Auden (Were Zoo Book Seven)

by R. E. Butler

  He smiled. “We have gorillas, bears, and elephants, too. Everyone works in the zoo in some way. The only humans who live here are those who are mated to one of our people.”

  “Some of the shifters have human mates? I didn’t know shifters did that.” For sure owls only mated with owls, as far as she knew, which was why the incessant urging from her owl to get closer to Auden was strange.

  He shrugged. “It shouldn’t matter whether a soulmate can shift or not, or what they shift into.”

  She played with the edge of the blanket. It was hard to ignore the fact that she was wearing a hospital gown, and she hadn’t been wearing one prior to falling into the zoo.

  “Did you… dress me?” she asked.

  He let out a soft snarl, his eyes flashing to the amber of his wolf. “I covered you with my shirt when you shifted. Only I and the female doctor saw you naked.”

  “That’s a relief,” she said dryly.

  “I promise I didn’t look. Much.” He grinned, and she couldn’t help but smile. “I’m going to call the doc. Do you need anything?”

  Panic filled her when he stood, worry that he was leaving her alone in a strange place making her feel irrational. She grabbed his hand and her owl let out a sharp hoot, a plea and a demand all at once. She knew two things in that moment: she was far from home, and she was in the presence of her soulmate. It seemed impossible, but while she’d been on the way to meet the male her parents had chosen for her, destiny had stepped in and brought her to Auden.

  Her true mate.

  Not one chosen for her, but one chosen by her.

  Her owl was deliriously happy, hooting and calling, but she was torn. Without a doubt, if she stayed with Auden, she’d be kicked out of the nest, most likely unable to ever see her parents again, or Rory. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this for owls. There were no soulmates in her world, but it would be impossible to deny the strange yearnings she had for the wolf next to her.

  He seemed to sense her turmoil, as he bent and cupped her face with his free hand, the warm caress making goose bumps rise on her skin. “It’ll be okay, Jessica, I promise.”

  He pulled his cell from his back pocket and, still caressing her cheek, dialed a number and spoke quickly. His hand was a warm, comforting weight against her cheek; she pressed her hand against it and sighed deeply.

  This was ten kinds of strange, but it also felt very right.

  She glanced up at him, her gaze roaming over his broad shoulders, the muscles that strained the shirt he wore. His dark blond hair was tousled as if he’d been raking his hands through it. Easily, he was the most gorgeous male she’d ever seen in her life, but more than his good looks and soulful brown eyes, she could feel the connection between them beginning to bloom. He was sexy as hell and he was hers. Her soulmate.

  But owls didn’t get soulmates.

  So what on earth had happened?

  And how was she supposed to break the news to her family?

  He ended the call. “Doc Paula will be here in a minute. Did you have fun?”

  “What?”

  “Ogling me.” Sitting on the chair, he waggled his brows, and her cheeks heated.

  She couldn’t deny she’d been looking her fill. “I think you know you’re gorgeous.”

  He hummed. “You certainly are. I think we have a lot to talk about.”

  A female walked into the room. “You can talk after I make sure my patient is good. I’m Paula, a wolf shifter and one of our people’s doctors. You had quite a bad injury. How are you feeling?”

  “Okay, considering.”

  “Owls don’t heal very quickly, do they?” Paula gently lifted the gown off her shoulder and pulled the bandage away. Jess hadn’t even looked at the injury because she’d been consumed with Auden. Sexy, distracting male.

  “Not really. Do wolves?”

  “Faster than your kind, apparently. But it looks better than it did a few hours ago.”

  Her heart stuttered. “Hours? How long have I been here?”

  “Since midnight. It’s seven in the morning,” Auden said.

  Seven hours? Her parents would be frantic.

  “I have to call my nest.”

  “Let me finish up here and you can call whoever you need to.”

  Auden nodded. “Where is your nest?”

  “In the Pinelands.”

