The Predator's Pet

by Vonna Harper

  “Because of their speed?” The possibility of watching one in action had her shivering in excitement. “They’re the fastest land animal.”

  “For short distances. What else do you know about them?”

  “Probably not as much as you wish I did. The zoo doesn’t have any because it lacks the space they need. I understand they’re less solitary than predators like jaguars.”

  “The males are fairly social, females not so much.”

  “I wonder why that is. Are you looking at one?”

  “Not now. Two, including the one that came from where you used to work were in sight a while ago. I’ve placed males and females together, but for the present the females want nothing to do with the males. Hopefully that’ll change once everyone has settled in and the females are in estrus. That’s the only way we stand a chance of getting the next generation.”

  She liked how he’d ended by saying we as if it was something the two of them were in together. “Where do I come in? Didn’t you hire me because of my experience with cubs? If there aren’t any little ones—”

  “Two panthers are pregnant, one nearly ready to give birth if I’m right about when the breeding took place. Unless something goes wrong, I just want you to observe how the mother does her job. As long as she has enough milk and the right instincts, I don’t want you doing anything to get between mother and children.”

  Because she didn’t want to risk her life, she had no objections. Just the same, it bothered her to have him spell things out like this, making her rethink her earlier conclusion that he saw them as equals.

  Darn it, she should have known better. One colleague wouldn’t bare another’s buttocks and turn them red. She didn’t dare ever forget she was an Other.

  “When I was at the zoo, I got within a few feet of all the predators.”

  “That’s why this exists.” He indicated the observation equipment. “So the predators can live as naturally as possible. I was planning to bring you up here tomorrow, get you oriented.” He pointed to his left. “The panthers are over there. Your responsibility, for now, will be to monitor their behavior. Hopefully it won’t take you long to figure out which panther is about to deliver.”

  “If she isn’t carrying many cubs the pregnancy might not show, especially not from a distance.”

  “If you’re using that rationale as an excuse for getting closer, I’m not buying it.”

  Memories of the spanking invaded her mind, but she pushed them away. She’d be of no use to him or more important the meat eaters if she didn’t voice her opinion. “I’m stating what I’ve learned. I don’t see how you can have a blanket policy.”

  “I have no choice. Callie, as I believe I’ve made clear, I’m responsible for everyone’s safety. One attack is one too many.”

  He was deadly serious. Knowing they were surrounded by predators was both exciting and a little unnerving.

  “Are you speaking from personal experience?” she asked.

  For too long she thought he wasn’t going to respond. Then: “My uncle survived but he’ll never be the same.”

  “What happened?”

  He stared at her so long she guessed he was debating whether to answer her. “My uncle was jumped by a cougar while the two of us were out hiking. We’d been in the wilderness countless times so...”

  He’d seen the attack. “It must have been terrifying.”

  “There wasn’t time for fear.” His words were clipped. “She reached him first, before we knew she was there.”

  First? Did that mean he too had been attacked? It wasn’t a question she felt she had a right to ask. The explanation would have to come from him. She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear it.

  “Did—did someone kill the cougar?”

  His short nod tightened her belly. “Yeah. Even as badly hurt as he was, Uncle Clark didn’t want her killed, but I didn’t have a choice.”

  It wasn’t as light in here as outside, and at the moment Mr. Dalton’s face was in shadow. Just the same, she caught a multitude of emotions in his expression. She’d unwittingly forced him to return to a nightmare. Barely acknowledging what she was doing, she touched the back of his hand.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah, well.” His nostrils flared. “Fortunately our cell phones worked. If help hadn’t shown up, he probably would have bled to death.”

  “Oh.”

  “Pretty simple, isn’t it?”

  Complicated was more like it, but she didn’t have the words—or the right.

  “He’s coming in a few days. I want him to see this place.”

  “It won’t be too much for him? I mean, maybe being here will force him to relive—”

  “He’s a strong man.”

  “So are you.” She barely got the words out.

  “Nothing like him. He deserves—this.”

  Despite not being able to fully comprehend what he was talking about, she couldn’t recall ever having such an intense conversation with an Elite. Maybe he felt the same way. After patting his hand a second time, she stepped back a little and folded her arms over her chest.

  Several silent seconds passed. Then he shook his head as if waking himself and indicated one of the monitors.

  “I’ll access the Google map that shows the entire complex so you’ll know how it’s laid out. There’s also a print map with every enclosure, zone, and path marked. There’s a second observatory about a mile from here. It takes both to keep an eye on everything.”

  “Where is it? Maybe it’d be easier for me to keep an eye on pregnant females from there.”

  “As far as I know, only the panthers are pregnant.”

  “But you can’t be certain?”

  His chuckle touched a place deep inside and alerted her to something about herself. The man’s moods kept her off balance.

  “How would you suggest it be done?” he challenged. “Strap every female meat eater down and take an ultrasound? I hired as much staff as I did in part so we can monitor predator behavior without interrupting their privacy. I’m still involved in some negotiations, but if things continue like they’ve been doing, by the end of the year there will be at least one pair of each endangered species here. It’s a start.”

