by Vonna Harper
“That looks infected.” He stroked the back of her hand where the skin around a knuckle had been torn.
“It looked worse yesterday.”
“Hmm. In other words, no big deal. Part of the job.”
“Yes.”
He nodded. Still holding her wrist, he asked what she used to treat the scratches. Forcefully holding herself in check, she answered. His frown said he didn’t think much of her choice. Darn the man. How she cared for her body was none of his concern. After all, she’d all but raised herself. Next to that, this was nothing.
“You said something—” Not sure she was going at this right, she swallowed and started again. “I got the impression you’re here to see the predators. Can I ask why?”
Smiling with his mouth but not his eyes, he released her. She concentrated on lowering her arm to her side despite the desire to stroke where his fingers had been.
“I suspect I don’t have to give you the spiel about endangered species.”
“No,” she whispered, “you don’t.”
“Figured not.” His tone was pensive. “However, I’m going to tell you something. It’s taken me years to put all the pieces together, but I’ll be running a sanctuary with the sole purpose of stabilizing and hopefully increasing the population of predators that are on the brink of extinction. It won’t be open to the public, and I’ll limit the press’s access. Some of the predators you’re so taken with will be given the privacy and opportunity they need to reproduce.”
“You’re the one I—that’s wonderful.” She took a deep breath of air that seemed full of him. Whatever it took to put him into perspective, she had a long way to go. She wasn’t sure she wanted to. “At least it will be if the project is successful.”
“If? You sound like you have doubts?”
“Yes. In the time I’ve been here,” she said, “Luna’s mother and the cougar are the only predators that have given birth here.”
“Why do you think that is?”
He’d switched from contemplative to defensive, at least that’s how she interpreted his tone. Wondering if he really cared about her opinion, she swallowed. “Living in captivity impacts animals in ways I’m not sure we’ll ever understand. Zoos the world over are dealing with population concerns. A lot of caged animals seem to have lost the instinct to reproduce.” She shrugged. “Maybe it’s their way of keeping some of what they do private. So much of their lives are on public display.”
“You’re saying they don’t want anyone watching them mate?”
“Yes.”
The corners of his mouth lifted. “I can’t believe you think it’s that simple.”
“You don’t?”
He folded his arms over a chest no mortal man should have. If she’d seen more potent chests, she couldn’t remember. “I don’t have to answer you.”
Damn it. Why did he have to choose now to point out the undeniable difference between them? “No, you don’t but considering your goal, I believe you owe yourself the truth.”
Looking as if he wanted to run her down and pin her to the ground, he glared. “Don’t push me.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“I’m not interested in apologies any more than I am in hearing ‘oops, I messed up.’ I’m dealing with several financial backers who will pull their support if they so much as suspect there’s a chance of physical harm for anyone working at the preserve. They’re concerned about legal ramifications, which puts all the pressure on me. That’s why I demand absolute compliance with my rules.”
How had the conversation gone from animal reproduction to him making it clear why he’d never allow risky behavior? As intrigued as she was about his project, she was better off with him out of her life. She just needed a few minutes for the message to reach her body.
“I believe I understand why you’ve instituted the rules you have, not that I know what they are. I’m just saying I’ve spent a great deal of time with Luna. He’s pretty representative of predators. In his own way he thrives on routine and consistency.”
“Such as?”
Certain he truly cared, she explained that she fed him at the same time every day. “He likes seeing me. I know he does because he comes right up to the bars, which he doesn’t do if it’s anyone else. Maybe because I was his substitute mother he lets me do things no one else can.”
“Like what?”
“He’ll open his mouth and let me examine his teeth if I tap the top of his nose.”
“How did you get him to do that?”
“Consistency. I kept tapping his nose until he started opening his mouth. Then I’d reward him.”
“So he associates you with a full belly and tasty treats.”
“Pretty much.” Talking to him was getting easier. “I believe he knows I’d never hurt him.”
“Maybe. But touching him runs a hell of a risk.”
“Not for me. I fed him, held him before his eyes opened. Our bond—it’s special and unique.”
“Yeah, unique. Not something I’d ever allow at the preserve.”
Chapter Two
“Who’s that near the jaguar?” Darek asked Dominick Rostel about a half hour after dismissing the young woman who might be responsible for keeping the zoo’s only male jaguar alive.
“Who?” the new zoo owner asked. “Oh, you mean Callie.”
“Yeah.”
“She makes the old body itch, doesn’t she? Believe me, I’ve fantasized about having her under me.”
“Just fantasized?”
“I’ve only been aware of her existence for a few days. To answer your question, she came with the sale. What I mean is, she was working for the zoo’s previous owner when I took over. After watching her for a couple of days I had no doubt I’d keep her on. Calm as she is around the predators, I’m surprised she hasn’t had more contact with them.”
Darek brought the whiskey Dominick had given him to his lips and swallowed. Even with everything he had on his plate including taking a close look at this zoo’s predator population, Callie interested him. Despite her explanation of why she lived so far from her family, he had the feeling that wasn’t the whole story. He was pretty sure there wasn’t a man in her life. The subject hadn’t come up, but he had an instinct about such things. Hell, even married women came onto him. As a result, he sensed the difference between those who were alone and those who weren’t.
