The Bridal Hunt (14 page)

"You make me crazy! You know that!" he growled as he pulled me around to face him.

I growled b
ack at him when he growled again, going toe to toe with him.

"You're torturing me, Mina... and you don't even realize it, do you?" His voice suddenly went soft, a little hoarse as he ran his hand down my face gently and cupped the back of my neck.

He leaned in and I gasped as his breath puffed out warmly against my lips.

"Bia, what are you doing?" I whispered as his eyes bored into mine, the clear blue of his eyes startlingly beautiful so close up.

"What I've been wanting to do since the first time I saw you." He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, kissing me hungrily, his lips enveloping mine, his tongue snaking out to swipe across the moist cavern of my mouth as my breath caught on a gasp.

"Veck..." I protested, but he muffled it when his tongue slipped inside my mouth and ran over mine tentatively, experimentally.

He moaned and pulled me closer, his hands greedily exploring all of the dips and curves of my body as my heart pounded like a jack hammer through my chest, my pulse throbbing in my ears, body sparking to life.

"Wait!" I cried out, stumbling away from him before anything went any further, "I'm with Veck," I said desperately, trying to shuck the feelings he was evoking in me.

I shouldn't feel this way... shouldn't be doing this...

Oh, god! I let him kiss me... and I liked it!

I'm mated and married, damn it! And I am not a whore!

I touched my lips, now swollen from his kisses and hiccupped a little, disconcerted and confused as my body continued to throb from his attentions.

"What are you doing, Bia? What the hell’s gotten into you?!" I shouted, wrapping my arms around myself as I hugged my ribs tightly.

"I... I... Mina... I want you... I... Mina I..." he said haltingly, his eyes looking at me imploringly as he held out his hand and reached for me.

"No," I shook my head, pulling out of his reach, trying to ignore the hurt I saw flashing in his eyes.

"Mina, please. I lo..."

"NO!" I choked out, shaking my head at him. "No. Don't. I promised Veck."

T
urning around quickly, I ran from him, tears streaming down my face as I took off, headlong into the woods, avoiding the main part of the village, so I didn't have to explain anything to anyone.

I was heading straight for the cottage I shared with Veck.

Veck...
I thought as my steps started to falter.
What am I going to tell Veck?

I hiccupped again.

I won't lie to him
, I asserted... but the idea of wiping the look of utter contentment from his face... the idea of never again being witness to that silly little self-satisfied grin he's been carting around lately... never being the reason he wears it...

I can’t do it just yet… not yet…

I made a quick decision and headed deeper into the woods, heading to a spot Veck had shown me a time or to.

His special place.

Our special place.

I walked up to the familiar small pond with strange little fish in it, thriving happily in the warmer temperatures of the hot springs fed pool of water.

I saw the mist rising up in the frosty mid-morning air and knew I was going in the right direction.

I sank down on the mossy frost covered bank and put my head on my knees, bawling my eyes out as I hiccupped and sniffled uncontrollably.

I don't know how long I sat there, but I jumped and screamed when I realized a hand had been rubbing my back awkwardly.

Probably for quite some time.

I squealed like a ninny and flopped head over hind quarters into the pond, splashing around indignantly as I tried to push my hair out of my eyes.

I coughed up a lung and spit out a little more pond water, kicking my legs to keep me afloat.

How deep is this damned thing anyways?

Silly me, ha ha, I thought all ponds had shallow water...

"Meanie?" a gruff voice asked from the bank, awe in his voice as I looked up and saw Kirch crouched by the edge, his eyes wide with fear and disbelief as he gawked at me openly, his hand reaching out towards me to get me back on the bank.

I was too far away though, so he kept teetering on the edge helplessly as he repeatedly tried to reach out for me.

"What were you thinking?! Sneaking up on me like that! I didn't even hear you coming!" I shrieked at him, waving my arms around at him indignantly as I ranted at him from the warmth of the pond.

"Meanie walks in water?" he asked puzzled, tilting his head to the side as he studied me bobbing like a cork.

"I'm swimming," I told him, swimming around a little to demonstrate, "See?"

"Meanie teach Kirch? Kirch swim too?" he asked hopefully.

"Why should I help
you
?" I snorted, giving him a stern glare. "You brought me into this mess in the first place! You kidnapped me, threatened to
eat
me! And told Veck you had a claim on me! Which you most certainly
do not
! Oh! And where the hell is Candy? If you've hurt her in any way… I'll cut your nuts off and feed them to the fishes!"

His eyes widened and his hands slowly slid down his torso to cup his testicles, mouth opening slightly as he gaped at me.

"Kirch not hurt Candy! Kirch took Candy back!"

"What do you mean, you took her back?"

My eyes narrowed to slits as I stared him down.

"Kirch took Candy back. Kirch took Candy back to cabin. Ca
ndy's mate George.” Cautiously, he sat down on the bank and eased his feet into the water.

"Meanie teach Kirch to swim now?" he asked as he leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he watched me floating in the water.

"
How
did she get home, Kirch? I thought the portal was closed?"

"Portal opened again," he smiled at me, "Candy cry for mate. Cry a lot. Kirch make Candy happy. Candy find George now, go home. Meanie happy now? No more crying?"

"The portal's open now?" I grilled him, swimming a little closer, searching his face, looking for any sign that he was lying to me.

He growled in frustration and splashed water at my face.

"Meanie teach Kirch
now
?"