  “I’m impressed. I had no idea you—”

  “Was so obsessed? I am when I deeply believe in something.”

  Not sure whether he was revealing his nature or warning her, she decided not to comment about what he’d just said. “A single male can service more than one female so acquiring females is more important, isn’t it?” she asked.

  “Yes and no.” He looked at where she’d briefly rested her hand. “I’ve done a hell of a lot of research, more than just about everyone including those who consider themselves wildlife experts. As a result, I’m convinced the males will be more determined to breed if there’s competition.”

  “I’ve never thought about that.”

  “I have to.”

  He didn’t really. As a wealthy man, he could do what he wanted with his life. If he was as concerned about species survival as he’d indicated, he could settle for making a sizeable donation to a breeding program. He didn’t have to devote his life to it.

  But he had.

  Trying to wrap her mind around his determination and complexity was more than she could handle. Not only was she trapped in a small space with a sexy, fascinating, and complicated man, she wasn’t sure how she felt about her new job. Mr. Dalton expected a lot out of her, maybe more than she could deliver. She’d do her best to follow his rules, but his physical appearance was going to make it difficult.

  Not only that, considerable responsibility was being placed on her shoulders. He’d decided she could be trusted to insure the safety of the preserve’s newborns. He expected her to keep her distance from the animals while staying alert to any and all emergencies. She hadn’t had a problem taking Luna from his neglectful mother, but what if one of the panthers had trouble giving birth? What if a stressed mother attack
ed her newborn? Those things happened.

  Not sure how or whether to word what she was thinking, she turned her attention to her employer. His attention was tuned to another monitor. This one had a live feed of what seemed to be an empty enclosure dotted with brush and a number of boulders.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “Movement.”

  Where, she wanted to ask. Instead, prompted by what she sensed was tension on his part, she studied the screen. After several seconds, something emerged from behind a large bush. It faded behind more vegetation before she could determine its species.

  “It’s like a ghost,” she whispered. “Prey wouldn’t know it was there until too late.”

  “Yeah.”

  Was he going back in time to the cougar attack, the suddenness of it? He hadn’t said anything about having been injured, but maybe he had been. Even if he hadn’t he’d watched helplessly while his uncle was attacked, the memory would be hard if not impossible to distance himself from. Yet he’d chosen to spend his life around animals capable of killing him.

  So complex.

  Chapter Five

  Darek stood so he could better acknowledge every member of his audience. Only four other people, all of them the newest hires, were in the large room in his on-site house he’d had designed for staff meetings. It had comfortable seating, a TV, a computer setup, and a fully functioning kitchen along one side. Some of his investors had questioned spending so much money on Others, but he needed his employees to share his commitment. This was one way of getting his point across.

  He hadn’t given much thought to this group’s makeup while he was selecting them. Now he did. Callie was the only female. One of the males was a teenager. He’d chosen him because he needed to have a lot of physical work done and had been assured the boy was a hard worker. The other two were around Callie’s age. No surprise, they’d sat near her and had been trying to get her attention. The last thing he needed to have to deal with was jealousy.

  Doubtless, word of her spanking had spread through the facility. It had probably been gossiped enough that it now had only a passing connection with the truth. Undoubtedly she was embarrassed to be the subject of so much talk, but the way he saw it, she’d do everything she could to avoid a repeat lesson.

  Spanking her and making sure she understood why had taken about an hour. He had more than enough to do in a day, but he could think of far less interesting ways of spending his time. Usually he didn’t concern himself with how the Society shaped his life. When he did, he acknowledged the rules and regulations were a pain in the ass—except for a handful like the one that gave him free access to a female ass.

  “I take it for granted all of you have educated yourself about what I require in the way of behavior.” He held up a copy of the folder detailing his standards. “Unless someone has a question, I’m not going to belabor what’s in here. What I need you to understand, to follow to the letter of the law, is that the preserve’s success and your lives depends on everyone doing what I expect of them.”

  Randy something, who’d been doing kennel cleanup and maintenance for an animal rescue facility, held up his hand.

  “I don’t see anything in here—” he indicated his folder, “about how we’re supposed to interact with the predators. You want us to leave them alone?”

  “He does,” Callie said before he could. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt, but Mr. Dalton and I discussed the difference between the operation here and at the zoo where I worked. We’re supposed to do everything we can to make them believe they’re free so they’ll behave like their ancestors did.”

  “But they aren’t free,” Randy said.

  “Unfortunately, no,” Darek agreed. “I don’t need to go into why that isn’t possible. Instead I need all of you to focus on our agenda. Getting to this point has taken me years. I’m committed to doing everything I can to successfully move forward.”

  “Why?” the other man asked. “I mean, that’s a lot for one person to take on.”

  The man—Gordon, wasn’t that his name?—had worked in a biology lab dedicated to genetic research. “Yes, it is,” Darek agreed.

  “Why do you do it? I’m sorry. I have no business asking. I’m just...”

