Joss (Were Zoo Book Nine)

by R. E. Butler

  “It’s like a bedroom in here!”

  “I wanted you to be comfortable.”

  He’d searched online for ways to make the tent more romantic and cozy. He’d laid a thick rug on the floor and brought up a full-sized mattress, which he’d covered with a satin fitted sheet and topped with pillows. A small table held electric candles, which he switched on using a small remote. Finally, he turned on a small electric fire pit, which had a noiseless fan blowing air through fabric colored like flames, flickering lights adding to the illusion.

  “This is really amazing, Joss,” she said. “You did this for me?”

  “Of course. I’d do anything for you, Jeanie.”

  “Where have you been all my life?”

  “Not nearly close enough.”

  She took off her sandals and set them aside, then smiled at him. “I want to be yours, Joss.”

  “You already are.”

  “No, I mean officially. You said I couldn’t be with you in the park until we’re officially mated. I want that now, if you do.”

  He inhaled sharply, his fangs tingling in his gums. Dropping to his knees in front of her, he said, “I have to bite you while we make love.”

  “Where?” Her eyes went wide again.

  He lifted his hand and placed it on her neck, stroking his thumb along the side. “Here. My fangs will come out and I’ll bite you. It will hurt some, but I promise I’ll do my best to distract you with pleasure. There’s just one thing.”

  “What?” She whispered the word.

  “When we do this, it’ll be like we’re married for me and my wolf, and for my people too. That means that not only will I need you to move into the park immediately with me, but you’ll also be the alpha female of the pack. You’ll be a leader.”

  Her brow furrowed. “That sounds ominous.”

  “It’s not a bad thing, but there’s never been a human alpha female of the pack. It’s not against our laws, but it could be met with some opposition. You wouldn’t be in any danger, but I might have to defend my position as alpha.”

  “Like fighting?”

  He nodded.

  “You don’t seem worried.”

  “I’m alpha for a reason, and it’s not because I’m charming.”

  She smiled. “You’re very charming.”

  “I promise you’re the only one who thinks that.”

  “Will your people hate me?”

  “I don’t think so. More that there might be those among them who don’t want a human leading, even though I carry the power and you’re only a leader through mating. I will stand against anyone who tries to come at me for mating with you, but even if I had to step down as alpha, sweetheart, I still would. You’re my soulmate, and I could no more walk away from you than I could pull the moon from the sky.”

  “You’ll teach me everything there is to know about shifters, right?”

  “Absolutely. But later, of course. We have some things to attend to.”

  Her eyes darkened and she bit her lower lip. “We do?”

  With a growl, he pushed her legs apart and leaned into her. Their lips met and he followed her down to the mattress.

  The only thought on his mind: mine.

  Chapter Nine

  Jeanie was positively on fire. She’d honestly never wanted anyone as much as she wanted Joss. Her mind was still spinning from all that she’d learned. People changing into animals was the most fantastical thing she’d ever heard of, but seeing him turn into a wolf made sense in a strange way. Some part of her must have known they were meant to be together. She just wished she’d met him years ago.

  He kissed across her cheek and tugged lightly on her earlobe, sending a riot of shivers down her spine. Then he kissed and sucked his way down her neck, tugging the collar of her shirt aside to place a few kisses on her collarbone. He levered himself up and smiled at her. He moved from between her legs and made swift work of her clothes.

  She was really glad she’d shaved her legs.

  He placed his warm hands on her knees, and slowly pushed them apart. She was reclined on her elbows, watching his face as his gaze dropped to the apex of her thighs. He spread her wide open. She’d never been laid bare like this before, but the vulnerable feeling only heightened her excitement.

  Curling his hands over her upper thighs, he met her gaze for a long moment, and then lowered his head. The first stroke of his tongue up her folds sent her sprawling back on the mattress as heat washed over her.

