of my borrowed dress nipping in.

“Aaaaand there!” Dorothy circled back around, eyeing her handiwork, and gave a firm nod. Her gaze shifted to the table and she jerked her chin. “Come. Sit with me while I work, and I’ll talk.” Waving at me and then the tub as I glanced back at the bathwater, she told me, “I’ll have one of the fellas carry it out and dump it in the back garden later. Don’t worry yourself with that now.”

With a mental shrug I followed, taking the seat she offered.

“Now, I guess I should start- Well… Hmm.” A short, humorless laugh escaped her. “Hell, where does it matter where I start?” She sighed, long and loud. “Guess I’ll just begin and take it from there. This’ll just explain themselves from there, hopefully.”

Dorothy took her seat across from me, her work laid out before her, prepping while she talked. Tossing the last bit of wild blue meat and alien vegetable chunks into the cook pot, she paused to glance up at me. “You were curious about how the fellas got their name. It’s a story within its own, really,” she began, acknowledging my earlier question. “The Lo denaii were once part of much larger clans, far off past the forests, and even beyond that.”

Dorothy picked up the stew pot, waving me off with a shake of her head when I went to stand to offer help. Lugging it towards the fire, she hung it on a small, fat black hook built right into the hearth.

Standing back, she went to one of Tokre’s baskets and pulled several animal hide pouches from it, walking back to the pot and uncapping them to dump the contents inside. Adding spices from Tokre’s spice bin, she gave one final pinch of a bright orange spice and stood back, smiling absently.

When her eyes met mine as she walked back, she looked nervous. She was stalling. This wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have, but from the look on her face she was determined to see this through.

“What are the other, uhm, clans like?” Perched in my chair, I began to slowly finger comb my hair, sifting through the wild mass haloing my head.

“From what it sounds likes, the females rule the roost but the men see over the hen house. For the most part, it’s much like they already do here, hunting and or foraging for food, skinning, tanning, weapons and training, doing the warrior things.”

And then she started to stall again.

“Do you… I…” Dorothy blew out a long breath that was more of a raspberry than an exasperated sigh. “I hear there are these nature documentaries on your televisions, and they tell you about critters and such? Well, these creatures, we’ll call them The Abominables because while I might use the beasts’ phrase for themselves when it’s unavoidable or to keep the peace, and unless the fellas translate, which is basically just them making up a word for us to help us understand, we’re left in the beastly growling dark. We’re wont to understand, and come up with our own terms, and the fellas are pretty mum about the tribes they originated from. Make sense?”

“I’m with ya so far.” Or I thought I was.

“Good.” The healer’s expression went from slowly scowling as she spoke to sad, as if she couldn’t blame them for not wanting to bring up the past, then back to scowling fiercely. “In Abominable society, females have the final say in everything. There are times when an Abominable male, and possibly a female, though I’ve yet to see it happen, doesn’t… is deemed unfit, unworthy, for whatever reason. These beasts found undesirable are cast out, forced to the outer rim, the area that borders a vast desert that leads to the forest you see around us, surrounding us. Once at the desert, they’re left.”

The for dead was left unspoken.

“Those who were strong enough, stubborn enough, found their way here, where they started this clan you see now.”

“Why did they cast them out, though? Were they bad? What did they do?” And if so, how bad, I thought with some trepidation. Have I been kidnapped into a tribe of felon beast creatures? “Did they…” Gulping audibly, I forced the words past suddenly dry lips. “Did they kill their own people? Was that it?” Did they eat them?

“The girls and I have been trying to piece it all together, one beastly bit of reluctantly given information at a time. My theory, they were too outwardly aggressive for the females to handle,” Dorothy admitted. “Though Mona, she’s another bride, seems to think the females cast them out for fear the males might try to overtake them, too many males to females for their liking. Which, I guess, could make sense.”

Push out the strongest to leave the weak and compliant? Plausible, I reasoned, though the bad beastie boys thing was still stuck in my craw. “Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of the male’s role as warriors and protectors?” And these males around us could get pretty damned aggressive.

Looking to Tokre, I had to rethink that bad boy thing. “Or maybe some of them were shunned because they don’t meet their standards,” I mumbled softly. Their standards for normal.

What a quaint, outdated load of shit. And my Tokre wasn’t seen as ‘fit’ even for a shunned beastie.

Tokre broken. Those words haunted me. I could only imagine how being treated like you were broken yet again and again would have affected him.

“The men, the warriors, the… Lo denaii, hold a search party, going to the edge of the forest every warmer season, because that’s when the shunning takes place, in search of more outcasts.”

“So, Lo denaii, roughly translated, means…?”

“Rejects, Outcasts. The Undesirables. Veck, he chose the name. He took what they’d called them and made it their own. They all look up to him. I know they use that name with pride but I can’t shake it. To call them undesirable, loving my mates the way I do, it rankles.”

