Page 20 of August

“I told you I wouldn’t run and I mean it. Plus, I know in my heart that you’d find me anyway. I’m still…nervous about being safe in the park. I don’t know how I’ll get over that feeling, honestly. But I feel better now that we’ve talked, and I’m sure after seeing all the security around the park that I’ll feel even better. You’re really sweet, you know?”

“Just for you, Ginny.”

He cracked the top of the orange-flavored energy drink and took a sip while they walked, hand-in-hand, from the cafeteria to the security office.

He wanted her to see and trust that the park was a sanctuary where her grandfather wouldn’t be able to get to her, or anyone else.

And then tonight he was going to show her how gorillas wooed their soulmates.

Ginny was impressed with the security at the park. While August’s friends—lions Mercer and Lucius, bear Justus, plus Mercer’s mate Rhomi—walked around the park and pointed out all that had been done to upgrade their current security systems, she’d marveled at just how seriously everyone was taking it.

And it wasn’t just about her having a target on her back. The alphas took everyone’s safety seriously, from the littlest baby to the oldest shifter. They were all valuable and no one wanted anyone to be hurt, including newbies like Rhomi and herself.

The last time she’d felt truly safe was before her aunt and uncle were killed, before her grandfather had turned seventy and went on a rampage. When the pack had felt like home and not a dangerous place.

She glanced at August as their group stopped in front of the gorilla paddock on the safari tour. He was staring through the iron bars of the large gate that had a small security box on the ground level covered by shrubs with a code to unlock the gate.

“We never unlock the gate during the tours, of course,” Justus said. “But in an emergency, we can get inside from the safari path.”

August looked at her and smiled. Then he pointed to a large building in the paddock. “That’s the maintenance shed. It has a security pad to unlock the door from the outside, and then there’s a stairwell that leads down to our private living quarters. We strip in there and shift, then enter the paddock before the tours start. Each group has their own maintenance shed.”

She stared through the bars, letting her gaze move from the maintenance shed to the small pond and numerous trees and platforms scattered around the grassy area. At the far side of the paddock was a huge stone wall that had security devices mounted at intervals.

August put his arm around her. “It’s safe, sweetheart.”

“It sure seems like it.”

The group moved on, but she and August stayed at the gorilla paddock. He turned and she mirrored him.

He was taller than her petite five-foot-three by close to a foot, she guessed, with broad shoulders, his arms and chest thick with muscles. He had the nicest brown eyes, dark like chocolate and rimmed with lashes that rivaled any mascara she’d ever tried.

And those freaking lips.

He was meant to be kissed, and often. And since they were soulmates, she definitely thought she should be kissing him right now, not wondering if some jackal sent by her grandfather was going to scale the walls and get to her and August.

“I don’t have one foot out the door,” she blurted.

His brows rose. “What?”

She cleared her throat, her cheeks heating. “I’m still worried about my grandfather. I don’t know if I’ll ever get over that. But I do feel safe with you and I’m so glad you brought me around the park to show me the security features.” She let her gaze drop to his lips for a moment before returning to his eyes. “I just wanted you to know that I’m not going to run again.”

He took her hands and squeezed them. “It’s important to me that you know that you’re safe. If showing you the security has helped, then I’m glad we did it. It’s reassuring to me too. My gorilla wants to come out and stand guard with you.”

“He does?” she asked. “My jackal would like to spend time with you too.”

He smiled. “Maybe one night soon we can shift together after the park closes. I haven’t seen your shift yet, but you’ve seen mine.”

She didn’t want to think too hard about how close she’d come to getting taken by those jackals who had come for her. With a shudder, she firmly pushed those thoughts away and focused on August.

“We should catch up to the others,” he said. “I’ve got some stuff to get ready for our date tonight.”

“I can’t wait.”

“Me too.”

They followed the path until they caught up to the rest of the group, August telling her which shifter group was in which paddock, as well as the paddock of norms—non-shifting animals.

Their group meandered around the remainder of the park, from the employee lot where she’d stolen an SUV to the maintenance shed where August worked on the park vehicles when he wasn’t fixing things around the park, to the apartment complex she’d stayed in when they’d set her free from the cage in the aviary hospital.

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