  He gripped her thighs tightly as he began to play with her, his tongue swirling around her clit and delving inside her. He snarled softly, tilting his head and tonguing her. She writhed under his attentions, moaning his name as he flicked his tongue rapidly over her clit, and pleasure washed over her as she came. He growled against her sensitive clit and she shuddered, reaching for him as her back arched.

  In a heartbeat she found herself flipped to her stomach and hauled up onto her knees. She let out a gusty groan and looked over her shoulder as he rose up behind her and grasped his cock, pressing it against her heat.

  He pushed into her, stretching her in the most delicious of ways. She threw her head back with a moan as he thrust hard, burying himself entirely within her. He didn’t move for a long moment, squeezing her hips as he gave her time to adjust to him.

  And then he was moving. Withdrawing and thrusting, setting up a fast rhythm that made her body light up again. He ran his hand up her back and leaned over, pressing her hips down and giving a snarling nip to her shoulder. She gasped at the contact and the deep way he penetrated her, loving how he seemed to know just how to move to take her higher.

  Lowering her upper body to the mattress, she turned her head to the side and grasped the sheet under her. He growled and it sounded like he approved. He tilted her hips a little more and as he plowed forward, she gasped, the position sending shock waves all over her with each thrust.

  “Mine,” he said, leaning over her again and cupping her chin. He spanned his fingers on her throat as he quickened his pace, hitting the place inside her that made her whole body quake.

  “Fuck,” she moaned, closing her eyes as her pleasure built. Her hands clenched and her toes curled as he slammed into her over and over.

  She was crying out his name as she fell over the edge into white hot bliss, the center of her body going molten, her pussy gripping his cock.

  He followed her, his cock thickening and spasming within her. There was a deep snarl and then a pinch of pain as he bit her neck, fangs digging into her flesh. Her vision blurred as pleasure continued to flow within her, a connection to Joss snapping into place. It felt like love, but deeper and sweeter.

  He extracted his fangs, and she caught the scent of blood a moment before he licked across the wounds. He slipped his hands under her and took her fully to the mattress. As he pulled from her body, she groaned at the loss.

  She rolled to face him and kissed him.

  “It’s never been like that for me before,” she murmured. “I feel so connected to you.”

  “Because we’re soulmates. It’s never been like this for me, either. You’re mine, Jeanie. And I’m yours.”

  She kissed him again and settled her head on the pillow, stroking her fingers through his beard. “Do shifters get married?”

  “If they want. A mating bond is stronger than a piece of paper, but I’d love if you had my last name.”

  She smiled. “I’d like that, too.”

  They kissed and talked some more in that lazy way that lovers did when it felt like they had all the time in the world. They made love a second time, slower but no less passionate. He didn’t stop until he’d wrung every ounce of pleasure from her. She’d never had so much pleasure in one night, his talented hands and fingers driving her wild.

  Instead of eating at the table, Joss brought the prepared meals into the tent and they ate steak and baked potatoes, topping off the meal with chocolate layer cake and fresh fruit.

  As she drifted off to sle
ep in his arms in the dark tent with the sounds of nature surrounding them, he promised to tell her everything about himself and his people in the morning.

  “Goodnight, Alpha,” she whispered, giving him one last kiss.

  “Goodnight, sweet Alpha.”

  Chapter Ten

  Joss hadn’t known the sort of happiness that waking up next to Jeanie gave him. It was the kind of sweet feeling that filled his whole being. And his wolf was the most freaking content creature on the planet, practically purring as they lay twined up together with their soulmate.

  He knew he needed to move on with the morning. He had a shit-ton of stuff to explain to Jeanie.

  And he had to plan a pack meeting.

  Jeanie stirred next to him, and he kissed her neck, right at the place he’d marked her.

  “Morning,” he murmured.

  She said good morning couched with a yawn and rolled to her back.

  “Feel different?” he asked.

  “Because we’re basically married?”

  “Yeah. And you’re alpha female of a pack of wolf shifters you didn’t even know existed until last night.”

