Chapter Ten

Tim

“Stalk this way, ba-dum ba-dum, stalk this way. Shake my tushie, rhubarb-da-custard.” I sang and danced along the road from Maximus’s house, waving my arms in the air and wiggling my butt just because I could. I was tired, but nothing was going to stop me from celebrating my mating.

None of Valentine’s residents paid me any attention beyond a smile and a wave. They knew me too well.

My alpha hadn’t been thrilled when I said I needed time out for a while to do rhubarb things. I got it, I did. I left a big horny alpha wanting more. But Maximus was a big, bold lion and I’m a little stalk. I felt weak and needed time to recover my custard. I could sleep with him, but the best way to recover was by burying myself in the soil for a few hours. How was I going to explain that to him?

A sliver of worry I’d not felt before wiggled past my happiness. Would he get me?

“What the heck are you singing this time?” Ricky leaped across the road and twirled me around. He should be called Twirlie, not me. This stalk could twirl around a pole like no one I’ve ever met. He made sweet love to the pole.

“Who knows,” I sing-songed. “I make it up as I go along. You know that. Stalk with me, baby!”

We wiggled and jiggled together in the middle of the street, then my legs wobbled, and I collapsed into his arms, laughing.

Ricky sniffed into my shoulder and grimaced. “You smell like custard and other monster stuff.”

“Lion cum,” I said dreamily. “It tastes like bubblegum and cream.” He pulled a face, and I shoved him hard, sending him stumbling down the road.

“Hey, watch the legs,” he groused. “I need those.”

“Then don’t diss my lion. He’s perfect. And don’t ever say the monster word again. They’re not monsters.”

My Maximus was the most perfect alpha who ever lived. I’d protect him and our pride to the end of my days. I heard a rumbling purr of approval in my head and realized he’d caught what I said over our link. I sent him an image of me between his legs, sucking his gorgeous dick, just because I could.

“Hey, Twirlie. Where’ve you gone?”

That was not from my favorite delectable lion. I blinked to see Ricky staring at me, a mixture of concern and exasperation in his brown eyes.

I blinked once more to clear my suddenly fuzzy vision. “Huh? Are you okay, Ricky? Do you need me to get Crimson?”

Do you need me to help?

Click. Click.

I wasn’t sure what the clicking was about, but before I could answer my lion, Ricky threw his hands up in the air. “Am I okay? Am I okay?”

He was getting kind of loud now and that hurt my ears. It was only a question.

“What just happened?” he continued. “You faded out and I couldn’t get you back.”

“I don’t know what you mean. I was talking to you.” I might have spent a moment or three imagining sucking my guy, but that was neither rhubarb nor custard.

Not a guy. I’m all lion and don’t you forget it!

Ooh, that growl was so sexy. I shivered and my dick turned into a stalk, pointing the way back to my alpha. I tried to get him to growl again, but there was that irritating clicking on the line. How could a mind link get interference?

“Honey, you faded out for at least five minutes. I had to hold you up. I was about to send up the rhubarb line for Crimson.”

I hummed in agreement.

“Twirlie, are you listening to me?” Ricky demanded. He was getting very bossy.

“Of course I’m listening to you.”

I had been, hadn’t I? To be honest, all I could think about was my lion. He was my all, my everything, my roots and leaves. I couldn’t think of anything else except him. He and I would have the perfect rhubarb and custard until the end of days.

“That’s it. We’re going to Crimson.” Ricky wrapped a hand around my bicep and hauled me down the street toward the stores.

I struggled to get free. “Quit tugging on me, bro. I’m fine.”

“Twirlie, we’re barely moving. You’ve got to move your legs. Come on, one foot at a time.”

I was about to protest when I realized he’d got one arm around my waist and was dragging me because, for some reason, my legs didn’t want to work. I focused on them. I can walk. One leg…

Crimson, I need you!

“You don’t have to yell in my ear,” I grumbled at Ricky. “We can run to her. It’s two minutes tops.”

Ricky held me against him. “Honey, you stopped walking, and I can’t carry you.” Now he sounded panicked, but I was too tired to try to understand why.

I looked down. “Did you know you have six legs? Give me two of your legs, then I can walk.”

“Crimson!” he bellowed.

“I’m here. What’s wrong?”

“Tim’s sick, really sick. Talking nonsense…more nonsense than usual. And I can’t move him.”

“Let me look at him,” she said, calm as always.

Crimson, multiple Crimsons, were in my face. I counted them carefully. “One, two, three, seven… there are seven of you, did you know that? How did you do that? I want more of me! And Ricky’s got six legs. Lucky stalk.”

All fourteen of her eyes studied me for a moment. “Help me get him to the seat, then run to the pride house, Ricky. You’ve got to bring the alpha here.”

The Crimsonesses and Ricky dragged me to a seat, and she sat down beside me.

“Run, Ricky. Now!”

As he bolted down the street, I squinted at her. “What’s wrong with you? There are so many of you.”

“I’m fine, Twirlie. You’re just giving us a little scare.” She smoothed the hair back from my forehead. Her hand felt as if it burned against my skin. I leaned against one or maybe three of her.

“Am I sick?” I asked.

“A little,” she agreed.

“What’s wrong with me?”

“You should have mated by now, Tim. You’re going into wilt.”

That couldn’t be right.

“We have mated. We’ve mated in every way possible. I sang my mating to the whole town. Do you want me to describe the ways he mated me? I can show you because it was epic.”

I remember all of it. Although some of it was a little fuzzy by now. That was a shame. I never wanted to forget how we made sweet desserts together.

Maxi, I need you to talk to Crimson. You remember what we did together?

But there was only silence along our link and in my head. All the songs were gone.