Page 23 of Run Free

“Then do it, but I’m not leaving you with two wild beasts that are about to wake up.”

She huffed but didn’t say anything. I could tell she was trying her best to ignore me. I didn’t want to distract her, but I was ready to shift and put those tigers in their place if it came down to it.

“Angel, why do you insist on putting yourself in danger?” I asked once she was at a stopping point and sat back from the animals.

“It’s not like that,” she said. “I’m a vet. It’s what I do. That means working closely with animals of all kinds, even giant cats like these two.”

“I don’t like the thought of you in danger,” I said honestly.

She gave me a smile. “Careful, Gage, I may start thinking you care.”

“I do,” I said. “I don’t want to, but I do.”

There was an awkward silence as we stared at each other until we were interrupted by a stretching tiger. Jesus, that thing was big, and Clara looked so tiny next to it. My eyes darted between the two as I braced myself to intercept and pull her to safety.

They never attacked, though. It was like they knew she had saved them. I watched in awe at the connection she instantly formed with the animals. She talked to them in a soothing voice and checked each of them over as they came to.

“Ignore him. He’s a sourpuss,” she told them when one got agitated over my presence.

When they nuzzled against her, I had a surge of need to cover her in my scent. It was overwhelming me, but I didn’t act on the feelings. Clara stayed until she was confident the tigers were in no distress in their new den. I never left her side as I kept up my guard and observed.

When she was ready to leave she rose and took my hand to lead me out. We closed and locked the gate behind us, leaving the tigers in the cage. I cringed at the sound of the lock, and then realized she was watching. She looked sad.

“It’s what’s best for them, Gage. I don’t like seeing them locked up either,” she said softly.

I nodded, trying to get myself in order as memories of my own captivity flooded my thoughts. I didn’t want her to see me like that—weak, pathetic, haunted. Her presence comforted me through my moment of panic, though. I shook it off as fast as I could and left her to address my team.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I can’t stand to see any animal caged up like that, even in the five-star accommodations we gave them. So let’s bust some ass today and finish off this enclosure so those tigers can have some semblance of freedom.”

Heads nodded, and agreements were shouted. I handed out final assignments and we all got to work. Clara hovered nearby me. I had purposefully given her jobs that would keep us apart, but she’d traded with Dave, who was supposed to be working alongside me.

When her arm brushed against mine, shocks of awareness racked my body. When she bent over to pull weeds, hiking her sweet little ass in the air, my pants grew tight and I growled at anyone who dared to come near her. Jesus, was she trying to drive me crazy?

It was a long, hard day, made tougher with her close proximity. By the time we had completed the task and celebrated, releasing the tigers into their new home, my body was a jumble of nerves and my thoughts were singly focused on Clara.Mine.

Not good! I needed to get away from her, put some serious space between us.

I snuck out while she was still talking to the others. As soon as I walked out of the zoo gates, I took a deep breath of air. I quickly stripped and shifted, then forced my wolf to run as far in the other direction as possible. Several hours later I realized I had left my things behind. It was a rookie mistake, one I simply never made. My wolf’s excitement as I turned back told me I couldn’t have stayed away even if I had remembered.

It was dark in the wee hours of morning when I returned. I snatched my things in my jaw and carried them back inside. I stayed in my wolf as I curled up under the open window I knew was Clara’s room. Her sweet coconut scent calmed my wolf as we drifted off to sleep.

Clara

Chapter 14

I had been tossing and turning all night long, frustrated that I had let Gage sneak out while sidetracked with a bunch of humans. I chastised myself for thinking like that. It wasn’t me, I was just upset. A part of me worried he really wouldn’t return. I needed him so badly it caused a physical ache that scared me.

When I heard a noise just outside my open window, I knew it was him without looking. I quietly left to find him. Gage was still in wolf form and sleeping soundly. I stripped and shifted, allowing my wolf to sleep cuddled up next to our mate. A peace I’d never known washed through me and I slept better than I could ever remember.

“Clara? Gage? What the hell are you two doing out here? You do have a room, you know?” Dave’s voice boomed, startling me awake.

I stretched, remembering I was still in my fur. I watched as Gage’s eyes flickered open and recognition settled in his eyes. My wolf rubbed against him, leaving our scent behind, before I snatched my clothes up in my mouth and headed back inside.

Dave grinned and shook his head, but walked with me, opening the doors as I went. I glanced back over my shoulder and saw Gage hesitantly following.

As soon as we were in my room, with the door shut, I shifted. Gage growled, looking around the room, and I realized he didn’t want anyone else to see me naked. I rolled my eyes at him, and he finally shifted, too.

It wasn’t the first time I’d seen him naked. I had been in doctor mode before, though. This time I didn’t hesitate to check him out and appreciate the sight of my mate. He was thin from his days in the cage, but muscles were already thickening from working on the tiger habitat. His skin was sun-kissed and smooth. Nearly all signs of scarring had disappeared from the time in his fur. Shifters had amazing healing capabilities.

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