Page 41 of Alistair

He patted the bed, and she sat up and stripped before sliding in next to him under the covers.

“I like it here,” she said, cuddling into his chest.

“I’m glad. In the morning, we can talk some more.”

She yawned. “About…?”

“The future.” He kissed the top of her head and reached over to turn off the side table lamp. As the room was plunged into darkness, she smiled.

Now that she had his heart, and he had hers, they could figure out what the future looked like for them. She couldn’t wait.

Alistair was not a nervous male by any stretch, but he was about to do something that could make or break his relationship with Maggie. He could feel that she loved him, that he’d earned her trust and her heart. But it was still so very new and fragile, the sort of love that could be irreparably damaged if not handled right.

He’d gotten up early and spent an hour in a group chat with the other alphas, discussing the situation with his soulmate. Now that they’d shared I-love-yous, he could show her his shift. But there was a caveat: if she freaked out, she wouldn’t be allowed to leave the park. Since the secret of their shift was so vitally important for all their safety, everyone had to know for certain that she could be trusted with such a serious thing.

Fortunately, two of the alphas had human soulmates and understood the difficulty of treading this path: Joss with Jeanie, and Atticus with Lori.

I think you have two options for revealing your nature,Atticus texted.

Which are?Alistair replied.

You either strip and shift in front of her, or you have one of your people bring her to the paddock after you’ve shifted and explain that it’s you.

Alistair stared at the screen. He knew that Jenni, one of the lions, had been in her shift when her human soulmate, Devlin, was brought to the paddock. He’d recognized what she was even though he hadn’t believed it until he was talked through it by another shifter.

Already being in your shift might make her feel like she’s being lied to,Marcus the bear alpha texted.I think showing her how you shift is the best option.

I agree, Atticus texted.She may not make the connection if she can’t see you change forms.

Joss the wolf alpha texted,When do you want to do this?

On Saturdays, the VIP tours started at eleven. It was just now passing seven a.m. He’d planned to sleep in and spend the day in bed with his sweetheart, but his elephant hadn’t let him rest.

As soon as possible,Alistair answered.I’ll gather my memory and have them nearby to talk to her while I’m stuck in my shift.

Would you like Jeanie or Lori there?Joss texted.You don’t have any full human soulmates in your memory since Novi is half-polar bear.

I know that any of the human soulmates would love to help, Caesar the alpha lion texted.Let us know if you need anything.

Will do.Once Maggie’s up, I’ll have the memory meet me in the paddock, and I’ll reach out to some others if I need the extra hands. Thanks so much, everyone.

Good luck,Marcus texted.

Keep us posted,Joss texted.

Atticus and Caesar both wished him luck.

He’d never had to reveal his shifting nature to anyone before. He’d grown up in a memory with other elephants and come to the park with other shifters, all of them knowing what the secret was. There was a lot riding on Maggie’s response to his shift. Ifshe panicked, if she tried to run away, then he’d have to keep her in the park until she could be trusted with the secret.

He knew it was a big ask of any human, to keep a secret so large and important from everyone outside the park including their family. But it was necessary. The secret was more important than anything.

He texted Indio, Cael, and Kelley and asked if they and their mates were available in the next hour to meet him at the paddock so he could share his shift with Maggie.

Rhapsody said she wants to come, Kelley responded.She’s going to reach out to Luna and see if she’s available to watch the baby for a bit.

Luna had come to the park a few months earlier with her older sister, Lucy. They were unique albino doe shifters.

Perfect,Alistair texted.Does anyone think I should reach out to any of the other human soulmates? Like Jeanie or Lori, or maybe Lexy?

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