Elm swallowed thickly and nodded. Dropping the thick pack on his back, he began grabbing out a soggy mess of cardboard. One look at it and I knew it was his box of us. It hadn’t fared well on their journey.
Walking right up to Elm, I reached out to cup his face, dragging his attention from his task, and leaned in to whisper. “It’s okay.” My hand fell over his and gave it a squeeze. “Every moment, every memory shared, every song and old movie, every laugh…” Bringing his hand to my chest, I placed it over my heart. “Youare my box of us.”
When still, he hesitated, I growled up at him in a way that had him happy shivering in place, “Are we just going to stand here all day growing moss, Elm Tree, or are you going to kiss your mate already?!”
Elm made a garbled noise and grabbed me to him to pick me up and lay one on me. I thought I heard Cy grumble, “‘Bout the time!” as Elm purr-rumbled happily and deepened our kiss.
When Elm and I eventually broke our liplock, we turned at the sound of more elephants trampling through the woods for Kehl to pop through, his axe covered in gore and muck, his body covered in various cuts from scratches to gashes, a male even taller than Elm and Cy stumbling through, equally as battle worn looking, after.
“Mama come,” the enormous, grey furred bunny beast rumbled out.
“Britches?” I blurted as Elm turned to set me down.
I wasn’t racing for Birch in all his gore covered glory. I was headed right for my big, bad Krampus husband.
Kehl dropped his axe and held his arms out to me. I didn’t care what he was covered in. I was too happy to see him alive and in one piece.
“Mine,” Khel rumbled as he scooped me up, kissed me senseless, and cuddled me close. Turning towards Cy and Elm, he jerked his chin over his shoulder. “You mama Sun-knee need help. She say tell boys comes back and help, after find my Purr-roo.”
“Our Pru,” Cy rumbled out softly. There wasn’t that typical possessive heat behind it I’d expected.
Birch grinned as he watched his siblings rush off to do their mother’s bidding. “Kehl save our lives,” he told me. “You mate, him strong. Good male. Krampus come ‘round, circle. Kehl come in, roar, scare lots off but still too many. Think take mama.” Birch growled and shook his head. “We fight. You Kehl come, Lo denaii come. Help. Fight. We beat all off. Hear Pru call out for her Kehl. Him tell Elm and Cy go ‘tect their Pru and babies.” Birch’s grin widened, showcasing a massive set of fangs and funnily shaped, bunny like front chompers. “Birch be uncle, yes?”
“A big, bad bunny uncle,” I teased.
Birch let out a pleased noise.
“Where’s Dace?” I asked Kehl. Before he could answer, I turned to Birch. “Where’s Dace? Did you guys split up? Was she hurt in the fight?”
Birch shook his head. Grimacing, he rumbled, “Dace come through with Maroumak, find us, but then get stuck on other side portal. We go through, then it close. They not make it this side.”
“She- You mean, she’s stuck on the other side?” I spluttered.
“Maroumak too,” Birch confirmed.
“Oh my god…” I didn’t know what to say.
“Beast called Berkr, say him wait for portal open,” Birch rumbled out. Scratching at a spot near a tall, floppy grey ear, his expression sobered. “Birch wait for Dace, Birch think, too.”
“I want to wait for her,” I blurted.
Kehl and Birch shook their heads. “Not safe,” Kehl grumbled. “Birch take care Dace, she come through,” he tried to assure me. To Birch, he rumbled, “Eat. Sleep. Fix wounds first.”
Turning in his arms, I studied my mate-husband. “How badly are you hurt?”
“Kehl needs Purr-roo kiss all the booedboos,” Birch teased.
“Hush up, you,” I warned him.
Kehl gave Birch a long look before meeting my gaze and responding, “Kisses make all the owies better. That what Kehl hear Rek tell him Jojoknee, him need her kiss all his owies better. Think it stupid Kehl hear it…”
A grin tugged at my lips and I leaned in to press a kiss to an unbloodied patch on his cheek. “But you’re interested in seeing if it works?” I purred into his ear.
Kehl let out a happy rumble and Birch made a blech sound.
Hugging Kehl tight, I stuck my tongue out at Birch.
Kehl bared his teeth at him. He didn’t like when Birch did it back. “No,” he said simply, which just made Birch and me burst out laughing.
