My arm pulled back and I sent the sticky lump of soap sailing towards him without another thought. It smacked the back of his furry head with a soft yet satisfying, wet thunk. “Because sometimes I’m an asshole,” I growled out as he jerked his head in my direction to find me baring my teeth at him angrily.
Whatever the hell everyone’s problem was with Dace, this was taking it to another level. Berkr was a straight up bully to Dace.
“Especially when someone is being a dickhead to my friend.” Before Berkr could say it, I grumbled with a glare, “Looks like I’m a bad female too.”
Dace’s mouth opened, a tiny little “O” of a gape, to flap closed, then open again. Her eyes blinked with every close of her mouth, like she was struggling to comprehend what had just happened. The whole thing made the diminutive blonde look like she was on the fritz.
“Purr-roo no ‘stand,” Berkr growled out as he advanced on me. Jerking a finger at Dace accusingly, he bared his teeth at her, then me. “No ‘stand Candy-ass do!”
Dace snapped out of her shocked stupor then. Shoulders slumping, her head dipped.
Eyeing him mulishly, I muttered very matter of fact, “We were just getting ready to go to lunch so she could tell me.”
Berkr looked about ready to bark something at me but my words stopped him pre yell-growl tirade about how awful he thought she was. Scowl pulling into a frown, he glanced from me to Dace. Another whip back and forth, then he grumbled, “Candy-ass not tell all,” he settled on finally. “She not tellall.”
With a glance at Dace, her expression fixed in a strained grimace, blue eyes trained on her feet, I waited for her to respond to Berkr before proceeding.
“He won’t believe I’ve told you everything, even if I have.” Lifting a hand, a resigned, defeated sigh left her and she waved him on. “Maybe it’s better this way.”
“Candy-ass try to make babies with Meanie’s mate. Him bad male with Candy-ass. Not Lo denaii. Lo denaii only mate one.” Berkr wasted zero time blurting it all out there, all of Dace’s business just flopped out onto the table and flapping about like a struggling, half dead, freshly caught fish. He spoke quickly, angrily, like he needed to hurry and get it all out while he still had a chance. “Meanie come to village, Mina bad male follow.”
“Kirch kidnapped her,” Dace chirped in helpfully.
The look Berkr gave her said he didn’t find that pertinent to the story but I certainly did.
“Candy-ass come with bad male. Bad male come for Meanie. Him hide. Bad male shoot Lo denaii. Bad male hurt Berkr when Berkr try ‘tect Meanie. Then bad male take Meanie.”
While Berkr pointed out his war wounds, I had to ask, looking to Dace, “Where were you when all of this was going on, the gun and the shooting and the hiding?” TheWere you with that guy with the gun? Did you know all this?hung unspoken in the air.
Twisting her fingers, biting at her lip, Dace glanced up at my question. “I didn’t shoot anybody! I swear! I only ever shot a deer with my gramps and I cried the whole time! He- George- When I saw the gun and asked him about it, he said it was for protection and to hunt.” Eyes getting glassy as Berkr began to growl, she croaked out, “For food. He said he brought it to protect us and to hunt for food.”
Berkr scoffed. “Candy-ass stupid, b’lieve bad male.”
“I was,” she agreed without hesitation. “I- I believed everything he told me, even when a part of me knew better.”
“‘Cause Candy-ass bad female she ‘tend stupid,” Berkr huffed and chuffed out.
“I wasn’t trying to make a baby with him,” Dace blurted, then blushed when Berkr turned on her with a look that was almost violent. “I want to be married before I have a baby, do things the right way.”
“Why else let bad male put puny penis in Candy-ass then? Right way with bad male, no mates?” Berkr growled out viciously, like he felt personally victimized by her affair.
Trembling in place, swiping the tears from her face frantically, Dace mumbled, “I was stupid. I thought if I did what he wanted he’d love me, that he’d magically wake up and choose me and be happy with me.” Little hiccups left her as the dam broke. “He was always saying the right things. He was so charming… I- I thought- The first time we were together, he said Mina had left him. When she called his office the next day, I asked him about it and he said they were on a break but she was needy. And then Wilhemina walked in and- And then after- I- I don’t know.” Shaking her head, she spared me a short, pleading glance. “When I realized he was lying and kept up our affair, I knew exactly what I was doing. I have no excuses. It was an awful thing to do. I was an awful person. After everything that happened, I told myself never again. I didn’t want to be thatperson, to end up like my mother, to hurt anyone else with my choices.” Her gaze darted between us and she added, “And I haven’t since.”
“Candy-ass no ‘scuses. Candy-ass bad female,” Berkr growled at her.
“I’m not.” Instantly, her eyes filled with tears at the denial. Shaking her head, her voice shook as she tried to speak but she ended up choking up.
“Why think Sorak not want Candy-ass when Candy-ass ask Sorak be Candy-ass mate?” Berkr muttered.
Dace burst into tears at his words, deep, gut-wrenching sobs that had Berkr’s glare softening.
“No cry for grumpy horny head,” Berkr grumbled as he began to fidget in place uncomfortably. “Him bad male. No want him be Candy-ass mate.”
“He’s not a bad male, he’s just short with words sometimes,” Dace mumbled miserably between the tears. “He’s not a people person.”
“No cry for Sorry horn head,” Berkr growled down at her, switching tacts.
“Okay,” Dace blubbered, then cried harder.
