by R. E. Butler
She relayed his message.
“Okay, honey, thank you. I’m really sorry about all this.”
“What are you sorry about?” Novi asked.
“Because you begged me to stay there, but I was too stubborn and now I might be bringing danger there.”
“If no one is following you then you’re not bringing danger anywhere, Mom.”
“He found me. I don’t know how but he did.”
Novi wanted to argue that it could’ve been something else triggering her worry, but she knew in her heart that her mom had a kind of sixth sense about that sort of thing and if she thought it was Keir, then it was.
“It’ll be okay, I promise. The park is so safe.”
Cael kissed Novi’s cheek. “Alistair is meeting me with some other guards at the gate. Tell her we’ll see her soon.”
Novi nodded, relayed his last message and said, “Stay on the phone with me until you see Cael at the gate.”
“Okay.”
There was an awkward pause, and Novi didn’t know what to say. She wanted to alleviate the tension, so she said, “What did you and Cael talk about when he walked you to your car?”
“I’m not telling,” she said, with a chuckle.
“Boo. Fine, fine, keep secrets from your only daughter.”
“It’s nothing bad, I’ll just say that. And he did ask me about staying in the apartment. I should’ve listened.”
“We all make mistakes, don’t let it get to you, okay?”
“I see some guys at the gate.”
“Good. I’ll see you in a few.”
The call ended and Novi sat down on the bed. She let out a trembling breath, grateful her mom had made it to the park safely. Then she realized she wasn’t wearing her shirt, so she picked it up from the bed and put it on. She found her shoes in the family room and hurried to the door. She stood out on the walkway, listening for the vehicles. A few minutes later, her mom’s car parked in front of the complex, and Cael got out of one of the park’s marked SUVs.
Novi waved at her mom as she got out of her car.
“Welcome back,” Novi said.
“Thanks, honey.”
Cael spoke to whoever was driving the SUV for a few moments, and then joined Novi and her mom on the walkway.
“Here’s your key,” Cael said, handing her mom a keyring with a single key hanging from it. “I think it would be a good idea if you took a couple days off work and stayed here. Some of the park guards are going to head to your house and look around, so we’ll need your keys.”
“I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” her mom said, squeezing her car keys in her hand.
“No one will, I promise. They’re very good at what they do.”
She nodded and handed him the keys.
“Let’s go look in your new place, Mom,” Novi said. She looked at Cael and said, “She could use some supplies for the night.”
“On it, love.” He pecked her cheek and whispered, “I’m going to your mom’s place. I’ll text you when I know what’s up. In the meantime, I’ll send one of the females with supplies for your mom.”
“Thank you, be careful.”
“I will.”
They both said they loved each other, and she watched him stride swiftly away and down the walkway.
“He’ll be fine,” Novi said, smiling at her mom.
“Who are you telling? Me or yourself?” she asked with a smirk.
Novi chuckled. “How about both of us?”
“He’s not going alone, right?”
“No.”
“Good. I don’t trust your father. He’s dangerous.”
“I know, but Cael’s strong. He’ll be fine. Now let’s check out your apartment.”
Her mom unlocked the door next to her and Cael’s apartment, and they walked in to find an identical one. It was done up in shades of blue from a navy couch to a light blue comforter.
Her mom sat on the couch and sighed deeply. “I appreciate this. It feels weird.”
“What does?” Novi asked as she joined her on the couch.
“You taking care of me for a change.”
“I learned from the best.”
Chapter Fifteen
Cael didn’t have the greatest sense of smell. Some of the other shifters, like the wolves, had incredible senses, but elephants weren’t known for that. He could smell better than a human, but at the moment he couldn’t smell anything inside Lori and Novi’s house save for the two females.
But he could definitely tell that someone had been in the house because the backdoor lock was busted, and while nothing really seemed out of place, there was an air of “not quite right” that he couldn’t put his finger on.
Alistair put his hands on his hips and looked around. “I’d say more than one was here.”
Jupiter said, “I’m picking up four or five different males, all bears.”
Nathan, one of the gorillas, nodded. “I’m getting that as well. It doesn’t look like they did anything but break in and wait. Lori’s lucky she didn’t come in.”
Cael agreed. “I wonder how he found her.”
“He’s obviously a very determined male,” Alistair said. “He’s been tracking her for two decades and, according to Lori, he’s come close a number of times. He’s probably using some kind of database search to check for her and Novi’s information, like background checks for jobs or the houses they rent.”
“Novi said they don’t even use credit cards, they buy the prepaid ones, but their whole lives are cash. They’re really careful.”
“However he found them, we need to keep them both safe. Lori’s okay with moving into the complex?” Jupiter asked.
“For now, yes. She’s mostly just freaked out, so I don’t think she’s had a chance to think much past tonight.”
“We’ll arrange escorts for her to and from her job,” Jupiter said. “I put out a call to Joss, and there are plenty of wolves and lions willing to help out.”
