Bride of Glass Read online

  “No?” he barked out, incredulous, stiffening.

  “No,” I said louder.

  A snarl ripped from his throat, making me jump, and I sucked in a sharp breath. Rek made Tokre look pitiful, puppy dog-like, when compared side by side.

  Rek treated him much like a dog, too, the cur, I thought churlishly.

  No, I don’t care, I insisted. I sooo super duper don’t.

  “Rek first mate,” he demanded.

  I’d rather die before I let that happen. From the look on Rek’s face, one might assume he had the same idea.

  “No?” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper, losing steam as my knees wobbled, but I still managed to get the word out.

  Hunching in on myself, I was the tiger-fly, ready for something to come along and swat me—a Rek-sized swatter?—strong enough to say no, even if it sounded wimpy and pathetic to my ears—not quite strong enough to be a full blown tigress. I’d still said it, though, I reminded myself, tiny as my voice warbled out. That counted for something. Erm, didn’t it?

  Tensing up, body taut as he glared down at me, his chest heaved, almost brushing the tip of my nose as he stood up to his full height, towering over me, and puffed his chest up.

  Turning my cheek, pressing it into the wall, I squeezed my eyes shut, my body mashed up against the wall so tight it hurt.

  Fear rushed through me, sweat plastering my brow, and I swallowed hard. “I don’t want you. I won’t be your mate. I don’t… I don’t… I want you to leave.”

  The beast stilled, his body inches from mine, and pulled back. “No fear. Rek not Tokre.”

  This male before me most definitely wasn’t.

  Peeking an eyelid open, I slid him a glance, daring to mumble through trembling lips, “I want Tokre.”

  This was the wrong thing to say. Reaching out, Rek yanked my fur.

  “No!” Gripping it tight, a small tug of war ensued, Rek winning by default, one harsh yank sending me skidding across the room.

  Tumbling towards the hearth, tiny pot still in hand, I gasped, stifling a cry. I rolled, landing hard, skinning my backside as I slid clean across the space. Curling in, tucking my legs up as a hand shot out, trying to cover my nudity, my face flamed as I huddled into a tight ball. My body ached anew and I let out a deep breath, cringing as Rek stormed over.

  Full upper lip curling up in an ugly snarl, he reached out, caressing my thigh, pressing a thick finger into a giant handprint-sized bruise dotting my tender skin. I cried out as he pressed harder, but he didn’t relent.

  “Tokre broken. Not know how be good mate. Female no Tokre mate. Rek protect. Female no fear. Rek fix. Female no hurt.”

  I was shaking so hard my spine felt brittle, my joints aching, like I might snap apart into piece if I moved too fast. “What… what are you going to do to me?” As his eyes lit up, I shuddered. “I mean, what are you planning to do with me?” Ew.

  That glowing green shimmer dimmed a bit. “Take.” Grunting, he jerked his chin towards the open door. “Fix. Female take Rek. Rek good mate.”

  “You want to take me… and fix me?” Righteous indignation was foremost on my mind, clawing its way forward as his words sunk in. If I was a more robust, lively gal, I imagine I would have demanded he take that comment and go shove it up his hairy butthole, but I didn’t. What came out, instead, was a lot more PG and not nearly as cool. “Ex-c-c-c-use me?”

  “Female thank Rek later. We go now.” Rek crouched, his massive frame putting me at eyelevel with a thick, furry rod, extending a blunt-tipped fingered hand.

  I’d leave this hut with his over confident butt over my dead body!

  “Thank you? I’ll thank you! I have a suggestion for you, Mr. Rek of the jerkholes warrior caste. Can your fur-dong touch your exit only? Yes? Good! Go screw yourself!!” I was screeching, the words exploding from me. If they didn’t I’d probably have imploded and collapsed within. It was one way or the other, no in-between. “Thank you? Hah! I wouldn’t thank you, if you were the last male on this… this… wherever the heck I am!”

  Confused as shit, Rek grunted. “Exit only? Fur-dong?” Reaching out, gripping my head, locking it into his furry pit, ignoring my struggles as I panicked, scream-screeching, he started prodding my scalp.

  “What are you doing?!” I shrieked. “Help! Help! Release me! Tokre! Tokre!”

  “Still, female. Rek check. Female injured. Hit head, yes? Tokre hit female head, too? Female damaged?” He was starting up one of those strange, cooing hums, directing it at me, and I’d had enough.

