Page 19 of August

“I don’t know what you’re planning, but I do know you’re a very determined male, so I think you can do anything you set your mind to.”

“When it comes to you, definitely.”

“So tonight?”

“Yep, we’ll leave our house around seven.”

He’d been planning since he got back to the house last night after talking to Atticus. Maybe they couldn’t leave the park right now, but he could still take care of her and show her how important she was to him.

“Okay.” She smiled broader. “You called it our house.”

“Everything I have is yours, Ginny.”

“I don’t have anything, or I’d say the same back to you.”

They reached the employee cafeteria at eight-thirty. The park opened at eleven, so it was just the employees out and about. The bears were in the commercial kitchen cooking and setting up for the day, the janitorial staff was scouring every surface, and the non-shifting animals—called norms—were getting taken care of by the elephants both in the paddock that housed them and the newly opened petting zoo, which Mercer and Rhomi were in charge of, along with Cael the vet and his mate, Novi, who was part polar bear.

“Morning!” Rhomi said when they walked into the cafeteria. “I’m so glad to see you again, how are you doing?”

Rhomi and Ginny met in the center of the room and hugged. “I’m great. How are you? Not freaked out about shifters anymore, right?”

“You scared the crap out of me!”

“We’re glad you’re doing well,” Mercer said when Rhomi returned to him. “Lucius and Justus are going to walk around with us. They’re waiting at the security office, but Rhomi wanted a coffee refill before we headed out.”

The two females walked over to the self-serve kitchen talking quietly.

“How’s it going?” Mercer asked.

“Good. You guys?”

“Rhomi’s so happy in the petting zoo, she loves taking care of animals. And I don’t mind it, except for this one little goat that keeps trying to eat my shoelaces.”

August laughed. “I’m definitely thankful you and Rhomi found each other, otherwise I might never have met Ginny.”

“Fate’s a bitch, isn’t it?”

“Facts.”

The females returned, and Ginny handed August an energy drink. “I know you don’t drink coffee,” she said, “and I saw this brand in your fridge.”

“You’re adorable, thanks, sweetheart.” He kissed her cheek. “Ready?”

“Yeah. You’re sure we’re safe? That Rhomi will be safe too?”

“Me?” Rhomi asked, wide-eyed.

“You don’t have fangs and claws to defend yourself,” Ginny pointed out.

Rhomi looked at her fingernails. “Well, I’ve got Mercer to use his claws and fangs if we need them, just like you and August have each other’s backs too. It’s what being soulmates is all about, right, babe?”

Mercer nodded with an approving growl.

The couple turned and walked to the exit leading out to the park.

“We’ll all be safe out there,” August said. “Do you trust that I can keep you safe? That you and I, together, can keep each other safe along with the other shifters in the park that have our backs too? Because if you run, sweetheart, you won’t get far, I promise.”

He didn’t try to sound intimidating, he was just stating a fact. He wouldn’t let her go out on her own when it was dangerous.

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