by Anna Zaires
He looked at the mating mark he’d made. His fangs had elongated as he came, and he’d been unable to stop himself from sinking them into her flesh. It had been pure instinct that had him drawing her body to another climax to help mask the pain of the mark. As she’d come, her body tightening like a bow as her delicious scent filled the air, he’d come again as well, which had surprised him. He’d been lucky to still be upright after the second time, because his bones felt like they’d melted.
His phone buzzed and he ignored it, not wanting to leave her for a moment. But it kept buzzing, and after ten minutes he extracted himself from her warmth and dug it out of his jeans. His father’s name flashed on the screen.
Zane moved silently from the room and shut the door.
“About time you answered.”
“I’ve been preoccupied with my mate. What’s up?”
“The council wants to get your statements. When can you bring her to the meeting hall?”
He glanced at the clock. “Eight.” That would give her an hour to rest, and then they could clean up and eat something. She hadn’t eaten any of the snack he’d put together, and he felt like a bad mate for not making sure she ate.
“All right. We’re going together as a group, so I’ll meet you downstairs.”
“Did you see the footage?”
“Caesar sent me a copy. It’s damning.”
“What do you think the council will do?”
“I have no idea. He needs to be kept away from the humans, though, regardless of whatever else is decided. See you in a bit.”
After ending the call, Zane put his phone on the counter and went back to bed, gathering Adriana close.
***
Two hours later, Zane introduced his mate to his dad and band. Although Adriana appeared calm, he could feel the tension in her as she tucked herself close to him.
His dad asked, “Adriana, did Zane tell you about the council?”
“Yes. Will the guide be there?”
“He will be, but he’s being guarded by the lions, so there’s no way he could get to you.”
“Why lions?” she asked.
“Because they’re the head of zoo security,” Zane answered.
“If lions are head of zoo security, why was Alfie, a wolf, security on the tour?”
Atticus said, “Because the lions are security for the park as a whole. They only have twenty pride members, and they handle general park security while the tour security guards are really just glorified drivers and not part of the security team.”
She looked up at Zane and smiled tentatively. He brushed his lips over hers and whispered, “I’ll keep you safe, sweetheart. There’s nothing to worry about.”
She rolled her eyes with a snort. Neo chuckled. “I like her. You don’t happen to have a sister, do you?”
“Sorry, I’m an only child. I do have a best friend, though. Oh! I should call her. Celeste is probably worried sick.”
“Actually, your friend found her mate. His name is Jupiter and he’s a lion. You can’t see her right now, but when you’re able to, Zane can take you to her,” Neo said.
“Why can’t I see her now?”
“Because lions have some weird mating rituals,” August said, smiling. “Among them are not leaving the mating bed for a while.”
Adriana smiled. “I’m glad she found her mate. Can we get this over with? I don’t want to spend any more time in that asshole’s presence then necessary.”
“I agree,” his dad said. “Just remember to tell the truth. Zane won’t be in trouble for what he did, so there’s no need to keep anything out. If you don’t remember something, just say that you don’t recall. When you and Zane have given your testimony, you’ll be free to go.”
She nodded.
Following his dad out of their band’s private section, they walked to the council meeting. Zane pointed out the hallways that led to the other shifter groups’ private sections and the market stalls and cafeteria in the central area. “Anything you need that you can’t get here can be ordered topside.”
“What’s topside?”
“Above ground,” he amended. “If there’s something special you’d like – a certain kind of shampoo, or a meal from a restaurant you enjoy – you can fill out a request and send it to the security office through our online program. Most everything is done within twenty-four hours, but some things can take longer, depending on what it is.”
“So we’re trapped in the park?”
“No, not at all. We can go out shopping, or to dinner. Because we’re busy working in the park, it’s usually easier to order things.”
“Do you ever order anything?”
“Sure. I like Mario’s Pizza, so I get a couple of pies once a month or so.”
Adriana frowned but didn’t say what she was thinking. Zane wanted to ask her what was wrong, but they’d reached the council chambers, so he made a mental note to ask her later. He squeezed her shoulder as they walked into the large meeting room.
His dad took his seat at the alphas’ table among the heads of the other were-groups. The others had already arrived. In the corner of the room, two lions stood on either side of Jesse, whose hands were cuffed in front of him. Alfie was next to the lions, but he wasn’t cuffed.
Around the room, the high-ranked members of each were-group watched as Caesar, the alpha lion, pressed something on his phone. A screen against the wall illuminated, showing the dash-cam footage. It began from the moment that Adriana entered the Jeep at the station. Caesar fast-forwarded through the majority of the footage, up until they left the wolf paddock and headed to Zane’s band. It was clear that Adriana wasn’t comfortable with Jesse, and seeing the events unfold that led to her being harmed made him want to throw Jesse into a few dozen trees until the bastard learned to never put his hands on a female again.
When Jesse attacked Adriana, every male in the room growled in anger. Zane looked at Jesse, who wore an arrogant smile. He didn’t seem concerned at all that he’d harmed a human or broken their laws.
