Kelley (Were Zoo Book Six)

by R. E. Butler

  “Nah. I told my dad last night that I’d help set up for the matinee, and I don’t want to get my other shoes dirty.”

  “Can I help?”

  “I’m sure my mom will have something you can do, but your sandals are fine.”

  “Okay.” Her stomach took that moment to rumble again.

  “Let’s go before your stomach gets any louder.”

  They walked to the food tent, and the closer she got to the food, picking up the scents of cooking meats, the hungrier she got. Like before, there were several people cooking big quantities of everything, from scrambled eggs by the panful to whole slabs of bacon cooking on pans laid out over firepits.

  Rowena and Donovan waved at them from a picnic table, where they’d saved seats for them.

  “What are you in the mood for?” Kelley asked as he handed her a plate.

  “A little of everything I think.”

  “Are you still craving sugar?”

  She held her plate over for a scoop of scrambled eggs. “Nope. I guess eating my weight in sugary treats was all I needed to do to get it out of my system.”

  He laughed.

  She followed behind him as they made their way down the line. She filled her plate with bacon and sausage, two pancakes, and four slices of toast.

  “Is there peanut butter?” she asked as she thanked the female who put the toast on her plate.

  “For what?” she asked.

  “The toast.”

  “No. But I can grab some.”

  “Oh, would you? That would be awesome.”

  “You like peanut butter on toast for breakfast?” Kelley asked as the female darted away from the buffet.

  “Not normally, but today I do.”

  They set their plates down on the picnic table and he offered to get their drinks. By the time he returned with coffee and orange juice, the female was back with a knife and a jar of peanut butter.

  “Extra crunchy, nice! Thank you so much,” Rhapsody said.

  “You’re welcome. I’ll stock it for breakfast from now on.”

  While Kelley and his parents talked about the shows the night before and their plans for the day, Rhapsody spread the thick, crunchy peanut butter onto the lightly toasted pieces of homemade bread. She took a bite and decided it needed something else, so she laid out several slices of bacon on top and then placed another piece of peanut-butter covered toast on top. She took a bite, savoring the sweet and salty taste.

  When she was halfway through the sandwich, she realized that no one was talking anymore, and she looked at Kelley.

  “What?” she asked. “Do I have food on my face or something?”

  “No, not at all. It’s just…are you feeling okay?”

  “I feel just fine. Why?”

  Rowena cleared her throat and smiled gently. “When our people are pregnant, very early on one of the first signs is strange food cravings.”

  “I’m not one of you, though.”

  “But you might be carrying one of our kind,” Rowena said. “Yesterday, you were craving sugar. Today it’s…well, I don’t know what to call that.”

  “Delicious,” Rhapsody said. “But could I be? We’ve only been together for a short time. Would cravings really show up that early?”

  “They did for me,” Rowena said. “And my sisters-in-law, too. Unless you were taking precautions against it, there’s a possibility you are.”

  Rhapsody blinked in surprise and put down the sandwich. She looked at Kelley whose eyes were round and his mouth was open. She whispered to him, “We weren’t using anything, so holy crap.”

  He shook himself and said, “Oh sweetheart, do you think?”

  She took her cell from her back pocket and said, “Hold on, I keep track in my calendar.” She flipped through the calendar app, counting from her last period until that morning, and hummed. “I’m late, by nearly two weeks.”

  Kelley hesitated for a moment, then said, “Are you okay?”

  “You keep asking me that! Yes, I’m fine, and actually I’m more than fine because I might be pregnant. The question is, are you fine?”

  “I’m fucking awesome, sweetheart,” he said, hauling her close and kissing her.

  “Watch the swears, sailor,” she chided. “There might be a bun in my oven.”

  “I’ll be on my best behavior.”

  “Congratulations,” Donovan said. “If it’s the case, anyway. Our healer, Deneeta, has pregnancy tests in her trailer. You can see her after breakfast if you’d like.”

  “Yes, I sure do want to see her. Oh my gosh,” she said, cupping Kelley’s face. “We might be having a baby.”

