Alfie (Were Zoo #25)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Alfie Wright strode along the interior fence of the Amazing Adventures Safari Park, walkie clipped to his belt, and eyes scanning for anything out of the ordinary.

The park was closed for the holidays, which meant he didn’t have to hide from human visitors that he was a wolf shifter and could tap into his enhanced senses of sight and hearing to look for trouble.

Not that he expected any. But one could never be sure.

Their people—who lived and worked at the park—had run-ins with occasional whackjobs who wanted to take over the park, or abduct someone, or cause unusual amounts of trouble. So he, and the other security team members, took the safety of the park very seriously.

Along with the wolves in his pack, run by alpha Joss and his human mate Jeanie, elephants, lions, bears, and gorillas lived safely underneath the park in a fully functioning underground city, complete with a market for food, sundries, offices, and each group’s private living area.

Alfie had come to the park several years ago when he was a young male, tired of his tracking skills being utilized by his former alpha for nefarious purposes.

Joss had used Alfie’s talent for tracking, taught to him by his dad and grandpa, to help the park shifters, who lived in secret from the humans in the world, but never in the evil ways of his former alpha.

The only thing missing from his life was his soulmate.

Recently, his closest friends had found their happily ever afters in the arms of their soulmates, and that made Alfie feel like he was getting left behind. He was, of course, happy for his friends, but bummed for himself.

“Bro.”

He paused the trek around the park’s interior wall and looked around.

“Hey,” he said, greeting Amadeus, one of the lions and a member of the security team.

“I called your name like six times.”

“Thinking.”

“I thought I smelled smoke.”

Alfie rolled his eyes with a chuckle and joined Amadeus, the last unmated son of the alpha lion Caesar. Caesar had recently found his own soulmate in a jaguar named Sera, who made excellent coffee in the market and was going to run a safari-themed coffee shop.

“What’s up?”

“You nearly done with your shift, right?”

“Yeah.” He glanced at his watch, finding it close to the end of his time. “What’s up? You want to grab a bite in the cafeteria?”

“I was thinking we could get a drink. Hit that bar we all like.”

“Sure. Let me finish my rounds and grab a shower. Did you tell Nathan and Hyde?”

Lately, the four males had become thick as thieves, commiserating in their unmatedness and hope for their own romantic futures.

“I did. They’re in. Just need to tell Jupiter.”

Jupiter, Amadeus’s brother, was the head of security. Their people weren’t in danger at the moment, but they weren’t supposed to leave the park without an escort. Considering two of the males heading out were on the security team, they’d be fine on their own.

“I’m going to grab a shower. I’ll see you in the cafeteria in an hour.”

“You’re really upbeat about this,” Alfie said, giving his friend a curious look.

“Hell yes, I have a good feeling about tonight.”

“What kind of good feeling?”

“One of us is going to meet his soulmate. Tonight. I’m positive.”

“Developed psychic abilities recently?” Alfie teased.

“Maybe,” Amadeus said, his eyes glittering with mischief. “I’m just sure that one of us is going to find his special lady. Of course, I’m positive it will be me.”

Alfie grinned, aware of the unmentioned challenge. “We’ll see, bro.”

“Feeling psychic yourself?” Amadeus called over his shoulder as he walked away.

“Maybe,” Alfie called.

As Amadeus let out a lionish chuckle and disappeared, Alfie continued to patrol along the tall, stone wall. But now his wolf was thinking about anything but patrolling and security. He was thinking solely of finding his soulmate.

Damn Amadeus, putting wild thoughts in his head.

But deep inside, a little ember of hope flickered to life.

Maybe tonight.

“I think I need more sunlight,” Hyde said as Alfie pulled into a parking spot at a local bar.

“What?” Alfie asked.

“I’ve been working in the underground market all month. I think this is the first time I’ve been topside since the sleuth went for a shift and wander around the bear paddock last week. And that was at night. I might be a little depressed.”

Alfie looked at his friend. “You could switch to security for a while. Patrol with me and Amadeus. It’s cold as crap right now, though.

” New Jersey often had unpredictable winters.

There were some in recent memory that had been downright balmy in comparison to the single-digit temperatures of the last week.

Each shifter group handled various aspects of the park and underground living areas.

The lions handled security, but also construction and remodeling.

The wolves worked security, the safari tours, and park admissions.

The bears handled the food for the park patrons and the shifters.

Gorillas handled maintenance and upkeep, from the tour Jeeps to electrical and plumbing work around the park and living areas.

And the elephants took care of the norms—the non-shifting animals in the petting zoo and safari tour.

Including the unofficial park mascot, Tank the grumpy moose.

“True,” Hyde said. “I’m not sure if I’d rather be depressed and warm or cold and happy.”

“I didn’t say I was happy, just in the sunlight during the day shift,” Alfie said. “Any job becomes a pain at some point. Except maybe the petting zoo staff. I think playing with baby animals all day would be hella fun.”

“Except for the stall cleanout,” Nathan said from the backseat.

“Oh, hell yeah, that stinks!” Amadeus said.

“So those are the only choices? Cold and happy or bummed and warm?” Hyde asked as they all got out of the SUV Alfie had borrowed from the employee vehicle fleet.

“Pretty much,” Alfie said. “But again, I’m not ecstatic to be walking the park every day. It’s a good job to have, but I like the safari tour. I miss it in the winter.”

While the park itself was closed for the week between Christmas and New Year’s, the park would open again in January with their winter hours—only open on weekends.

The safari tours would be closed through January because the construction crew was breaking ground on the safari-themed cafe, which was going to be built near the entrance of the tour.

Alfie was a jack-of-all-trades when it came to security. He went where Joss put him. He used to be a night owl and loved the overnight security patrols, but lately he’d enjoyed the daytime patrols and working the safari tour either as a driver or guide.

Their group walked into the bar, and each of them gave a once-over to the interior. It was moderately busy, the counter stools all filled but plenty of empty tables, so they grabbed a four-top and settled in.

They ordered beers and a few baskets of fries.

Alfie took off his jacket.

“I see zero females,” Nathan said with a low voice. “Your psychic radar needs to be recalibrated, Amadeus.”

“What about the waitress?” Amadeus asked.

“She’s got a wedding ring,” Alfie pointed out.

“Ah crap, I didn’t notice.” They stopped talking when the waitress appeared and put their beers down, then disappeared to check on their fries. “Oh well.” Amadeus lifted his beer. “To someone’s future changing tonight by whoever walks through the door.”

They all lifted their beers. “That sounds almost ominous,” Alfie said.

“I meant it in a good way. To the future, gents. And finding our other halves,” Amadeus said with a grin.

They all clinked bottles and took a drink after saying hear, hear.

Alfie looked around the bar. The only females were workers that he’d seen before and knew for sure weren’t soulmates for any of them.

But that little ember of hope was still glowing faintly, pulsing with the possibility that someone—maybe his someone—might walk through the door tonight and he could start the next chapter of his life.

The night was young.

Anything was possible.