The Bridal Hunt (13 page)

"How did you do all this?"

My eyes were tearing up as the magnitude of what he'd done for me sank in.

Where did he find the time to do all this? We're always so busy lately.

"Meanie sleep, some nights Veck make marriage. No worry Meanie, Tarnk watch home. No one hurt Meanie."

"Oh,
Veck
." I was openly crying now.

Veck looked startled and popped up, cradling me up against him as he made soothing noises in his own language, trying to calm me.

Once I'd gotten a hold of myself, he set me down and wiped the stray tears from my eyes.

He looked at me and his face dropped.

"No cry, Meanie. Meanie doesn't have to marriage with Veck," he said hoarsely, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

"No! That's not why I'm crying!" I said hurriedly.

His brows beetled in confusion.

"Meanie..."

"I'm crying because that's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me." I started to tear up again. "I'm crying because I'm happy," I wailed, little hiccups escaping me as I threw myself at him and buried my face in the thick fur of his chest.

A rumbling purr started up in Veck's chest and I laughed a little, sniffling through it.

"Meanie like Veck's present then?" he asked chuckling a little, rubbing his hands over my neck and back, stroking my hair.

"Yes," I mumbled, my voice coming out muffled against his chest.

He picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist, cuddling myself against him, burrowing into his warmth as I breathed in his scent.

"Meanie wear Veck’s ring and stay forever like Meanie says people do?"

"Yes." I grinned as I cupped his face and pressed my lips to his.
"Yes."

He gripped my rump in one hand and ran the other hand over his lips, surprised.

"What's this?" he asked as he smiled against his fingertips.

"It's a kiss. Haven't you ever kissed anyone before?"

He looked truly shocked, but elated, so I'd say
that
answers
that
question.

I guess we've never kissed on the lips before...

I found that hard to believe, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I couldn't recall a time when we had.

"Only Me
anie for Veck."

His brow wrinkled and he blinked
at me.

"You mean you've only kissed me?" I asked a little confused.

"No." He shook his head. "Lo denaii only one mate. Meanie Veck's," he said succinctly.

"You mean... you've never been with anyone else? ...ever?" I asked incredulously, my eyes bugging out at the idea.

"Only Meanie," he said solemnly, nodding his head emphatically.

"You... you were... you were a
virgin
?" I blurted, my voice squeaking at the end.

If it could, my jaw would probably be hanging off its hinges, hanging by my knees by now.

"Veck not vir… gin...Veck
Lo denaii
..." He frowned down at me.

I giggled at his misinterpretation and hugged him, breaking out into a fit of giggles when he scowled at me.

"What makes Meanie laugh? Veck not funny."

I grinned and kissed him again, giggling against his mouth when he purred and clutched me tighter to him.

"Meanie make Veck happy," he murmured against my lips, swooping in to capture my lips with his own. "Very happy."

I grinned, smiling against his mouth.

"Veck likes kissing his Meanie." He purred and I sucked on his lower lip, nipping at it playfully as he moaned and gripped me tighter, his large hands pawing at my pants, sliding my legs from around his waist so he could pull my pants off.

"I don't think that's going to work," I giggled as I licked the seam of his mouth.

He growled in frustration, then growled again when he realized he'd forgotten about my boots.

I motioned for him to set me down and turned around, placing my hands on the tree stump, arching my backside into the air as I bent over it.

"Well," I wiggled my bum at him, "what are you waiting for? I'm getting cold over here,
husband
."

Veck leaned over me, hands gripping my hips as his erection slid between my thighs.

I marveled at the thickness, taking him in hand, pushing the fur covered foreskin back to reveal his thick, very human like shaft.

He moaned as I stroked him, my hand running over the head teasingly.

"Meanie," he said on a breath, thrusting into my hand impatiently.

"Yes, I am," I giggled, then laughed when he growled at me in exasperation.

"But I can be nice," I said looking over my shoulder to wink at him.

I placed him at my sex and impaled myself on him, the cold winter air nipping at my exposed thighs as I worked myself onto his rock hard erection.

I moaned when I'd taken him all the way, gripping the tree stump as he pulled out a little and pushed back in, my inner walls gripping him tightly as he pumped in and out of my sheath.

He grew frantic, his pace becoming erratic, growling harshly as I clenched my inner muscles around him, clamping down on him tightly as he mumbled to me in his own language, his breathing coming harsher as he grew mindless with need.

I ground myself back against him.

"Harder, Veck," I whimpered, moaning happily when he slammed into me, Veck growling out his excitement as my body responded with a fresh wave of wetness.

"Hold me tighter," I instructed as I removed one of my hands from the stump and rubbed it against my clit, grinding myself back against him as I manipulated myself with the palm of my hand.

He gripped my hips hard and snarled, slamming back into me.

Stars shot forth, dancing across my vision as he rammed my sweet spot. His harsh, persistent thrusts had me crying out, heading towards that precipice, ready to crash right over.

"Veck!!"

I came screaming, calling out his name as my body greedily pulled at his shaft, milking him dry as he bellowed my name out in return, his own climax overtaking him as he filled me full of his seed, panting my name like a prayer as my body attempted to drain him of every last drop.