  “Damaged? You think I hit my head! Ooooh, boy. I know you did not just call me damaged!” I bellowed the words out, punching and slapping anywhere I could reach. “Does this look damaged to you, huh?” Punch. Smack. Slap. “Huh? And how about some of this! You prick! And this!” More punches and slaps.

  Grunting, Rek captured my wrists, sighing heavily.

  “Answer me!!” I demanded, legs flailing about, furious.

  “Yes,” his deep voice rumbled, without an ounce of hesitation.

  “Oooo-Aaaaaaahhhh!”

  Anger filled me. He just wouldn’t go away, wouldn’t leave me alone. He doesn’t get it. I don’t need his help. I’m no more broken or damaged than Tokre, the fucking prick. He thinks I’m broken now too, does he? I don’t need him to ‘save’ me. Unless he was going to save my butt by taking my ass back home! The nerve of him!

  Rek’s rescue wasn’t something I wanted or needed.

  Life here with Rek flashed before my eyes, a glimpse of never ending bull crap with Mr. Bossy Pants at the helm. Nope. A thousand times, nope.

  Tokre’s willingness to leave me all by my lonesome for extended periods of time, it hinted at a blossom of trust. And time for me to plot, honestly. This guy over here? Probably wouldn’t let me breathe without his permission. No. And he’s a step worse than that Zoobie beast. Broodmare, alien slave that needs permission to pee? No, thank you. I’ll take bumbling and half distracted, regretful afterward, semi grumbling but complying anyway, which had the potential to work any swaying capabilities I might latently possess, for two hundred, Alex.

  A noise from outside startled us both, and Rek’s shaggy head shot up, his grip loosening enough to allow me wiggle room.

  Dropping down, Rek following with, my fingers curling around the pot on the floor, lost in the melee, to scoop it up, I glanced from him to the door. Lips thinning, I aimed high, pulling my arm back to swing, smacking him right in the middle of his fat head. The pan thunked heavily, crumbling right before my eyes as Rek let out a shocked chuff of air, releasing his tenuous hold on me.

  Toppling to his side but catching himself, Rek groaned and grunted, but otherwise lacked any real, true kind of bashed over the noggin reaction.

  Really? All that and he’s not even going to puke? Pass out? Wibble-wobble dizzily?

  Shaking his shaggy head out, mumbling something in some sort of growling, grunting like language, his gaze slowly dipped, eyes narrowing to tiny little slits, until he was glaring down at me balefully.

  Cowering under that menacing stare, I laughed nervously.

  Popping up and scuttling back until my spine knocked a bedpost, I threw my hands up defensively. “Heh. Heh. Uhm… just kidding?”

  “Broken,” Rek rumbled out, growling low, and crouched.

  “Please don’t kill me,” I whispered fearfully.

  Huge mitts for hands reached for me, gripping my shoulders, and I panicked, instantly going limp, shaking like a leaf in his strong hold.

  Gaining his feet, grip firm as he brought me up with him, Rek frowned as my eyes welled.

  “Fix you,” he muttered, shaking himself out, and lifted me up like I was nothing to chuck me over his shoulder.

  As if a switch had been flipped, I snapped out of it, then snapped completely, screaming my head off, draped over his furry shoulder, naked as the day I was born, my ass and all the goods out on full display like some snow beast fashion accessory.

  Stridi
ng from the room and right out the door, upsetting a stack of baskets along the side of the hut, Rek jostled me as he walked. “Silence,” he ordered, his chest vibrating on a purr.

  Choking on my own spit, eyes buggy, gripping his furred back tight, ripping out handfuls, I grew louder. This was the nightmare of nightmares for me, and it was happening. NO!

  His shoulder pressing into my stomach, digging into my poor guts, had a certain need growing even more urgent at all the bumping and jargling. My screams turned into squealing screeches.

  A loud smack rent the air as his hand cracked down on my bare rump, hard enough to burn horribly, and I howled, jerking and crying out.

  Rek rumbled something as I ripped out two more thick fistfuls of snow beast back hair, his hand cracking down again, and then I totally and completely, utterly lost it, literally.

  Without going into specifics, Rek let out a shocked cry of his own, sputtering in stupefied shock, stumbling to a stop. Pushing off his chest, lifting my weight up by my arms, I swung my lower half over the side of his soiled shoulder like I was trying out for the Olympics.

