Daisy gaped, eyes darting around. “It’s only fair,” Red muttered.
I failed to see how but that was just fine with me. Dace rushed up to me then, trying her best to glare at Red but she looked as out of place as Daisy.
Red’s males simply stared on curiously, while Daisy’s males started to loudly protest.
Kehl, somewhere off behind me, was quiet until Red took a step towards me and I did the same.
With a snarl, I bared my teeth at her. That strange pressure in my mouth was at its boiling point. Strange popping noises and the feeling of something falling from my mouth made me wonder as Red’s eyes widened in shock and she stumbled a step back if my damn teeth had just fallen right out of my head.
The pressure at my nail beds was at its breaking point. A groan of a growl left me as, like my teeth, that pain reached its peak and then, pop.
There was a thud to the ground right as that pressure that never let up behind my eyes crested. I’d swear there was a popping sensation inside my head, and then I felt light as a damn feather.
There was roaring. I heard that as much as I felt it.
Shocked shouts. Dace was saying something. It was all muffled as my eyes rolled up in my head and I flopped to the ground. I think I blacked out. When I opened my eyes everything was jumbled and blurry.
Dace was crying out my name but she sounded farther away than she had been.
“Help her!” Daisy cried out, of all the beings to call for help for me.
I could make out her males rushing over but then the weight at my back lifted and a roar I knew quite well filled the space.
All the crying out and the screeches, the cries for help, the murmurs of confusion and worry, simply ceased.
I knew then exactly what had happened. Forcing myself to sit up, Kehl knelt to catch me before I could once more flop to the muddy ground. “My sexy, horny hero,” I joked weakly, reaching out to stroke my hand down his face as he scooped me up and stood. It hadn’t registered, the state I was in, what had really just happened— Kehl had come out to the village, shifted into his Krampus form, for me. Khel’s rumble was everything to me. It cut in on the murderous snarl he was using to warn others way.
Trusting him fully, I quit fighting the odd, weightless feeling dragging me down and gave in to it.
Kehl barked something, maybe my name, maybe something at someone else. I was too far gone to understand.
I knew one thing for sure— he loved me, enough to shift and out himself to protect me. I was safe with him. He wasn’t about to let anything happen to me.
My last thought before totally giving in, I was pretty sure I muttered out loud as I leaned into him and breathed in his scent was, “MINE.”
Chapter 17
Waking up felt very sluggish, like I was working my way out of a jar of thick honey.
“Is she awake?” Dace’s voice crept into my slow going consciousness.
“Not yet,” Dorothy kindly informed her.
“Okay.” Dace’s voice sounded so small, so damn worried I felt guilty for worrying her like that.
Hurry up and wake up, I urged my body.
Kehl was with me, curled around me like my own personal heating pad. It felt so nice a small, happy little sound escaped me.
“She sounded like she was in so much pain.” Dace’s voice was hoarse and her nose sounded stuffed up, as if she’d been crying.
“Kehl’ Pru Lo denaii. Lo denaii strong,” Berkr grunted out.
“She’s been so sad lately… She tries to pretend sometimes that she’s not but I can tell. She’s only doing it for me. She misses them and she’s been worried something’s wrong since she started getting fur and her mouth started hurting and stuff but Noyel couldn’t find anything wrong. She used to spend a lotof time by the portal, hoping it’ll open up, but now I can barely get her to leave her hut at all lately. She’s even avoiding Kehl. She told me. I shouldn’t have brought her to the market. It was my idea. This is all my fault. It pushed her too far. It was too much. I knew she wasn’t feeling well. I feel awful. This is all my fault! She’s the nicest person I know. She’s- I can’t lose her. I can’t.”
“That why you hit Vurhg?” Berk grumbled curiously. The humor lacing his tone was obvious.
“He deserved it,” Dace bit out.
