Page 26 of Sticky for You

“Someone has to wake him up,” said Randy.

“It’s not gonna be me. Did you hear Tim? He scared half the neighborhood into believing we were murdering him.” This came from Leonidis.

“That’s beside the point. We need Maxi to come and talk to Burke before he loses his shit again.”

Randy’s worry finally got me calling out, “I’m awake.”

I looked at Tim, who didn’t appear to have moved in the soil and figured on my options. Because I had shifted back to human form, I spied the jacket I’d borrowed and reached for it, doing my best to fill it with soil and not wake Tim, while Leonidis and Randy continued to argue about what they might see if they poked their heads around the shed.

I carefully packed Tim into the soil and rose, holding the jacket to my chest, keeping him close, paying attention to any objections he might have for not being actually in the ground. Two steps around the shed, and I stopped in alarm. Randy sported a black eye and Leonidis had a split lip.

“What the hell happened?”

Had the town's folk come and attacked my pride? My anger bristled as I stalked over to them, hating the idea that I was going to have to upset my mate by kicking some rhubarb ass.

“Burke is what happened!” Randy said, reaching up to rub at the edge of his blackened eye.

“What the fuck! Why? What? How?” I asked in complete confusion, coming to a halt next to Randy. Sure, the pride would argue sometimes, but we never actually fought. Not like this.

“You ask him. I like my eyes not to be black, it seriously doesn’t go with pink!”

Whatsup?

Tim’s sleepy voice stopped me from charging inside when it could put him at risk. I don’t know. But something is up with Burke.

He wiggled in the dirt. Am I in a jacket?

I blushed as I looked down at the stalk nestled inside the jacket. Yep.

Oh… is this a kink thing? I’ve never done it this way before.

My answering chuckle got a scowl from Randy.

“That’s right, laugh!”

“I’m not laughing at you… it was something Tim said.”

“Whatever. Are you gonna sort Burke out or what? I ain’t going back in there until he apologizes for going all bull-a-hoe!”

Chapter Fourteen

Tim

I nearly choked. Did Randy just call Burke a ho?

Maximus chuckled. Bull-a-hoe. Like out of control.

Does that happen often?

I was worried now. It didn’t sound good, and Crimson didn’t allow fights in Valentine. Stalks were too easily damaged. I imagined a bull could do some real damage.

It hasn’t happened since Burke became part of my pride. He calmed right down once he joined us.

I can see that, I said dryly. So what’s wrong now?

I don’t know. But I’m gonna find out.

I can go home if you want.