“There isn’t much to her. Do you think the previous owners were concerned with her safety?”
“They told me they were. However, it doesn’t matter who works with the meat eaters. The danger’s always there. The first time I saw her, granted it was from a distance, I thought she was a kid. Have you talked to her?”
“Briefly. I ran into her near the jaguar’s enclosure. He’s perfect for my needs.”
“I kind of figured that. Callie talks to the jag, and I swear he understands her.”
“According to what she told me, she may have saved some cougar cubs’ lives. Same thing with the jaguar a year or so ago.”
“That’s what I was told. I don’t know the details. I more than have my hands full since taking over the operation.”
“Why did you? This place needs a lot of work.”
Dominick, who Darek took to be at least ten years older than him, shrugged and took a healthy swig of his drink. “Probably much the same reason you’re involved with the preserve. If we want to be considered a top tier Elite and thus have a say in politics, we have to log time in public service.” He chuckled. “We both wound up being locked up with animals. At least I have diversions, if you get my drift.”
He did, as Darek had spotted the lovely young woman who’d set out the drinks and the differential way she acted around Dominick. “It wasn’t a matter of taking on the preserve’s directorship for political reasons for me. This is something I have to do.”
“I get that, which is my way of letting you know I actually read the policy paper you put out,” Dominick said. “No d
oubt about it, there’s a lot of need when it comes to preserving certain wild animals and not many Elites are qualified to deal with that need. I just hope I have what it takes to do this job.”
Darek silently applauded Dominick’s honesty but saw no reason to further detail why he’d gone after governmental funding and donations for his program. From childhood, wild animals had fascinated him. His well-heeled parents had indulged his passion by arranging for him to spend his teenage summers with wildlife researchers. He’d studied wolf pack behavior, watched a grizzly teach her cubs how to catch fish, and helped manage a mustang herd. He’d even seen a giraffe being born. And yet he’d gone to college to get a degree in business administration so he could take over the family business.
Then he’d gone camping with his uncle Clark. What had happened during their time alone in the wilderness had changed everything.
“What about it?” Dominick pressed. “Do you ever ask yourself if you’re in over your head?”
“No.”
“That confident?”
“I don’t take on anything I don’t believe I’m qualified for.” Or drives me.
The look the older man gave him said he wasn’t sure Darek knew what he was talking about, but Darek felt no desire to explain. Some things were best kept to himself. If pushed enough he would explain he’d turned his back on the family business because he couldn’t give it his all. In contrast he maintained, he was passionate about everything that had to do with saving certain species with an emphasis on predators. The explanation satisfied most people. Only his uncle truly understood.
“All right,” Dominick said. “So you’re here to take possession of several of the zoo’s meat eaters. I take it your list has the Society’s official approval.”
“Of course.”
Dominick held up his free hand. “Don’t take my question the wrong way. I’m just covering my ass, making sure neither of us does anything we have to justify down the road.”
“We won’t.” Much as he wanted to get the conversation over with so the task that had brought him here could begin, he needed to treat Dominick like a colleague. “Don’t you have a copy of the list the Society signed off on? I’m surprised they haven’t sent it to you.”
“Maybe they have.” Dominick sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Straightening out a mix up with a hay delivery this morning took too damn long. So how do you want to handle this? You’ll be bringing your own trucks, right? What about staff?”
“I’ll have both.” He paused long enough to make sure he had Dominick’s full attention. “I also want to make use of several of your staff including the woman we were talking about. Callie’s her name?”
“Your call. The previous owners told me they never saw her act scared.”
“Sometimes fear keeps a person alive. What I have no use for is anyone who believes he or she fully understands animal behavior. There’s no such thing.”
“That sounds like the voice of experience.”
“Yeah.”
“Personal experience?”
Instead of answering, he told Dominick he was ready to pay for the jaguar, leopard, and one of the three female cheetahs. As they discussed how to handle payment, his thoughts returned to Callie. It helped that she was familiar with the jag and could feed a cub, but that didn’t mean she knew how to handle sexually mature predators.
However if she proved to be as competent as he needed her to be, he had plans for her. And if she had flaws he knew how to get rid of them.
* * *
Three flatbed trucks with solid metal cages affixed to them arrived a little before ten on Thursday. Callie, who had been looking for them since breakfast, took note of the cages’ size. She would have selected smaller ones. To her way of thinking, the less room the predators had to move about, the less likely they were to injure themselves. However, no one had asked her. At least having a few days in which to emotionally prepare herself for Luna’s loss as well as two other predators had given her time to learn something about where they were going and who was in charge of the facility.
