Page 4 of Embracing the Stalk

My brows merged together. “Suffering?” What did he mean by ‘suffering’?

This was not so good!

“No… yes… shit, not like suffering, suffering. More like, I’m a more randy goat than normal around you. Like I want to rip off your clothes and rut. Only I respect that’s probably not what you wanna do. You know, with me being a goat and what’s been happening to you? And I only came ‘cause I wanted to check up on you and give you the flowers. They looked pretty and reminded me of you, and I thought you might like some pretty in your life right now.”

He let go of my hand and buried his head into both hands, groaning. “I’ll shut up rambling now.”

He thinks I’m pretty!

Beaming at him, my face ached at how long it felt since I’d smiled so widely. “You think I’m pretty?” I asked like a dork stalk, ruining any credibility I might have had.

Way to go!

Chapter Three

Gordon

I raised my head and caught his glorious smile. Pretty? I thought he was the most alluring rhubarb ever to walk the earth and had done since I first met him. All I wanted to do was enfold him in my arms and keep him safe from the rest of the world.

“I’d like that,” Red said shyly.

I furrowed my brow. “You’d like what?”

“For you to hold me and protect me from the rest of the world.”

“Wait, you heard that?”

We all heard that.

Fuck off, Tim,Red said.This is my wooing, not yours, and I received flowers.

I heard my stalk loud and clear and if I’d been in my goat form, my little hooves would have kicked up in joy, jumping about the fact he knew I was wooing him.

And who told him to take the flowers?

I groaned at Tim outing me.

Hey, I got the kinky candy from my mate.That was Glass, adding to my torment.

I guess we all had our weird love language, but I needed them all to get lost because the noise was too much! I tapped the side of my head, as if I could kick them out.

“What’s wrong?” Red asked, looking concerned, clearly not getting that I could hear the entire conversation between him and his brothers.

“I think the entire town just took residence in my head. Is this what it’s like all the time?”

Red’s smile lit up the room. “Welcome to the wacky world of Valentine. Your business is their business. Particularly if Tim is listening in.”

Nothing is secret in Valentine,Maximus agreed.

The town and the pride!

We are one.

I wasn’t sure who said that, but there were more than a few sniffles.

This is all heartwarming and stuff, but I have a… mate who needs my arms right now,I said firmly.Take a hike out of our heads, okay?

Silence.

---