“Who said what to my babies now?” Dorothy called out.
I’d never seen a group of tall, super sized beast males disperse so quickly to get away from such a small woman in my life. The look on Dorothy’s face promised there would be hell to pay when it all came out. I admired how dedicated she was to her children, even as they were adults now. Heckes looked to be the culprit the way he kept ducking behind Mosau and Griever.
Marching up, Dorothy wagged a finger right at Doogie. “Don’t even think about scaring my sweet grandchild with that nonsense, do you hear me, young man? You aren’t too grown to toss you over my knee.”
“No wiggle waggle at Doogie. Doogie no do it!” Doogie’s hands slapped to his chest and he gave an affronted huff.
“Grandma has spoken!” Joanie called out laughingly.
“Go grandma!” Mal seconded.
“Amen!” Dorothy shot back.
Walking up to Carrie, Dorothy grinned and waved at little Orrie. Carrie smiled, knowing exactly what Dorothy wanted, and handed Orrie over.
“Thank you kindly. I’ll have her back in just a little bit here. Grandma wants a visit. Have yourself a rest, hon! You know you’ve earned it putting up with that one,” Dorothy told her as she jerked her chin at Doogie. Turning with a smile at Elle, she made her way over to Rosa’s brood to dance like the dancing Krampus with them.
“Pff. What Doogie do?” Doogie spluttered.
“Doogie stop the yappies and come find place sit with Elle and give the loves to our Carrie,” Elle harrumphed.
“Good ‘dea,” Doogie muttered. Scooping up Carrie, he grinned. Silencing his mate’s squawking protests with a kiss, he bid us a happy mating and good night and took off for a cozy spot.
“Should we take off too?” I asked, glancing around. Would it be rude to? I mean, they were all but giving us the go ahead a bit ago…
Kehl bent to scoop me up.
We were stopped by a small Lo denaii-hybrid child rushing up to us.
“Mama says you’re a good Krampus, not a bad one,” the little boy announced, though he looked like he wasn’t sure.
Kehl paused and knelt. “What makes Krampus bad?” he asked.
“Hurt for no readson. Kill peoples in village,” he rumbled out softly. Expressive little face slipping into a scowl, he rumbled, “No want bad guys hurt my mama.”
Khel held his arm out to him and rumbled in English, then beast-speak, “Kehlor never harm for no reason.”
The little boy paused at that. “Promedis?”
Kehl nodded. “Promedthis.”
Reaching out, the little one clasped his forearm, dipped his head, but then started giggling like something was funny and ran away. “I touched him! I touched him!” he called out as he scampered off.
Kehl’s eyes widened as he watched the little one rejoin his family grouping.
“You’re your own theme park attraction, hot stuff,” I frowningly muttered as we stared after the little one.
“Touched who?” I spied his mother calling after him.
The brunette scowled as he excitedly pointed at us and jabbered a mile a minute. Shaking her head, she appeared to be giving the small male a dressing down, assisted by his fathers.
Kirch, who I’d met because of Rek, briefly, was one of Bia’s group, who was Mina’s mate.
With a pair of large Lo denaii I’d seen but never actually met trailing her, one who was just absolutely enormous, around Kehl’s height but much larger in breadth, and another with a bow and arrow always at the ready, the woman had the little one by the back of his soft looking shirt collar so he couldn’t squirm or twist and take off, marching him straight over to us.
“I’m so sorry,” the woman, Mina, began. She looked as flustered as I felt. “That was incredibly rude.” She gave her son a look. “Wasn’t it?”
The small male jumped when the larger male with Mina let out a growl that screamed apologize or I’m whoopin’ buns. “Lottie say Berk too scaredy kitties touch Dancing Krampus. Say Berk big baby.” Huffing and puffing, he grumbled. “Not scaredy baby.”
