Kehl shook his head. “Village need ‘cide, embrace Dades or leave ‘lone, no ‘tween. Too much in-the-tween, the gossiped, like say. Go-ed on too long,” he rumbled out in complete agreement with me. “No like, then no like and leave ‘lone, Dades leave them ‘lone. ‘Cide ‘cept Dades now, then ‘cept, like rest.”
I smiled to hear this. He wasn’t wrong. No one was saying everyone needed to love her or anything but the quiet, unfounded rumors about her were insane. Wagging tongues were not the answer. They only compounded the problem.
Dace was really trying here, so hard it was impressive. She was doing everything she could think of to show everyone she’d changed and wanted to be a productive member of beast society.
Glancing up at my mate, I wondered at the silly smile twitching at his lips. “What? What’s that for, that look right now?”
Dorothy’s mates returned to the room wearing similar goofy smirk smiles.
“Daidzee males ‘fraid my Purr-roo ‘tack they Daidzee, she keeps be ugly my Purr-roo and my Purr-roo furr-rends,” Kehl said simply.
“I’m not a blood thirsty beast,” I muttered.
When he chuckled, I gave him a curious look. He grinningly added, “Lo denaii females fierce.”
“Foot, or Creeson,” I grumblingly corrected. “Sounds nicer than being called an unwanted. You all, you’re very muchwanted.” My huffing, puffing chuffs were met with wide grins all around.
“I wouldn’t know the first thing about beating the snot out of someone. I would have given it my best shot but that was all bluff,” I admitted.
“My Purr-roo fierce.” Lifting my hand, Kehl brought my clawed fingertips towards his lips to place a kiss along my knuckles. “My Purr-roo fierce,” he repeated, then mimed out snapping his teeth and snarling softly, imitating me defending him.
The whole thing made me laugh. “If you say so, hot stuff.”
Snatching me up, rumbling happily, Kehl nuzzled my neck, nipped the skin, and cuddled me close.
The rumbling purr he let loose had me shivering in his arms. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I playfully bit his ear.
“Think time Kehl take him Purr-roo home,” one of Dorothy’s mate’s suggested.
Growling softly with me in his arms, Kehl stood.
He got a few steps before I leaned in and bit at his shoulder. Kehl let out a garbled growl and stuttered a step.
Dorothy’s males all laughed uproariously, like watching Kehl gone gooey over his woman loving on him was great entertainment.
The growl I let loose silenced them, but Dorothy cracked up. “Boy, she told all of you!” she hooted and hollered.
One step out the door and Kehl stopped dead in his tracks. I was too busy grinning and waving good-bye to Dorothy over Kehl’s shoulder and hadn’t quite caught up on the lack of movement until a strangled noise uttered from my mate.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. Turning, I made an equally as choked noise.
It looked like just about the whole village had gathered around outside.
Joanie and her family group occupied one of the sections closest to Dorothy’s. “Hey, babes!” Joanie lifted her arm and gave a little wave.
Rosa and her family were gathered near Joanie’s family group’s spot, and Mal and hers were there.
Daisy and Red’s groups were huddled close across the way from them. Lolly and, shockingly, big mouthed Tina, Louisa, and all their families. There were even a few unfamiliar faces I’d yet to meet.
It was an enormous group gathering.
“Why is everyone hanging around out here?” I whisperingly asked.
“My Rothy say, we all fam’lied, whole village, Kehl too. Need all start acting like, not bunch of grumpy babies, no like this or that for dummy head stupid reasons. Lo denaii all didfrent, warrior, hunter, gather, maker, healer, all needed help take care village. All didfrent, but all same. Village home. Kehl fam-lied. No care Kehl didfrent. Still same. Still part of village,” Heckes called over the din.
Several males stood up, slapped their chests with a growl, and then held an arm out to Kehl.
Kehl’s grip on me tightened. He was trembling and trying to hide it. Grinning, I growled back in answer at the males standing and saluting in support of my mate.
