Bride of Glass

by Jeanette Lynn

  I shivered for a million different reasons, on the verge of a good case of the shakes.

  Zhuii and Noyel froze, glancing from one another guiltily.

  “I’m naked!” I squawked to no one in particular, stating the painfully, plainly obvious.

  The darker furred beast grunted, staring at the sight we presented. He suddenly looked so supremely perplexed.

  “Drop me!” I bellowed, wriggling free enough to slap at the two morons holding me.

  Blinking stupidly up at Berkr, the males complied.

  “No, wait- Ahhhh!”

  I fell with a slapping, resounding splash, my round, not so little backside taking the brunt of my tumble. “Argh!” I garbled out, slipping and sliding in the wide tub. My legs shot out, feet up, head down, dunking my squealing bum.

  Surfacing with a squalling gasp, hands flailing, sucking in a mouthful of soapy water in the process, I spit that mouthful trying to choke me everywhere, cussing and cursing, throwing my hands up to shuck my hair from my eyes.

  “You fucking assholes!” I screeched between coughing fits. “You dropped me!”

  Berkr growled something in beast-speak that had Noyel glowering over at him and growling back, though Noyel’s snarls came across more plaintive than plain pissed.

  “Not mean same,” Berkr argued, switching to English.

  “Means exactly the same!” Noyel barked back.

  “Fine,” Berkr muttered on a chuffing grunt, but then his scowl deepened as my squalling protests caught his interest. Fucking finally! At least someone is paying attention!

  “Idiot and Zhuii… washing female?” Berkr blurted, stuck with this perpetual look of scowling confusion on his stern mug.

  “Grrrrr. How many times do I have to- I am not an idiot!” Noyel sputtered, though his voice lacked any conviction.

  “They’re trying to drown me while my mate sleeps,” I cried out, lying my bum off. “Help me!”

  Glancing between the gobsmacked duo, the beast at the door watched as their jaws swung open, gums flapping, eyes bugging at my cried out declaration. At the look the beast gave them they began waving their hands, muttering strange beast gibberish frantically.

  Eying the spectacle we made with new eyes, something the mumbling pair said registered, the beast’s confusion swiftly clearing to be replaced with what appeared to be his typical, somber semi-glare.

  Grumble-growling something in their beast tongue, Berkr grunted, snorted, then, shaking his head, promptly stomped back outside. Muttering under his breath, his hand shot up over his head and he waved us off.

  The beast was saying things, probably not so complementary to any of us, his snarl of a voice echoing as he stomped from the house. The door slammed shut with a clattering bang that sent the plaster-like material on the walls dusting the front of the small entryway.

  “He left me,” I muttered on a squeak. “I can’t believe he left me! With you two!”

  “Zhuii no think Berkr good mate for Rosie-lindy,” the barrel-chested male murmured quietly, so quietly his voice was barely above a whisper.

  “Berkr…” Noyel paused as if to search for the word. “Berkr, mm… Berkr.”

  “Abandoned me!” My hand flicked up, then down, waving at the door, sending water droplets everywhere. “Left me, with you two, all alone!”

  “Berkr is…” Noyel’s face scrunched in thought.

  “Is a complete and utter donkey’s bum. Now give me the soap and back the hell up! I’m not an invalid! Your assistance is not wanted, nor needed, I can assure you.” My eyes narrowed and my chin lifted, a haughty glower aimed right at the two lunkheads responsible for my little mermaid water show. “And get out of my house, while you’re at it,” I snapped waspishly. “If I’d wanted a bath, I’d have had one.” Nope. Probably wouldn’t have. I’d have sponge bathed and loathed every minute of it. “When I was ready, on my time, in the privacy of, well, uh, in my own privacy!” No, that didn’t sound right. “On my own privacy?” Yeah… that didn’t sound right, either. “In private! The private privacy of my own home, uh, in private!” Ah, yes, Rosalinda, because that totally explains it, my inner bitch remarked snidely.

  The twin set of double blinks I got for my efforts just further ignited my fervor.

  “You all know what I mean! Like when Dorothy comes to check on Tokre, like she’d said she would, you jerks!”

  And another set of blinks from the Zhu-man.

