Chapter Eight

Glass

Not like custard?

My stalk wilted like a rhubarb in the pan at Apollo's whispered announcement.

I stared at him, horrified. How was I meant to deal with that rhubarbing rhubarb slap to the face? "You don't like my custard?"

"Any custard," he said, like that was supposed to make it better. "It makes me sick."

He didn't like my custard. How could we be mates if he didn't like my custard?

I stood, looking around for my clothes.

"Glass? Talk to me?"

I looked everywhere except at him. "I need to go."

"But we need to talk," he protested as I hurriedly dressed.

"Not now. Tomorrow." I couldn't face the rejection now.

I sat on the bed to lace up my dress shoes. Apollo knelt on the bed beside me. He went to touch me, but I brushed his hand away.

"Glass." He sounded broken, his shoulders slumping, and all I wanted to do was take him in my arms and tell him it was going to be alright. But he was rejecting part of what made me a rhubarb shifter. We were all part rhubarb, part custard. How had he only just realized this?

Maybe we're not really mates.

Apollo flinched, and I realized I'd broadcast that thought instead of keeping it to myself. I blocked him from my mind before I had a chance to think about it, but it didn't block the misery rolling off him in waves.

"I'll call you tomorrow." Bolting out of the bedroom before the lion could stop me, I headed for the stairs, ignoring his call. I needed to find somewhere quiet to lick my wounds and think this through.

I took the stairs two at a time, meeting Maximus at the bottom.

He scowled at me. "What just happened?"

I should have known Apollo would call out to his alpha. "He doesn't like custard," I muttered and left before Maximus could stop me.

How could he not like custard?

How?

I knew I was being an ass, leaving like this, but I was an alpha stalk and Apollo had rejected the very essence of me. Worse, I made him gag and feel nauseated. How would the alpha lion feel if Tim had done the same thing to him? He'd be roaring and shouting about it, whereas I just wanted to curl up in the soil and think about what it all meant for me… for my lion.

Bart waved at me as I walked as fast as I could towards town. I waved back, fond of the old stalk but not wanting to stop, knowing once he got going, Bart wouldn't likely want to stop talking. He was probably lonely with his mate having wilted a while back. Is that what was going to happen to me? I'd wilt before I had the chance to find happiness again, without my lion.

My eyes blurred, recalling the sight of Apollo gagging and retching because he had my stalk in his mouth. It played through my mind on repeat. I repulsed him.

I had to stop, bending over to take deep breaths, not sure if I was going to lose the contents of my stomach at how awful I felt. How alone.

"You're not in the family way, are ya, young fella?" Bart stopped by me and cackled loudly. "I didn't think you'd be the one to get up the duff. I thought you were an alpha stalk."

I stood, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. "It must have been something I ate."

"Doesn't lion agree with you?" Bart cackled even louder.

He wasn't trying to be mean, he just didn't understand boundaries, but I couldn't hide my flinch. My lion was perfect. He matched me in every way, even down to liking my kinky side. I was the one who was defective in his eyes. My cum made him sick.

Bart quit laughing and studied me for a moment. "Trouble in paradise, young stalk?"

I forced a smile. "Nothing that can't be fixed." Only I wasn't sure that was true.

"Then why are you walking in the opposite direction to him?"

Damn, the old stalk was too perceptive.

"I just need some time to cool down. A little space will do us both good."

Bart gave my back a comforting pat. "Don't leave it too long, Glass. It's never a good idea to go to sleep on your fights. One day, they won't be there to go back to when you've calmed down." His rheumy eyes glistened a little.

It was the first time I'd seen him be serious about relationships. Usually, he was happy to take the rhubarb about anything.

"I won't," I said, although I couldn't promise that. A stalk had his pride. Unfortunately, mine had taken a whipping.

"Good stalk," Bart said and wandered off towards his house.

I watched him to make sure he got home and headed to my bed. I was honest about one thing. I needed time to think.

A quick shift and I burrowed down in my bed of fertilized soil, closing my eyes to shut out the world. I was surprised no one from the pride or the town had contacted me through our link. Maybe a little hurt that no one cared enough to find out how I was.

I sniffled a little, then snorted and sneezed because I now had soil where a stalk should never get soil.

In my misery, I must have dozed off because the next thing I heard was Red talking over me.

"He must be asleep."

"I don't care. Wake him up." Tim did not sound happy.

"Twirlie, maybe we shouldn't interfere."

"He's upset one of my pride. I'm damn well going to interfere," Tim snapped.

If I didn't wriggle or move in any way, maybe they'd go away and leave me alone.

My hopes got dashed when Red spoke. "We know you're awake. Your leaves are twitching."

I sighed. Are you gonna talk over me or to me?

From the rustling and the wriggling, they were stripping down to shift and join me. When my two brothers flanked me side by side, I waited.

What the Great Rhu are you playing at? Tim thundered in my head. Do you know what you've done?