Tayme (Were Zoo Book Eight)

by R. E. Butler

  “I like it,” she said, looking at the sectional sofa covered with navy blue fabric, and a coffee table that was a piece of a polished tree trunk with an oval pane of glass on top.

  “Before we go any further, you should call your parents.” They sat on the couch and she took the phone from him.

  “They might be terrible.”

  “It doesn’t change the fact that you and I are soulmates. They might not approve, but I only care that you’re here with me. If they don’t want to be part of our lives, that’s on them.”

  She nodded. “I want to believe they’ll be happy for me, but I don’t think they will be.”

  With trembling fingers, she dialed her adoptive mother’s number, setting the phone to speaker so Tayme could hear clearly.

  The phone rang two times before her mother answered. “Who is this?”

  “Hi Mom.”

  “Where are you?” her mother demanded. There was a muffled sound of talking, and her father came on the phone, making the same demand.

  “Young lady, come home immediately.”

  For a moment, she wondered why they didn’t ask if she was okay. They clearly knew she wasn’t in the nest, but their first thought hadn’t been for her well-being, only that she return to them. Shaking off the thought, she let out a breath and said, “I’m fine, by the way. But yes, I’m not in the nest. I have some wonderful news, though. I found my soulmate.”

  The pause was long enough she wondered if they’d hung up on her.

  But after a few more quiet moments, she heard her father’s trademark bird-like snarl. When she was little, the sound had scared her. Now that she had a grizzly shifter for a mate, she didn’t find anything about her adoptive father scary. “That’s impossible. You don’t get a soulmate.”

  “Excuse me, just because you don’t believe in soulmates doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Jess found her soulmate, and I found mine.”

  “You’re to come home. Now.” Her father’s voice was stern, a no-nonsense way of talking that said he expected her to comply.

  Hard no.

  “I am home. I’d hoped that you and Mom would be happy for me, but if you’re going to behave like this, then I guess that’s it.”

  “This will not stand!” her father roared.

  Rory winced, her ears ringing.

  Tayme growled, his eyes darkening from hazel to brown. “She’s mine, and I won’t let her go.”

  “I raised her! You have no say in this matter, stranger.” Her father’s voice had taken on a deeper quality, and she could imagine his eyes shifting to the yellow of his owl. “If you don’t return home immediately, Rory, you’ll regret it, I promise.”

  “No,” she said, hands trembling. “You’re going to regret all of this, because you’re losing me. You might have taken me in when I was orphaned, but I’m my own person. I won’t give up Tayme for you or anyone else.”

  “Wait, please,” her mother said. “Let’s not be hasty.”

  “Quiet, woman,” her father said. “Are you coming home?”

  “No,” Rory said.

  “Then you’ve brought what comes next on yourself.”

  The call ended abruptly and she stared at the screen. “Wow. Just...wow.”

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Tayme said. He took the phone and laid it on the coffee table.

  He pulled her into his lap and she snuggled into his warmth. Tears that she hadn’t cried during the phone confrontation suddenly filled her eyes, and she let them fall. While she’d expected the call to go exactly as it did, with her parents practically disowning her, there had still been a part of her that hoped they’d be happy. That they’d welcome her and Tayme. Cheer for them. Love them.

  “I’ve got you, Rory,” Tayme said, his bear lending a soft, sad growl to his words. “No matter what, we belong to each other.”

  She nodded, unable to find the words to express just how devastated she felt.

  Her fox let out a mournful cry in her mind, and she shuddered, holding tighter to Tayme.

  Chapter Six

  Tayme woke slowly, his brain misfiring as he swam up from a dreamless sleep. His bear was instantly purring in his mind as he felt the soft touch of lips against his stomach and his muscles tensed at the sensation. Even in the darkness of the room, he had no trouble scenting Rory, her sweet woodsy smell mixed with arousal that made his fangs tingle in his gums and his body spring to life.