The footage caught everything, including when Zane carried Adriana into the paddock. To Zane’s surprise, Alfie contacted his alpha before getting Jesse, putting his unconscious body in the back seat, and driving erratically to the garage, where the alpha wolf and several other males met him. The footage cut off there and the room went silent.
Caesar stood slowly. “We’ll hear now from Zane and his mate, Adriana.” He gestured to the space in front of the table and they walked to the area and stopped, facing the row of leaders.
Caesar said, “Adriana, we understand that you’ve been traumatized by the behavior of our tour guide and driver. The alphas are sincerely sorry. Please tell us, in your own words, what happened.”
She trembled next to Zane, her heart pounding wildly, and he held her a little closer. Her voice was rough at first, but she cleared it and straightened her spine, lifting her chin. Staring straight at Jesse, she explained her unease with her guide and his increasingly aggressive behavior. When her story was finished, she pointedly moved her gaze from Jesse to stare at the alphas.
Joss, the alpha wolf, said, “I apologize for my son.”
“Thank you,” Adriana said.
“Zane? Tell us your side of things,” Caesar requested.
Zane quickly reviewed what he’d witnessed. He thought it was entirely redundant; the dash-cam footage showed nearly everything, although some things were out of the camera’s sight. Jesse had put his hands on a human to harm her, knowing she was a mate, and had partially shifted in front of her. He’d broken three separate laws. Breaking one law was bad enough – three was unthinkable. Zane understood that the council was just covering their asses by having the footage and testimonies, but he still found it to be a waste of time.
When he finished speaking, the room was silent. Every male present was staring at the council, and every alpha sitting there wore grim faces. Marcus, the alpha bear, said, “I want to know why Jesse acted this way.”
Jesse smirked but said nothing. Joss growled so loudly that Adriana gasped, and her whole body tensed. Zane wrapped his arms around her, but her trembling didn’t still.
Jesse’s bravado slipped for a brief moment, but he regained it quickly. “Zane fucked with a female I wanted to mount last year. I wanted to fuck with his female in the same way.”
Marcus shook his head. “You attacked the mate of one of our people over a petty grudge? Have you lost your mind?”
“I don’t have to answer to you, bear,” Jesse said, the words all but growled.
“No, but you do have to answer to me,” Joss said. “Behavior such as this will not be tolerated within the pack. Mates are never to be harmed.”
Atticus said, “I don’t think we need to debate punishment. Our laws are very clear.”
Alastair, head of the elephants, nodded. “Three laws, but one severe punishment. The duration is the only question.”
The alphas looked at Joss, who was still glaring at Jesse. There was definitely no love lost between father and son.
Joss turned his attention to Alfie. “You were acting under orders from a higher ranked male. I find you not at fault for what occurred. You will, however, be removed from tour duty for two months.”
Alfie nodded and dropped his head, visibly relieved.
Caesar snapped his fingers. One of the lions brought around a steel case, and set it on the council table in front of Joss. The silence grew thick as everyone watched Joss open the case and remove a barbed collar. He stood slowly and looked at Zane and Adriana as he spoke. “One year for every broken law.”
A collective gasp rose from the crowd, and Zane looked at his dad, who frowned but then nodded.
“I agree,” Atticus said, and each alpha added their agreement to the punishment as well.
Joss said, “The pack apologizes for the behavior of two of their males. May your union be blessed.”
Atticus motioned to Zane, and he turned with Adriana and left the council chambers. Win and August followed them.
“Why are we leaving? What’s going on?” Adriana asked.
“That’s called a Flayer. It’s a special collar for shifters. Joss will put it on Jesse, and it will be locked with a key. When the key is turned, hooks will come out inside the collar and set into the skin. Because shifters heal quickly, his skin will knit around the hooks. If he tries to shift, the hooks are designed to react to that change by twisting and embedding further in the flesh. The collar will kill him if he tries to shift.”
“And?”
“And that means he can’t shift for three years, the length of his punishment. Wolves feel driven to shift every full moon. He’ll go crazy,” Win said. “Literally.”
“It sounds like a bad idea to make an asshole like that purposely crazy,” Adriana said.
“He’ll most likely have to be put down,” Win said.
“Put down, like killed?”
Zane rubbed her shoulder. “It’s a wolf issue now. He won’t be allowed to leave his home or work topside while he’s wearing the collar. If he survives the three years, the collar will be removed and he’ll be allowed to resume duties within the pack. When he proves himself a worthy member of society again, he’ll be allowed to return to his job.”
“It’s a double punishment. While he’s under house arrest, he won’t be allowed to see if any of the human females are his mate. His mate could come through the zoo, and he would never know,” August said.
At the base of his home tree, Adriana looked up at Zane. “Part of me wants to feel sad about that, but to think he tried to touch me, to hurt me, just to get back at you…it boggles my mind.”
Zane cupped her face. “You didn’t do anything wrong. He knew he’d be punished for breaking our laws. He’s not our problem anymore.”
Adriana smiled. “Okay.”
He turned and went down on one knee. “Climb on, sweetheart.”