The name Darek Dalton didn’t ring a bell, but then she wasn’t on a first-name basis with any Elite. Knowing she’d have to spend a chunk of the day in his presence made her uneasy. She tried to tell herself her nerves were tied into the loss she’d have to weather but she’d done more thinking about the man himself than she wanted to admit. His eyes, those deep and dense orbs, had a lot to do with her reaction to him. There was also the undeniable matter of his no-doubt-about-it sexy body. Most of the Elites she’d been in contact with were white collar types. Their clothes, how their hair was styled, even their manicured nails yelled money. What most weren’t was in good physical shape. She figured it had to be all the time they spent behind desks, not that she really knew how they spent their days.
Mr. Dalton was self-confident and yes, domineering. He expected to be obeyed as witnessed by his edict that the zoo employees do nothing out of the ordinary so the predators he’d acquired wouldn’t be on the alert. She wasn’t sure what he meant by out of the ordinary since every day was different. He was in charge at his preserve, but the zoo was beyond his command and control.
“All right already,” she muttered as one of the trucks jockeyed into position near Luna’s enclosure. “Let’s get this over with. Luna deserves better than he’s getting here, namely a mate. Hopefully.”
To her surprise, Mr. Dalton emerged from the truck’s cab. She hadn’t expected him to do more than issue orders, from a distance. He shook hands with the zoo’s new owner and acknowledged the helpers as they gathered around him. When she joined them, he granted her a nod.
He didn’t waste time spelling out how he wanted things handled. He’d left the two other trucks in the visitor parking lot because he wanted to minimize the animals’ agitation as much as possible. They’d start by loading Luna. Immediately after, he’d be taken to the preserve, a journey that would take until evening.
“I want to get all three out of here as quickly as possible,” he said. “Not give the leopard or cheetah time to get worked up. Ideally I’d take one at a time so I can concentrate on each animal, but I have too much on my plate for that.”
“Will you tranquilize them?” someone asked.
“Not if it can be helped because of the effect drugs can have on wild animals.”
At his words, she relaxed. Maybe he knew more than she’d given him credit for. He directed the workmen to unload the portable cage, position it next to the entrance to Luna’s enclosure, and slide both doors open. When they were done, he ordered them to step away.
“All except for you.” He pointed at her. “The jaguar knows you.”
“Yes, but I’m not the only keeper who—”
“That isn’t the point. You let me know you were his mother.”
“Yes.”
“With you around he’ll be less wary.”
Although she felt as if she was being ordered to deceive Luna, she didn’t say anything. What mattered was keeping the jaguar’s stress level as low as possible.
“You still touch him, hopefully with bars between you.”
Wondering if he disapproved, she nodded. She’d deliberately placed herself at a distance from the man so she wouldn’t feel his essence, but it wasn’t helping. He gave off a sensual vibe she’d never felt. To complicate things, he had a commanding presence. The man wouldn’t stand for opposition or defiance from an Other.
“Stand at the far end of the cage. See if you can entice him to go through the opening and into the cage. I left orders not to feed the animals I’m picking up today.” He speared her with a hard stare. “I trust you complied.”
“Yes.”
“Even though you didn’t want to.”
“Luna paced much of the night.”
“What? How do you know that?”
“I spent the night with him.”
His expression left no doubt he didn’t approve of what she’d done. As fascinated as she wa
s by what would take place at the preserve, she was glad she wouldn’t have to spend any more time around him.
“You shouldn’t have.” His mouth barely moved.
“I don’t see—”
“Don’t you? I didn’t think I’d have to spell out everything you should or shouldn’t do. Because you let him see you, the jaguar blames you for his empty belly. Always before you provided for his needs. Last night you failed him.”
One night won’t destroy our relationship. However, wise in the ways of her status in the Society, she lowered her gaze and waited.
“The damage has been done. Nothing to do but see if we can still get this done.” He pointed at the truck. “There’s fresh meat in there. Get it and see if there’s anything you can accomplish.”
Mr. Rostel was watching from a couple hundred feet away. If he had a problem with someone else ordering one of his employees around, he gave no indication. Mr. Rostel hadn’t been in charge of the zoo for long. Maybe he hadn’t decided on which of the staff members he’d inherited he intended to keep. For all she knew, she could be unemployed before the end of the day. If that was the case, she’d be wise to do everything she could to please Mr. Dalton. Not knowing whether she’d have a roof over her head knotted her stomach.
She was used to being alone, darn it. She’d survive.
Mr. Dalton’s sober expression was still in place when she returned with a bucket of raw meat. No matter how many times she’d done this, it never got easy. For one animal to live another had to die.
She positioned herself where Mr. Dalton had ordered her to, picked up a piece of whatever it was, and slid her arm through a space between the bars. A big cat’s sense of smell was finely tuned. She had no doubt Luna had smelled what she was holding the moment she opened the cab door, maybe before. Mr. Dalton backed away from the cage, leaving her to wait for the hungry predator.
She knew to be patient but she’d barely slept last night. Her head was heavy and her legs ached. It probably would have been different if she’d had someone to share the bed with, but reality was reality. Arm dangling, she leaned against the fencing. She’d started to lose focus when a warning went off inside her. She jerked upright. Luna was slinking toward her. His body language said he knew something was different about his world. Ordinarily, he would have avoided going into an unfamiliar space, but hunger was getting in the way of his caution.