  “I feel different because I’m happy. I feel like you and I were meant to be together, and I never figured myself for being one of those girls who believes in soulmates, but here we are.”

  “Here we are.” He kissed her and sat up, rolling his neck.

  “And as unromantic as this statement is going to be, I have to pee. And there’s no bathroom in this tent.”

  “No there isn’t, but we can stop in the employee cafeteria. Let’s get dressed.”

  They dressed quickly, then he grabbed his cell from his pocket, texting for some of the younger pack members to come and clean up the paddock in preparation for the tours later that afternoon.

  Following the path away from the paddocks, he unlocked the employee cafeteria and chuckled as Jeanie made a beeline for the ladies’ room as soon as she spied it.

  He used the facilities and met her in the kitchen area, where he brewed them two mugs of coffee. They chose plates underneath heat lamps prepared by the bear shifters who handled the food, underground and topside. He was happy to find steak and eggs, and Jeanie chose a ham and cheese omelet.

  They took a table near the window that looked out into the park. “It’s one-way glass,” he said. “We can see out, but no one can see in. Our people eat here on breaks, and there’s also a market underground where we live that serves three meals a day.”

  “Plus all the fun park food?”

  “Absolutely. I’m partial to the burgers.”

  “You’re clearly a red meat kind of guy.”

  “Cause of my wolf, I suspect.”

  She hummed with a smile. “I’m supposed to work the dinner shift tonight.”

  His wolf snarled in his mind. But before he could say anything, she said, “But I’m going to tell them I can’t work tonight and that I’m giving my notice.”

  He thought about her being away from the zoo for two weeks and his wolf didn’t particularly like that.

  Instead of saying what was on his mind, he said, “After we eat, I’ll drive you to your place.”

  “Good, then we can go to the diner and I can tell Ron that I’ve got a much better offer.”

  Joss smiled. “Do you?”

  “Sure. Well, not a job offer, but a really nice way to spend the rest of my life. When can I see your place?”

  He dug his fork into a piece of rare steak and said, “I have to introduce you to the pack first. What happened between us is kind of unusual, so I need to handle it properly.” He needed to get to the pack law books, which were down in his house. When he’d mated as a young male, she was a wolf. He’d gone to a gathering of packs to look for a mate and had found her. He brought her back and mated her in front of the pack, back in the days when wolf couples would bite each other in marking in public and then head to their home for the night to complete the mating.

  Now, Joss had marked and mated Jeanie in private, but he still needed to mate her officially in front of the pack. It would be a symbolic marking, just a love bite on her neck, but it would mean volumes to the pack.

  Jeanie tapped her fork on his plate. He blinked his eyes back into focus and looked at her. “Sorry, did you say something?”

  “Yeah,” she said with a smile. “I was asking what you’re thinking about so seriously.”

  “The pack.”

  “Because of me?”

  Nodding, he explained the marking ceremony. “But first, I need to bring you to the pack and introduce you. I think the sooner the better. There are already rumors swirling around the pack about me choosing a mate and it would be best to just get this part over with. Then we can schedule the mating ceremony for Monday or Tuesday night.”

  “Do I need to be nervous about tonight?”

  “No. If anyone has a problem with me mating a human, I’ll hear about it ahead of time. I’m going to gather my top-ranked males and elders and share the news. They’ll ensure the pack knows what’s going on before the meeting, so that it’s not a surprise. If there are issues, I’ll know going in.”

  “I hope your people like me.”

  “If any of them don’t, you can’t take it personally. It’s not about you as a person.”

  “Yeah, it’s about me as a human, which is something I can’t control.”

  “Unfortunately, yes. Judging by how my second acted when I told him about you, I believe there may be a few who will protest. But would any of them challenge me for alpha? I don’t really think so.”

