by R. E. Butler
The door opened and Joss waved them in.
“The alphas have voted,” Atticus, the gorilla leader, said. “We’ve approved the creation of the sanctuary.”
“Thank you!” Jess wanted to run around the room screaming in happiness, but she reined herself in and smiled broadly, giving Auden’s hand a tight squeeze.
“My son had an idea for the location of the sanctuary,” Caesar said. He nodded to Jupiter, who was standing against the wall with others from the different groups. Auden had explained that not only did the alphas meet, but also their right-hand males.
Jupiter cleared his throat. “Since we won’t need the red barn for living quarters once the apartments are finished, we could build the sanctuary next to the barn where the petting zoo used to be. We can use the barn for medical needs and storage.”
“What do you think?” Joss asked Jess.
“It sounds perfect,” she said.
“I’ll grab some of my males who enjoy construction, and we’ll meet you at the barn in thirty,” Jupiter said.
“Thank you.” Jess’s eyes stung with happy tears.
The alphas all graciously accepted her thanks, and she and Auden left the meeting room and headed topside through the employee cafeteria, where they stopped to grab cold drinks from the large refrigerator. She leaned against the counter and let out a relieved breath.
Auden chuckled as he rested his hand on her back. “You did it, angel.”
“I was so nervous! I’ve never been around so many powerful predators in one room before.”
“You weren’t scared, were you?”
“Not really, but my owl was on edge because they were the alphas and their top guys.” She paused and looked at Auden. “Why didn’t Joss have a second-in-command there?”
Auden rocked back on his heels. “When we started the VIP tours, his son Jesse was the second-in-command. He had a grudge against one of the gorillas, and when he took Adrianna on the tour and knew she was Zane’s mate, Jesse attacked her. Zane ripped the fence apart and grabbed her from Jesse, who was punished by Joss to be unable to shift for three years.”
“Wow, that’s a big punishment.”
“Well, it’s against our laws to interfere in a mating. Jesse knew what he was doing. What’s worse, though, is that in retaliation, he released a security video of the attack, but he edited the part where he was hurting Adrianna and made it appear that she was attacked by a gorilla without provocation.”
“He released it to the humans?” Her eyes went wide.
Auden hummed. “Yeah. It was a crime punishable by death.”
“He killed his son?” she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.
“He had no choice,” Auden said. “Jesse knew he was on thin ice for interfering in the first place. Joss had no choice but to put him down.”
“I can’t imagine doing that to a child, no matter how crazy he is. What happened with the humans?”
“We had police and animal welfare groups investigating the situation. It was pretty harrowing for a while, but all the shifters worked together, and we put all the public scrutiny to rest.”
“Why hasn’t he chosen another second?”
“Jesse was next in line for alpha. Our pack has hereditary alphaship, but Joss only had one child. He hasn’t replaced him because he and the pack elders are still deciding what to do with the position. Whoever’s second will become the new alpha when Joss steps down, although his father before him was alpha until he was in his eighties, so I don’t think we need to worry about it for a long while.”
“What happened to his mate?”
“She died years ago. They were chosen mates, not soulmates, but they were crazy about each other. I think he’s just never found a female he wanted to mate with.”
“Would he pick a human?”
“I don’t think he’s against it, but since he already had a mate, I believe he’s waiting for his soulmate.”
“I hope he finds her.”
“I’m sure he does, too,” Auden said, leaning over and kissing Jess. “Finding one’s soulmate is the most amazing thing on earth.”
“I think so, too.”
As they walked through the zoo, she relished being topside and out in the fresh air. The wolves’ private area was nice, but it was artificial, from the painted walls and ceiling to the rocky exterior of the dens. She’d spent her whole life living in the trees, and she still wasn’t used to being underground. Sleep had been eluding her the last few nights. No matter how much her sexy mate wore her out before they went to sleep, she couldn’t rest well or sleep long without fits of wakefulness plaguing her. It wasn’t like she could do anything about it, though; wolves lived in dens, and dens were definitely not in the trees.
The lions met them at the big red barn. She’d seen it before but hadn’t been inside. There was a large seating area inside with couches and tables, along with what appeared to be three townhomes. Only one of the townhomes was a real, furnished apartment, the other two façades were meant to fool visiting family members of the human mates into believing there was a place for people to live and work at the zoo.
“Even though we’ll have to tear out the interior, it’ll be nice to see the barn in use again,” Xavier, one of the lions, said.
The lions discussed tearing down the facades to open the interior for the bird hospital, which wouldn’t be open to the public. Then they walked outside to where the petting zoo used to be. The alphas had agreed to give them as much room as they needed for all she wanted to do. Eventually she wanted to have an outdoor seating area where she could show birds to park visitors and share her love of them with others, as well as outdoor exhibits showcasing the birds.
“We’ll get started on the outside exhibits,” Javan, another lion, said, “so you can start moving birds in as soon as possible. The area will remain roped off until you’re ready to open it to the public.”
She nodded, her heart soaring as she thought about how close she was to seeing her dream come true. She hugged Auden tightly.
“Not that I’m questioning the hug, angel, but what’s up?”
