4. Koda
CHAPTER 4
KODA
T hree humans. Three!
In barely a week, we've gone from strictly enforcing our isolation to - this. I glance down at the flower-clad whirlwind chattering beside me as we make our way to town. She hasn't stopped talking since I freed her from those briars.
"... and then Mary Poppins just took off after this tabby cat, which is weird because she usually ignores other cats, and next thing I know?—"
"Look," I cut in, "there are things you need to abide by if we are to head into town."
"So," she chirps, completely ignoring me, "do all sasquatch males go commando, or is that just you?"
Gods give me strength.
I grit my teeth. Will she ever stop? "I am not a commando. I am chief.”
“No, I mean, the...” She looks suddenly very anxious.
“What?”
She just points at my crotch.
I see. Commando.
Interesting name.
But does this female know no bounds?
“We do not normally name our manly parts.”
“What? No...” Now she is going a bright shade of red. “No, it means you aren’t wearing any underwear!”
“Oh, I see. We wear what's practical."
She still looks rather flustered, but appears to recover.
"Oh, right. Yes. Totally practical. All that fur must make pants super uncomfortable." Suddenly she gives her arm what looks like a very hard pinch. "Nope, definitely not dreaming. Unless you can feel pain in dreams? I knew I should have picked up that book on lucid dreaming when I had the chance..."
"Besides, our fur is thick there... it is unnecessary..." I trail off, realizing I'm actually trying to explain my wardrobe choices to this tiny human. And speaking of my manly parts... why do I feel... a stirring. What is happening to me? “Stop interrupting. We need to establish some ground rules...”
Yes. I must regain control of the situation.
She spins to face me, walking backwards without missing a beat. "Rules? Aren’t we past that whole 'leave you for the doom dogs' thing? I thought we had an understanding. By the way, what exactly are ‘doom dogs’ anyhow? Because regular dogs I can handle, but that name does not exactly inspire confidence."
I resist the urge to grab her shoulders and make her walk normally. "First rule: stay close to me. Second: try to be... less conspicuous."
"Less conspicuous? What does that mean? Are you talking about my dress? Perhaps you would prefer I wear a burlap bag?" She twirls, her tattered sundress and remaining scarves floating around her. "Or is it the bangles? Or the bracelets? Or maybe you have a “no skipping rule”?”
The morning sun catches her hair, and it almost sparkles with shades of copper and gold. Something tightens in my chest that I absolutely refuse to acknowledge. Why Is she affecting me so...
You know why.
"Third rule," I press on, "no more games with the younglings. They're already too excitable."
"They're kids! They are kids, right? Little Bigfoots?” She doesn’t wait for an answer and skips ahead, then spins back. "They're supposed to be excitable! Besides, they loved me. Did you see their little faces when we played peek-a-boo?"
"That's exactly what I'm—watch out!"
Too late. She trips over an exposed root, and I catch her before she lands butt-first in the dirt. For a moment, we're pressed together, and that damned electric feeling zips through me again.
And I feel a tingling in my man parts again as well...
Nope. Not happening.
Getting a hard on now would be most inconvenient.
I suppose going ‘commando’ does have its drawbacks.
But this is not a situation I have ever encountered. Certainly not one that could be foreseen...
I set her upright and step back quickly, releasing her before I grow any stiffer.
Think of taxes...
It seems to help.
"My hero," she grins, apparently unfazed. Thankfully, she seems oblivious to the reaction she caused. She shakes her head. "This is absolutely crazy. Here I am, just walking through the woods with an actual bigfoot... a surprisingly chivalrous one, and having a normal conversation, like this is all somehow totally fine." She lets out a small, slightly nervous laugh. "You are a bigfoot, right? Like I’m not really on drugs and just seeing a bigfoot when you are really just a big strong lumberjack or something?”
“I am not a lumberjack.” I am trying to be stern but can’t help a little smile. She is an earnest one.
I was afraid you’d say that...” she trails of for a split second. “But at the same time, this is also kinda amazing...”
"Just... try to stay upright until we reach the Bullhorn."
"The Bullhorn? I’m afraid to ask what that is. It’s not like an actual giant horn that summons doom dogs, right?"
It’s getting harder to fight the smile that plays at my lips. "It's a tavern. Where your friends are."
