Chapter 3
The sun was setting and the world was turning a beautiful orange and gold as Sunny followed the signs from the highway to the park.
It was eight, and the park closed in an hour.
With each minute that passed, her anxiety grew, until the colorful sunset was more a taunt than something to enjoy, as if it signified time running out.
Her palms were slick against the steering wheel, and she rubbed first one and then the other on her jeans, her stomach twisting as much as the road she was following.
Her tigress, which she never really felt much except when she was emotional, seemed to be pacing in her head.
She didn’t know exactly what it meant, though, but figured the stress she was under at losing everything and not knowing what was going to happen when she got to the park was making her show herself a little more.
She glanced at her fingertips, where she swore she could feel the prick of claws.
What was happening to her?
As she turned into the park, she saw a sandwich board sign with bold lettering: CLOSED. Come back tomorrow!
Her heart sank as she braked. But then she realized that there was no one in the small security booth next to the sign, so she steered around it and drove into the mostly empty parking lot.
A handful of vehicles were filing out, with several more in the large lot.
She parked close to the massive front gate and stared through the windshield at it.
For a second, she panicked. Was the gate closed?
Then she saw that the center of the gate was still open, wide enough to allow people to leave. A family with young children was heading out, the kids talking animatedly as their parents smiled tiredly.
Sunny got out and shut the door, inhaling the warm evening air. She picked up everything she expected: wild animals, food, and people.
But there was something deeper and wilder in the air, and her heart clenched slightly. Was she smelling shifters? Could it be that Sera was right and there were shifters here?
Her tigress stirred a little more and a strange feeling passed through her.
It felt like coming home.
Inhaling deeply, she straightened her shoulders and walked to the gate, slipping through the gap. The open space past the gates had a row of turnstiles manned by a male and female wearing matching polos with the park logo on the chest. Beyond them was an archway leading into the park.
The male caught sight of her first. “Um, hello? We’re closing very soon, in about half an hour. Did you need something?”
Sunny walked to them, trying to hide the trembling in her hands.
“H-hi,” she said, grimacing as her voice cracked.
Her nerves were strung so tightly that she felt like her skin was going to split.
She rubbed the space over her heart as her tigress let out a particularly loud snarl in her head.
“I need to talk to whoever is in charge.”
The male’s eyes narrowed and he put his arm around the female and drew her closer.
It was subtle, but Sunny saw his eyes flash to amber for just a heartbeat as he inhaled nearly silently.
He was a rugged sort, tall and muscular, and looked like he would bite the head off of anyone who got too close to the female, who was petite and looked perfectly calm standing next to him.
Sunny envied her the freedom from worrying about things. No one had ever watched her back like that. Yes, Sera and Fallon had been by her side and stepped in as family, but not the way the male was doing right now. Like he would raze a city to keep that female safe.
Sunny inhaled and she found even her senses seemed heightened.
They were wolves.
So Sera was right. Shifters were at the safari park. Wolves, anyway.
Then the female gave him a nudge and he said, “Let me call someone from security.”
They moved a few paces away and he spoke to someone through a walkie that had been in a holster on his hip. He arranged himself between the female and her, and Sunny was certain they were mates. She’d heard that wolf males were notoriously protective of their mates.
She’d never wanted something so much in her life.
To be cared for, protected. Treated like someone precious and valuable.
Her eyes stung a little and she shook her head, trying to dislodge the strange train of thought about romance and mating. She was there to ask for sanctuary for herself, not find her happily-ever-after.
After what felt like far too long, the male said, “Come over this way, our head of security is on the way.”
* * *
Sunny waited near the two wolves but away from where the park patrons were exiting.
She’d been waiting a few minutes, and her body was a ball of nervous energy.
She was about to pace a little just to burn off some of the energy when three big males appeared, walking toward her.
In the lead was a male with dark blond hair and a grimace.
They were wearing polos with the park’s logo the same as the two wolves.