“I just wanted to thank you.”
“For what?”
“For supporting me.”
“You’re my soulmate, Jess. Nothing makes me happier than seeing you happy.”
“You’re one special wolf, Auden James. I’m so glad you’re mine.”
Xavier cleared his throat noisily. “We’re going to leave and pick up supplies to get started building. We’ve got some wolves who’ve agreed to help as well. Once the interior is cleared, we’ll get it cleaned up and ready for the equipment.”
“Thanks for your help,” Auden said.
“Yes, thanks. I can’t wait to get to work,” Jess said.
The lions left, and she turned back to her mate. “We’ll need to hit some nurseries and find plenty of trees for the outdoor exhibits.”
“I know a few places to check out. We can use one of the zoo’s delivery vans so we’ll have room to bring back what you pick.”
“Do we need to take someone with us since we’re leaving?”
He hummed. “I’ll invite my parents. They’ll enjoy the trip out of the park, and we can get something to eat while we’re out, too.”
“Cool.”
By the time they visited the nurseries and found the particular types of trees and shrubs she was looking for, grabbed dinner, returned to the zoo, and delivered the plants to the barn, it was nearly ten o’clock. She was exhausted to the core, but felt like they’d accomplished a lot.
Snuggling up next to Auden, she pushed away her owl’s thoughts about the big tree next to the barn that she’d seen earlier that day and willed herself to sleep though the night. It had been a long day, and she deserved a good rest.
* * *
Jess groaned when she woke, her bird flapping restlessly in her mind. A glance at her phone showed it was just after 3:00 a.m. She sat up slowly and looked at Auden, who was sleeping so
undly beside her. Her owl hooted softly, wanting to stay but feeling drawn to leave.
It took only a moment, but she decided to go topside and climb one of the trees. She was pretty sure that just spending some time among the leaves and branches would be enough to settle her owl. It was tempting to wake Auden and let him know she was leaving, but she decided to let him sleep. She’d be back before he woke, and then she wouldn’t have to explain how miserable she was feeling. She didn’t like keeping anything from him, but she couldn’t really tell him what was going on inside her. Part of her felt like she should be fully content to be with her soulmate, no matter where they were. And she understood that the shifters lived underground in the zoo for their safety. But most of her was unsettled, and she couldn’t really put into words that she didn’t want to live in a room with walls painted to mimic a forest – she needed the real thing. It wasn’t as if she could change the rules of the park just because her owl was being a fluttery pain in the ass.
Dressing swiftly, she hurried from their room, stealing through the private area to the coded door. The room was silent, save for the occasional snore breaking the quiet from a den. With a glance back at the den where she’d left Auden, she opened the door, shut it slowly behind her, and headed up the stairs to the employee cafeteria. A low light illuminated the kitchen area, allowing her to see her way through the room and outside.
Overhead, the moon shone brightly, and she breathed a sigh of relief at the fresh night air. She listened intently for any security guards nearby but didn’t hear anything. She knew guards patrolled the interior and exterior of the zoo overnight, and she didn’t want to get in trouble. The best thing to do was find a good tree with a sturdy branch and hang out for a while to recharge her owl.
She followed the path toward the barn. The oak tree she’d seen earlier beckoned her, a darker shadow against the night sky. Although the lower limbs had been trimmed to discourage visiting kids from climbing it, she could reach one by stretching onto her toes and pulling herself up. She climbed into the canopy, her owl happily fluttering in her mind. Finding a wide, sturdy branch, she took off her jacket and folded it into a makeshift cushion, then sat and leaned her back against the tree.
She smiled when she heard some rustling nearby and the curious tweeting of a robin. “I promise I won’t stay long,” she told the bird. “I just needed some tree time.”
Closing her eyes with a sigh, she settled against the tree, promising herself she would absolutely not fall asleep. The last thing she wanted to do was have Auden wake up and not know where she was. Which, she conceded, she could’ve avoided with a note, if she hadn’t been so distracted by her owl.
Next time she needed to be outside, she’d leave a note for him.
Don’t fall asleep, she told herself as her breathing slowed and her owl settled down.
It wouldn’t do for her to fall asleep.
Chapter 10
Auden woke up, immediately aware of two things: he was alone in bed, and the sheet was cold. He sat up swiftly, his wolf whining in worry.
“Jess?” he called.
The room was dark. He fumbled on the nightstand for his phone, clicking the home screen and finding it was nearly 5:00 a.m.
“Jess?” he called again as he stood. He could only pick up her scent faintly, which told him she wasn’t in the den.
He dressed swiftly, hurriedly jerking on his jeans and stuffing his feet into his boots before grabbing his shirt and rushing from the den. He tracked her scent through the private area to the door, dialing her cell and unlocking the door as he listened to her phone ring without answer.
Her scent led him up the stairs to the employee cafeteria and outside, where the first rays of dawn were just starting to lighten the sky.
“Auden?” Mercer, one of the lion security officers, called.
“Hey,” Auden said, holding up his hand to ward off the bright flashlight shining on his face.
“Sorry. What are you doing up so early?”