She leaned against his back, wrapping her arms and legs around him, and he stood. “Hold on,” he cautioned as he leapt for the lowest branch. She squealed in surprise and hugged herself closer to him as he swung them up into the canopy. He moved from tree to tree, enjoying the feel of her against his back. He stopped at each house to explain where his band members lived, and then took them back home.
“Tomorrow,” he said, as he helped her off his back and they walked inside his house, “two of the lions will take us to your apartment and I’ll help you pack.”
“Okay,” she said. He turned to shut the front door. Something soft hit him in the back of the head, and he turned to see that she was topless and her shirt was on the floor.
He growled. She stepped from her shoes and shrieked in laughter as she spun on her heels and headed for the bedroom.
He liked the way she thought.
CHAPTER 8
The next day, Adriana and Zane, along with two lions named Amadeus and Mercer, went to her apartment. They passed by Celeste’s bedroom and she stopped, noticing it was empty.
“She already packed up? I thought you said she couldn’t leave because of weird lion mating stuff.”
Mercer sniffed. “Our matings are not weird.”
“Sorry,” Adriana said.
Amadeus shook his head. “It’s okay. Jupiter sent some males to pack up her things. Celeste wanted your things packed as well, but Jupiter said it should be left to you to decide when to do that.”
“Will I get to see her?”
“Of course, sweetheart,” Zane said. “When we get home, Amadeus can take a message to her and we can arrange a get-together. Once their mating time is done, you can see her whenever you like.”
“Okay,” she said, smiling. “Let’s get going. I need to stop by work and quit, too.”
“What about your parents?” he asked as he followed her into her bedroom. Boxes had been set on the floor, and she lifted one onto the bed and then headed for the closet.
“They live in Florida. My dad got a job transfer after I graduated from high school, and I decided to stay here. My mom and I talk on the phone once a week, but my dad and I aren’t really close. Can we go visit them?”
“Sure, sweetheart,” Zane said, smiling. “Would they come visit you? We could put them up in a nearby hotel.”
“They won’t. My dad’s job doesn’t allow him to leave for long periods of time, and my mom hates to travel. They haven’t been back here to visit. I go once a year to see them, and we talk on the phone and Skype a lot.”
As they packed up her bedroom, they talked about the future. Zane said she could work with him in the garage.
“Seriously? I don’t know anything about cars. I can’t even put windshield wiper fluid in mine.” She laughed lightly.
“I don’t want you to be bored or regret our life together.”
She turned from the closet and stared at him. “What?”
“You’re losing a lot because of our mating, Adriana. I won’t give you up, but I’m worried you’ll come to hate me.”
“I would never hate you.” She was falling hard for him. He was the most amazing guy she’d ever known. He had protected her from the moment they met. He’d comforted and cared for her.
“I can’t give you the freedom you’re used to. I would say that you could work in the park somewhere, but my beast wouldn’t be able to handle you being topside unless you were with me.”
She put the clothes she’d removed from the closet into a box by her feet and walked over to Zane. Placing her hands on his chest, she looked up at him. He was so sexy. Muscles on top of muscles, gorgeous eyes, lips that were so kissably full she couldn’t help but want to nibble on them.
He rested his hands on her hips. “I don’t know what the future holds for us, Zane, but I know in my heart that I won’t regret what we have together.”
Lowering his head, he kissed her so tenderly that her heart clenched. “You’re perfect, Adriana.”
“Not hardly, but I’m glad you think so,” she said, grinning.
“Shit!” One of the lions shouted from the front room.
“Stay here,” Zane said, rushing out of the room. He returned a moment later, his face carved with worry. “We’ve got to go, right now.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Someone leaked the dash-cam footage to the media. We’ve got to get back to the zoo immediately.”
He rushed her from the apartment, leaving behind what hadn’t already been loaded into the SUV. As they pulled onto the street, she gasped. Two vans were turning swiftly into the apartment’s parking lot, local news logos on the sides of the vehicles.
“Zane?”
He shook his head, his cell to his ear. “This is bad, sweetheart.”
“Why are there news crews at my apartment?”
“Because someone also leaked your name and address as the victim of a gorilla attack,” Amadeus said, his hands tightening on the wheel as he drove swiftly toward the zoo.
“What? Holy crap!” She pulled her cell from her purse and opened the internet browser, typing in one of the news websites. As the page loaded, her parents’ home number popped on the screen. “Mom?”
“Honey! Are you okay? We got a phone call a few minutes ago that you were assaulted at a zoo!”
“No, Mom, I’m okay, I promise. It was a misunderstanding.”
“How could you being attacked by an animal be a misunderstanding?” Her father’s voice came over the line.
Her mouth went dry. She couldn’t tell her parents what had really happened. She didn’t know what to say. Looking at Zane she mouthed help me, and he put his hand over his cell and whispered, “Tell them that you’re fine and you’ll Skype them in a little while. You can’t talk because you’re not home.”
Repeating to her parents what he’d said, she ended the call as quickly as she could. Her phone buzzed with another call, but it was a private number.
Mercer growled. “Turn off your phone, Adriana. Don’t answer that.”
