Page 23 of Moon Tamed

“Yes. Dad called around, but none of the menageries can take them. They’re overwhelmed as it is. We did manage to place most of the other big cats. I’m taking home two freaking tigers and a lion until Stonecreek can get their habitat set up. Dad will make a permanent home here for the cheetahs, but they need a place for a few weeks.”

Damn. Nobody had warned me the Hunters were all suckers for animals and failed at the hunting portion of their name. If anything, the only thing they hunted were more pets, which attacked their budget.

The hummingbirds and the lengths the Hunters went to in order to care for them made it clear the entire faction had issues when it came to animals.

“How old are your tigers and lion?”

“They’re roughly the same age as yours. Dad has eight lion cubs he’s going to be caring for. It’s chaos.” Calden braved entering my office and stroked Lucky. “I think we’ve figured out Lucky’s problem, too. The peacocks all came from a petting zoo, so they’re used to getting a ridiculous amount of attention daily.”

“A what?”

“A place where people pay to go pet interesting animals like peacocks,” he explained. “Dad is wrangling the lions, the tigers, Lucky’s peahen, and the turkey. If you carry your kittens, I’ll show you how to safely transport Lucky.”

“That sounds good.” I evicted the colorful bird from my lap and grabbed my purse before taking the carrier and peeking inside. Two fuzzy kittens slept in a furry ball. “What am I supposed to feed them?”

“We’re making it up as we go. So far, we think a blend of replacer milk with additives should work. I have a batch already prepared, which will get us through until tomorrow. We’re hoping the influx of returning faction members will have somebody who knows what we’re supposed to be giving them.”

“Is there anything else I can do to help?”

“Actually, yes. There is. How do you feel about helping to walk a hundred or so dogs in the morning?”

“Are you saying I’m going to get paid to walk dogs?”

“Yes.”

Did he really think I would say no to that? “Sign me up.”

I knocked on my parents’ door with Lucky tucked under my arm, unable to keep from grinning. Dad let me in, stepped back, and stared at his new pet with wide eyes.

Lucky took one look at my father, fanned his tail, and ushered in the apocalypse with a shrill scream.

“Is that a peacock?” he blurted.

“He arrived from Earth this morning, and as I have already agreed to care for a pair of helpless baby predators, Lucky and his hen, who you can name, now live here. Lucky is a lap peacock and enjoys being petted. He came from a place where people paid to pet weird animals.”

“Petting zoo,” my mother said, coming up behind my father, joining him in a staring at the peacock, who did his best to posture for his new owners. “What helpless predators?”

Careful not to jostle Lucky, I gestured to Calden’s SUV, which was similar to Dad’s. “Calden’s bringing them after retrieving Lucky’s peahen. Tomorrow, I’ll be working with the refugee dogs.”

Calden came up the walkway cradling the peahen. “Sorry for the lack of warning. It’s been a crazy day, and Lucky’s proposals to your daughter this morning earned him a home with you. He gave her a dead mouse while screaming and showing off his tail. He then spent most of his day helping her work.”

My mother heaved a sigh. “That’s an absurd number of words to tell me we have no choice, Calden.” As though understanding her fate, my mother took Lucky from me. “Come on, baby. Let’s get you put in the pen. You can wander around after you learn it’s your nest.”

While my father had reacted, my mother hadn’t, which led me to one conclusion: someone had stolen my surprise, and my victory, out of my hands. “You told them, didn’t you?” I accused Calden, putting my hands on my hips.

“I needed to make sure they had a pen, and I had one delivered so they had no opportunity to refuse the addition to their home.”

Damn. He’d gotten me good. Taking the peahen from him, I cooed at the bird, who rubbed her head against me. “Very well. I can’t argue with removing their ability to say no.”

Calden chuckled and headed back to his vehicle.

I followed my mother into the house, and she stopped the living room, where a wooden box surrounded with a mesh pen waited for its new residents. “You’re going to let them live in the house?”

“For the moment, yes. Petting zoo animals are often kept indoors, so they might not be able to handle going outside at first. We’re thinking about their permanent habitat. This will work for the moment.”

“His name is Lucky. He was formerly Doom Bird until I learned where he had come from and why, which was when I renamed him to Lucky. We don’t talk about where dinner came from tonight.” Once I handed off the peahen, I hurried to Calden’s SUV to retrieve my cheetahs. As he wrangled our dinner, I grabbed the carrier with his cats, too.

It would be a full house, especially if we let the babies loose to play.

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