by R. E. Butler
“Follow the candlelit walkway,” one of the guards said as he closed the big gate behind Devlin.
He looked around and saw a paper lantern sitting at the edge of a path. The interior flickered with candlelight.
“Thanks,” he said, heading toward the lantern. More lanterns appeared every few feet that led him to a large, open area that was full of people milling about. He made his way through the crowd to the building with the sign that read, Lexy’s Sweet Treasures.
He found his parents inside, said hello, and then hugged Lexy and Trina.
“It looks great,” he said. “Are you excited about opening to the public?”
Lexy grinned. “Yes! I can’t wait. Did you get any treats?”
He looked at Trina. “She promised to save me some chocolate.”
“I did,” Trina said. “Hold on.”
Lexy waved to a man who joined them. “Devlin, this is my boyfriend, Win. This is my cousin, Devlin.”
He shook Win’s hand. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Me, too. Glad you could make it.”
Trina appeared with a small glass plate with six dark chocolate squares topped with sea salt, which she handed to Devlin. Right behind her was a tall man, who looked Devlin over silently and then smiled and stuck out his hand. “You must be the brother.”
He chuckled as he shook his hand. “Yes, I’m Devlin. You’re the boyfriend, I take it?”
Trina said, “You guys are being weird. This is Justus.”
“I heard you like math. Are you sure? Because you look like you work out for a living.”
Devlin worked out often. He took pride in his well-toned body and big muscles. He also had a number of tatts, which were all hidden under his work clothes.
“Trin always said that I was a walking contradiction.”
“You are!” she said. “You look like a biker or a hoodlum but you wear a suit and work with numbers all day.”
“I never said that anything about me made sense,” Devlin said. “But I’m happy, and that’s what matters.”
Trin stared up at him in silence for a moment. Then she said, “I’m happy.”
Devlin glanced at Justus and saw the protective way the man stood, just behind his sister, watching for trouble. “I’m glad.”
She tilted her head. “Are you really happy?”
“I got offered the promotion today.”
“What? Yay! I’m so proud of you!” She laughed as she hugged him.
Something caught his attention and in the open doorway he saw a beautiful blonde woman staring at him. Her blue eyes were piercing all the way through to his heart, and he felt a tug of something familiar, as if he’d known her his whole life, even though he’d never laid eyes on her before.
“Thanks, kiddo,” he said, extracting her arms from around his neck.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing’s wrong,” he said, flashing her a smile. “I’ll be right back.”
He set the plate of chocolates down on one of the tables and stalked through the shop. The blonde took one last look at him and disappeared, but he wasn’t about to let her get away. He couldn’t think past how beautiful she was, and how much he wanted to talk to her. He’d never been so singularly captivated by a woman. The only thought banging around in his skull was a word he’d never uttered about a woman in his life before: MINE.
Chapter 3
Jenni finished filling a large glass jar with individually wrapped watermelon taffy and carried it to the main room of the shop and set it on one of the tables. In an hour, the doors would be opened and the party would start. Every person who lived and worked in the zoo, along with Lexy and Trina’s families, would have a chance to try out the goodies.
“You’ll be late for the debut,” Lexy said. “Go put on something comfy and come back and enjoy the night.”
“It looks great,” Jenni said as she untied her apron and hung it on a wooden peg inside the kitchen.
“It really does.” Lexy looked around the main room, her eyes glittering with happiness. “I can’t believe how fast everything came together. I don’t know if I mentioned it, but thank you so much for coming to work here. I wouldn’t have been able to pull this off without your help.”
“I love working here. It’s downright sweet.”
Lexy laughed. “It sure is.”
“I’ll be back shortly.”
“See you soon.”
Jenni left the shop and hurried to the employee cafeteria, taking the hidden entrance and rushing into her house. After taking a quick shower, she stood in front of her closet and tried to decide what to wear. It wasn’t as if it was a fancy event that demanded a particular type of outfit. Lexy was wearing a simple black dress with a pretty yellow belt, a color that Jenni was coming to associate with the sweet female.
Jenni’s lioness growled softly in her mind and a shiver raced through her. Her beast was feeling a little anxious or excited, and she didn’t know why. She didn’t think she was nervous to meet Lexy and Trina’s families, but maybe that was part of it. She was excited to share in the shop’s debut and wanted everyone to like the taffy that she’d made.
Choosing a jean skirt that fell to mid-thigh, she paired it with a dressy green tank and a thin, white sweater that hung off one shoulder. She slipped on a pair of sandals, and then brushed her hair out, deciding to leave it long. Her eyes were bright blue, but as she stared in the mirror over her bathroom sink, she could see the faint gold of her lioness peeking through.
“What’s going on with you?” she asked her reflection.
Not that she expected the beast to actually answer her, but still it would have been nice if she had a reason for the odd feeling that suddenly stole over her. Maybe something good was going to happen. Maybe her soulmate would be on one of the VIP tours that weekend.
Now that would be amazing.