Undesirable, I thought, feeling struck even thinking it. Ugh. My gaze never left Tokre’s chest as it rose and fell. To embrace it though, like a giant fuck you to their old clans, my inner tigerlady approved wholeheartedly, two clawed middle fingers raised up high towards the direction of the forest.

“I’m told he came with his mother, and she had Zhuii with her. Those two were the youngest to come back to camp that they’d ever seen. A long baby with these huge little beastly feet, and then Zhuii, this short, squat little thing with his bright blue hair,” Dorothy admitted softly, seeing where my gaze fell. “There aren’t many females here, and she was considered an oddity, refusing to take a mate, to interact with any males unless necessary. Veck and Heckes called her Chekbah, difficult one. She refused to tell anyone her real name. Guess she wasn’t much in the way of friendliness or togetherness, but I always wondered if she was grieving someone back home, like a mate or family she’d left behind. Kept to herself right up until the end there. The males still talk about her. Kind of a hermit, wouldn’t help with the chores and refused to eat at the gatherings. Knowing he’s deaf now, I think she was protecting Tokre, worried if the Lo denaii found out he was different they might outcast him from their village, too.”

God, my chest was squeezing painfully.

“What happened to her?” Frowning, my eyes met Dorothy’s and I thought I had my answer.

The older beast bride smiled a watery smile and cleared her throat.

“How old was he?” I asked with no small amount of dread. How long had he been left to his own devices, all alone, not even a parental figure to talk to, to love him, understand him?

“This last storm, right before the portal opened. She must’ve gotten caught up in it and couldn’t get out. Berkr found her frozen clean through, huddled in a ball by the small lake where she liked to set traps and fish. It, uh, didn’t go well when your fella found out. Only thing that calmed him down was one of the older warriors knockin’ him out cold to drag him home. Zhuii looked after him after that, far as I can tell, though those two didn’t seem to associate much beforehand after Zhuii’d come of age, built his own hut, and left Chekbah’s.”

Wow, was all I could think, a million things running through my mind. Who, what, where, when, why, how?! Leaning forward, resting my elbows on the table, I cupped my face in the palms of my hands.

I didn’t know how long I sat there, trying to imagine losing the only person in the world who loves you unconditionally, and then going on a bride hunt in some cockamamie attempt to fill the void. That was what he was doing, wasn’t it? Filling a void?

I was a void filler.

The idea made me feel funny for reasons that should never be. I can’t have those kinds of feelings for him. No. No way… Impossible!

Dorothy went on to talk about what she knew and the human women’s theories and such, about the Lo denaii and their ways.

By the time it felt like she’d just about exhausted any and all conversation, the small hut was filled with the yummy smell of stew.

“Now just look at me!” Dorothy went on, a large bowl of stew and cup of hot tea later, scraping the bottom of her bowl as she smiled over at me. “Probably think I’m a gossipy old woman, talking your ear off the way I’ve been going.”

“I don’t mind,” I assured her, tentatively smiling back. Truth was, it was comforting, and she didn’t mind when I was quiet, talking enough for two.

Feeling a little more settled, more level on my own two feet, with a promise from her without my prompting to help me fit right in, I had some small semblance of balance going for me, for once.

Belly full, skin scrubbed a few layers less, hair nice and dry and already curling about my face, I yawned.

“You must be plum tuckered out. Here, let me just wash these and you go on and lay down with your male.” Dorothy took my bowl, the strange spork-like utensil Tokre must’ve carved from some dark purple looking wood, along with her own, and went to wash them.

Tired and still feeling twinges in fun places, as well as a few new ones, rest sounded fantastic.

Ah… What I’d give to for a decent night’s rest, I thought wearily.

Tokre was still passed out, snoozing away contentedly, but Dorothy assured me it was just a side effect of the tea and the healing, and that he’d be just fine before I knew it.

Approaching the side of the bed, I slid the furs back and climbed in. So warm, was my first thought. My second, as I snuggled down, wiggling until my backside rested against Tokre’s hip, the warmth that naturally emanated from him making the bed nice and toasty, comfortably so, was how he looked so much better, pink streaks already replacing the slashes that had once been painting me crimson. I ventured they’d be faded by tomorrow, based on how speedily this whole healing process worked for them.

Would he heal faster without the help of the tea, I didn’t know, but if that was the miracle juju that did it I’d have to make sure we were never without. Dorothy could teach me and I- Shit. Just look at me, I marveled, stunned. I’m already talking about now and the future, like I’m never going to leave.

But I wasn’t, was I? I couldn’t go back to find everyone else is gone. I’d be going back to nothing! No one. I’d be even worse off than before. But could I stay, I wondered. Could I stay and be… and be… I didn’t even know.

“Not going to think about any of it,” I told myself, giving my head a tiny shake.

“What was that?” Dorothy turned to stare at me.