“I’m going to pack a bag for her,” Cael said. He’d gotten a list of things from Novi that her mom requested, so he didn’t have to guess what she might need. Nathan offered to pack up the bathroom necessities, and Cael left him to that, heading to the bedroom to collect her clothes and shoes.
Alistair leaned against the doorjamb. “I fixed the door so it’s locked now and can’t be opened again, but if they want in badly enough, they’ll get in. She can call the landlord and have them replace the lock tomorrow.”
“Thanks.” Cael grabbed handfuls of socks and undergarments from the dresser and stuffed them into a suitcase from the closet, then turned to face the hanging clothes. “I wish they didn’t have to deal with this.”
“Me too. I hope he will give up and leave them alone, but I think he’s determined to get to them, so we’ll need to be on our toes.”
“I’ll drive Novi back and forth to work. She only has a little over a week left.”
“She can’t just quit?”
“She doesn’t want to leave her boss in the lurch. It’s too bad we can’t get Lori a job in the park.”
“Not as long as she’s oblivious to shifters. There’s too much of a chance for her to overhear something she shouldn’t.”
When he was finished packing, he carried the suitcase out to the unmarked SUV and got behind the wheel. He waited for Alistair, Jupiter, and Nathan to come out. Nathan set the bag of toiletries in the backseat and joined Jupiter in the other SUV. Alistair joined Cael. Cael put the SUV into gear and backed away from the house.
“You look disappointed,” Alistair said.
“I kind of wish that Keir had been there.”
“What would you have done if he had?”
“Make sure he knows that Novi and Lori are under our protection.”
“He doesn’t seem to be the sort of male to take a hint or give up easily, so I don’t think speaking to him would change anything.”
“I know.” Keir was strong-willed and that meant he would need to be
physically dealt with. Cael had never gone on the offense like that before, but he knew what Alistair was getting at. If Keir and his people had been at the apartment there would’ve been a battle and lives could’ve been lost. He didn’t want any of his friends getting hurt by this jackass, but if push came to shove, his people would stand with him. Novi was his mate and that made her family to the memory as well as the other shifter groups. They always protected the mates and children, no matter what.
He glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure no one was following them, and the street behind him was empty. He wouldn’t relax until they made it back to the park, taking a few back roads and side streets to backtrack and ensure they weren’t being tailed by Keir and his people. Once he was with his beautiful soulmate again and they could lock the door and put the worries of the night behind them, then he’d relax.
But as a shifter male with a mate to protect, he knew he’d never really relax. He’d always be worried for her safety, until the threat against her and her mother was put down for good. If Keir was smart, he’d realize that Lori and Novi were off-limits to him for good and take a hike.
And if he didn’t, then Cael would be ready to fight for his mate and her mom.
They were his family now, and Novi was the center of his world. Her safety was paramount, and no male with a twenty-year grudge would take her from him.
That much he knew for sure.
Cael shook out his ears and stretched in the paddock. The afternoon sun was warm on his skin, and he was really looking forward to just hanging out and relaxing, but it was Saturday and there were VIP tours happening, so he couldn’t just find a shady corner and doze off. With Novi.
He very much wanted to do that. He loved when she climbed on him and stretched out, or curled up over his front legs and rested on him. She felt safe with him in both forms and that meant the world to him.
It had been almost three weeks since Keir had broken into the house, and they hadn’t seen hide nor hair of him. While they weren’t taking it easy with the safety of the park and Novi and Lori, he wondered if the male had taken a hint and left for good. Novi and Lori didn’t think that was likely, but he thought the male was most likely watching the house and had seen them come and look around.
Lori had settled into the routine of getting driven to and from her job, but Cael could see how much it rankled her to not be able to just take off if she felt threatened. Novi said it was because they’d been on the run for so long that Lori didn’t know how to relax. He supposed if he’d been hunted by a bear shifter for two decades that he’d be paranoid too.
Novi was working in the security office making the photo albums, which she adored doing. Not only did she get to see all the pictures from the tours which she enjoyed looking at, but she was also tasked with ensuring that there were no issues with the photos that might lead to someone suspecting the animals weren’t quite right.
Like when his elephant had odd-colored eyes.
“Hey handsome,” Novi said as she walked toward him wearing a beige uniform. A metal bucket swung from one hand, a few red apples peeking over the rim.
He gave a low trumpet of happiness which made her smile.
“Mom can’t believe that you guys let me in here. She was very jealous.” Novi lifted an apple, and he took it from her with his trunk and ate it. She gave him a second one, and then he followed her as she made her way to the three others in the paddock and gave them all apples. He heard a Jeep coming and gave her a nudge with his trunk and gestured away from the fence. They never wanted the people posing as animal handlers to be a distraction for the VIPs.
Novi finished giving the apples to Kelley, Alistair, and Indio, and then walked with him away from the fence.
She sat behind some brush at the pond’s edge and hugged her arms around her knees. He stood next to her, keeping one eye on the Jeep to see if Indio or Alistair might have found their soulmate.
“Rhapsody wants to have a girl’s night tonight, just her and me. Kelley’s going to watch Khap for her.”