  “I’m so happy, sweetheart. I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” she said, pressing her palm to her abdomen. “And I love our little one already.”

  “Can I get you anything?” Kelley asked.

  “More bacon and toast. I might be eating for two.”

  He laughed and got up, returning a few moments later with her request. He put his hand on her back and rubbed it lightly, then kissed her shoulder. “I never expected it to happen this soon, but I couldn’t be happier.”

  “Me, too.”

  Rhapsody was so hungry that she ate three peanut butter and bacon sandwiches, and added peanut butter to the pancakes, too. She let Kelley eat the eggs, which didn’t taste good to her, and finished the meal with a big spoonful of peanut butter.

  They promised to let Rowena and Donovan know what the results were as soon as they knew themselves. The memory was already buzzing with excitement. News of a new baby was grounds for celebration.

  He knocked on the door of Deneeta’s trailer. It creaked as it opened, and a woman with black hair streaked with silver smiled down at them. “What can I do for you two this fine morning?”

  “I need a pregnancy test,” Rhapsody said.

  Deneeta’s brows rose. “Well, congratulations! Come on in.”

  They walked into the trailer, and Deneeta took them into a bedroom that was converted into a patient room. The room contained two hospital beds and a wall of cabinets that were labeled with their contents.

  “Like other shifters,” Deneeta said as she moved to a cabinet and opened the door, “we don’t usually get ill, but we do sometimes get injured, especially the acrobats. I’ve been the memory healer for twenty years.”

  Rhapsody explained about the sudden cravings and showed her the calendar app and her information.

  “Take this and go into the bathroom,” Deneeta said, pushing open a sliding door. “It does sound as if you’re pregnant, but if it shows up negative, you can test again first thing in the morning just to be sure.”

  “Okay, thanks.” She took the test and smiled at Kelley who gave her a sweet, hopeful smile in return.

  She didn’t care for peeing where people could hear her, and it didn’t help that shifters had excellent hearing anyway. She pushed aside the thoughts of how close her mate and the healer were to the bathroom door, and took the test, placing the cap back on and then washing her hands in the tiny sink. By the time she was finished, the test’s results’ window clearly read that she was pregnant.

  Opening the door with a big smile and happy tears in her eyes, she held it up and said, “We’re going to have a baby!”

  “Yes!” Kelley grabbed her in a hug.

  “Congratulations again,” Deneeta said, taking the test from Rhapsody. “I know you’re only staying for the week, but let me give you some prenatal vitamins to take while you’re here, and then you can go see the zoo’s healer.”

  “Do they have one?” Rhapsody asked.

  Kelley nodded. “Several of the wolves are doctors. There’s a pediatrician and a surgeon, and also an obstetrician. The zoo was designed so that our people never had to go to human hospitals in order to get care if there was an accident.”

  After getting a bag of vitamins, they thanked Deneeta again and headed straight for the food tent where his parents were still eating.

  “We
ll?” Rowena asked.

  “You’re going to be grandparents,” Kelley said.

  Donovan stood and shouted, “Celebration tonight after the late show for my son and his mate, who are carrying a grandbaby for us!”

  The tent erupted into cheers, and Rhapsody smiled as tears slid down her cheeks. The memory was so warm and welcoming, she was thankful to be with them.

  “Make sure there’s peanut butter,” Rowena said.

  “Definitely!” She hugged Kelley as the memory came to congratulate them. “What a great way to start the day,” she said. “I’m so glad we came.”

  “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Rhapsody.”

  She kissed him, murmuring against his lips that he was the very best thing to happen to her, too.

  Chapter 13

  By the end of the week, Rhapsody felt right at home with the memory. She watched every show, finding something new and amazing each time. In between shows, she helped as much as she could. She helped cook meals, picked up trash around the midway, made a batch of blueberry jelly with Rowena, and assisted with making a new costume and headpiece.

  “This is the coolest thing,” she said, tying off the string and cutting it close to the knot. “These sequins are beautiful.”