  “Jerk is a bad thing?” Zhuii muttered to Noyel through the side of his mouth questioningly, as if I wasn’t sitting here in my birthday suit in a tub full of sudsy bubbles and- Oh my, that smelled nice. What was that? Lavender… a hint of orange blossom? Bergamot…? No, not even, or maybe all at once, and more—I couldn’t put my finger on it, couldn’t decide. It was lovely, that was for sure, whatever it was. Am I seriously sitting her contemplating bath scents? That easily distracted? I sniffed, wiggling my nose, and blinked. Definitely a hint of honeysuckle in there somewhere.

  “Yes. Like calling Berkr donkey’s bum,” Noyel told Zhuii, running on a different wavelength than I currently inhabited. My brain was on a whole other planet.

  “What a donkey’s balm?” Zhuii chuffed and made a huffing sound. “It like a sqwua-err-ell? Humans eat those, too?”

  “We don’t eat squirrels. Erm, I don’t eat squirrels,” I corrected absently, staring down into the tub’s bubble covered water’s depths. “There are tiny flowers in my water.” Chasing a few to cup them in my palm, I studied them curiously. “Like, everywhere.” And would probably end up all up in my everywhere by the time I climbed out of this giant wash bin.

  Bringing them to my nose, I gave them an experimental sniff.

  Huh.

  I sniffed them again, my expression lightening as that soft though wonderful, fragrant scent. Vanilla-lavender with a hint of orange blossom, calming, soft, fully invaded my senses. Wow.

  “Rosie likes?” Zhuii asked hopefully.

  “Did Zhuii put them in here?” My eyes shifted, meeting his, and I lifted a single, barely plucked eyebrow at him.

  “Yes.”

  “Then, no.” Grinning at the look on his face, I flicked the flowers in my hands at him, my smile morphing into a smirk as he stared down at me, stunned.

  “She likes them.” Noyel rolled his eyes, a very human thing to do, squatting down beside me, his arm resting along the lip of the tub, his hand idly playing in the water. He seemed so at ease with me, giving way to a similar sense within me.

  “You cut your claws off,” I noted, staring down at the blunt ends.

  “Zhuii, too,” the shorter beast felt the need to confide, his wide hands practically thrust right in front of my face, splaying them thick sausage fingers out to show me his drastically filed down claws. Black and thick, they almost looked human. Almost.

  “Why?” My head tilted curiously, knees poking out from the steaming water as I curled my legs to my chest, my hands cupping the caps of my knees as my arms tucked flush to my sides. There, almost properly concealed from eager, beastly eyes. Pretty much. Almost. As close to covered as I was going to get.

  “To touch,” the orange-eyed beastie confided, almost shyly. His eyes couldn’t quite meet mine as he stared down at my wiggling toes in the water.

  “To not hurt.” Blue eyes met mine, the deepest yet warmest blue, like the ocean with the sun glistening along the top of it, specks of gray that were anything but drab circling the pupil—sparkling ocean blue.

  A thick finger lifted to brush my cheek, startling me, my eyes dragging away from distracting ocean blue’s.

  The burly yet sweet, blue-fluffed pain in the ass of a beast’s fur was soft, distractingly so, tickling, teasing as it bussed my flesh.

  “So soft,” Zhuii’s deep voice rumbled out gravelly, his voice thick, much deeper, huskier than moments before.

  Swallowing past the sudden lump in my throat, I shivered, my spine tingling, face heating, goose bumps popping up all over me from head to toe, racing u
p my arms. “I, ah, I moisturize.”

  Holy Hondo’s Taquitos, with a large of cherry slush, a certain part of me that was still aching quite fiercely for an entirely different reason most certainly wouldn’t be in need of anymore moisture, I thought offhandedly.

  “Is good.” Zhuii’s face was much closer than seconds ago, so close I could feel his breath as it rasped across my shoulder. His breathing was slightly labored, a small, barely detectable hitch to it that had my heart thumping wildly in my chest. I did that to him—me.

  Fur brushed along the opposite shoulder, warmth pressing gently but firmly—they were closing in from both sides. I was trapped. But why didn’t I feel trapped? Boxed in? Why wasn’t I nervous? Panicking? Why was the sudden urge to flee I’m hounded by more often than not suddenly… gone?

  Because they don’t want to harm me, and I… Did I dare say for some fucked up reason I trusted them?

