When they dipped their heads respectfully, I responded in kind. Kehl was looking a little too dumbstruck, his mind still trying to safely reboot, to respond. With a happy rumble in my chest, I placed a smacking kiss to Kehl’s cheek.
“Boog say, that the more like it!” Bauheg, Mal’s mate that she lovingly calls Boog, jokingly called out. “Kiss you mate, Kehlor!”
Mal shook her head at her male but lifted her head to receive his kiss when he dipped down to follow suit.
Several males and their mates laughed, and many more growled approvingly.
“See? They love you, I love you, just the way you are,” I whispered to my male, then nuzzled the side of his face.
“No- No know what say,” Kehlor croaked out softly.
“Say you take you Pah-ru home, claim you female!” a male called out from the crowd.
Kehl snorted out a laugh and growled back in Creeson at the male not to make his Purr-roo blush, that’s his job, which only made me blush harder.
Others quickly chimed in, until Kehl was laughing and I was ready to pinch him and then take cover behind him.
It was all in good fun, purely joking, and Kehl was so happy and relieved there was no way I was going to spoil his fun.
“What are they saying?” I overheard Joanie ask one of her males as Dorothy and her mates escorted us down into the mass gathered.
“All the nice things,” Celuk rumbled out at her with a grin that said he was going to make her work for it to get it out of him.
“Uh-huh… I’ll just bet,” Joanie sassed.
Celuk laughed and Rek leaned around him to tell his Jojoknee exactly what was just said.
“Well…” Joanie’s cheeks pinkened.
“Oh! Over the here! Come be here, my Orrie and Carrie!” Doogie called out. The male shot up, then ducked, lifted a squawking Elle up seconds later. Everyone laughed and watched in amusement as Elle slapped at him with one hand, growling down at him to put her down, but gave up to grip his hair hard enough to make him smile with one hand while dutifully waving us over with the other. “Now put down, loafed!” she called out as we said our hellos and made our way over.
“Elle use that word… but it not mean what Elle think it mean. Like say Doogie loafed like bread. Elle mean loafed or oaf, fuzzy for the brains?”
“Elle know it means,” she grumbled as she found her feet, then jabbed Doogie in the stomach. “Loafed oaf,” Elle muttered huffily.
Doogie doubled over with a groan. Elle gave him a hard nudge that sent him flopping to the ground. Stepping over him, she grinningly scooped Carrie and baby Orrie up with a happy rumble to nuzzle her mate and baby.
“Well, make sure he’s okay now,” Carrie fretted as Elle ignored him in favor of making little Orrie laugh.
“Big butt,” Doogie mutteringly grumbled at Elle.
Covering Orrie’s eyes, Elle stuck her tongue out at him. “Fat loafed,” Elle shot back.
Doogie laughed, still holding his jabbed side, and grinned. “My Carrie make Doogie fat loafed,” Doogie joked.
Carrie made an affronted noise and made Elle set her down. “Everyone’s bottoms and- and other body parts are perfectly proportioned!” she burst out primly.
Doogie and Elle cracked up at their female.
Rolling her eyes at the pair, Carrie marched right over to us. By the time she reached us, Elle and Doogie were trailing closely behind, teasing one another mercilessly but quietly enough Carrie couldn’t possibly overhear.
“Now, I don’t know you all that well but Pru loves you, vouches for you, Dace too. That’s good enough for me.” Carrie held her arm out just like the males had.
Kehl set me down to clasp her arm and bow deeply. “Means lots to Kehl, my Purr-roo’s frends ‘cept Kehl,” he rumbled out softly.
“You’re her mate, and she’s more than a friend to me. She’s become like family, more than mine ever gave a damnabout me.” Smiling shyly, she added, “I guess that makes you family too.” Gazing down at her little one, she told her, “You hear that, munchkin? You have a big, bad Krampus for an uncle to watch over you.”
Before she could finish, I was hugging her and Orrie. “Thank you,” I whispered in her ear.