“Jess is gone.”
“What?”
“I woke up and the bed was cold. No note, no text or voice mail, and she’s not answering her phone.”
“I’ll call Jupiter,” he said, pulling his walkie from the holster.
“No, wait. I think she’s still in the park. Let me try to find her.”
“I’ve been patrolling all night. If she was here, I’d have run across her.”
“Maybe. Unless she didn’t want to be found.”
“Why wouldn’t she want to be found?”
“I don’t know. Just let me check around first before we call for help.”
“You’re being pretty calm for a mated male whose mate is missing.”
“I’m not feeling calm, but my wolf is picking up her scent. There’s no way someone could’ve gotten into the private area to take her. I think she came up here on her own.”
“Why?”
“I’ll let you know when I find her.”
“If you can’t find her…” Mercer started.
Auden put up his hand. “I know. I promise if I lose her scent, I’ll call for help.”
“And tell her she could get my ass in trouble if she’s sneaking around up here and I missed it.”
He chuckled, amused at his sneaky sweetheart. “I’ll let her know.”
With his mind racing, Auden lifted his head and scented the air, picking up the sweet smell of her skin. He followed the scent to the barn and the big tree he’d seen her staring at with a strange look of longing. She’d dismissed the look when she realized he’d seen it, but he’d been curious what had caused such longing.
He stared up into the tree, not surprised when he saw her sitting on a branch. His wolf snarled in worry. Why had she come here at night? He could hear her breathing deeply in sleep, which made him wonder if she hadn’t been sleeping well in the den. But why wouldn’t she tell him?
He grasped the nearest branch and hefted himself up, climbing swiftly and quietly toward his sweet mate. He didn’t want to frighten her, so he climbed onto her branch and braced her against the tree before he kissed her forehead.
“Hey, angel,” he said softly, brushing his lips over her skin. She was chilled from the night air, but she smelled amazing, like the woods at night mixed with something sweet like honey. He inhaled the scent again, realizing he was picking up traces of her owl.
“Auden?” she asked groggily.
“Careful, you’re on a branch about fifteen feet off the ground.”
Her eyes popped open and she cursed quietly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
He eased back, taking one of her hands and pressing it to his cheek. “What’s going on? Why didn’t you wake me before you left? I woke up with you gone and the bed cold.”
Her fingers pressed lightly against his skin for a moment and she sighed. “My owl likes nature.”
“What do you mean?”
“The private area is nice, and your den is great, but it’s underground. I haven’t been sleeping well, and I thought if I just sat in the tree for a while that it would settle the owl enough for me to rest with you in the den.”
“I don’t understand, angel.”
“I spent my whole life in the trees. I feel connected to nature in a way I can’t really explain, except that it feels like home when I’m above ground, and it’s difficult for me to live in the den. But it’s where your home is, and I want you to be happy.”
He shook his head, marveling at her willingness to be somewhere she knew she wouldn’t be content. “I don’t want you to be miserable.”
“I’m not.”
He raised a brow. “Angel, you snuck out into the zoo in the middle of the night to climb a tree. If that doesn’t speak to you not being content in the den, then I don’t know what does. I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t tell me what was going on with you.”
She dropped her head back against the trunk. “What could you do?”
“I’m not sur
e, but something. Anything is better than you just suffering with living underground when what you need is fresh air and nature. Give me a few days and I’ll figure it out. Just promise that you’ll wake me up when you need to come topside.”
“I didn’t mean to worry you. I’m sorry.”
He kissed her. “Don’t apologize. I was worried because I didn’t know what was going on.”
“Did you think I’d been kidnapped?”
He shook his head. “My wolf never lost your scent. I tracked you right here. Now, if I’d lost your scent? I probably would’ve torn the zoo apart looking for you.” He rested his hands on either side of the trunk and leaned in to her, inhaling her scent at her neck. “Speaking of scent, angel, you smell fucking amazing.”
“I do?” she whispered, her voice hitching as he licked her pulse.
“Yep. I think it’s your owl. You smell like the woods at night and some kind of flower. Very sweet.” He inhaled again, his wolf memorizing the scent. “If you need trees to smell like this, Jess, then I’ll get them for you. I promise.”
She hooked her hands behind his neck and let out a happy sigh. “Thank you.”
“You’re my girl. I’d do anything to make you happy.”
“Then take me down to the den. I’ll make you even happier.”
Growling softly, his wolf loving that idea hard, he eased away and followed her down to the ground.
“So I guess you really were in the park?” Mercer asked, smiling at Jess. “Glad you didn’t get abducted.”
“Sorry,” she said, taking Auden’s hand.
“No worries. Just give me or whoever’s in the security office a heads-up if you’re going to be up here.”
“I will, thanks.”
When Auden and Jess were back in the den, they made love. She fell asleep in his arms, smelling like her owl and contentment, but he couldn’t sleep, knowing she’d been happiest in the tree. How the hell was he going to pull off letting her have a place to live where she could be surrounded by real nature? Even if he brought a few trees into the den, it wouldn’t be the same thing, and her owl wouldn’t be happy.