Chapter 12
Staring at the last of the damaged huts, I sighed defeatedly.
“This one looks even worse than the last one,” Dace muttered.
It was pretty awful.
“That looks beast made,” Dace observed.
It looked like some beast had punched a hole through the wall. “Probably,” I muttered as I scrubbed my hands down my face.
“What’s our timeline?” Dace asked.
“ASAP,” I frustratedly admitted.
Dropping my hands to find Dace watching me curiously, I confessed, “Kehlor was waiting for me when I got back last night. He seemed to think I was having some kind of something with Vurhg, and when that proved false,” my hand lifted to tap my nose to mean he scented the truth on me, “he started in about us hanging out.” Blowing out a short breath, I laughed.
“They sure don’t waste any time spreading gossip around here, do they? ”
“Idle hands are the devil’s plaything,” Dace murmured with a commiserating look.
“One of your Gramps’ phrases?” I guessed.
We’d spent the better part of the morning talking about our families, childhoods, it helped a little when Dace listened to me talk about the crazy that is my family and quietly commented, “They sound like they really loved you.” My heart hurt for her when she added, “It’s more than I could say for the majority of mine… ”
Eyeing the ruins they tried to call a hut, I muttered, “How much do you know about the portal?”
“Not much.” Dace’s face scrunched up in thought. “The portal is really wonky. It’s not just when it opens, it’s what year will it be when it does.”
The leftover soup I’d eaten for breakfast threatened to come up as my stomach began to churn. What year would it be when and if it opened again? How much time would have passed?
“If you don’t mind the extra furballs, I wouldn’t mind the company.” Dace gave me a nudge to make sure I was here in the present. “Move in with me.”
My head snapped up at Dace’s offer. “You sure?”
Dace nodded, blue eyes lighting up. “It’ll be like a sorority, though I don’t really know what that’s like because I never went to college, but still.”
“An extended sleepover,” I quipped.
“Never had one of those either,” Dace admitted.
“Unless you count supervised campouts under the stars, me neither.”
Dace let out a little smile at my admission.
Neither of us were very popular in school. The similarities between us were not all that surprising.
“If I ask and promise to be careful, I bet Joanie might let me borrow her tablet. It’s full of movies.”
“Really?” Perking up at the idea, we made plans for me to grab my things while she made the trek to Joanie’s, something she was planning on doing anyway, and see about the tablet and Joanie helping her get a copy of the door key for me.
With a plan to divide and conquer, we ate lunch, she brought the sandwiches and I provided the potatoes we cut into French fries and deep fried in animal fat, and then we were on our way, each our own mission.
Dace left her key with me so I could access her hut. We’d meet up here so I’d drop my things off here and hang out with her fur buddies until she returned.
Dace had a small library of books at her place she’d said I could borrow whenever I wanted, so there was that.
Feeling more settled than I had since being dragged into this world, I set out.
Going through my things, I figured I should probably load up all of the things from Dorothy and drop them off to her and Bia’s key to his hut along with it.
I had no idea where Mina lived and didn’t know if she’d already heard of my friendship with Dace, how well that may or may not go over with her and her males.
One trip. That’s all it took to gather my stuff and walk it to Dace’s. One measly trip.
Dace had already helped me put together a makeshift bed. It was more like a pallet sort of deal on the floor, a large rectangular blanket she’d sewn shut stuffed with straw. It worked until we could find enough supplies to improve upon a straw filled mattress.
Dace was being pretty cool about all of this. I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. I truly appreciated everything she was doing for me.
Putting everything left from the supplies Dorothy had given me together, the clothes she’d let me have freshly washed and folded, everything I hadn’t used up neatly rewrapped, I loaded it all up and hefted the basket over my arm.
Stepping out and locking the door, I started down the way Dorothy had mentioned she lived with her mates. A large house on the end, I believe she’d said.
Like fate just needed to tempt me, a small but determined looking slip of a woman saw me, turned to do a doubletake, then said good-bye to the silver haired woman she was chatting with to come running up to me like her butt was on fire.
“Oh! There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!” By the time she reached me she was breathless, pausing to bend at the waist, hands on her knees, and catch her breath.
Not sure what to say to that, it took everything in me not to scowl down at the complete and total stranger talking to me like I should know who the heck she is.
Then it clicked.
“Daisy,” she gasped out, right as I thought of the woman Dorothy had mentioned.
“Are you alright?” I asked as she fought to catch her breath.
“Been meaning to talk to you but you’re hard to get ahold of,” she muttered as she straightened.
I couldn’t rightly say why this whole encounter made me wonder if she was going to pitch something to me, a used car, about a warranty that’s nearly up. The whole thing hit my funny bone.