Giving herself a final peek in the mirror, she headed back to the shop for the party. The park had closed early so they could enjoy themselves without worrying about park guests or working. By the time the party started, the shop was packed and so was the surrounding area, where tables and chairs had been set up.
Jenni maneuvered herself through the crowd to the shop, found Lexy and Trina, and met their families.
“I thought you had a brother?” Jenni asked Trina.
“I do. He’s running late,” she said.
She listened to her two human friends as their families gushed over their success, and her heart panged a little. She knew that her pride was happy for her job and would support her, but it wasn’t quite the same as having actual family around to pat her on the back. She hadn’t spoken to her mother in years. When she was younger, she’d tried to keep in touch, but the alpha had expertly cut Jenni out of her mother’s life. She’d promised herself that she’d never choose a male over her own children, like her mother had.
She had zero plans to have a child with a male who wasn’t her soulmate. Even though she was tired of being alone, she’d rather be alone than have a cub with someone who may not stick around for the long haul. Deciding that she’d taken up enough space in the shop, she snagged a grape gummy lion from a plate on one of the tables and popped it into her mouth as she walked out of the shop. She found her pride and joined them.
“We were just talking about the tours,” Jupiter said. His mate, Celeste, was standing in front of him, holding a plate of chocolate covered strawberries.
“I hope more mates show up,” Celeste said. “I can’t believe after all the tours that only two of the new mates came from them.”
“It’s a good idea,” Caesar said. “I think it will happen in the right time for us.”
Mercer said, “I hope the right time is soon.”
Jenni opened her mouth to agree with him, when she caught a faint scent on the air and it made her beast stand up and take notice. Her skin prickled and a shiver of arousal slid through her. Tilting her head, she closed her ey
es and inhaled, sorting through the different scents of food and shifters, until she found the scent that intrigued her and her lioness. It was the scent of the woods at night, dark and earthy. Opening her eyes, she followed the scent back to the shop, where she stood in the doorway and located the source.
He was wearing jeans that were tight enough to highlight every muscular inch of his long legs, and a button-down shirt that was rolled at the sleeves revealing tattoos on his arms. His hair was dark and cropped short, and when he turned to face her and their eyes met, she saw a spark of interest in the baby blue depths. She’d never been more singularly attracted to a male in all her life.
Her fingers curled into the doorjamb and she was vaguely aware of the sound of cracking wood. She released her grip on the door and turned away, walking quickly from the shop. Her lioness was right under her skin and she felt like she was two seconds from shifting and trying to climb that male like a tree.
Which would have been fine, if there weren’t humans who knew nothing of their natures standing in the shop. She needed to clear her head and cool her cat down. And then she could go back and find the male who intrigued her so.
“Hey,” a masculine voice called to her as she turned down a path away from the shop.
A warm hand grasped her arm and she stopped, turning to face the very male she’d been trying to get a little distance from in the shop.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?” he asked.
She opened her mouth to answer, and could feel her lioness wanting to purr, so she snapped her teeth together with an audible click.
He chuckled. “Cat got your tongue?”
She laughed and felt herself relax a little. Probably because he was still holding her arm gently but firmly.
“My tongue is just fine, thanks.”
He arched a brow and her cheeks heated.
“I mean, ahem, that I’m good. Do you always follow strange women to ask where they’re going?”
He looked down at her. He towered over her by a foot, and his broad shoulders and muscular body seemed to strain the seams of the shirt he wore. Which, her cat assured her, would look wonderful balled up on the floor of her bedroom.
“It’s not a habit. I just…thought we had a connection back there, but before I could get close, you disappeared like your ass was on fire.” He peeked around her and then grinned. “Nope, it’s not.”
“Thanks for the concern for my ass,” she said, dryly.
“I’m Devlin Potter.”
“Oh! You’re Trina’s brother.”
“Yes. I promise that at least eighty percent of what she told you about me is utter lies.”
“Nothing bad, I promise. I’m Jenni Brisban.”
“You work for Lexy. She mentioned you.”
“I hope only good things.”
“Of course.”
Her lioness was banging around in her skull, assuring Jenni that this male was their soulmate. This sexy, sexy male, who maybe had more tattoos in more interesting places that needed to be explored right away.
“Fuck, you’re gorgeous,” he said, cupping her face. “Sweet Jenni.”
His touch ignited something deep inside, and she knew then that her cat was entirely on point. Devlin was her soulmate.
Her human soulmate.
Don’t care, her cat seemed to say, urging Jenni to close the distance to his utterly kissable lips and find out if he tasted as good as he smelled.
She wrapped her hands around his wrists and rose onto her toes. He lowered his head and brushed his lips over hers. Once. Twice. Then he lingered, opening his mouth and swiping his tongue over her lips. She opened her mouth with a sigh and stroked her tongue against his. Her stomach fluttered and her cat purred in her mind as he laid one large hand on the small of her back and drew her against him. She couldn’t miss the hard ridge of his erection, and suddenly it was the only thing she could think about.
Except he was human. And didn’t humans like to date before they had sex? Not just roll into bed at first sight.
She pulled from the kiss, her heart pounding in her chest.