  “We import them from Europe,” Felicity, one of Kelley’s aunts explained. She was the head seamstress for the circus. “They’re durable but lightweight, and they really sparkle under the lights.”

  “Who is the costume for?” Rhapsody asked.

  “You,” Rowena said, coming into Felicity’s trailer.

  “I’m sorry?” Rhapsody asked.

  Rowena smiled brightly. “Donovan and I have noticed how much you enjoy the shows, so we asked Felicity to make a costume for you with a matching headdress for Kelley.”

  Rhapsody couldn’t stop the happy gasp. “Are you serious?”

  “Of course,” Rowena said with a laugh. “We’ll do a practice run for the matinee today, and then we’ll debut you and your mate tonight.”

  “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe it!” Rhapsody carefully set the costume on the long work table and hugged Rowena with a squeal. “This is incredible!”

  “I knew you’d be up for it. Are the costumes ready?”

  Felicity nodded. “We just finished.”

  “You never let on that you knew this was for me,” Rhapsody said.

  “Your in-laws wanted it to be a surprise,” she said. “Trust me when I say it was hard to keep it a secret. Go try it on and make sure it fits.”

  Rhapsody took the beautiful sequined suit into a small dressing room off the workroom and stripped quickly. The one-shouldered suit was covered with gold sequins. A skirt of gold tulle was short at the front and longer in the back, reaching the middle of her thighs.

  Rhapsody took a look at herself in the long mirror on the back of the door and grinned. Opening the door, she said, “This is the freaking coolest thing I’ve ever had on.”

  “Gorgeous,” Rowena said. “The gold sequins are perfect.”

  The outfit would be complete with sheer tights, knee-high gold boots, and elbow-length gold satin gloves with rhinestone bracelets.

  “I made a headpiece to match Kelley’s,” Felicity said. “If you need help with your hair for the show tonight, just give me a holler.”

  Happy tears stung her eyes. “Thank you so much for this. It’s a wonderful surprise.”

  “You can thank your mate, because he was instrumental in reworking the shows for tonight and tomorrow night to include himself with you as his rider,” Rowena said. She smiled sweetly. “Donovan used to be in the show before he took over the memory and became ringmaster. The first time I rode him was magical, and I’m sure it will be for you, too.”

  Rhapsody changed into her clothes and gave the outfit back to Felicity. “I’ll finish up and have it in your trailer in time for you to get ready. Thanks for your help, I wouldn’t have been able to finish it without you.”

  “Thank you for everything, I had a great time.”

  Rowena held open the trailer door and Rhapsody stepped out into the sunshine, smiling when she saw Kelley standing a little ways off with his father. She ran to him and leaped into his arms with a happy purr, loving the way he chuckled as he caught her with his strong arms.

  “So you’re not mad at me for keeping it a secret?” he murmured in her ear.

  “Not at all,” she promised. “This is the best surprise.”

  “Even better than our little one?” he teased as he set her down on the ground.

  “Maybe it’s a close second.”

  “Let’s go practice for the matinee,” Donovan said.

  The morning passed quickly while Rhapsody learned the ropes of the elephant parade. They practiced in human form several times, and then an hour before the matinee, the elephants who were shifting for the shows moved to a private, secured tent where they changed forms.

  The matinee went off without a hitch, and Rhapsody had the time of her life riding on Kelley’s back. The two evening shows were even more fun, as Rhapsody was encouraged by Rowena and Donovan to stand up on Kelley’s back, holding onto a rope to steady herself, and waving to the crowd as he followed the line of elephants around the ring. She’d never had more fun in her life, and when the last show was finished and she led her mate back to the private tent to shift, she thought her heart would never stop racing from the excitement.

  She hugged him after he returned to his human form and got dressed. “Thank you so much.”

  “For what, sweetheart?”

  “For bringing me here and encouraging me to be part of this amazing circus.”

  “It was my pleasure.”

  “It will be, later,” she said with a sultry laugh.

  “I’m the luckiest male around.”

