The Bridal Hunt (23 page)

"Could this go all the way through your body and not get stuck
and
look like that? Wait... you'd probably have figured it out already if it was from an arrow, huh?"

He nodded.

I sighed and grimaced.

"That's what I
was afraid of. Ummm," I noticed he wasn't too steady on his feet, "should you even be up right now?"

"Meanie scared?" he asked ignoring my question.

I laughed a little and rolled my eyes at him.

"Meanie said Meanie's afraid."

Men... typical!

Talk about avoidance.

"It's just a figure of speech, silly. I didn't mean it literally. Now sit."

"Not
silly
," he pointed to himself, frowning down at me, "Tarnk.
Taaarrrnnnkkk."

He said it slowly, like you would to a child, seeming put out that he thought I'd already forgotten his name.

I giggled at him.

He huffed and put his hand out for the arrow.

I handed it back to him just as his door burst open and a very wide awake Kirch barged in.

He took in Tarnk's hand on mine, the arrow exchanging between us and snarled in rage.

"MINE!"

I walked in front of Tarnk when Kirch would have plowed into him.

"Are you crazy?! He's hurt! You can't pummel him
now!"

"Meanie
my
mate!
Tarnk no touch!
"

He was pissed.

"He has a mate! Candy! He doesn't want a crazy pregnant lady with three mates! He'd have to be insane to even consider it."

Veck and Bia walked in.

Kirch took my momentary distraction to scoop me up and cradle me against him possessively.

He growled at Tarnk in warning.

"Oh! Let's just get out the beer! It's a friggin' party now!" I said tossing my arms up as I motioned for everyone to 'come on in'.

I glared at Veck and Bia, "You wanna pummel Tarnk for showing me an arrow too?"

Dorothy walked in and paused, raising a brow inquiringly.

"Dorothy! Save me! Kirch has lost his damn mind!"

Dorothy chuckled and patted Kirch's cheek affectionately.

"He always was a cheeky little monkey."

"Traitor," I muttered.

She busied herself about the room, acting as if it was normal to walk in on your nephew trying to beat on another male for talking to his mate.

Then again...
for them
... maybe this
is
normal...

Oh
, boy
.

"Are you boys being careful with her?" Dorothy asked, glancing up at my mates as she flitted about the room.

"This no sex thing is all your fault, isn't it?" I accused, crossing my arms over my chest, scowling fiercely at her.

I ignored the fact that I probably looked ridiculous with my feet dangling as Kirch kept me pinned to his chest, my back to his front.

"Mina!" Bia said blushing.

"You know, I've never seen yo
u blush like that before," I observed distractedly.

"Oh, he's the most reserved of the men. Blushes like a tomato. Then again he's also the youngest," Dorothy said chuckling at her son's discomfort. "I love it, it’s so cute."

"I'm not
cute
," Bia grumbled.

"He's the youngest?" I asked eyeing him dubiously. "Is that why he talks so much better than Kirch and Veck?"

"Hey!" they all said at the same time.

I chose to ignore them.

"Oh, yes," Dorothy replied as she bustled about, checking Tarnk's wounds, cleaning his shoulder off and covering it with some type of smelly ointment. "Some of the later brides taught me things here and there, told me things and I've taught them to him too. Veck and Kirch as well. ...when and
if,
and I say
if,
they're even willing to listen.
Stubborn males
."

She rolled her eyes at the very idea.

Well, that explains a few things...

"Bia's the most prudish too!"
She chuckled, returning me to the conversation. "He wouldn't even bathe in front of the other males when he was growing up."

I giggled at the idea of Bia being a prude.

"He doesn't want his mama to know he has sex," she said snorting at him.

"You are both evil," Bia said on a huff.

"So, if Bia's youngest... how old are Veck and Kirch?"

"Veck's older than me and Kirch isn't that far behind me," she admitted.

I looked over at Veck.

He just grinned and winked at me.

"Meanie loves Meanie's
old
mates."

He glanced over at Bia, "Baby ones too."

"Gee, thanks," Bia drawled sarcastically.

"Kirch not
old!
" Kirch growled.

"Anyways," I said changing the subject.

I don't think Tarnk's little hut could handle my mates brawling in it.

"Tarnk's wound looks like a gunshot wound... does anyone here have guns?"

"No," Veck said immediately.

"Are you sure?"

My stomach knotted with worry.

"Yes." H
e nodded.

My worry turned into a lead weight and settled heavily in my gut

"Then I think we have a problem. Either someone has a gun or came through the portal with one and obviously isn't afraid to use it."

Veck frowned and glanced at Tarnk.

He started talking to him rapidly in Lo denaii, Tarnk responding ever so often.

"What's he saying?" I whispered to Kirch.

"Veck wants Tarnk to show Veck where rock hit Tarnk."

"It wasn't a rock! It was a bullet! Dorothy
, tell them!" I insisted.

"I've never seen a bullet wound," Dorothy said apologetically.

I wiggled out of Kirch's hold and ran to Veck.

"You can't go over there! What if the bad guy is still there?!" I said desperately.

I tugged on his arm, latching myself onto him.

"Veck careful Meanie," Veck said unconcerned.

"No!" I shouted, trying to think of a legitimate excuse why he shouldn't.