  Landing not quite so gracefully, I stumbled in the dirt, knocking to my knees.

  Without bothering to look back, I picked myself up and took off, bare ass jiggling and barely there tits swaying in the sharp, early evening, late afternoon breeze as I hightailed it down the path.

  Rek bellowed behind me, shouting out for the female to come back. This female right here wouldn’t be coming within half a mile of his stanky hide if I could help it.

  Rushing straight past Tokre’s hut, I hoped I was heading in the right direction, crying out my mate’s name.

  A pole, a basket, his fish gutting counter—it wasn’t all that hard to figure out. Tokre wasn’t a warrior by trade, he was a fisherman.

  Surely he didn’t go too far from the hut? I had to pray this was so. I gotta be right. Just gotta be. Keeping my eyes peeled, ears pricking, hoping for any signs confirming my theory, ignoring the frozen ground stinging my feet, I had to find him.

  Rek’s heavy, stomping tread pounding off behind me, deep, snarling growl echoing in the distance, Rek was in hot pursuit.

  It won’t be long and he’ll catch me. I don’t have any time!

  “Heeeeeeelllllppppp!”

  Breath hitching, I dared a look over my shoulder, glancing about quickly. Several rows of huts back, chest soaked, a busted woven basket trapping his foot, Rek wasn’t having an easy time keeping up.

  Other beasts having trailed outside, peered around wonderingly, curious at all the commotion.

  Garbling a growl, Rek shook his foot out and toppled into a hut, grunting as a chunk of the side of the hut crumbled beside him.

  “Help! He took me from my mate! My Tokre! He stole me! Thief! Thief! Mate thief!”

  “Female!” Rek bellowed, his pale skin flushing as he flung his wet arms out. “Come! Back!”

  Chuh, how about this side of never! That work for ya? “It’s never going to happen. We’re never going to happen! I don’t want you! Help! Help!”

  I’d burn that Rek-Rosie bridge—melt it, burn it, stomp that pile of ash into the ground, and I planned on keeping it that way. This whole Rek thing was being nipped right in the bud—today, right now—never to be re-opened again—ever.

  And to further my agenda. “Help! Help! Keep him back! He’s dangerous! Violent rage monster on the loose! Get help! Tell everyone! He took me from my home! Stole me from my mate! He’s crazy!”

  Now that I thought on it…

  “He threatened me with warrior, uhm, stuff! Said he’s going to fix me! Fix me, erm, good! I think he meant kill me, gut me and leave all this precious human meat to waste! Have you seen me? Me?! I could feed a family of three!!”

  “Feeeeemale!!” Rek roared, tossing his leg about furiously.

  Too late, I may have taken things a smidge too far. Whirling around, I almost took out a familiar, blue and white tufted beast, walloping him in the chest. “Wha- Oomph!” Or, he almost took me out, I should say.

  Tumbling backwards, I slammed back on my ass, flopping off to the side into a rather sizeable clump of snow, biting the tip of my tongue in the process.

  “EEEE!” Shrieking, goosed by a snow pile/muddy puddle, I popped up as if I’d been zapped, squealing and hopping about.

  The group of males off to the side of Zhuii, a small stand with woven baskets full of items being bartered about, turned to study us interestedly, sharing curious looks.

  Wrapping my arms around my chest, my numb and possibly frost bitten toes curling in the wet, soggy, snow sprinkled ground, I shivered, my teeth instantly chattering.

  “Rosie-lindy?” The beast blinked, then blinked again, his ears flattening to the sides of his head, flush, as his brow shot up.

  “Umph. Oh, Zoobie!” I cried out. “Am I glad to see you! I need your help!”

  “Zhuii,” the instantly agitated male grumbled, suddenly frowning mightily.

  “Right. Zhuii. Lovely name,” I mumbled, talking fast, gaze darting about. “Listen, have you seen Tokre?”

  “You mate?” the orange-eyed beast questioned.

  “Yes, my mate. Tokre.” Gripping his arm, ignoring how good his body heat felt against my icy fingers, smiling encouragingly, I nodded vigorously. “Listen, I need to find him. I-”

  “Tokre leave Rosie?” Zhuii was aghast at the idea. Considering what Rek had just tried to pull, I was kind feeling that way, too. “Tokre-”

  “Mine! No touch! My female!” came a malevolent roar.

