Page 72 of Prayers for the Prickly

It wasn’t a lie or even an exaggeration. I felt amazing, floating there with him. Nothing in the world, including an orgasm, would make the moment better.

We should probably put together a few playlists for the smart speaker. That way, we can select one before we get in.

Good idea. A lot easier than trying to teach it to understand hoggish or wolverine snarls.

I don’t know why, but I started to picture us squeaking and snapping at the device while it alternated between telling us it did not understand the direction given, or remaining silent when our noises weren’t close enough to its name to trigger it.

I knew I’d wide up sketching it later, before the inspiration faded. I always waited until August was sleeping soundly to pull my sketchbook from the nightstand drawer and the little clip-on light I attached to it, so I didn’t have to use the bigger one.

In my head, I saw us in our wolverine and hedgehog forms, yelling up at it, standing on the table beside it, him standing on my head, trying to get close enough to make it understand us. In a matter of minutes, a whole cartoon strip began to take place. I would even set up the border like a Sunday morning comic strip and divide each scene into panels as the story unfolded.

Who knew what would happen from that point. It might turn out to be one of those things that was supposed to be one and done, but took on a life of their own, as his little hedgehog fairies had begun to do. Those were just for my Hoggie, though, even if he had promised to add it to list of rejected nicknames, right alongside Auggie.

Okay, so that one had been fair. Things might get a little confusing if they had an Auggie and an Olly around.

I’d just have to keep hoping to land on the perfect pet name for my prickly partner.

Oh my god, Prickles!

I hadn’t meant to blurt the newest nickname attempt into the mind link, but there it was, echoing as my little hedgehog actually bit me, not that I felt it much through my thick fur.

I will literally bite a hole in the seat of everything you own if you ever even think of calling me that again, or any variation, up to and including Prickly-pooh.

Okay, seriously, what the fuck, I would never.

I don’t know after your little tap dance through Cornyville earlier.

Hey, you rescinded that description.

True, but Prickly-pooh would have me rescinding that rescind.

Now, I found myself trying to think up everything that could go with or be used to modify Prickles or Prickly, as yet another scene popped into my head. On a boulder, perched high over a valley of discarded pants with holes in their asses, was a wolverine spouting phrases like Prickly-bear, prickle-butt, and pricklicious, while a grumpy hedgehog sank his teeth into the newest pair.

Hmm, August had said everything he owned, which meant he’d have to have more than just pants strewn around.

At least his leather chaps were assless, there was nothing there for August to sink his teeth into if I slipped up and dropped another variation of Prickles.

For some reason, just being with him, even when we weren’t actively engaged in conversation, was inspiring for me. In the short span since I’d known him, I’d gone from only sketching ideas of driftwood, to reclaiming my passion for drawing as a whole. The silly little illustrations that popped into my head throughout the day had started to fill the pages of my sketchbook, meaning I’d need a new one soon. This one I’d purchased when I’d opened my shop, fresh pages for my fresh start.

Only the real fresh start hadn’t begun until I’d met August, who’d shocked me by insisting that I attend the next open-ice at the indoor rink, so he could watch me play. He wanted me to make it a regular thing, too, and introduce him to Brendon and Janie the first chance we got.

After he’d seen all the things I’d brought home from the toy store he was excited to see the inside of the place himself. Of course, the opportunity to meet someone who could tell him stories of my exploits on the ice, as Olly called them, had certainly fueled his desire. Brendon would have plenty to tell, and it might be nice to have a couple to do whatever couples did when they hang out together. August had a pretty close knit family but I’m sure it would be nice for him to have some friends, too.

I’m gonna have to start thinking up nicknames for you now.

August’s threat should have terrified me, but I was so relaxed and in love with my mate, that I just hugged him between my paws and thought back:

Bring it on.

Chapter 28

August

The view of the ocean with the sun raising up out of it was breathtaking, as was Gregor, as we stood at the top of the cliff staring at one another, friends and family gathered around in a horseshoe to watch us be joined together as mates.

Aunty Eunice and Aunty Clara stood proudly presiding over the ceremony, with Gregor’s parents and grandparents positioned behind him and mine behind me. In a tradition as old as time itself, our families would be bound together through us, forging a connection that would stretch forward into eternity.

My mate, sporting a fresh undercut, had allowed the longer hair on top to hang down today, in the thick brown waves I loved to see. He rarely wore it that way, preferring to have it swept back out of his eyes when he was working. Today, it made those honey brown eyes stand out as it fluttered against his cheek.

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