Wadding up a fur for a makeshift pillow, my cheeks pinkened at getting caught mumbling nonsense to myself, but I shrugged. “You didn’t tell me about Zhuii yet. Why he can’t be a warrior.”

“And to think, that’s what got us started to talking about it. Guess I didn’t.” Her smile was small but mothering. “I’d start now but I’m wondering if you’d make it passed the first two minutes of my yammering.”

“Good point,” I agreed, mumbling my words on a yawn, making her laugh.

“Another time,” she promised. “You need some sleep.”

The healer’s eyes shifted from me to my mate, then me again, as if sizing us up.

Clearing her throat, Dorothy went to her basket and rummaged through it. “You know, and not that it’s any of my business, mind you, but I’m just going to leave… this, right here for ya.” She held up a small container similar to the one Tokre kept his hoo-hah balm in and waggled it before stepping closer to hand it to me.

Sitting up, I took the small jar with a thankful nod. Curious, I unscrewed the lid to examine the contents.

“It’s a healing salve,” she explained, and with a small, unapologetic smile, she gestured between us on the bed meaningfully. “Works good for just about everything, and you can keep putting it on his wounds if he needs it, but, uh, it’s good for other things, too. Numbs and tingles, warms ya up a bit, but it passes.”

“Oh, I don’t want to waste your salve,” I lied, trying not to cringe at yet another pot of va-jay-jay salve for Tokre to smear me with. I’d be sore ‘til the end of days with our current supply. Just a little bit and I was in orbit.

I held out the salve to her but she stepped back and shook her head.

Dorothy held her hands up. “I insist.”

My skin slowly flushed, blushing beet red, and I reluctantly admitted, “I-I-I-I think I might be allergic to it or something. I, uhm- That is…” Taking a deep breath while Dorothy stood by, waiting patiently, I blurted the whole ugly affair, the virginity taking, the soreness, the crazy horndoggedness of the salve, the extra soreness. I just didn’t think I could handle another romp any time soon, humping-salve-induced or otherwise.

By the time I’d finished Dorothy was hovering by the end of the bed, gaping. “Oh my, that is rough,” she sympathized. “Do you still have this salve you used? Might I see it?”

“It’s over there.” I pointed, then watched as she retrieved it, opening the container to give it a short whiff.

“Wooo.” She blinked and coughed. “This batch is, uhm, strong. Pungent.”

“Is that a bad thing?” I worried.

“Is for you, from what you’re telling me,” she said with a shake of her head. “Poor thing, no wonder it made you wonky!” With a small chuckle she put Tokre’s salve back and, collecting her things, turned to motion towards the jar she’d given me. “That one won’t set you off. Minimal tingles, etc.” And before I could protest she gave a half snort, adding, “You have my word.”

“Alright.” I nodded and went to rest my head when she waved me off.

“I’m going to leave the stew in a snow bucket, keep it ready for a reheat and eat when you and or Tokre wake, and I’ve left a pack of dried tea leaves, should Tokre wish another dose.”

“Dorothy,” I called quietly, right as she opened the door.

Dorothy turned to look at me over her shoulder.

“Thank you. For everything.”

Dorothy’s smile was soft and understanding. “I know this isn’t ideal,” she murmured kindly, “and believe me I’ve been in your shoes, but I think you’ll learn to love it here. And I’m glad my Nea- Uh… Noyel caught sight of you. The boy needs someone special to hold his heart. Someone softer than his momma but stronger than all of his daddies combined.”

“Oh, I don’t- I’m not- He didn’t- I,” I spluttered, the hand not clutching a jar of hoo-hah balm waving about wildly.

Dorothy’s smile widened until she was grinning at me, like I wasn’t shaking my head vigorously, trying to deny her son and any kind of ownership associated between either of us.

“Lovely chat,” she murmured. “Welcome to the family. We should definitely do this more often, hmm, but under better circumstances, of course.”

“No. Son. Not mine. I don’t. What? Uhm. Soft… I don’t?” Now who was speaking softly growling, beastly gibberish?!

That smile grew impossibly wider, her blue eyes shining. “Just lovely! I’ll call on you again in a few. You go on and have a good rest now, Rosalinda, dear.”

And leaving my spluttering butt sputtering after her, she was gone.

“But… no,” I mumbled, feeling defeated on top of dead tired. Shaking my head, I flopped back on the bed. Wriggling and rolling some more, I stared at the ceiling. “Can’t decide if she’s determined or insane,” I confided in the silence of room. The crackling fire held no answers, though it was doing a fine job of lulling me to sleep.

Holding the jar up, I squinted at it. Biting my lip, debating, I finally opened the small jar and rubbed my finger along the top. Giving it a sniff and finding it much milder than Tokre’s balm, I shrugged and put the lid back on.

Stuffing it under my makeshift pillow for safe keeping, I settled back down with a long suffering sigh. Definitely in need of a nice, long nap. A very nice, I thought on a wide yawn, long, thorough nap…

Before I’d even finished the thought I was out.