  Callie had been looking at Randy and Gordon. Her attention shifted to him. In her expression he read that she was remembering what he’d told her about his uncle. Since he hadn’t told her everything, he didn’t expect her to fully grasp how the attack had shaped his life’s direction. Except for his uncle, no one did.

  As horrific as the attack that nearly killed a man he loved had been, watching the cougar die had been as bad. One moment she’d been alive and aggressive, a predator doing what she was hardwired to do. The next moment her blood stained the forest floor.

  Uncle Clark had cried for the cougar. Because he’d been so concerned for his uncle, the full impact hadn’t hit Darek for several days. When it did with a vengeance, he’d taken off and walked until weakness had overtaken him. And he’d cried.

  He’d vowed to never be part of something like that again.

  “It’s personal,” he told the small group. “Right now I want to make sure everyone knows how this place is laid out and what their specific tasks will be. I won’t have as much time for that as I thought I would because we’re getting another delivery today.”

  “What is it?” Callie asked, her eyes shining.

  “A female Malayan tiger.”

  Her mouth opened then closed, opened again. “They’re critically endangered. How...”

  “If you’re asking where she came from, she was captured in the southern tip of Thailand.”

  “Critically endangered,” Randy repeated. “Are there any others here?”

  “Unfortunately, not that I know of. I’m trying to get possession of a male that’s in a Midwest zoo, but there’s a lot of red tape. It’s going to take a while.”

  “What if it doesn’t happen?” she asked. “Will this one live out her life by herself?”

  “Not if I can help it.”

  “What’s the big deal about this kind of tiger?” Randy asked. “I thought they were all the same.”

  “No,” Darek said. “According to DNA testing, there are separate subspecies. I’m not the only one who believes each subspecies has the right to continue to exist.”

  “I didn’t mean anything,” Randy said. “I’m curious, that’s all.”

  The conversation shifted to the logistics of how to get the tigress from the plane she was coming in on to a truck and out here. Callie’s expression had become introspective, making him wonder if she was still thinking about the rare animal. He’d seen her enough times that he should be used to what a lightweight she was. Her complexion was fair, her eyes a light blue. Her long, thick hair stood in contrast to her slender build. A woman like her had a way of making men think she needed protecting, but she wouldn’t have been working where she had if she couldn’t hold her weight, such as it was.

  He’d seen his share of fragile women use their bodies to disarm men. Hell, he’d dated his share of them before he caught on that they were playing up their femininity in order to get their slim fingers on his finances. Callie didn’t slather on makeup like some Elite women did, but she had to comprehend the impression she was making. The two men who were still trying to get her attention might be fooled but not him. She’d held her own throughout the correction he’d given her the other day. Today he’d seen no sign her ass still bothered her. If it was, it meant she was damn good at keeping certain things to herself.

  She was interesting all right, not that that had anything to do with why they were in the same room. He needed her to do a job. Either she delivered or she’d regret it.

  The promise he’d made to his uncle and himself left him with no choice.

  * * *

  “She’s amazing,” Callie exclaimed. “Magnificent.”

  “Amazing, yes,” Mr. Dalton said. “I’m not sure I’d call her a
magnificent representative of the species. What do you think she weighs, a little under two hundred pounds?”

  Pleased because he’d asked her opinion, Callie studied the tigress. She understood the predator had been in this cage since early morning. Hopefully she’d soon be let out. Callie hated knowing the tiger didn’t have enough room to pace since she was obviously agitated.

  “She’s pretty lean. I’d be surprised if she weighs a hundred and fifty.”

  Her coat was a rich golden color with dark vertical stripes starting at her shoulders and becoming more prominent the further back they went. Her head was oversized for the rest of her body. Her claws looked capable of tearing apart anything she got close to, and she kept exposing her fangs. Despite the signs of aggression, Callie noted fear in her eyes. No wonder. The creature had been taken from the only world she’d known and forced into a small enclosure she couldn’t escape. Strangers stared at her.

  “Where’s what we’re going to use to take her to her new home?” she asked. “The cart should be here.”

  “It’ll arrive in about five minutes,” Mr. Dalton said. “I wanted to give her a little time to get used to the smells here.”

  Smells be damned. This rare creature deserved better than a few inches of space. Even once she was in her enclosure, tonight would a long one for her. Not only wouldn’t she be fed until tomorrow when hopefully her stomach had settled, everything about her world would be different.

  “What if you can’t get another Malayan tiger?” she pressed. “Will you try to breed her regardless of the subspecies? Maybe having something is better than nothing.”

  “We aren’t there yet.” He sounded angry. “Don’t get ahead of things.”

  “I can’t help what I’m thinking. Critically endangered is a step away from extinct.”

  “You aren’t telling me something I don’t know.”

  His sharp words served as warning to keep her mouth shut. Her employer had to juggle a thousand responsibilities. In contrast, only the predator mattered to her. Well, almost the only thing. It was as if Mr. Dalton had planted himself deep in a corner of her mind and refused to leave. For one thing, he wasn’t getting close to the tigress. Maybe he didn’t want to further complicate the animal’s world but maybe he was reliving the attack on his uncle. If he had to fight fear every time he was around a predator, she admired his resolve.