Page 1 of Alistair

Alpha elephant Alistair London climbed from the SUV and shut the door, staring at the bar where the three members of his elephant memory were waiting for him. The three males were his nephews—Cael, Kelley, and Indio—and they’d invited him out for drinks to celebrate his fortieth birthday.

He was feeling a little sullen and not-quite-in-the-mood to hang out at the human-run bar near the Amazing Adventures Safari Park, where they all lived in secret from humans, working in the park as a cover to keep their true natures hidden.

He hadn’t thought he’d be forty and unmated, but here he was. Two of his nephews had found their soulmates: Kelley, who’d had his soulmate, Rhapsody, scale the fence at the park and run right to him; and Cael, their resident vet, who’d met his soulmate, Novi, a less-dramatic way, on the safari tour.

It was just him and Indio now, as the only two unmated males in the memory.

Blowing out a breath, he scrubbed a hand through his dark blond hair and plastered a smile on his face.

He walked into the bar and scanned the dimly lit room, finding his family in the far corner. Kelley lifted a hand and beckoned him over to where the males were waiting along with Rhapsody and Novi.

“Happy birthday!” the group exclaimed as Alistair pulled a stool out and sat at the table.

“Thanks everyone,” he said.

A human female approached and set down a coaster. “What can I get you?”

He ordered a beer. Appetizers were already on the table, including his favorite potato skins.

Rhapsody set a colorfully wrapped box in front of him. “This is from all of us,” she said, smiling broadly.

Alistair’s mood lightened considerably as he opened the gift, pulling off the spiral ribbon and lifting the sides of the foil paper. Inside the box was a pair of wireless earbuds. His last pair had fallen out while he’d been working in the non-shifter animal paddock and Tank the grumpy moose had stepped on them.

He grinned. “Thanks, everyone. This is perfect.”

The server returned with his beer and left after wishing him a happy birthday.

Kelley pulled a container from under the table and placed it in front of Alistair.

The clear plastic was covering a large cupcake with white frosting and chocolate drizzle.

“Open it,” Novi said, holding up a single candle and a lighter.

Alistair removed the cover and set the cupcake on a small empty plate, then took the candle and lighter.

As he set the candle in the center of the cupcake, he smiled at his people. Indio had followed him from their memory years ago when he’d decided to join up with the other shifter groups who were living and working at Amazing Adventures. Not long after that, Cael and Kelley joined them, and ever since they’d been taking care of the norms—natural animals that didn’t shift, including grumpy Tank—with Indio, Kelley, and Alistair trained as animal techs to assist Cael.

Alistair stared at the unlit candle, then looked at his family. “I was feeling a little bummed when I got here tonight. It’s been amazing seeing you find your soulmates, but I’m forty. I thought I’d find her by now, and I wonder if I ever will.”

“Don’t say that, man,” Indio said. “I haven’t found mine either. But I believe it will happen for us both. This year.”

“So sure, are you?” he asked, arching a brow.

“Hell yes,” Indio said. “I’m putting it out to the universe, you know? Manifesting it. You and me gotta hold on to hope and keep believing, like that song from the olden days.”

Alistair wrinkled his nose. “The eighties are not the olden days.”

Indio hummed and then laughed as the others joined in.

Sighing, Alistair said, “You guys exhaust me, but I love you.”

Cael elbowed him. “Light the candle and make a wish.”

“I’m forty.”

“You’re never too old for wishes and hope,” Rhapsody said.

With a hum, he clicked the lighter and lit the flame. The group sang “Happy Birthday” to him, purposely off-key, and then clapped and whistled.

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