They stopped a few feet away and she froze, knowing she was in the presence of predators.
Lions to be exact, judging by the tall-grass scent that emanated from them.
Sera hadn’t told her anything about the shifters in the park, only that there were some there. But wolves and lions? It seemed like an odd combination.
“I’m Jupiter, head of security,” he said, his tone full of authority.
“I’m Sunny.” She hesitated, because while they were away from the exit, there were humans still leaving the park and she couldn’t say much. The secret of shifters was far too important to take any risks.
Jupiter inhaled, his nostrils flaring, and then he said, “Follow us to the security office. We can talk there.”
The males turned and Sunny followed them into the park.
The security office was a small building with a lobby containing a few chairs and a counter, and several rooms that looked like they were for surveillance.
There were windows that looked out into the park, and the place smelled of shifters.
She picked up scents of wolves and lions and also bears.
She was beginning to think that this place had a lot of secrets.
And how the heck had Sera even known about it in the first place? She hadn’t told Sunny who’d told her about the park.
When the door was shut, Jupiter cleared his throat. “This building is soundproof and there are no humans in here. You’re a shifter, but I can’t peg your beast. You look stressed and exhausted, but I have a few questions.”
Sunny nodded. “Of course. I’m Solstice Kittridge, but everyone calls me Sunny.
I’m half-tigress, my mom was human. My parents were killed by my dad’s pride when I was seven and my mom’s friend, Sera, a jaguar, took me in and raised me as one of her own with her daughter, Fallon, my best friend.
Their jaguar prowl didn’t mind me being unable to shift until the old alpha became ill and his second-in-command Dario took over last night.
This morning, Dario kicked me out of the prowl.
Sera told me about the park and that I could ask for refuge here.
I honestly didn’t believe there was such a place with shifters.
The prowl lived in seclusion with as little contact with humans as possible. ”
Jupiter pressed his lips into a thin line and let out a low, soft growl that made the hair on Sunny’s neck stand up.
He looked at the males with him and shook his head.
“Damn it. Justus, get my dad. And the other alphas. I’ll bring her to the cafeteria.
” He looked at her after one of the males left.
“How did Sera know about us? Where is the prowl located?”
“Tennessee,” she answered. “And I don’t know how she knew. I had less than an hour to pack a bag and flee. She told me the name of the park and the state, and that was it. I’m not allowed to reach out to either of them or anyone from the prowl. Dario said he’d punish anyone who talked to me.”
Jupiter said, “This is really unusual, I just want you to know. I can’t recall the last time someone came here like this.
We’re not in the business of interfering in other groups’ issues, but we’re also not interested in turning away shifters who need help.
” He put his hands on his hips. “We’re going to walk over to the employee cafeteria so you can talk to our alphas and they can make some decisions.
Whatever happens from this point forward, you are safe here. I promise.”
Sunny smiled, but suddenly her tigress started to go wild in her head, pacing and pushing. Her skin flushed and her fingertips tingled, as her back and joints ached and her heart raced.
Jupiter walked outside and held the door for her.
Sunny was rooted in place. She couldn’t figure out why her half-a-tigress was acting up so much and why every inch of her hurt.
“Hey, you okay?” Jupiter called.
Sunny forced herself to move forward and followed him outside.
The moment her shoes hit the pavement, she felt like she was having a full-blown panic attack. Panting for breath, she looked around wildly, very sure that she was going to shift—but that was impossible! She was well past the time of shifting. What was happening?
As she tried to put one foot in front of the other and follow Jupiter toward a large building across from the security office, she caught the scent of something incredible: deep woods, grilled meat, and home.
Her tigress screamed in her head and every nerve ending in her body felt like it was on fire. Her vision blurred and her mouth went salty.
And then there were arms around her, warm and strong, and her tigress quieted for a profound moment.
As she turned her blurry gaze to the person holding her, she was very certain in that moment that her life was never going to be the same.