"My friends?" She stops dead in her tracks. "Wait, friends, as in more than one? As in plural? No way! You mean?—"
"MIAAAA!"
Two blurs – definitely human - rocket out of the tavern door. Before I can stop them, Zoe and Olivia are crushing Mia in what looks like a painfully tight hug.
"Oh my god, oh my god, OH MY GOD!"
"You're here! You're actually here!"
"I can't believe it!"
"Where have you been?"
"How did you-"
"Your HAIR!"
They're all talking at once, a hurricane of excited squeals and half-finished questions. I catch Thokk's eye through the window. He gives me a sympathetic look that clearly says "welcome to the club."
Several other monsters peer out from the tavern, drawn by the commotion.
"Girl, you would not believe where I ended up!" Mia's voice rises above the chaos. "It was pitch black and there was this howl! And then I woke up in this crazy temple with these weird drawings and then these adorable baby bigfoots-"
"Sasquatch younglings," I correct automatically. She ignores me.
"-and then I got attacked by these killer briars, but then this gorgeous mountain of fur rescued me-"
I definitely do not preen at that description.
"-and now I'm here... but look at you two!" Mia exclaims, holding them at arms' length. "You both look so... different. Glowy. And what is that?" She peers closer at the exposed skin above their low-cut tops, trying to get a better look. "Are those tattoos? When did you get tattoos? And why do they look like they're... moving?"
Zoe and Olivia exchange knowing looks as they show off their claiming marks, then glance between me and Mia. Something passes between them that makes them both break into identical grins.
"Actually," Olivia says, barely containing her laughter, "they aren't exactly tattoos..."
I feel my fur bristle as I watch their exchange. Oh no. No, no, no. I know exactly where this conversation is heading. I try to push away thoughts of what sort of mark might appear on Mia's skin should I claim her as mine.
But my mind won’t listen.
A rainbow? Maybe a tornado?
I can see it already... there just above her heart...
Stop it, Koda.
"Oh these?" Zoe touches her mark with a smile. "Yeah, I think it’s a story for another time."
"I have a feeling you have a lot of stories I need to catch up on..." Mia's eyes sparkle with curiosity as she continues to take in the tavern and its occupants. Her energy shifts as she looks all around. "But maybe we can start here. This place - it's real, right? Like, actually real? Because if this is some elaborate renaissance faire, the production value is insane."
"It's real," Olivia assures her. "Welcome to Fablewood. And no, we are not in another dimension. I had to figure this all out. It’s in our world... just hidden by spells.
“There’s towns like Fablewood hidden all over your world,” I add, trying to be helpful.
“Right, but look there’s plenty of time to talk about that - but what happened? It’s been killing me! One minute we were chasing your cat...” Olivia looks at her intently.
“Yeah, so then I read that inscription – you know ... the one about ‘the call of the wild’ or whatever and then just poof ... and suddenly I was in the dark... in the temple...”
“Temple? What temple...” Thokk interjects, his interest piqued, it seems.
“I don’t know what she is talking about. I saw no such thing...” I cross my arms over my chest. Again, she ignores me and continues with her story.
“But I guess I fell asleep... and then I woke up this morning ... and crawled out... and, well... then all the little hairy monsters...” Mia clearly doesn’t mean any harm with her words, but I still feel the need to correct her.
“Sasquatch Younglings,” I growl, though not too harshly.
“Oh, and then I kinda got stuck in some brambles, before mister tall dark and super hairy showed up to rescue me. But whatever... enough about me! So, I guess you weren’t on vacation after all Zoe? You’ve been here the whole time?” Mia is obviously trying to put the pieces together.
“Yup” Zoe says softly. "I was poking around in the basement at the museum... and next thing I knew I was in the watchtower. We’ll get to ‘tall green and handsome’ later." She gives Thokk a meaningful look for Mia’s benefit.
“No way! So that’s why you’re glowing!” Mia squeals. Seems she is finally catching on to what’s really happening here.
"And I was at the library, just looking at this old cup, and – like you said – poof – suddenly, I appeared in Kalen's storeroom," Olivia adds. “Right down there,” she adds pointing toward a little staircase down over by the bar. By now Kalen has joined the little group and Mia’s face has a whole new level of shock as our Minotaur friend gives her a friendly nod at the mention of his name.
“A freaking minotaur... no way... I guess he would be ‘Tall, dark and horny?”