  And he didn’t. But he also wasn’t a fool. If he didn’t anticipate a challenge then he wouldn’t be able to call himself much of an alpha. There were pack members who were pretty stuck in their ways. Like Brent, they didn’t mind soulmates for the average wolf, but a human as alpha female? He had no idea how that was going to go down with everyone. But expecting the worst and hoping for the best seemed a good way to go about things.

  They finished eating, and Joss took her home. Even though it rebelled with his wolf’s nature to leave her, especially now that they were mated, he knew he couldn’t just hang out with her all day away from the park when there were things to be handled. He needed to head off as many issues as he could, and that started with a meeting.

  * * *

  Joss walked up the stairs to the maintenance shed and out into the paddock. His ten highest-ranked males and the elders were milling about near the shed. They all looked curious, but it was clear that all of them knew something serious was going on. Joss shut the door to the shed and cleared his throat.

  “Some of you may already know this, but a week ago I found my soulmate.”

  There were low, curious murmurs from the males, but no one spoke up.

  “I found her on the VIP tour. And yes, that means she’s human.”

  The murmurs grew louder, and Joss grimaced, letting out a low growl. The group quieted.

  “You’ve mated with a human?” Vance, an elder, asked. “Without discussing it with the pack first?”

  Joss folded his arms and let his wolf out a little. “I wasn’t aware I needed to run anything by the pack first.”

  “Well, of course not, Alpha,” Vance stammered, “but there’s never been a human alpha female before. This is... unprecedented.”

  “Yes, it is. But I’ve read the laws, and there’s nothing in them that says a human female can’t be the mate of the alpha and take on the mantel of leadership alongside her mate.”

  There was an uncomfortable silence. Joss could feel the unease in the males.

  “Listen,” he said. “A couple hundred years ago, our people were living in the wild and fighting with natural animals for food and shelter. A human alpha female wouldn’t be able to defend pack members the way that a wolf one would be. Back then? A human soulmate for any pack member was unthinkable. But we’re not living back then, we’re living in modern times. Packs aren’t battling for territory and resources, so the need
for our people to be solely shifters is long gone. You might have a problem reconciling a human alpha female at first, but I promise you that Jeanie is a wonderful female, and she’s eager to learn about our people and help in any way she can. She’s ready to give up her life outside the park and be with me, with our people full time. You couldn’t ask for more.”

  “There will be rebellion within the pack,” Derek said.

  “From you?” Joss asked, lowering his arms and straightening his shoulders.

  Derek dropped his gaze to the ground. “No. But others. I’d already heard rumors you’d mated someone, and it clearly wasn’t one of the unmated females in our pack, so that left a human. Some of our wolves aren’t happy about it.”

  Joss let that roll around his head for a moment. There were several things he could do about the dissension in the pack, but he wasn’t sure that the disgruntled feelings weren’t coming from a place of people who didn’t like things changing. When the alphas chose to consider humans as soulmates, there were pack members who rebelled against the idea and loudly voiced their concerns. As time went on, and they saw that humans could be brought into the park without causing complete upheaval, they changed their minds.

  But this situation was different. Joss wasn’t simply a pack member – he was the leader. Jeanie was going to be their leader as well. Not only was this an untried concept, but the question of whether she could handle the burden of being Alpha was clearly being discussed. She’d have to prove herself, and the only way to do that was with time.

  He wasn’t going to kick anyone out of the pack for being afraid of change, but he would give them the option to leave. What he wouldn’t tolerate, however, was disrespect to his soulmate.

  “I would no more give up Jeanie as my soulmate than I would part willingly with a limb. If pack members are nervous, they need to decide if they want to stick it out or leave. I won’t allow anyone to harm my soulmate or cause her to be harmed by their behavior or attitude. Spread the word that the pack is meeting tonight at nine in our private area.” He leveled a hard look at the males with him. He trusted them to have his back, but things were different now, weren’t they? Joss’s human soulmate was throwing a wrench into things, but they would make it work. In time, the whole pack would come to treasure her as he did.