  “Eep! It’s too late!” Hopping in place, I squeaked. “He caught up!”

  “Who catch up?” Zhuii grumbled, eyes narrowing as they squinted towards Rek’s lumbering form in the distance, the noises the angry male was making alerting me to just how quickly he was drawing near.

  “Tokre, Zhuii!” I whisper-hissed. “Where is he?!”

  Grunting, Zhuii blinked his vivid, wild, bright orange eyes. “Where Tokre always?” Lifting a thick finger, massive, wide shoulders kicking up in a half-shrug, he pointed. “Water.”

  “Oh, I could kiss you!” Turning to run, I realized what I’d just blurted and spun back around. “That wasn’t an invitation, it’s a turn of phrase, so don’t get any ideas and- Wait! One more thing!”

  A million emotions slid across the beast’s face as I spoke, before his head tilted questioningly at that last part.

  “I’ll forever be in your debt,”—now that had the beast’s attention—“if you keep him,” I waved off at Rek, “away from me!”

  Okay, so maybe I was using Zhuii’s hard-on for humans to my advantage but, in my defense, they abducted women like it was going out of style. Who were the real douches here?!

  Ditching the blue-haired Zhuii beast, I took off, squealing as I trampled into a wild patch of vegetation, off the well-worn path, the sound of Rek bounding after me hurrying me along.

  CHAPTER 10

  OKay… alright… so he’d said Tokre was this way. Or was it that way…? I felt so upside down and plum turned around I didn’t know anymore! Right looked like left, and left looked like right.

  More snow had started to fall, I couldn’t feel my hands or feet, my aches were aching, my ass hurt something fierce, the one I was positive now had giant, beast handprints welting up on it—which stung, darn it!—and I was completely and utterly lost.

  And really, really naked.

  Really cold and freaking naked.

  Teeth chattering wildly, I had the beginnings of a migraine from trying not to freak out and break down and cry, and I’d been screaming Tokre’s name for the past however long—too long to be running around in the buff, bare foot.

  Tears slowly slipped down my cheeks and I sniffled, growling under my breath angrily, pissed for feeling so gosh darned helpless and weak, pissed I didn’t have a nifty set of fur to keep me warm and some thick claws to defend myself. Is nothing ever fair?

  Nope, my asshole inner self added helpfully.

 
Vision blurry, I swiped at my eyes furiously, swallowing convulsively. “Be a tiger! Be a tiger! You are a tiger, Rosa- Ahhh!” Missing a step, I tromped right into a muddy hole in the ground, just big enough for my foot to catch and send me flying.

  With a yelp I was skidding like Frosty in a Christmas special, belly boarding face first towards a muddy slope.

  Squealing my ass off, multicolored reed-like plants and weeds, wheat tall grass in funky, psychedelic pinks and greens slapping at me, an unidentifiable, sticky leaved plant hitched a ride on my shocked mug, obstructing my vision. I was slipping and sliding, and then there was nothing, and then I was sailing through the open air.

  Briefly, I had a glimpse of something purplish-blue and glistening, shimmering bits between the vegetation that’d hitched a ride trying to blind me; and as I tugged the sticky bugger free to chuck it, I was tumbling right into that water I’d been looking for.

  No!

  Chest expanding pre-bellow, I sucked in a deep breath automatically, right as I took my unplanned plunge, dumping into a decently sized pool of warm water.

  That rush of water always gets me, crashing over me, deafening but for the sound of water filling my ears, surrounding me, that rushing liquid temporarily blinding me. I always had this strange feeling of a liquid bag being shoved over my head to shut me up, a gag for my senses, blocking everything and anything else out. Everything but for the water, and in that respect I felt surrounded.

  It would help if I knew what the frick I was doing, I thought offhandedly, borderline hysterically, my eyes adjusting enough to spot the surface glimmering above me.

  Arms flailing like broken wannabe flippers, legs pumping, I was uncoordinated as shit but moving.

  Head popping up, I broke the surface and gasped, choking, then screamed. Splashing wildly, gagging on the lungful of water I’d just inhaled, I was desperate to stay afloat. I’d found my way to the top once and could probably do so again, were I willing and wily enough—and I was—but I’d rather stay with my head above the water, thank you very much.

  It’s too bad I can’t swim for crap, I’m rather short, and this pond is just too freakin’ deep.