I got nothin'
.

"Make Tarnk go! He already has a hole in him, what's one more, right?"

Everyone looked at me like I'd lost my mind.

"Okay! Okay! I'm sorry!" I said hurriedly, addressing a gaping Tarnk, "That was mean and stupid and insensitive, but I'm desperate here! It's too dangerous!"

"Meanie," Veck said trying to hide his amusement at me throwing Tarnk under the bus for him, "Veck careful, Meanie no worry."

He caressed my face and pulled me up to him to nuzzle my neck.

"A gun! A gun, Veck! Don't tell me to not to worry, you overgrown lummox! You could get shot!"

Bia looked at Kirch and Veck thoughtfully, "I could keep Mina's mind off of everything while you two check it out. I promised to take her to the caves the other day, I just haven't had the time."

"You do? You did?
Oohhh,
that's code for sex... well you aren't getting any either. Kirch doesn't want me…"

"Meanie! Kirch want-"

"And," I said loudly, talking over an irate Kirch, "I've decided that if I can't have one of you, I won't have any."

Dorothy burst out laughing.

"Meanie..." this from Veck.

"But," Bia protested.

"And if you think I'm going to ride you until the cows come home," I said poking Bia in the chest, "while these two go off all halfcocked and try to get themselves shot or worse," I growled now, motioning towards Veck and Kirch, "then you've lost your marbles!"

"Kirch no want Meanie?" Tarnk asked flabbergasted.

I growled at all of them, frustrated, eyeing Dorothy coldly as she tried to stifle her laughter, her hands cupped over her face as she snorted and giggled at us.

"Tell me it'll get better with time..." I muttered.

I looked at Dorothy pleadingly.

"I wish I could," she said merrily.

There was a loud knock on Tarnk's door and I marched passed everyone to answer it.

I straightened my shoulders and let out a big breath. I opened the door and looked up into the tall Lo denaii's surprised face and smirked a little.

"Hello," I greeted Berkr.

He looked at me and then peered into the room, then looked back at me again.

"Tarnk?" he asked a little warily.

"He's here.
Come on down
," I said in my best game show host voice.

I motioned for him to come in.

"Might as well finish off the madness. What's one more, right?" I muttered sarcastically.

"Berkr," Tarnk greete
d as Berkr looked around wide eyed.

"Tarnk mate Meanie
too
?" he asked eyeing me like he was trying to figure out what was so great about little old me.

"NO!" Kirch bellowed, "Meanie's
Mine!"

He stalked over to me and pulled me to him, pushing my face into his chest, snarling at Berkr and Tarnk angrily.

"Meanie say Kirch no want Meanie," Tarnk chimed in.

I pulled my face back and looked at them seriously.

"Kirch wants Meanie! Meanie's babies…" Kirch tried to explain.

"What can I say," I said over him, "he slimed me, broke my vagina, knocked me up and now he's done with my fun box." I looked at Kirch mournfully. "But it was fun while it lasted."

I stroked his cheek affectionately.

He immediately lost all the fight in him and tried to muffle his happy purr as he rolled his eyes at me.

Bia busted up laughing, Veck bellowing right along with him.

Kirch tried to hide the smile that was threatening to break out across his face.

I winked at him and that was all it took.

He grinned from ear to ear, his purr starting up again, rumbling loudly as he cupped my bottom, lifting me up to nuzzle me, chuckling into my neck when I started to squirm restlessly in his arms.

"Kirch broke Meanie's..." Berkr eyed me horrified.

Tarnk however, must have caught on to my odd sense of humor and shook his head at me, a small smile playing at his lips.

Dorothy, who I'd forgotten about up until this point, patted Berkr on the back.

"You came here to tell Tarnk something, sweetie?" she prompted gently.

Berkr quit staring at Kirch and me and brought himself back to the present.

"Detret found Candy."

"Where is she? Is she okay?" I asked, unable to squash my concern.

...even for a bubble brained airhead like the dreaded Candy.

Someone
is
out there with a gun after all.

And somehow I highly doubt it's
her
.

She doesn't even seem like she can tie her own shoes, let alone wield a gun properly!

Berkr nodded his head 'yes' and motioned for Tarnk to follow.

He stopped when he realized we hadn't followed too.

"Candy wants Meanie."

I sighed and rested my forehead against Kirch's.

"Do I have to?" I whispered to Kirch.

He gave my rump a good squeeze and kissed my nose.

"Kirch save Meanie from Candy's love," he purred, shocking me with his teasing.

So out of place for my typically taciturn mate.

"That is not even funny!" I gave him a couple of good slaps on the chest, laughing despite myself.

Chapter 18

Candy was by the pits where we have our
weekly bonfires, glancing around nervously as she gripped a fur over her shoulders.

"Willy!" Candy squealed when she saw me in Kirch's arms.

I winced as her voice grated on my nerves and slammed into my poor eardrums.

She ran up to me, but stopped when she got a few feet away from me, wide eyed as Kirch walked up with me in his arms.

"Kirch, you can put me down now."

He didn't.

He adjusted me more comfortably on him and gave Candy an annoyed expression.

"Meanie is
Kirch's
mate," he said haughtily, mimicking me perfectly.

Candy blinked at him.

"Huh?"