  His brows rose. “We’re not far. Did you know about the zoo?”

  “I was aware of it from TV commercials, but I didn’t know it was run by shifters, and I don’t think my nest knew either.”

  Paula finished changing the bandage. “I think a few more hours and it’ll be healed completely. Does shifting speed up your healing?”

  Jess shook her head.

  “How’s your pain?”

  “Good.”

  “I’ll take out your IV, and then you can use the bathroom through that door to clean up and get dressed. Your satchel is on the counter in there.”

  “Thank you,” Jess said.

  Auden watched everything that Paula did, and Jess couldn’t miss the protective look in his gaze. Hours earlier, she’d hoped the male her parents had chosen as her mate would like her. Just because a match was made didn’t mean the couple was compatible, but there wasn’t a choice in the matter. She’d been on her way to an uncertain future.

  Now she had Auden.

  But what that meant for the future, she didn’t know.

  When Paula was finished, she made Jess promise to let her know if her pain level changed, and then she left her and Auden alone.

  “I should call my parents,” she said.

  Auden handed her his phone and put the bed railing down. “Of course.”

  She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stared at the cell. “They’re going to want me to come home.”

  He snarled but said nothing. She lifted her gaze to him and saw how tense he was. His whole body seemed strung tight, as if he was fighting not to move.

  Blowing out a breath, she stood slowly and reached for him as her vision swam and her legs weakened. He caught her gently and pulled her close, the unhappy snarl slipping into a growl that sounded a lot like a happy purr.

  “I won’t let you go,” he said gruffly. “You’re mine, Jessica. My soulmate. My other half.”

  She wasn’t sure what to say. In her wildest fantasies, she’d never considered finding a mate on her own. She’d been determined to follow her nest’s traditions, even if it hadn’t been what her heart wanted. Pushing her feelings away to make her parents happy had seemed like a good idea. But now, in Auden’s arms, she knew the path she’d been on hours earlier would’ve led to a life that was missing something important.

  A connection.

  Not because she and her mate were both owls and had been placed together by someone else’s design, but because her heart and her owl were growing quickly in tune with the wolf holding her tightly.

  “I still need to call them. There are things about my people you don’t understand.”

  “As long as you know that where you go, I go. My wolf won’t allow me to be far from you.”

  She nodded and clicked on the phone icon, dialing her mother’s number. Before she pushed the Connect button, she said, “You can call me Jess.”

  He murmured her name with a husky tone, making her spine tingle. Pressing the button to connect her call, she listened to the ringing, her thoughts a jumble. How the hell was she going to explain that she’d basically fallen right at her mate’s doorstep?

  “Who is this?” her mother asked.

  “It’s me,” Jess said.

  “Oh! Jessica! Where are you? Are you okay?”

  She could hear her father in the background, asking the same questions. “I’m fine. I got hit by a bullet and was disoriented. I passed out when I hit the ground, but the most amazing thing happened.”

  “What?” her mother asked.

  “My mate rescued me and took care of me.”

  There was a signif
icant pause, and then her father came on the line. “That’s not possible. Your mate is with our king right now searching for you.”

  Her owl hooted in worry and dread pooled in her stomach. She glanced at Auden, whose eyes were narrowed, amber glinting in the chocolate depths.

  “No, Dad, I found my soulmate. His name is Auden, and he saved me.”

  “Owls don’t get soulmates,” her father said angrily. “You’ll stop this foolishness immediately and return home to join your rightful mate.”

  Auden growled so loudly that Jess’s ears hurt. She winced and he released her, taking a few steps back. He was furious, his eyes bright amber and fangs elongating in his mouth.

  “You’re mine!”

  “Auden, please,” she said as she covered the phone with her palm. “Calm down.”

  “You will return home immediately,” her father ordered, “or we will send the king to retrieve you. Promises were made, young lady. Your future is not your own. There are no soulmates in the nest, only proper matches chosen by your elders.”

