Chapter 8
Caesar’s lion was bristling as he hurried topside to meet the security team.
He hadn’t wanted to tell Sera what was going on because he didn’t want to freak her out, but Otto had come to the park.
He’d smashed through the unmanned security gate at the employee lot.
He hadn’t gotten close to the wrought-iron gate that led into the park, but it was still disconcerting he’d gotten that far.
He reached the topside cafeteria with a snarl in his throat.
How fucking dare Otto come to the park!
Jupiter was waiting for him in the cafeteria, face grim.
“Hey, Dad.”
Caesar planted his hands on his hips. “Amadeus didn’t have a lot of information when he called me. How many males are with Otto?”
“Three. When they smashed through the security gate, it tripped the alarm. Amadeus was on patrol and went to investigate and he nearly got run over by Otto’s vehicle. Thankfully, Javan and Xavier were nearby and helped Amadeus keep them where they were.”
“How many of our people are there?”
“We called all available security members there.”
Caesar nodded and walked toward the door, then he stopped. “Don’t have everyone at the employee lot—scatter them around the perimeter of the park, inside and outside of the walls.”
Jupiter’s brows drew down, then he hummed. “You think he might be luring us to one location and trying to get in?”
“It wouldn’t surprise me. He didn’t become alpha of his jaguar prowl—and manage to successfully take over Dario’s prowl after his death—because he’s a nice guy. He’s dangerous and smart, which is a bad combination.”
“On it,” Jupiter said.
They left the cafeteria and strode swiftly to the employee parking lot to confront Otto, Jupiter using his walkie to communicate with the security team and alphas to ensure there were no areas left unmonitored.
By the time they reached the lot, Caesar was certain the park was secure and none of Otto’s males could infiltrate their defenses.
And even if they did, Sera and the other park shifters who weren’t part of the security team were safely underground where no one could get to them.
They walked through the gate that led to the lot and joined the others at the guard station.
Joss and Atticus were the alphas who’d joined the security team to stand with Caesar, while Marcus and Alistair were with the other security team members watching the park itself.
He was thankful for his friends and the park shifters who always banded together to keep each other safe.
Otto stood in front of his three males, arms folded, and lips curled in an angry snarl. Behind them was an old SUV with a damaged bumper from when they’d smashed through the security bar.
“You were supposed to bring my mate to me,” Otto said.
Caesar immediately wanted to punch him square in the face. And his lion wanted to come out and wipe that look off his face with his claws.
Instead, Caesar planted his feet and folded his arms. “She’s not your mate.”
Otto’s snarl deepened. “She was promised to me.”
“The hell she was,” Caesar said, his voice tipping low with his beast. “Dario made arrangements for you to take Fallon as a mate, which is a fucking archaic thing to do in this day and age. If we even agreed that Fallon was to be part of an arranged mating to you through her alpha, once she found her soulmate, that ended the arrangement. Period.”
“No.” Otto shook his head. “The moment that slut got pregnant, the deal transferred to Sera. Dario promised me a mate from the prowl, and Sera is it. She’s mine.”
“You’re delusional,” Caesar said. “Deals made by dead alphas don’t bind to the living.” He took a step forward. “Sera isn’t property, she’s a person. And she’s my marked mate. You have no claim to her, and you have no standing here.”
Otto moved forward and Caesar could hear the rumble of his jaguar in his chest. He stopped a few feet from Caesar. The tension in the air ratcheted up, low growls emanating from both sides.
“You think I give a damn about any of that? I’ve waited long enough to solidify my place as alpha, joining my prowl and Dario’s. I will not lose what I’ve worked so hard for because Sera decided to whore around with a lion.”
“Call her a whore again,” Caesar snarled, letting out his lion enough that his skin prickled and his fingers tingled from the press of claws. “Sera is staying with me.”
“I will rain hell down on this place,” Otto growled, claws springing from his fingers as he slashed the air. “You think you can hide her? I will find her. I will break down every wall in this place until I have her, and then she’ll spend the rest of her life on her knees, begging for forgiveness.”
Behind Caesar, Joss and Atticus moved closer, the other park shifters closing ranks around them. It was a wall of shifters, supporting him and Sera, standing against this obsessed lunatic.
“You’re trespassing,” Caesar said. “This is your warning to leave.”
“What if I don’t?” Otto asked with a sneer.
Caesar let out his lion further, his claws springing from his fingertips, fangs descending, and his lion letting out a low, deep growl. He heard the answering sounds of wolves, gorillas, lions, bears, and even the elephants roaring in support.
“You can leave now, or you can be escorted into the afterlife,” Caesar said.
“No one threatens the mate of any of us,” Atticus said.
“You are vastly outnumbered,” Joss said. “You will not succeed. This is your warning to leave and not come back, or you will be met with deadly force.”
The murmuring growls from the other shifters grew louder and Otto’s smugness wavered, just slightly. He glanced behind Caesar to the wall of shifters.
“This isn’t over,” Otto said, his upper lip curling in disgust.
“The hell it’s not,” Caesar said.
The males moved to the SUV. Otto gave one last, angry look at Caesar before he got into the vehicle and drove off. Jupiter’s walkie pinged and he lifted it.
“Jupiter.”
“We had two breech attempts,” Marcus’s voice came over the walkie. “One by the apartment complex and one by the front gates.”
“How many?” Jupiter asked.
“There were three males at each section. They were stopped before they got close enough to really try to get past the walls, and they fled pretty fast.”
“Good,” Jupiter said. “Thanks for the update.”
Jupiter looked at Caesar. “You were right. Otto sent others to try to get into the park.”
“We’ve had enough attempts at males with nefarious agendas trying to get into the park to learn a few things,” Caesar said.
“It’s a first for the employee lot, though,” Joss said.
“I’ll have my guys repair the security bar,” Atticus said.
“It was a weak point,” Joss said. “We’ll add some more security measures to that area, and maybe change the gate into the park from here so it’s more secure.”
Caesar looked at the wrought iron gate in the stone wall, the only way into the park from the employee lot. “We’ve relied on the security bar as well as the booth to be a deterrent, but replacing the gate with something more fortified is a good idea.”
“Agreed,” Joss said.
Caesar thanked each shifter personally for coming to stand with him, then sent messages to Marcus and Alistair to thank them for their help.
He looked at his watch and said, “We’ve got less than an hour to get to the paddocks before the tours start. I’ll take a turn in the paddock.”
“Let’s make sure there’s enough of our unmated males to staff the tours, and the rest can help with security,” Joss said.
“Sounds good,” Jupiter said.
“I’m going to talk to Sera,” Caesar said. “Thanks again, everyone.”
“Hey, she’s our mom,” Amadeus said. Lucius nodded in agreement. “She’s not only precious to you and our family, but also the pride and the park shifters. We’ve got your back like you always have ours.”
A hell yes rose up from the shifters, followed by a chorus of cheers and claps. He was one blessed male.
Waving at the shifters, he jogged away, through the gate and down the path toward the employee cafeteria. He’d tell Sera what happened and then make sure she knew that he would keep her safe no matter what.