Daisy’s next words did not.
“I heard all about you and I just had to come and find you!”
She did, did she? Arching an eyebrow at her, resisting the urge to leave her gaping after me because I knew what was coming next, I waited. I nearly bit my tongue off doing so but I did it. It was a gold star day in not just saying the thing for me today.
“Kehlor told me all about your situation and I just have to tell you-”
“My situation?” I didn’t mean to snap at her but what was it that was my business that Kehlor had thought to tell her.
Daisy nodded, smile faltering as she got a look at my displeased mug. Fidgeting a little in place, she cleared her throat and began softly, “It’s really important to set off on the right foot around here, you know?”
My expression didn’t change, but I was starting to see why she was likened to a bunny as she bounced in place, from foot to foot, with nervous energy.
“What situation?” I repeated.
Daisy paused in her bunny imitation to stare up at me.
“Kehlor sent me to help you, to get you going in the right direction for village life, introduce you to the right kind of people.” She had large eyes like Dace, she was blonde like Dace, she even squeaked like Dace did when she was nervous, but the woman in front of me didn’t have the warmth of presence I felt in Dace’s company, like I was greeting an old friend, that instant kinship.
If anything, this Daisy grated on my nerves.
Taking a slow, deep, even breath, I adjusted my hold on the basket on my arm. “Thank you for the offer but I’m okay. I’ve already accepted help from others,” I settled on, leaving it ambiguous. It wasn’t really any of her business anyway.
“But that’s just the thing,” Daisy chirped, like I just didn’t understand, like I was too stupid to grasp what she was trying to tell me.
Continuing down the way, I hoped she’d drop it but she took up alongside me, walking a little faster to keep up with my longer stride.
My god, take the hint. I’m trying to tell you no nicely, woman.
“I heard you’ve taken up with Dace and she’s been helping you. You really don’t want to do that,” she burst out, like she’d been holding it and it just exploded out of her.
Blunt. Be blunt. When nice just didn’t cut it, blunt wasn’t always best but it was damn effective.
“I don’t see how that’s any of your concern but thank you for caring.” I used my sweet voice, the one Mom joked sounded like I had sugar seeping out of my ears.
“You really don’t want to get mixed up with someone like that!” she called after me.
I kept on walking as she called out behind me. “Is that why Kehlor doesn’t want to be your mate anymore?”
Spinning around, I marched back to her and got right in her face.
Anger had me growling down at her, startling the woman, to bare my teeth at her.
It never occurred to me just how much I reacted like a beast when I was pissed, probably because back home I avoided it at all costs.
“Don’t,” I snarled, scaring the pudding out of her.
Daisy gaped up at me like it had taken her this long to realize exactly what she was dealing with.
Pulling back, I pointed at her warningly and took off. Of course we had an audience. Of course we did. I’m sure I’d hear all about the total asshole that’s rooming with the village shunned before Dace got back.
Making my way over to Dorothy as she stepped out onto the front steps of a well taken care of hut that was more house than anything, Dorothy looked troubled as I stomped my way closer.
It didn’t occur to me that it was probably because of the look on my face until she murmured, “Are you alright?”
“No.” I was past pretending and bullshitting. I was pissed. Enough said.
Dorothy frowned as I handed everything over to her, then held Bia’s key out to her.
“I’m friends with Dace. No one is going to talk me out of it.
I like Dace. She gets me. I’d like to ask Carrie if she’ll help me still but not if it’ll cause issues for you or her.
” Setting the key in the basket atop her things, I dipped my head respectfully.
“Dace didn’t do anything to me. I’m coming into this knowing what she did, getting to know the person she is now, not what she did.
I’ve got no beef with anyone and don’t intend to.
I just want to be left alone. I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me, for what Bia and his family did in offering up their hut.
I’m not about to make waves. I’ve moved out and I’m returning the items you gave me.
I mean no offense. I’m just trying to survive, to make the best of a shitty situation, and I’ll be damned if anyone is going to tell me how they think I should go about doing that.
Again, I thank you.” With that, I took off for Dace’s, leaving Dorothy staring after me.
I knew she was because I could feel her eyes on me.
I was sure I had several pairs settled on me, trying to decide how my trying to de-escalate a situation could be turned into an overblown one.
I supposed small towns and villages were a lot alike.
How Sunny and Forest had made a go of it without the town gossipers up their ass with all they had to hide, I’d never know.
Making my way back to Dace’s, I prayed I didn’t run into another being that wanted to talk to me.
My prayers were answered, but I got stared at a lot.
Being the new thing was not my thing, that was for sure.