Olivia begins to blush before Kalen responds.
“Easy with the horn jokes. I’m sensitive.”
This elicits a laugh from Olivia. “Not about your horns your not – you love those things... but maybe in other places...”
Now it’s my friend Kalen’s turn to blush.
"This is insane," Mia breathes, taking in the assorted monsters around us.
“You’re telling us,” Zoe pipes up. “We still have no idea how any of it really came to be, not that we’re complaining.”
But Mia seems to hardly be listening as she is still trying to take it all in. "It’s amazing, but insane. Oh my god, we have so much to catch up on! But first, I don’t suppose anyone has seen my cat? I've been worried sick about - MARY POPPINS!"
Her shriek makes me wince, as I notice the calico cat raising her head from where she's been cuddling with Othrix on the hearth. In an instant Mia darts across the room to scoop up the calico into her arms.
“That’s your cat?” Thokk is right behind her as his own cat, Othrix is looking more than a little put out at having his furry mate plucked up from alongside him.
"She’s my baby! My Superpoppilicious! You sneaky little cat!" She covers the feline in kisses while Othrix looks on with what has quickly turned into lazy indifference. "Ah... and you, Mr. Don Juan Tabby, are the one who obviously led her astray. Just like a man...”
"Careful, you don't want to get on his bad side," I warn, though I can't quite keep the amusement from my voice. "That's Othrix, Slayer of Tiny Beasts you're talking about."
“Thokk’s cat,” Olivia adds.
Mia finally notices my massive Orc friend, as he gives “STB” a little rub under the chin.
"I still think ‘Don Juan de Tabby’ or maybe ‘Snuggler of Calicos,’ is more fitting.” Our small group erupts into chuckles at her witty reply.
Everyone except me, because I'm too busy fighting the urge to scoop her up the way she just did her cat. Suddenly the urge to pull her close and breathe in her scent is almost overwhelming...
Dammit, Elowen. This is what I get for not speaking up when she was casting that mate summoning spell. Seemed like a harmless enough thing at the time – none of them really had put much stock in it. But now, just look at what's happened.
First Zoe... that was alarming enough. Then before the town had even caught its breath over her appearance, and all that drama with the statue being revealed in the square, Olivia shows up. And now, this one...
My gut tells me she is going to be the biggest handful of them all.
Mmmm, handful...
The things I want to do with my hands...
Stop.
You’re chief of the Stormcrest Clan... not some love sick youngling on his first walkabout...
"Hey, Mr. Sasquatch!" Mia's voice cuts through my spiral. She's still cuddling her cat, but her eyes are locked on mine. "You okay there? You're looking awful broody for someone in a magical paradise."
Paradise?
“I don’t know about “paradise”, but I will agree that Fablewood does have a certain charm.”
At least it did before human females began appearing all over the place.
It occurs to me that we haven’t even been properly introduced.
“And you can call me Koda,”
“Oh, right, sure, and I’m...” Mia seems happy to make it official, as she shifts her cat into a one-handed cuddle, and offers me the other.
“Mia. I got it.” I take her petite, soft, little hand in mine.
I taste the word on my lips even as the thrill of her touch sends rockets of excitement all through me.
All Through me.
Mia.
Something in my chest tightens at her smile, and again I have to physically stop myself from just reaching out and pulling her up against me.
Gods, I want to feel her flesh against mine. Her soft form pressed against my muscular frame...
“No!”
She looks a little stunned – and confused. “No? No what?”
Dammit, that was supposed to be my inside voice. No, this cannot happen. Will not happen. Two humans in Fablewood is already pushing it. Elowen’s spell be damned.
"Um, no... umm... No, Othrix's fur is NOT softer than your pretty Calico's... it's not even close..."
Gods. Seriously, Koda that's the best you could come up with?
Now she is definitely looking confused. But she seems to recover as her confusion quickly turns into a smile. "Well, I am not gonna argue with you. Tales of her soft fur are told far and wide..."
I can’t help but respond with a deep belly laugh.
At the same time a fresh wave of desire for her sweeps over me.
Focus, Koda.
I will not allow myself to fall for a tiny human who seems one part tornado and perhaps three or four parts hurricane.
Even if she does have the most beautiful smile I've ever seen.
And the most captivating eyes.
And her smell is like fresh wildflowers and...
Oh dammit.