I leaned back against him when he pulled me up and held my back to his chest, placing small nips and licks against my neck as he grasped my hand, pulled it up to his lips, kissed the tips and placed his ring on my finger.

"My Meanie," he murmured huskily as he held me close.

"Yours," I affirmed, clasping my hands over his, the stone in the ring winking at me in the moonlight from the frosty clearing.

"Forever," he promised as he turned my head to the side and kissed me tenderly, sweetly, carefully.

Very carefully.

He
does
have sharp teeth after all.

"Forever," I promised as I kissed him back.

Chapter 10

"Where were you last night?
"
Bia asked quizzically as we walked to the river, my one water jug looking sadly pathetic compared to the six he could easily carry himself. "I thought you said you were going to be there?"

"Getting married," I sighed and blushed a little when a giggle escaped.

"What's that?" he asked as he looked at me curiously
. “It sounds familiar… maybe Mama’s said something about it before…”

"It's like mating for my people."

A small smile played at my lips.

I grew excited just thinking about the night we'd spent in each other’s arms, after we'd eventually made it back to the cottage.

Out of all the snow beasties I could have ended up saddled with, I'm glad I got him.
He makes me happy.

A smile crept up the corners of my lips.

Really happy.

It's kind of sad that when I'd reflected back on my old life, I knew it was miserable,
I
was miserable. Coming here, odd as it has been, has turned out to be a good thing. ...my life here is much more...
everything.

Everyone here is a community, they work together, everyone has something to do... they help each other out... genuinely care...

Granted,
I'm not sure I'll ever get over
how
I got here
... but I wouldn't want to go back. Not anymore.

I recalled the happiness in Veck's face this morning when he woke me up with a kiss and called me his wife.

It was very sweet.

Of course he'd butchered the word wife at first, making it a little hard to understand what he'd meant... coming out more like wiff, but he got the hang of it quickly and I thanked him properly by riding him cowgirl style, sending his ass to snow beast heaven
...

I wonder if he's still wearing that adorable little boy grin he had on when he'd left this morning.

Yee haw, Mina!
I thought and broke out into a fit of giggles, chortling.

"You're acting strange," Bia observed, quirking a brow at me as I tried to stifle my fit of the sillies.

"I'm sorry," I said clearing my throat, trying to sober up my expression. "This better?" I asked with a straight face.

"You're very...
different
, Mina..." Bia said slowly, studying me intently.

"Hey!" I huffed.

Ugh! What is that supposed to mean?

I voiced my thoughts out loud, very loudly.

He didn't respond.

I huffed at him again and grew silent as we made it to the river and unloaded the large empty jugs to walk them to the stream and fill them back up.

"Well,
excuse
me
!" I said haughtily, a little hurt by his admission, hurrying past him so he wouldn't see the wounded look on my face.

"Mina?" Bia asked as he made his way to the river, standing just behind me as I studiously ignored him in favor of filling up my jug.

The sun was out today and I was grateful for its warmth, soaking it up as it bathed my face with its heat.

I closed my eyes and acted like I hadn't heard him, popping up when my jug was filled
, so I could grab another one and get this whole trip over and done with.

If he's gonna be like that...

"Mina..." Bia tried again as I gave him a dirty look and walked right past him, water jug clutched to my chest as I made my way towards the other empty ones.

"You’re taking it all wrong," Bia clipped, frustrated, walking up behind me to try and take my full jug of water from me. "Mina!"

"No," I pulled away before he could take it from me, "I don't need your help. I'm
different,
remember?" I said sarcastically.

Today was supposed to be a good day
, I grumbled inwardly.
What a prick he is for ruining my good mood!

"You're a prick," I muttered at him under my breath.

"Mina! Take it back!" he growled belligerently, completely offended, putting himself in front of me to block my path, hands on his hips in irritation.

Oops! Did I say that too loud? Heh. Heh.

"No." I side stepped around him. "
You
take it back."

"I didn't mean it like that, you’re being silly, Mina," he grumbled.

"Silly! Oh, now I'm silly?
I'm
acting different? How about you, huh? You're the one who's been acting
different
for the past three weeks! What gives?!!"

"No, I didn't say you're acting different. I said you
are
different."

"How the heck
is that any better?" I stamped my foot. "
You
are the one acting different lately, mister! You've been alternating between 'my Bia', the one I'm best friends with and then 'mean Bia', the grump who acts like Kirch's little brother."

"Cousin," he grumbled quietly and I almost didn't hear him.

"Beg pardon?" I asked, my eyes growing wide.

Bia cleared his throat and looked at me funny, "He's actually my cousin."

"Oh, well, hells bells! That just about explains everything, doesn't it?!" I exclaimed with fake enthusiasm.

Bia glared at me and I glared right back.

"What's the matter, Bia? Did I hurt your feelings?" I snickered, setting my jug down to reach for another.

I'd had a feeling for a little while now that something like this would happen. That we would come to a head.

I just didn't think that it would be today.

We need to do this, though. Hash it out, get past whatever is going on with him, whatever he's not saying and get things back to normal.