“Want to get out of here?” he asked roughly, resting his forehead against hers. She could hear the rapid beating of his heart.
Although it killed her to say it, she had no choice. After one of the gorillas fell asleep at his soulmate’s home during their first night together and shifted while he slept, potentially endangering them all, the council had passed a law that their people were forbidden from spending the night outside of the zoo.
It wasn’t that late. She could go somewhere with him and come back later, but she knew her cat wasn’t going to go for that.
“I,” she started. She couldn’t finish the sentence though. She didn’t know what to say. Then she had an idea. “I can’t leave, but we can go somewhere private.”
“Your place? Wouldn’t that be the same as leaving?”
“No, there are some apartments on the property. We can hang out for a bit in private and then come back to the party. Unless you don’t want to? You came to see your sister.”
“Yeah, I did. But I want to see you now. I can’t explain why I feel so drawn to you, but you’re irresistible. Just a taste and I want more.”
Warmth pooled in her belly.
She took his hand and they walked down the path together. She hadn’t planned it, but she’d been on her way to the apartments before he stopped her. Her cat must be psychic. The apartments were in a converted barn which had at one time been part of a petting zoo. After the human mates came along, they needed a way to live at the zoo without drawing suspicion from their families. Inside the barn were three apartments. Only one apartment had been finished entirely and was furnished and had electricity and plumbing. The other two were facades. Lexy and Trina had both told their parents they were living in the apartments, so Jenni knew she couldn’t take Devlin into the finished apartment, but there was a gathering area outside of the apartments with several couches, which would be perfect for getting to know her soulmate.
“What do you do?” she asked.
“I actually just got promoted today to be my company’s controller. I work for an accounting firm.”
“Congratulations. I have no idea what a controller does, though. I’m guessing…math?”
He laughed. “Yep. I’ll handle things like the company’s budget, financial reporting, and some salary aspects. I was the assistant controller before, so I was waiting for the job to open up. I’m sure it sounds boring.”
“Not at all. I’m just not much of a math person. Thank goodness for the calculator on the phone.”
He squeezed her hand lightly as he chuckled. “Do you like making candy?”
“I do. I used to work in the security office. I just wanted to do something different.”
“I get that. My family thought I would go into professional body building or own a gym or be a trainer. I like working out, I just don’t want to do it for a career.”
She grasped his bicep and gave it a squeeze. Her ovaries cheered at how rock solid he was. “I can tell you like to work out.”
They reached the barn, and she entered the code to unlock the front door. He followed her in and she shut the door. Flipping on one of the light switches at the side of the door, she illuminated the gathering area. A portion of the barn had been left open, and beyond that were the three apartments, which looked like two-story condos.
“Do you live here?” he asked.
“No. The apartments are for some of our staff. I live off-site.” She cringed at the lie, but hid it by clearing her throat. “I thought we could hang out and get to know each other without leaving the park.”
“Sure,” he said, leading her to one of the couches. He sat down and she joined him.
Before she could get settled on the comfortable cushion, he hauled her onto his lap, her knees straddling him. She squeaked in surprise and then gasped as his hands settled on the outside of her thighs. She settled her hands on his shou
lders and looked down at him, captivated by the glittering interest in his eyes. They’d darkened from pale blue to navy.
“Tell me that you feel it, too,” he whispered, nipping at her chin. “Tell me you want me as much as I want you. Not just for tonight, but for every night.”
Her cat yowled in happiness.
She pressed one hand to his cheek and sank the fingers of her other hand into his hair. “I do.”
“Come home with me,” he said, his voice tipping low.
“I can’t. Not tonight.”
She pressed her lips to his and he opened immediately to her tongue, sucking on it as he slowly pushed her skirt up her thighs. She fisted his hair, tilting his head to deepen the kiss, sliding her tongue against his and trying to stifle the purr from her cat. He slid the skirt up to her waist and then spread his fingers across her panties.
Easing from the kiss, she unbuttoned his shirt and spread it open, gazing in rapture at all his sexy muscles. His pecs flexed under her gaze and she smiled.
“You’re so sexy,” she said.
“Oh? I’m not the only one,” he said.
He curled his fingers around the edge of her panties and pulled them to the side and then he slid his fingers down to her pussy. She gasped as he slid one finger into her heat.
“Lift your shirt,” he demanded.
She grasped the hem of her top and drew it up her body, shuddering as he slid his finger out and pushed it in again. She caught the center of her bra and lifted it too, until she bared herself for him. She leaned forward and kissed him, gasping as he pushed a second finger into her. He lowered his head to her breast, sucking her nipple slowly into his mouth. She arched her back as he moved to her other nipple and sucked it into his mouth with the same slow movements.
Reaching between them, she straightened and grasped his belt, undoing the buckle and sliding it apart. Tugging the button open and zipper down, she slid her hand under his jeans and boxers and wrapped her hand around his thick length. He flexed his hips as he released her nipple.
“Fuck, Jenni.”
“More,” she said, pushing at her cat to keep the purr from her voice.
