by
Caractacus Hudson thinks of himself as a non-descript anomaly. A white hedgehog, banished from his prickle because of his genetics, he lives a quiet existence, hoping and praying that one day his prickle will want him back. Winning the lottery was about as likely to happen to Cari, as he was known to his friends, as being hit on the head by a meteor. But one day he did just that – won the lottery, not the meteor thing. Even then, he doesn’t see his life changing overly much, but some over zealous wolves, and a lion shifter bodyguard soon changes his ideas.
Quaid Poullon hates lottery winners, or anyone who’s come into money instead of working for it. A lion shifter with more than his fair share of pride, Quaid balks when his brother Ernest asks him to take care of a hedgehog. But one sniff of the intriguing man goes a long way to changing his opinion. Now all he has to do is work out how to keep his little mate safe, which isn’t as easy as it should be.
A pack, a prickle, even the cat coalition want a piece of Cari and it’s not just for his sudden wealth. Suddenly the boundaries between who can be trusted and who can’t are seriously blurred and it’s all Quaid can do is try and stay one step ahead. When a bite has unexpected repercussions, even the council get involved. Is there ever going to be a scenario when Quaid and Cari can be safe?
The first 7500 words of this story were published for free on Stormy Glenn’s ManloveFantasies blog. Over 40,000 words have been added. Custom Solutions is a new series and this story can be read as a complete standalone with no cliffhanger. HEA is guaranteed. This is an MM true mates paranormal story and is intended for adults only.
- 2 Read lists
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Pairings: M-M
Heat Level: 4
Romantic Content: 5
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Gay
Protagonist 1 Age: Ageless/Immortal
Protagonist 2 Age: Ageless/Immortal
Tropes: Fated Mates / Soul Mates
Word Count: 47500
Setting: real world USA
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Same Universe / Various Characters
Quaid knew immediately he’d be taking the job. One look at the
lucky lotto winner was enough to convince him and that was
without the beautifully sweet scent of thyme and blackcurrants that
permeated the office. The cute hedgehog was tiny, at least two feet
shorter than he was, and slim enough to fit his whole body in one
of his pant’s legs. His spikey hair seemed to mimic a hedgehog’s
shifted form, an interesting mix of blond and black strands that
spiked in all directions. Cari’s face was slender, with a sharp chin
that came down to a point. His button nose was sprinkled with faint
freckles and the wide eyes that were staring up at him from behind
adorable glasses, were a curious mixture of browns and yellows.
Hazel? Quaid wasn’t sure. He just knew his life had irrevocably
changed from this point forward.
“Caractacus Hudson, I’d like you to meet my brother, Quaid.
Quaid
this is our billion dollar winner. I’m hoping you’ll agree to protect
him while he navigates the joys of suddenly becoming a rich man.”
I’ll be protecting him a lot longer than that, Quaid thought as he
pushed back his lion who was keen to come out and meet their
new mate. If he put a bit of swagger in his walk as he crossed the
distance between them, no one would know but his brother and
Ernest was already smirking.
“Mr. Hudson, I’m truly delighted to meet you,” Quaid said as he
reached for Cari’s hand. Raising it to his face, Quaid didn’t lick it,
though he was sorely tempted. Instead he took a long deep sniff,
a small sigh escaping his lips as Cari’s scent infused every cell in
his lungs. Yes. This was who he’d been waiting a lifetime to find.
“You… you’re going to be my bodyguard?” Cari’s nose was
twitching madly.
“For a while, until we get to know each other better.” Conscious of
his smirking brother, and the fact his mate wasn’t safe, Quaid
forced himself to let go of Cari’s hand and straightened, addressing
his brother. “Is there a back entrance we can use out of this place?
There were a dozen cameras at the front entrance when I came
in.”
“Cari’s asked for anonymity, so it’s our duty to ensure he leaves
the office unhindered by the media,” Ernest said smoothly. He
chucked a set of keys at Quaid. “Take the elevator down to the
basement garage and use my car for now. They won’t be expecting
you to use that.”
“Do you have a car?” Quaid asked Cari who still looked stunned.
“How did you get here?”
“Uber,” Cari said faintly. “I met Barry here. I er… I’m not sure what
to do now.”
Quaid scowled at Barry’s name falling so easily from Cari’s lips.
“What are your plans now you’ve got your money? Were you
thinking of taking a holiday, or something like that? Because now
might be a good time to do it.”
“I wasn’t planning on doing anything.” Cari seemed to be
completely frazzled by the question. “The money’s not in my
account yet.”
