Chapter Nine

Apollo

I sniff-sobbed and swiped at the mess I'd made on my floor, ignoring the chatter going on outside my bedroom door.

"He's crying, he never cries."

I did, just not loud enough for others to hear. This time I couldn't help my loud sobs. My stalk had walked out because I was defective.

"Everyone cries," Gordon pointed out to Leonidis.

"Leave him be, he said he wanted to be left alone." Maximus's voice held authority, but it seemed neither Gordon nor Leonidis were listening.

"He's upset, why would we leave him alone?" the small lion demanded.

"Yeah, we're a pride who look out for each other. That stalk better not show his face around here again, making Apollo cry. No mate should do that!"

"I agree," Maximus said to Gordon. "Only with mates, it's different. They need to sort this out between them. We can't interfere. Just like when Tim and I had a few issues in the beginning, it was up to us to figure it out. I'm sure Apollo and Glass will work it out."

"Then why have Tim and Ricky gone to kick Glass's stalky butt?" This came from Burke. "I was about to go play hide the stalk in the soil with Ricky, but Tim said it was a rhubarb emergency."

"Did he now?" Maximus grunted.

"Oops. Was I not supposed to say?" Burke sounded upset.

I opened the door and kept my head down so they couldn't see my tear-swollen eyes. "Tell Tim and Ricky to leave Glass alone. He's not to blame for having a defective mate," I said glumly.

Everyone turned to stare at me.

"Defective? What do you mean?" Maximus was the first to ask.

"No one is perfect," Gordon said, looking at Leonidis and Burke, "isn't that right, guys? But defective, I don't believe that for a second."

They all nodded, being the supportive pride they were. I groaned in torment. "I am, I can't tolerate my mate's custard. So I'm defective. Why else would he be so upset that he got paired with me? A lion who hates custard."

"I didn't know you didn't like custard?" Randy said, appearing out of the bathroom, his pink hair gleaming.

"I was forced to eat it as a lion cub and the memory of that gloppy substance on my lips. In my mouth." I retched at the thought.

"Oh, no…" Leonidis came closer and took hold of my hand, squeezing. "Maybe you're not defective at all. I heard of folks developing a phobia of food stuff from getting forced to eat badly made kinds. Then, when they tried the good stuff, they didn't recognize it as good because the past kept resurfacing."

My heart rate picked up. Maybe that was me?

"Could be that if Glass introduced you to his custard, slow like, and you tasted it without worrying about it, that you might like it better?" Leonidis finished, looking at me hopefully.

"Do you think Glass would give it a try?" I asked, recalling how upset he was when he left. "He didn't want to talk to me even when he said we had to talk."

"Well that's a dickish move if ever there was one." Drew scowled as he appeared at the top of the stairs, carrying a bowl of ice cream, which he offered to me.

"I suppose," I muttered, not sure I quite believed it with how upset Glass was when he left. I took the bowl and glanced down, seeing it was some of the ice cream Tim made. I plucked the spoon out of the dish and scooped up a dollop of ice cream. I was an eater when upset. I sucked the cold yumminess into my mouth, loving the rhubarb tartness.

Drew grinned widely at me and pointed at the bowl. "Not all custard makes you gag."

My eyes widened as I looked from the bowl to Drew. "What do you mean?"

"This was an experiment cause I recalled something you didn't." He jabbed a finger in the ice cream, then licked it off before it dribbled down his hand. "This has got custard in it. Remember, Tim made it and called it rhubarb and custard ice cream sandwich. See, you're not defective at all. You just didn't think about the custard because you were excited to try it. Must have blocked the custard part. But whatever. I'd say it was how that dick introduced you to the custard, is all. So what did he do?"

I blushed bright pink and instead of answering, I sniffed the bowl. Was there a hint of custard? Maybe, but the ice cream was yummy. I scooped up another spoonful and sucked it into my mouth. This time doing it while thinking about the flavor. The tart rhubarb was really the main thing I could taste, but there was a hint of custard. I swallowed and waited for my brain to engage with my tastebuds.

When a few seconds passed, and nothing happened, I grinned at my pride. "Leonidis, Drew, I think you're both right." Then my smile fell away, recalling how Glass said he didn't want to talk to me.

"What's up? We just helped you solve the problem," Drew stated huffily.

I sighed and took another mouthful of the ice cream. "That might be the case, but I've still got to try eating his…"—more blushing, only this time it rose from my toes—"cock to taste the custard without panicking like I did the first time. And he has to want to talk to me first."

Maximus gave me a funny look I couldn't quite interpret. "If he's in stalk form, you'll get his rhubarb and custard flavor together."

"Ohh!" We hadn't got to that stage. That most definitely might work, for starters?

"I think I have someone who has an inside track on your stalk. So I'll handle getting him back here. Just be ready for when your mate returns." Maximus offered me a rueful grin as he wandered off.

"Whatever is he up to?"

Burke shrugged. "Who knows, but he's never steered us wrong." He clapped his hands. "Chop-chop, go find something hot to wear for your stalk."

I spun around and ran back into the bedroom. Would me naked wearing a tiny strap of leather be hot?