  He rose onto his elbow and looked down the length of his body to where she’d thrown back the covers and was nuzzling his stomach. She wrapped her fingers around his already hard shaft, the gentle scrape of the boxer’s fabric against his sensitive skin sending a riot of sensations through him. Stroking him slowly, she swiped her tongue around his navel and then looked up at him through the veil of her lashes.

  He had excellent night vision thanks to his bear. Because they were underground, they didn’t get light from natural sources, but the alarm clock on the nightstand was glowing blue and was bright enough that he could see her even in the dim light.

  When he brought her to his home hours earlier, he’d fully planned to tumble into bed and trace every inch of her with his fingers and tongue, mating and marking her until at least dawn. But the call with her adoptive parents had sapped the sexiness out of his thoughts immediately, and instead of joining together, they’d just talked. His bear, who’d thought of nothing but making her theirs since the moment they’d met had gone silent, wanting to take care of her emotional needs. He had a great relationship with his parents. Even though he hadn’t had an opportunity to talk to them yet about finding his mate, he knew they’d be thrilled for him. It wouldn’t matter to them that she was a fox, they would only care that he was happy.

  Which he was.

  After a long cry and some heart-to-heart talk, she’d fallen asleep on the couch in his arms, and he’d carried her to bed. He’d stripped them both down to their underwear and curled himself around her, his face buried in her neck and her sweet smell surrounding him. In no time he was asleep, his bear content to have her in his arms.

  And now this.

  His gorgeous mate playing his body like a finely-tuned instrument. Seeming to instinctively know just what he liked.

  “Ah,” he groaned, dropping his head back as she lifted the waistband of his boxers and stroked her tongue across the head of his cock.

  She hummed and stroked him again, sliding both hands into his boxers and tugging them down his body. He lifted his hips enough to let her free his length, all thought disappearing as she took him into her mouth and sucked lightly. He cupped the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her soft locks, and let himself be tended by his sweetheart, keeping a firm hold on his pleasure that was steadily climbing.

  He wanted to do a hundred things to her. Push back his own pleasure for hers. But he also was not an idiot, and if she wanted to lick him like a lollipop, then he was going to abso-fucking-lutely let her do it.

  Her warm hand cupped him and his eyes crossed, the pressure at his spine building as he ground his teeth together to stop himself from coming immediately. With a final deep-throating of his length, which made his bear bellow with need, she slowly released him and then straightened her arms as she rose above his waist, straddling his legs. The sheet slipped off her curves and he could see she was entirely naked, and while he was one hundred percent digging the view, he was most captivated by her eyes. The emerald he’d come to adore was now gold, her rounded pupils elongated, more feline than canine.

  He reached out and cupped her face. “I can see your beast, sweetheart. She’s beautiful.”

  Rory closed her eyes and nuzzled his hand, and when she opened her eyes, they were back to emerald. “She’s crazy about you.”

  “It’s entirely mutual.”

  She dropped her head and kissed her way up his stomach, stopping at his nipples to lightly bite the flat discs and send a riot of shivers over his skin. When she made her way to his throat, he felt the drag of fan
gs along his skin and he grasped her hips, lowering his upper body to the bed and tilting his head to give her access to his neck.

  He’d give her anything and everything she wanted.

  “I don’t know how my people do this,” she whispered against his skin. “I don’t want to mess up.”

  “Whatever you want to do is what’s right for you, for us. I’m yours, Rory. A thousand percent.”

  Her fangs grazed his skin and his body lit up. He closed his eyes, waiting for the bite, but instead she straightened, rising like a siren above him. She stretched fully and then slid her hands down her body, bringing his hands up to her breasts. He cupped the warm globes and ran his thumb around her nipples, barely stifling the appreciative growl as she reached between them and grasped his cock. Positioning him against her heat, she stroked him along her folds and he could feel how wet she was. For a moment she pressed him against her entrance and paused, the full weight of her gaze locked to his, and then she lowered herself onto him by slow inches.