"NO! You big white baboon! I'm not done getting answers from you and so help me god, until I do, no swimming le
ssons for you!" I shouted, wiping the water he'd splashed at me from my face.

Kirch's face flushed pink and I could see him grinding his teeth together in frustration as he got up and moved restlessly along the edge of the pond, mumbling and muttering under his breath as he glared at me.

Good! Let him get mad! The jackass deserves a little comeuppance!
I thought, feeling justified in this situation.

"Is the portal open now, Kirch?" I asked, cutting to the chase.

He studied my face and shrugged, clearing his throat.

"No."

"Oh." I deflated a little, sinking a little bit more into the water, letting it go up to my chin as I had myself a little pout.

"Don't sink, Meanie!" Kirch yelled frantically, his eyes going wild as he gripped his hair in his hands and freaked out on me.

Hmmm... Interesting...

"I won't drown," I told him
, smiling a little as he fidgeted and paced, enjoying his distress as he yelled at me like a mother hen.

"Wanna see something cool?" I grinned at him mischievously, waiting for his reaction.

He let go of his hair and gave me a pleading look.

"Meanie
get out of water? No more swim. Kirch no swim, yes?" he begged, swallowing hard.

"Sure," I said agreeably, "as soon as I do
this
."

I smiled and waved, taking a deep breath before ducking down under the water, sinking down, touching the bottom and coming back up.

A few seconds later I broke the surface and started swimming for shore, ready to hightail it home to dry off.

Kirch grabbed me up and pulled me to his chest, crushing me up in a hug, mashing my head against his chest as he mumbled and, I'm pretty sure, cursed in his own language.

I stopped laughing when I realized his hands were trembling and his heart was beating against his chest loud and fast like a steel drum, banging against my ear where it was pressed up against him.

"Hey, I was fine. I can swim, remember?"

He growled at me and slapped my ass hard.

"Hey!" I shouted indignantly, "What the hell!"

I tried to wrestle away from him, but he snarled at me again and slapped the other cheek harder, releasing me suddenly to set me down on my feet, stomping over to his things, grabbing up his work tools and furs.

"Meanie no listen! Bad! Bad female! Hurt Kirch's heart! Bad!" he snapped, growling viciously as he made his way back and threw his mating pelt over my shoulders
, handing me my boots and Veck’s mating fur.

"Meanie no talk, Kirch mad." He grunted warningly when I went to protest the use of the blanket.

I put my boots on and held Veck’s fur to my chest.

"You hit me," I said sullenly as he started leading me home, looking straight ahead as he scowled angrily.

"Kirch... Kirch think Meanie breath water and die," he growled, his pace picking up as he hurried towards the cottage.

"You stole me and
I
didn't slap
you
!" I yelled at him, my face red with embarrassment, water dripping off of my clothes. "You claimed me when you have no right to and still, I didn't slap
you
!"

"Kirch has right! Kirch saw Meanie first! Kirch
chose
Meanie for bride! Not Veck!"

"You didn't even want me, remember! You went out and replaced me with
Candy!"

"NO!" he bellowed.
"Meanie didn't WANT KIRCH!" he roared, "KIRCH ALWAYS WANT MEANIE!!!"

"Forget pepper spray! I should have shot your stupid ass when you kidnapped me.... You... YOU BOOB!" I screamed and ran off ahead, veering off from the cottage.

I'd made it a ways before I even bothered to look behind me.

When I saw that he hadn't followed, I began heading towards somewhere I knew I'd be alone. Somewhere no one would be able to bother me.

Chapter 11

"Mina," came Bia's voice softly
as he called out for me.

I shivered and pulled the fur around me more tightly, huddling in my appointed hiding spot in one of the crevices I'd discovered, in what I have dubbed 'my cave'.

I should have picked a spot closer to the hot springs caves
, I thought morosely as I shivered again in my still wet clothes.

"Mina?" he calle
d again, sounding much closer this time.

I crawled further into the hidden pocket I'd crawled into a few hours ago and made sure I was far enough away, so he couldn't reach me if he stuck his arm in here and felt around.

"Puny nose, baby Lo denaii." Kirch sniffed disdainfully. "Meanie in there."

He can
smell
me?

All the way over here?

That easily?

What else can he tell with that stupid nose of his?

Ohhhh...
I thought, cringing at that little tidbit of news
...no wonder he'd started giving me things... he'd probably thought I was interested in him or something and tried to court me...

...he must have thought he was engaging in the oddest game of hard to get ever...

Well... shit...

"I'm not a baby, you imbecile! I'm short, there's a difference," Bia hissed at Kirch.

"Puny... baby... short..." Kirch snorted, "All mean same."

"Yeah! Well
you're
ugly!" Bia growled loudly from somewhere close to my hiding spot, his voice echoing off the walls.

"What is it Mina calls you? Oh yeah!
A boob!
Well if I'm puny, then you're a boob!" Bia snickered.

Kirch roared and like the snoop that I am, I listened with my ear cocked towards the entrance, a small smile fighting to cross my face as I listened like a fly on the wall to the exchange between cousins.

I heard two thumps and a grunt, what sounded like flesh meeting flesh hitting my ears as I put my hand over my mouth, so I didn't gasp out loud, tipping them off to my exact location.

"Move!" Veck growled and my heart leapt a little nervously.

Veck!

Did they tell him?

Is he mad?

Is he mad at me?