Page 48 of Lucius

People were coming for the VIP tours, they just weren’t anyone’s soulmate.

It had been a long while since a soulmate had come through the tour before Sidney did. Even one soulmate found meant that it was worth it.

He moved on from the lions’ paddock and continued his trek around the park.

Somewhere out there, his soulmate was single too.

He’d been wondering how long he’d have to wait to find her. He and his dad had come to the park when he was a kid. His dad, Marcus, hadn’t wanted to stay in his family’s sleuth after his soulmate—Seneca’s mom—passed away, and he’d been friends with the other alphas who’d started the park. The change of scenery and new friends had helped Seneca not feel so alone. He’d hoped to meet his soulmate when he was young like his dad had, the two of them growing up together, but that hadn’t happened. And now Seneca was nearing thirty and wondering if they’d ever cross paths.

He made the final pass by the apartment complex at the back of the park, which was entirely empty now as Lucius and Sidney had moved down into the lions’ private living area. Cutting through the center of the park, he reached the security office and stopped to check in with Justus, who was in charge for the evening.

“All quiet?” Justus asked, swiveling in the desk chair at the bank of monitors that showed the security footage around the park. He faced Seneca.

“Yep. I’m going to hit the outside now.”

“Gotcha. Have fun.”

“Oh sure, it’s a blast,” he said with a snort.

“Honestly, I like the walking around part better than staring at the monitors, but it was my turn tonight.”

“Anything we do all the time gets to be a drudgery, even patrolling.”

“True. I’ll see you before your break.”

“Yep.”

Seneca walked out of the security office and stopped to stretch, then looked up at the night sky. A shooting star streaked across the inky darkness and he closed his eyes and made a wish, like his mom used to tell him to do when he was a kid.

I wish I’d meet my soulmate soon.

Feeling a little bit silly, but also oddly hopeful, Seneca whistled a tune and headed for the front gate to walk the perimeter of the tall stone walls around the Amazing Adventures Safari Park. Maybe his shooting-star wish would come true and this would be the year he’d find the other half of his heart.

Lucius caught the rabbit that had been set loose in the paddock for him to hunt while Sidney waited for him on a thick blanket near the bonfire. The pride was watching and waiting, and he wasn’t about to make an ass of himself by not catching the furry little bugger.

After quickly killing the rabbit, he shifted back to his human form and prepared it in the shadows so that Sidney didn’t have to see him do it, which was the one thing she’d asked about, worried she’d be upset to see a dead bunny.

He put his black trousers back on and then carried the metal rod with the rabbit meat skewered on it and set it over the fire to cook.

Dropping to his knees next to Sidney, he kissed her and gave her a hug.

“You did it,” she said. “I was worried you wouldn’t be able to be back to human for a while.”

“Sometimes we’re in our shifts for a few hours,” Caesar said, “but sometimes our beasts want to be back with our mates right away and won’t hold us in that form.”

“I definitely couldn’t wait to see you,” Lucius said to Sidney.

“I couldn’t wait too.”

While the meat cooked, the pride sat around the fire and told stories about their people, their families, and past ceremonies. Sidney sat in Lucius’s embrace and soaked up everything thatwas said with a smile on her face. He loved that she was so happy to be part of things and he especially loved that she’d reconciled with her mom, even if it had meant ruining his plans to surprise her with an engagement.

The ring was in Jupiter’s pocket. Lucius was just waiting for the right moment to get it from his brother and propose to his mate.

“Look at that freaking sky,” Jenni said from where she sat next to Devlin across the bonfire from Lucius and Sidney.

Everyone turned their faces upward to look at the sky that was full of stars and Lucius just knew it was the perfect time. He glanced at Jupiter, who was seated with Celeste, and his brother raised his brow in question. Lucius nodded and Jupiter pulled the box from his pocket and lobbed it to him.

“Oh, a shooting star!” Sidney said. “Make a wish, quick!”

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