  Her head fell back as she groaned, flexing her hips against him when he was completely inside her. Her glorious heat gripped him perfectly, tightly.

  He was the luckiest male on the planet.

  She began to move on him, and he met her thrusts, their bodies connecting again and again. He slipped one hand to the apex of her thighs, finding her clit with his thumb and stroking it in time to their movements.

  “Tayme,” she groaned, dropping her head down to look at him.

  He held her gaze, rubbing her tight bud faster, wanting to feel her come around him.

  Her pussy began to clutch him rhythmically and he ground his teeth together as she planted her hands on his chest, her nails digging into his skin as she rode him faster. He felt her heat just a moment before she froze on top of him, her body tensing and her fangs flashing as she moaned, her climax a glorious sight.

  With a quick motion, he rolled her underneath him and took her hard and fast, riding out her orgasm to his own, until it crashed over him and he could think of nothing but how perfect she was and how very right his world was.

  With a snarl, he bit her neck, his fangs sinking into her skin to mark her as his mate. The moment her blood touched his tongue his bear let out a triumphant bellow in his mind and the sound spilled out of his throat as he extracted his fangs and licked the mark. She fisted his hair and jerked his head to the side, her delicate fangs latching onto his neck and marking him.

  Fully marked. Fully mated.

  He was one happy bear.

  When she extracted her fangs and licked the wound, she made a soft barking sound in her throat and he recognized her fox. He rolled to his back and pulled her close to his side, bringing the sheet up to cover them both.

  “You’re mine and I’m yours,” he said. He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes with a contented sigh.

  “For the first time since I was a kid, I actually feel like I’m home,” she said, resting her head over his heart. “I’m so glad I found you.”

  “Me, too, sweetheart.”

  They dozed for a while, then made love again. This time, he was the one to wake her by slipping between her thighs and finding out how sweet she tasted. They spent the day in bed, talking and making love. When their stomachs rumbled, he cooked for her, his bear chuffing with pride at being able to provide for her.

  The following day Marcus invited them to a sleuth dinner at his home, so she could meet the members of the group. Although he didn’t really want to leave the house, he was excited for her to meet his friends. His parents – Lowery and Desiree – had left the park after he finished high school, wanting to retire somewhere warmer. They ended up in Florida with his father’s sleuth, and he visited them a few times a year. He’d already video chatted with his parents and introduced Rory, and they were thrilled for him and excited to meet her.

  By the time dinner rolled around, he and Rory had discovered a mutual love of science fiction shows, comedy movies, and kettle corn, which she helped him make. It had been his pleasure to cook for her. Cooking had always been something he enjoyed, but now that he had someone to cook for, he loved it even more.

  “I wish I had something else to wear,” she confessed as they stepped from the shower that had been less about getting clean and more about having fun.

  “I’ve got you covered,” he said.

  “Oh?” she asked as she bent at the waist and rubbed her hair with a towel. He barely stifled the growl that welled up within him at the sexy sight.

  He anchored his towel around his waist and left the bathroom before his sexy thoughts made them late to dinner. He’d texted Anke in the marketplace shop and asked her to send a few things for Rory to pick from. He hadn’t known her size, but Anke had promised she’d send several different things for Rory. He walked through the family room to the front door and pulled it open, finding a paper sack with Rory’s name on it.

  He carried it back to the bedroom and set it on the bed.

  “What’s this?” Rory asked as she joined him.

  “I’d hoped when we talked to your parents that they’d be happy for us. And you’d be able to get your clothes and things from their home. But since that didn’t happen, I had Anke send some clothes over for you.”

  “Aw,” she said, kissing his cheek. “Thank you.”

  “I don’t want to encourage you to wear clothes inside the house, mind you. But it’s important to my bear that you’re taken care of in every way.”

  She beamed at him, and his bear puffed up its chest, thrilled to see her so happy.