  She heard tearing fabric and watched as Auden shifted so swiftly it was as if his wolf simply exploded from within. She took a step back and bumped into the bed, landing hard on her butt.

  The phone fell from her grip and clattered to the floor.

  Her gaze latched onto Auden’s and tears stung her eyes. Of course he’d overheard the conversation with her parents, and now he knew that she’d been on the verge of being mated when she’d fallen into his path. He was pissed, and he had every right to be.

  She was a little pissed, too.

  The sound of rushing feet preceded two males appearing in the doorway.

  “What the hell?” one asked.

  Auden turned toward the males, lowering his head with his ears down and growling.

  “Don’t growl at me,” the other male said. He flicked his gaze to Jess. “You’re the mate?”

  “I’m… yes. I’m Jess.”

  “I’m Joss, pack alpha. What happened to make him shift?”

  “He overheard a conversation with my parents.” She leaned over and picked up the phone. The call was still connected, and she could hear her father repeatedly saying her name.

  Auden backed away from the males until he was directly in front of her, leaning against her legs. She rested a hand on his back and exhaled sharply. “I need to take this,” she said, flashing the phone at the alpha.

  Joss nodded and walked away with the other male.

  Auden swung his head and gazed at her intently. “I know you’re pissed, but to be fair we only just met, and I was on my way to meet the mate my parents had chosen for me. But all that changed when you rescued me. I swear that part of my life isn’t my future anymore. You are.”

  He exhaled deeply and sat on his haunches, resting his head on her knee. He was a beautiful wolf, and her owl was entirely smitten with him.

  Sexy man. Handsome wolf.

  Soulmate.

  Minute by minute, she grew fonder of him. She knew she’d never be able to leave. Although they were strangers, they were tied tightly together already by the blooming bond of mating. It only needed to be made permanent.

  Whatever her parents thought her future was going to be, this was her new reality.

  Her soulmate was a wolf and lived in a zoo.

  Chapter 5

  Auden had never been simultaneously so furious and so worried in his life. With his enhanced hearing, he’d overheard her parents very clearly stating that she had a mate who was actively looking for her.

  The hell he’d let that happen.

  For the first time since he was learning how to shift as a teenager, he’d been unable to control the wolf, and he’d shifted so hard and fast that he’d nearly passed out. His ears twitched as Jess pushed the Speaker button and said, “Mom? Dad? Sorry, I dropped the phone.”

  “You will return home immediately, young lady,” her father demanded angrily.

  Her hand tightened on his fur. “I don’t think you heard me. I told you I found my soulmate.”

  “Owls don’t get soulmates,” her mother said.

  “Well, I did, and I have no intention of going anywhere without him. I know he won’t be welcome in the nest because he’s not an owl, but I want you to meet him, and I also need to pick up my things, so I can stay with him. But I absolutely won’t come to the nest if you’re not going to recognize him as my mate.”

  His fur bristled in pride as Jess stood up for their relationship.

  There was a hushed conversation away from the phone, and then her mother said, “This is highly unusual, Jessica, but we want you to come home. And bring your… him.”

  Jess frowned. “Really?”

  “You’re our daughter, and we want to see that you’re okay. Whatever’s happened, it doesn’t change the fact that we’re your family and we want to meet him.”

  “Auden.”

  “Yes, of course,” her mother said.

  Auden was skeptical, but Jess let out a relieved sigh. “I’ll bring Auden home tonight.”

  “Why can’t you come now?” her mother asked.

  “Because I’m still recovering from my accident.”

  “Then come for dinner at six.”

  “Okay. Thanks, Mom.”

  Her mother hummed and ended the call.

  Jess set the phone down and rubbed his ear. “That was weird.”

  He growled in agreement.

  Joss appeared in the doorway. “I don’t think you two should go alone.”

  “Excuse me?” Jess asked.

  “I overheard correctly, right? Your parents had chosen a mate for you, and when you fell into the paddock, you were actually on the way to meet him?”

