Chapter Twelve

Tim

“You want me to get dirty and naked here?” Maximus sounded confused as he stared down at the narrow patch of soil I called my own. I still shared it with my brothers, as I had since we seeded.

I sighed, rubbing my cheek against his bare shoulder. “This is where I sleep every night, except for last night. You wanna get dirty with me?” I caught his gaze and waggled my eyebrows.

“Wouldn’t it be more comfortable in a bed?” Maximus suggested, “Especially after what you’ve been through.”

“I’m rhubarb,” I pointed out because he had to take that on board. “Lion and rhubarb together forever.”

I was still exhausted from almost wilting and couldn’t work up the energy to sing to him, but a few hours in the soil and I’d be a new stalk. Except Maximus stayed where he was, staring at the earth when I wanted my big, bad lion rolling me naked around in the dirt to make beautiful custard, then we’d have a sleep together.

“I think we’re gonna need a bigger patch of earth,” he declared. “I’m larger than you, lovely stalk. I get bigger when I lion out.”

“Uh… yeah. I hadn’t thought of that.” I slumped against him. “I need to recover in the dirt, and I want you with me.”

Maximus hummed, a sweet rumble above me. “Sweetheart, does it matter where you burrow into the soil? Does it have to be here?”

“No. Just somewhere in Valentine. The best rhubarb grows here. Crimson says it’s to do with the fertile triangle.”

I felt Maximus’s shoulders shake and his chest bounce, and looked up, worried, only to find him holding back a chuckle. “Maxi! What are you laughing at?” I asked, indignantly.

He pressed a kiss on my forehead. “No reason. Just ignore me. I can’t burrow here, sweet stalk. I’d destroy the bed. But I know exactly where you and me could whip the custard in private with plenty of room.”

Now that sounded interesting. I wiggled in his arms. “Let’s go. I can walk, even do a little twirl.”

I felt heaps better now, almost the full dessert, although it wouldn’t take a lot for me to get tired again. I needed my time in the soil.

“You’re staying in my arms,” Maximus said, his voice as firm as his arms around me.

I sighed happily and buried my face into the crook of his neck. “I need my dirt time.”

“I know, baby.” His deep voice was all rumbly, as my lion jogged back to the pride house.

I squinted at his naked feet, resisting giggles of my own. “Maxi?”

“Hmmm?”

“Where are your shoes?” I knew everyone in town thought I was odd, but it appeared I’d found my perfect match.

“About that—”

I looked a little closer. “Where are your pants? Are you naked apart from this jacket?”

He gave an awkward shrug, which made me bounce and warmed me down to my roots. He really was perfect. I was sure I could find a song to match once I’d dip-dived into the soil. “You needed me. I had to shift. I couldn’t wait to get dressed.”

“So the whole town has seen your cock? And you as a lion?”

“Pretty much.” A flush spread up his chest. I couldn’t tell if he was embarrassed or horny.

A bit of both.

Our link was back fully! I could hear him again!

My heart just did that melty thing that only happened with Maximus. He’d lioned out through the town for me and not cared about being naked when he shifted. Awesome of awesomeness, I’d won the rhubarb lottery.

I pressed a kiss against his warm skin, then I nibbled on it for a bit, working up a hickey, because he’d bitten me, but I hadn’t returned the favor. I looked at the growing bruise and then kissed my way across his throat to start a matching one on the other side of his neck where the scar was, just because I could.

“You’re gonna sleep before we fuck,” Maximus insisted, even though he did a full body shudder beneath me.

I groaned in protest and would have rolled my eyes if he could see me. “I wanna roll with you.”

“I’m your alpha and you’re gonna do as I say,” he said sternly.

Any other guy trying this on me and I’d be a stalk out of there. But Maximus ordering me about just made me want to roll over and show him my hard-as-nails cock.

“You going all alpha on me is just making my stalk all hard and needy,” I pointed out.

Maximus snorted. “You think mine is any different?”

“Baby, I know,” I purred. I could feel his thick stalk bouncing against me.

“We’re nearly here,” he gasped and stumbled. “I’m gonna fall if you keep your hand wrapped around my dick.”

I smirked, but I took sympathy on my poor lion. I didn’t want him to drop me on the asphalt. To my surprise, he didn’t go into the pride house, but jogged around the side and into the enormous wild and overgrown backyard.

“We haven’t had time to work on most of the yard yet,” Maximus mumbled.

“I can help,” I offered. “Now I’m part of the pride.”

He stared at me, then pressed a kiss to my mouth, all tongues and teeth, letting me know I was his and wanted.

Fuck! This was a roar through our link.

“Yes, now, please.” I wriggled until we were chest to chest, my legs around his waist, my arms around his neck, and returned the kiss with interest, plunging my tongue into his mouth. I needed to be stalk to lion, naked with him.

Maximus stumbled again, but recovered, then swerved to take me behind an old shed. I turned to see a huge patch of earth, freshly tilled.

“I’d planned to grow vegetables here,” he mumbled, “but it could be your bed. We’ll dig another patch for the vegetables.”

I blinked away tears. Stalks like me didn’t cry because some guy was thoughtful to me. Then I caught the sadness in his expression.

“I’m not ‘some guy.’ I’m your mate.” He put me down on the earth. My legs wobbled, but he held me until I could stand without collapsing.

I reached up on tiptoe to cup his prickly jaw, stroking my thumb over his cheek. “I’m sorry. My go-to is horny stalk. I forget that we’re attached in here.” I put my hand over his heart and then over mine.

Maximus didn’t seem convinced, so I kissed him with everything I had inside me, running my hands over his chest, then down his sides, then lower.

He grabbed my hands and growled at me. “You need to sleep.”

“I need you,” I panted.

“Get naked,” he ordered.

Oh, hell yes!

I flung off my clothes, not caring where they landed, then did the same with his jacket. It landed over a rusted seat. I yanked him down with me to the soil until I was on my back and he was over me, straddling my body.

“You suck my stalk, then fill me with cum to make me yours, then I can sleep.”

“Bossy omega,” he said fondly.

“Yours,” I assured him and shifted.

This time my change did not shock him and his mouth was quickly on my stalk, nibbling from top to bottom, my fuzzy hairs rasping a delicious counterpoint to his rough tongue. The friction was unreal. My stalk was ready to spray him with sweet custard.

Oh my Great Rhu. I’m gonna come just like this. Sweet lion. Pin me down. Tie me up. Take me. Make me yours. Maximus lifted his head and roared again. My stalk nearly shed its short hairs. That was so hot.

He looked down at me. “I’m going to do exactly what I want to you, and you are gonna take it all.”

I wiggled in his hands in agreement. He picked me up. And then he deep throated all of me.