  Inside the bag were leggings, a few long tops, and two dresses. She checked the size on the tags and hummed, choosing a pretty jade green top that she paired with black leggings. He’d put her clothes in the wash so she’d have clean undergarments.

  They dressed, him choosing a pair of jeans and a polo shirt, and then he handed her a spare toothbrush.

  “So you guys don’t leave the park for much, do you?” she asked as she put a ribbon of toothpaste on her brush.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You basically have a restaurant and a department store in the marketplace.”

  “That’s true. It’s not that we can’t leave the park, because we can and do. We’ll go out for a drink to a local bar, or to see a movie or show. We’re just not supposed to leave the park alone for safety reasons. We have unmarked SUVs that we can use, and they have trackers on them so security knows where the vehicles are at any given time.”

  “Why not alone?”

  He explained the few times shifters had been out alone and gotten into tight situations, like when gorilla Win fell asleep at his newly-found soulmate’s home and shifted while he slept, scaring his female and causing all sorts of issues.

  “You and I can go out. In fact, I’d like to take you out on a real date.”

  “I’d like that, too.”

  When they were ready, they left their home and walked to Marcus’s. Before he opened the front door, he could hear the chatter from inside and smiled. The whole sleuth was happy for him and wanted to celebrate him finding his soulmate.

  He held the door open for Rory and escorted her into Marcus’s home. The alpha had a soulmate but she’d died years earlier, leaving pretty much everyone in the sleuth unmated except for Justus, who had found his soulmate in a human named Trina.

  “Welcome,” Marcus said, walking into the family room.

  “Thanks for inviting us,” Rory said, shaking his hand.

  “Tayme told me things didn’t go well with your parents. How are you doing?”

  “Okay,” she said. “I’m disappointed in them, but happy to have found Tayme.”

  “We’re all thrilled for you two. Come on into the dining room and meet everyone.”

  Marcus made the introductions and Rory greeted everyone. The whole sleuth was there, stuffed into the large dining room, but judging by several wearing their park uniforms, he knew that not everyone was staying for dinner.
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  Trina, Justus’s human mate, hugged Rory. “I’m so glad there’s another soulmate! Welcome to the sleuth.”

  “Thanks,” Rory said.

  Justus patted two chairs. “You guys can sit by us, that way the girls can get to know each other.”

  “Anyone that’s gotta work, clear out,” Marcus said.

  “You’ll save leftovers for us, right?” London asked, looking longingly at the food-laden table.

  “You wish,” Hyde said with a snort. “Seneca made pulled pork.”

  “Damn it,” London said with a growl.

  “Hold on,” Marcus said. “We’ll make plates for everyone who has to work. I promise.”

  “Yeah,” London said with a grin. “Thanks, Marcus.”

  The workers headed out, and everyone else sat around the table, the males jostling in next to each other and eyeing the spread.

  Tayme pulled Rory’s chair out for her and then scooted her close, taking the chair next to her.

  “I take it the pulled pork is great?” she asked.

  “The best,” Tayme said.

  The males waited patiently while Rory’s and Trina’s plates were filled, and then they set into the food like they hadn’t eaten in a week.

  “It looks wonderful,” she said, lifting her fork. “Thank you for hosting.”

  Marcus nodded with a smile. “It’s my pleasure. The sleuth loves to celebrate matings, we just haven’t had a lot of opportunity these last few years.”

  While they ate, Rory answered questions about herself, from her favorite foods to hobbies.

  She lifted the protected cell phone he’d given her. “I got an alert for an email. My mom asked me to call, said she wanted to apologize.”

  His bear chuffed in worry. “Do you want to call?”

  She looked down at the screen and rubbed her thumb along the glossy surface. “I think I should.”

  “Okay, sweetheart.” He put his napkin on his plate and pushed his chair out. “We’re going to head out.”

  They said goodbye to everyone at the table and thanked them again for the meal. Marcus walked them out.