Cael (Were Zoo Book 11), R. Butler [best management books of all time txt] 📗

out what you are exactly. All bears smell similar, but each species has a different scent so to speak. So grizzlies smell the same and black bears do, but they don’t smell quite like each other. I met a polar bear through a mutual friend when I was in high school, and while your scent is light since you’re only half shifter, it reminds me of how he smelled.”

Novi hummed. “Are there are a lot of polar bears around?”

“None that we know of in New Jersey,” Marcus said. “Shifter groups keep to themselves mostly. Our situation in the park is pretty unusual with so many different groups living and working together.”

“My father’s home is in Iowa, but he’s been trying to find us for so many years, I’ve often wondered if his home base is still there or if it’s moved.”

“Bears like to hunker down in one area and claim it for a territory, particularly if it’s away from humans. I doubt he’s moved. He’s probably using his own people to hunt for you.”

“Hopefully once you get out of your place,” Cael said, “you and your mom won’t have to worry about him anymore.”

“I hope so too.”

“We’ll continue to be vigilant, though,” Joss said. “We take the safety of everyone in the park very seriously. You’ll want to meet with Jupiter, since he’s head of park security. She’ll need an ID badge.”

“We’ll take care of that today, after the other stuff on our list.”

Joss nodded. Jeanie came around the table and gave Novi another hug and handed her a scrap of paper with her number on it. “Send me a text and let me know your number. You can call me anytime for anything you need.”

“Thank you.”

Novi tucked the number into her phone case and looked at Cael. “I’m ready when you are.”

“Excited to see a certain elephant?”

“You know it.”

After they said their goodbyes, he took her down to the private living quarters and to his home. She sat on the bed and watched as he packed a duffel. “It’s really nice down here,” she said. “I’m sorry you have to give it up because of me.”

“Even if we were mated, since you want your mom to live in the apartments, it would be hard to explain why she can live there but you and I don’t without her wondering where you were anyway. Besides,” he said, cupping her face and giving her a kiss, “I get you. I could care less where we’re living so long as we can be with each other.”

She reached for him, but he took a step back with a laugh. “Sorry sweetheart, you’re addictive and you want to see me shift. If we get distracted, we’ll never leave.”

“Good point. I can’t help it that you’re addictive too.”

They hit up the norm paddocks first, both donning uniforms. It took a few hours to feed and check on the animals, but he loved having her by his side while he worked. She was a hard worker and curious about everything he did, and he was happy to share his knowledge with her.

They finally reached the elephant paddock. He set his duffel on the worktable in the shed and turned to face her.

“I can’t wait to see you,” she said. Her tone hinted at sex, curiosity, and lust mixed up together.

He undid the top of the uniform as he toed off his boots. He put his thumbs inside the lower part of the uniform and grinned as her gaze dropped to follow his hands.

“Hey, my eyes are up here,” he said, pointing to his face.

She jerked her head up, her cheeks pinking. “You’re too sexy.”

“You are too. But if you keep looking at me like you want to lick me from head to toe, I’m not going to be able to shift because my human body is going to be fighting the change.”

She took a step to him, her body brushing against his. “I feel like things have changed between us because I know the truth now. Do you?”

“One hundred percent. I think you felt like I was holding something back from you, even though I really didn’t have a choice.”

“I did. And I couldn’t really explain why I felt so close to you so fast. Now I know that it’s in part because the bear side of me is crazy about you.”

“I like that you’re calling her your bear side.”

“I used to just think of myself as having a feral side, some weird animal traits that I couldn’t explain. I guess the human mind is good at making up excuses for that kind of thing and glossing over stuff that doesn’t make sense.”

He cupped her face and let out his elephant’s version of a growl, a low, grumbling sound. “I’m crazy about you too, Novi. I’m so glad you’re here.”

She wiggled her fingers between his uniform and skin, and twisted, undoing a button. Her breath fanned his face as she smiled. “Get naked, sexy man. I want to see your elephant, and then I want to go to our new home and lock the door for a couple of days.”

His elephant couldn’t decide what was better—showing her their shift or staying human so they could take her to bed. But he won that argument, because she wanted to see him in his shift and it was important to him that she know what it really was like to change. Because she was only half shifter, she’d never have the ability to change forms. But she could commune with him and that’s what counted.

She undid another button, her smile slipping from sweet to sultry. He let out a laugh which came out sounding a lot more choked than he’d planned, and extracted