  Gulping, I shifted in the tub—squirming, it was more like—but I kept that fun little fact to myself. My skin shivered anew and I found myself slinking down in the water. The movement pushed my breasts up, squished between my thighs as they were. I couldn’t look at either beast, staring a hole into the tops of my knees, my fingers tightening on my kneecaps, my nails practically digging in. My toes wiggled, the ripples bubbling to the surface of the bath water sending the flowers cascading along the top into a lazy, twirling frenzy.

  A soft, pleased rumble rent the air, another following directly after, that vibrating hum practically rattling right into the back of my head, blending seamlessly with the one emanating right in front of me.

  “I, uh, I think I can take it from, uhm, here, guys…” I mumbled awkwardly, my cheeks beginning to burn as I blushed furiously.

  They closed in at the same time, warm mouths mere centimeters from tasting flesh, my flesh, and still I did nothing.

  What. The. Ever. Loving. Fudge. Woman.

  I had nothing.

  I was of two minds about everything, and neither wanted to do a damned thing.

  I shivered visibly, right as long, tapered fingers smoothed over my nape and a purring mouth brushed a feather light kiss across my shoulder, as if to chase the cold away. A furry cheek brushed mine, barely grazing my temple and the side of my cheek, testing its welcome, tempting, but I felt it all the same.

  “Helloo?!” There was a sharp, short knock before the front door swung open, sending me skittering to the other side of the tub like a frightened kitten.

  Water went sloshing everywhere, splashing the floor and the two males on either side of me.

  “Anybody up and at ‘em? Don’t mean to interrupt, I just wanted to pop in, see how you two-” Dorothy froze upon spotting us.

  Oh, the sight we must’ve made, two oversized beasties hovering way too close, practically right there in the tub with me, they were being so ridiculous, while I cowered in my corner.

  Skin flushed a mortified pink, face redder than red, almost purple, eyes bulging, mouth flapping, butt naked in sweet smelling water with a million tiny pink and purple flowers floating around me, the words pampered future wet hole of three nutty beasts came to mind.

  What the fuck was I thinking? Sanity prevailing, I felt mortified, horrified at what I so easily would have potentially allowed to conspire. Was I nuts? Apparent-fucking-ly!

  That lifelong wish of mine for the capabilities to summon a hole beneath me from which to swallow me up whole surfaced yet again.

  The healer’s eyes widened as she took everything in, then narrowed. “Now what in the world…” she began with a huff.

  “They made me! Forced me! They wouldn’t listen!” I squawked and squeaked, my hand shooting up to point at each male. Tattletale—I’d have to add that to my list of newfound personality quirks. “Nothing happened,” I felt the sudden urge to add.

  “Noyel! You didn’t?!” Dorothy let out a soft gasp, her blue eyes narrowing, lips pursing prudishly.

  “She was covered in blood,” the tall beast dutifully reported to his mother.

  “Smelled,” Zhuii added, without an ounce of tact.

  My finger pointing hand slapped the water. “You cotton candy headed- How dare you! I do not smell!”

  “Rosie-lindy no smell no more,” Zhuii informed the room. He grunted and a deep rumble rattled his chest. “Smell nice now.”

  “I never smelled!”

  “Did,” he argued gently. Holding his hand up, he gestured, using his thumb and forefinger, squinting through one eye as he stared at the gap in the pinch of his fingers. “A little.”

  “A bit.” Noyel gave a short nod. “Like Bohki blossoms and Phetis now.”

  “You know what,” I shouted above their babbling of my stink. “Doesn’t even matter. I don’t care. Oh, look at me, pretending none of this happened, isn’t happening, will not be happening in the future. La-la-la, lah-lah.”

  Dorothy stepped into the room, shaking her head as she made her way to the table. “Did you boys even let the poor thing catch a single wink?” Her tone reeked of disapproval.

  “Rosie-lindy slept. Longtime. Zhuii counted.” The beast held up his hand. “At least this many.”

  “Five hours,” I muttered sourly. “You let me sleep for five freaking hours? That’s it?”

  Zhuii shifted uncomfortably, while Noyel busied himself helping his mother, the taller beast reluctantly stepping away from his claimed side of the washtub to follow Dorothy to the table.

  “Did you boys at least feed her?” Dorothy groused, then glanced at me. “Or show her the clothes you collected from my closet for her?” The dry look on her face, though her lips tipped in the tiniest of Mother Knows All smirks, had Noyel grimacing bashfully.