  She nodded.

  “Is it normal for your parents to have such abrupt attitude changes? It sounds to me as if they’re planning something.”

  “Are you sure you’re not being paranoid?”

  Joss folded his arms with a snort. “I’m alpha, which means I’ve earned the right to be paranoid, especially where my pack members are concerned. What I won’t allow you to do is walk Auden into a threatening situation. If you’re taking him with you, then you will not go alone.”

  Jess tensed, but as quickly as it happened, her shoulders slumped. “Okay.”

  Joss raised a brow, then looked at Auden. “My advice is to mate each other properly before you go. Regardless of whether the meeting with your family will be happy or not, nothing says ‘I’ve picked a mate myself’ like a couple of well-placed mating marks.”

  Auden liked that idea hard.

  “Thanks, Joss.”

  “I’ll take you to his den.”

  “I need to get dressed first,” she said, tugging lightly on the hospital gown.

  “I’ll wait for you outside.” Joss closed the door as he left.

  “I need to send a text to my best friend, Rory. Is that okay?”

  He nodded.

  She typed quickly. “Rory’s the king’s adopted daughter. She’s a red fox. Her people attacked the owl nest over territory, and she was the only survivor. Ahar brought her home, and he and his mate adopted her. We’ve been besties ever since.”

  His phone trilled when a text was received.

  She snorted. “Rory said she’s happy for me and can’t wait to meet you. And to also let you know that I’m certifiably crazy and shouldn’t be trusted around chocolate.”

  He let out a wolfy chuckle.

  Jess typed some more, waited for a return text, and then typed again. She set the phone down and said, “Rory’s going to meet us at my parents’ tonight.”

  She cleaned up in the bathroom and changed, walking out in a pretty yellow dress. He let out a murmur of approval at the sexy dress that hugged her curves, from her large breasts to the flare of her hips.

  She grinned at him. “My, my, you big bad wolf. You’re looking at me like you could eat me up.”

  Hell yes.

  She winked and opened the door. They fol
lowed his alpha to the pack’s private living quarters. Joss opened the door for them and said, “Come see me before you leave.”

  “Okay,” she said.

  Auden led her to his den. She opened the front door and he trotted inside.

  She looked around the family room. “I suppose we have a few hours to kill until you can shift?”

  He nodded.

  “Okay. Well, I guess it’s as good a time as any for me to tell you about my life. At least then you’ll be somewhat prepared to meet my family.”

  She sat on the couch and he climbed up next to her. It took only a few seconds of silence before she began to talk about her home and family. The nest was strict in a way that the pack wasn’t. She’d known her whole life that eventually her parents would choose a mate for her, she wasn’t allowed any input.

  “It’s kind of crazy, isn’t it? I mean, who would know better than me what I want in a mate? My dad doesn’t even know what kind of shampoo I use, let alone what I was looking for in a male. But that’s the way of the nest. To be honest, I considered saying no, but I was afraid of what might happen if I did. I could’ve been exiled from the nest, but I have a feeling my parents would’ve asked the king to enforce the mating anyway. I would’ve wound up mated to this Miles guy, except he’d know that I didn’t really want to be his mate. He’d probably hate me and treat me like crap.”

  She exhaled and dropped her head against his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him. He wished he was back to human so he could hug her properly.

  “When I first woke up, I was feeling very torn about the connection I felt to you. I was raised to do as the nest did, to never question the authority of the king or my parents. Then you shifted. I don’t know what happened, but I feel it all the way deep in my bones that we’re meant to be together. I don’t care what it means to my family that I’ve found you. I only care that we’re together. When you’re able to shift, I want to do what your alpha said and mate and mark each other. Not just because it will be a loud and clear signal that I’m not going to be anyone’s mate but yours, but because I very much want to be yours in every way.”

  He let out a growl of agreement.

  He couldn’t wait to shift either.

  * * *