He nodded at her when she looked up at him. He was so glad she and Rhapsody were becoming friends. For Novi, it was the first time in her life that she’d actually been able to make a real friend that she could keep. She’d had friends in the past, but because of her father, they’d often had to leave without saying goodbye and not keep in touch with anyone, for fear Keir could find out where they were through their acquaintances.
Now she didn’t have to worry. She was protected by him and surrounded by people who wanted her to be happy and safe.
The Jeep moved on and Novi sighed. “I don’t want to go back to work, I love hanging out here with you.”
She’d come to sit with him on break, and he was always thrilled for the time with her when he was in his shift.
He made a noise of agreement.
“You’ll come find me in the office?”
He offered her his trunk, and she helped herself up with it. He nodded and she smiled at him.
“I’ll miss you.”
She picked up the bucket, and he followed her to the shed. He could hear a Jeep rumbling near, and she hurried into the shed and waved at him before closing the door so that the VIP didn’t see her leave the paddock.
“Love you,” she called through the door.
He gave a happy rumble and listened to her open the door in the floor and then shut it again. She’d head back to the security office to make the albums for the day’s VIPs.
The afternoon dragged, and he was going crazy without his sweetheart, but Alistair insisted that even mated males had to spend time in the paddocks for the tours, so he grudgingly agreed.
When the last tour had left the area, they waited for the patrol to come by and let them know it was safe to shift back, which took anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour, depending on how quick the tour finished up and the humans were all gone from the area. He hurried to the shed and shifted as soon as he was inside, relief flooding him at being able to see Novi soon.
He was tugging on his jeans when Kelley came inside and shifted. “I take it you’re excited to go see Novi?”
“You know it. Isn’t it hard for you to be away from Rhapsody?”
“Absolutely, but it would look weird if she posed as a handler and had Khap in a carrier on her back. It’s just safer for them to be home and away from the public eye.”
“Good point. I heard you’re on kid-duty while the girls hang out. Want some company?”
“That would be great. We can watch a movie.”
“Sounds good.”
Cael said goodbye and hurried down the stairs, making his way back up to the employee cafeteria. He crossed the park to the security office and saw through the windows that Novi was handing a photo album to a young woman. He waited outside until they were finished. Novi opened the door for the woman and said, “Enjoy the park!”
“Thank you for the album, it’s so cute.”
Novi waved at the woman as she walked away and then smiled at Cael. “That was the last book. I’m hungry for ice cream.”
“I thought you were eating in the market with Rhapsody?”
“We are, but that’s not for two more hours. I’m ready for a treat.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“See ya later, Javan,” she called into the office.
“Have a good night, Novi,” Javan called back.
She stepped into Cael’s arms and gave him a hug. “Missed you,” he said.
“I missed you too.”
They walked toward the ice cream stand that was run by Tayme and his mate, Rory. He took Novi’s hand and told her he was going to hang out with Kelley and Khap while she and Rhapsody had their girls’ night.
“That sounds fun. He’s such a cutie.”
“He is.”
“I can’t wait to have a baby. But I’d like to get married first.”
“Absolutely. My parents will want to come out for the wedding, even if we do something small.”
“I’ve always wanted a fall wedding, when the leaves are so pretty.”
“That sounds perfect. I guess I better come up with a romantic proposal.”
She stopped walking and he thought she was going to say something teasing to him, but when he looked at her, she was staring over her shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“That’s...my mom.”
He looked in the direction she was, and his brows went up. Lori was seated at a picnic table with a burger and fries basket in front of her. Across from her was the gorilla alpha Atticus, who also had a burger and fries basket, but his basket had two burgers in it instead of just one. They were smiling and talking in between bites.
“Wow,” he said.
“Who is that?” Novi asked.
“Atticus.”
She turned to look at Cael with a questioning look and he mouthed “gorilla.”
“Ah. I knew the name sounded familiar. I wonder when that happened.”
“She didn’t say anything to you about meeting him?”
“No, but I haven’t talked to her since dinner last night.” Novi glanced once more at her mom and then smiled at Cael. “My mom made a friend.”
“It seems so.”
They continued on their walk to the ice cream stand. “Do you think they might be soulmates?”
“It’s possible. But like you said, they could just be friends having dinner.”
“Either way, I’m really happy for her. She deserves to have a friend other than me. I’m certainly much happier with you in my life.”
“Aw,” he said, “I’m much happier too.”
They stopped at the ice cream stand and got in line.
“I think,” she said, “that my favorite thing about the park is the tour where we met. But the ice cream stand is a close second.”
“Me too. My life changed for the better that day.”
“Mine too.”
They got ice cream cones and walked around the park, enjoying their time together before they parted for a few hours to spend time with their friends. He couldn’t believe how much had changed for him since she’d come into his life, but he’d never been happier. Soon he’d ask her to marry him, and they’d have a fall wedding like she wanted. And then they’d have a baby, and hopefully more than one, to fill up their home with love and laughter.