  “I was going to tell you,” he mumbled, glancing guiltily to the satchel he’d brought over from his initial visit yesterday. “Once I’d made more to put those ones back.”

  Dorothy made a noise in her throat, “Mmm. Hmm,” ruining the note of disapproval when she snorted and gave a short eye roll.

  “I would’ve…” Noyel scratched at his arm with his blunt nail tips and shrugged. “Eventually.”

  “You stole your mother’s clothes to have me wear them?” I muttered incredulously.

  “You didn’t have anything to wear.” Noyel’s face soured, the mirrored look on his mother’s face, almost identical to his, comical.

  “Rosie-lindy can’t go naked,” Zhuii said agreeably, though he was sure to avoid eye contact with Dorothy.

  This woman had these beasts on their toes. Why was she still here, then? If she held this kind of clout amongst them. Was it because her mates were always hovering? Even now I could hear a male, new male voice, grumbling away outside, and I knew the male was probably one of hers. Maybe more than one, as she seemed to have an entourage.

  Always hovering, smothering, this lot did.

  I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I’d always be cared for, whether I wanted to be or not, protected, even if I didn’t need it. Tokre did all of these things…

  Adding Noyel and Zhuii to the mix, I might just burst my ear drums screaming for some semblance of personal space.

  Then again, I’d never be alone…

  Thinking of my old life—and that’s how I thought of it anymore, my old life—how miserable and lonely I was, I grimaced.

  Hell, I haven’t felt less alone since the second a giant beast took off with me.

  Now, escape plan-wise, all this smothering mothering would suck balls. My eyes drifted to Tokre and my face scrunched up harder. Why?! Why did everything have to be so messy and complicated and… ugh!

  “No, honey, I see your point,” the healer conceded, glancing up at her second youngest. Walking over to her Noyel, she reached out, patting his shoulder, giving his arm an affectionate squeeze. “You did good, baby. Just wished you’d have given me the choice in which articles of my clothing I was to donate, is all.”

  “Oh. Sorry, Mama.”

  Dorothy’s eyes grew a mischievous twinkle as she chuc
kled at his short, sheepish response and winked. “Ah, all’s well that ends well.” With a shrug of her own, sloughing off his impulsive decision, she smiled. “Mate first, right? Your fathers would probably have done the same thing.”

  Not that I was going to look a gift horse in the mouth or anything but, “That’s it? You’re not going to chew him out? Demand he leave?” Something! Make him go, woman, so that I might wash my ‘smelly’ hide in peace! And have him take blue fuzz with him! Or, erm, relative peace, I thought, glancing at Tokre laid up and snoozing away in the bed, and then Dorothy, who was having a peek at his wounds.

  Dorothy tutted and clucked her tongue, mumbling and muttering to herself as she pulled the poultice wraps and gooey paste slop off of him.

  “Had a talk last night,” she said after a long moment, sparing a quick look at Noyel, clearing her throat. “The general consensus seems to be I do torture you,” she added most reluctantly, her face pinching, posture stiffening, as if it pained her to admit it. “Though I heartily disagree, I, uh, guess maybe I could possibly, you know, might, ah, see their point…”

  “You do?” Noyel couldn’t have looked more stunned if she’d beaned him over the head with one of Tokre’s fat cooking pots.

  Dorothy’s finger shot out and she pointed it at her son meaningfully. “Torture, is an ugly word. Never, would I torture my babies.”

  When Noyel grunted, his head tilting inquisitively, she continued.

  “Now…” As she paused, looking for words, the right words, her hands lifted in front of her and she spread them out, fingers wiggling as if to stretch, staring down at them thoughtfully.

  It was a submissive gesture, though the woman was anything but.

  “Now I might nudge too much, prick and prod, and maybe I even henpeck ya a bit, I’ll admit,” her left hand fell and her right hand shot back up, her pointer finger waving at her adult child menacingly, “but I ain’t never tortured any of ya. You got that?”

  “Yes’m.” Noyel and Zhuii answered the healer simultaneously.

  Upon hearing his deep, rumbling response, I glanced to the Zhu-man. He just shrugged. “Doro-thy like Lo denaii mama. Allll mama. ‘Cept her mates.”