  Because the midway was open for another hour, they wandered around, snacking on popcorn, her craving-of-the-day. One of the booths was a popcorn stall with butter, cheese, and caramel varieties.

  “You know what would be great?” she said as she munched on a bag of caramel corn.

  “What?” Kelley asked.

  “Caramel corn with bacon.”

  He glanced at her incredulously. “Seriously?”

  “Why not? They cover bacon with chocolate.”

  “Who does that?” he asked with a teasing gleam in his eyes.

  “People. People who have excellent taste in snacks.”

  “I just don’t know if caramel popcorn and bacon would be good.”

  “It would be like kettle corn, sweet and salty, but extra tasty because it’s bacon and that makes everything taste better.”

  He chuckled. “You’re insatiable.”

  “Just for you. And popcorn.”

  “Today anyway,” he said.

  The hair on the back of Rhapsody’s neck stood up and everything within her rose up in alarm. She spun with a snarl in her throat and found herself staring at four males and two females. At first glance she didn’t recognize them, but her cat did. They were panthers from Norris’s pride.

  Kelley stepped in front of her. “Who are you?”

  “I’ve come for the girl,” one of the males said. “She’s mine by right.”

  She sucked in a breath. “You’re Norris’s brother, Nyle.”

  He nodded curtly.

  Kelley took a menacing step forward, and Rhapsody grasped his arm. “Wait, not here,” she murmured.

  “What’s going on here?” Donovan asked, joining them, his gaze sweeping between the groups.

  Rhapsody couldn’t miss the humans who were still milling around as the midway prepared to close for the night. She measured her words carefully. “This is the brother of a man who came to see me a little while ago.”

  Understanding lit Donovan’s features.

  “Let’s go to the big top for some privacy,” he said, gesturing toward the tent.

  “They need to leave,” Kelley said, his voice edged with fury. “I’ve had quite enough o
f these males attempting to tell us what to do.”

  “Kelley, please,” Rhapsody whispered. “Not here.”

  He looked down at her, a muscle in his jaw jumping as he ground his teeth together. “Fine.”

  “Gentlemen,” Donovan said, “this way, please.”

  As if on cue, males from the memory appeared, surrounding Kelley and Rhapsody and creating a barrier between them and the panthers. She took Kelley’s hand as they walked toward the big top. Behind them, other memory members were ushering the rest of the humans to the parking lot.

  Rowena appeared, putting her hand on Rhapsody’s shoulder as she joined them. “I scented them just a moment before they stepped into view and approached you. I ran and grabbed Donovan. What are they doing here?”

  “Whatever it is, it can’t be good,” Rhapsody said. “I just want them to leave me alone.”

  They entered the big top, and the lights were turned on, illuminating the space. Passing the empty seats as they made their way to the center ring, Rhapsody switched between fury and fear. Once more, the panthers had found her. It was bad enough that they wouldn’t leave her alone, but they were tracking her as if she were their property.

  “Keep watch around the perimeter,” Donovan said as he gestured to several of the elephants. They hurried away, and Rhapsody could hear them taking up positions around the exterior of the tent. Then the leader of the memory cleared his throat and folded his arms, staring at the group of panthers. “Now, explain why you’ve come when there is nothing here for you.”

  Nyle sniffed. He folded his arms as he stood across from Donovan, but he wasn’t as dominant as the elephant shifter. Even though he was a predator, and alpha because of his brother’s death, he was not as strong as Rhapsody’s father-in-law. “Rhapsody’s parents promised my father that she would mate my brother, Norris, when he became alpha. Upon his death, that promise was passed to me.”

  “She is mated to my son,” Donovan said, “which means you have traveled here for nothing. And I’m certain that you already knew she was mated before you came here.”

  “Our people have a legal mating requirement. All females and males must mate within their own kind, or face expulsion.”

  “I’m not part of your clan, you whack job,” Rhapsody yelled. “I am the last surviving member of my clan, and that makes me alpha. I’ve chosen my mate, and that means you can kiss my ass and go to hell.”