Page 5

It was a really nice apartment—a studio. Nothing too fancy, but definitely an upgrade from the motel. I thanked her and told her I’d move right in. Go, past me, for putting my suitcase in the car and go, motel, for telling me they weren’t going to charge me for the rest of the week.

When she excused herself to go talk to the bartenders about some specialty drink they were offering for the night, I grabbed my suitcase and brought it to the apartment. It was only a place to stay for work, but try telling my beast that. He was already calling it home.

Once unpacked, I grabbed a burger in the kitchen and went back to the habitat, determined to take a nap. Originally, I’d planned on letting my beast shift, but something told me I couldn’t trust him today. He’d been pushing at me since the first time I walked in this space, wanting to take over, find new friends despite us being the only ones in the room, dig in the plants, and eat what looked good—although I wasn’t sure that would be much of anything, given the plants that were there.

I stripped down to my boxer briefs and climbed into the water. It was the perfect temperature—not so hot that I’d overheat, but not so cold that I’d be uncomfortable. It had been far too long since I’d done this.

I lay on my back and allowed myself to relax. I floated around, promising my capybara that next time it could be him doing so. This was officially my favorite place in the world, and I hadn’t even done the work yet. The water was divine. I didn’t have to worry about fishing lures or people gawking. It was just the water and me.

“I’ll let you play after my nap.”

He pushed, wanting his own nap. I didn’t let him win. Something told me I shouldn’t, but I didn’t think too hard on it—or at all—because soon enough, I was falling sound asleep.

Chapter Five

Porter

Animals!

I’d heard about it for so long, the famous shifter club in the Superstition Mountains that “everyone should visit at least once in their life.” They allowed in all sorts of other paranormals as well as the occasional human, but it was originally only shifters, and the bulk of their patrons still fit in that category, or so I was told.

I hadn’t taken a trip just for pleasure in the longest time, but what better way to break that streak than by meeting up with my bestie to keep our pact. Packing, I was so nervous I had to sit down and breathe for a few minutes. Next time I came into this room everything would be changed. We had said we were going to ease into the idea, but I had heard the eagerness in Angus’ voice, and I believed we would succeed. Surely if there were fateds out there for us we’d have met them by now. This was the right choice if we were going to settle in and have a family. We’d discussed a happy home life with a mate and young enough in college that I knew he wanted it as much as I did.

It would be good.

No. It would be great!

When I suggested to Angus that we meet at the club then decide where to go from there, it was all so last minute, I hadn’t even been sure I could get away from work, but a sense of urgency overtook me, and I suggested we go right away. I told myself I wanted to get started on my life as soon as possible, and here I was. Exiting the highway to take the road to Animals. I’d wanted to go since a cousin visited and came back raving about what a wonderful experience he had there. He also returned with his fated mate on his arm.

Lightning wasn’t going to strike twice, though. Or maybe, in a way, it was. The mate I hoped to bring home with me wasn’t my fated, but we had four really good years living together in harmony, and eight years of friendship since. He’d only visited a couple of times since I bought my house, but he’d said he really liked it, and if he changed his mind we’d move somewhere else. Maybe somewhere with that big yard I dreamed of. Room for kids to play and a garden and with woods we could run in without reading about wild animals in the neighborhood newsletter. Why I’d moved into somewhere with an HOA I’d never know. I guess not being human I didn’t recognize what that would mean.

Shaking my head, I shoved those thoughts aside. They weren’t relevant, right at this moment. Plenty of time to work out the day-to-day once the big things were handled. Like mating. It would be fine. Great really. I missed Angus being around all the time. Of course we’d never slept in the same bed, but we’d adjust.

The parking lot lay ahead, and I turned in, looking for an open space. It was still pretty early in the evening, but people were heading for a winding pathway that led up the cliff side. I’d learned that it was once cliff dwellings inhabited by an ancestor of one of the club’s owners. Bear shifters. There were a lot of rumors about the club in general, about there being some of those dwellings still in use, but I was going to be happy to spend an evening there together before we decided where to go or the night.

The nerves I’d managed to quell before leaving home surged upward again when I couldn’t find a spot at first, but after driving up and down the rows, I finally found one right at the end of the lot. It was so silly to feel that way about meeting up with my closest friend. We’d see each other at our best and worst. When I helped him with a class or he got a mustard spot out of the white shirt I needed to wear for my job waiting tables at a place that thought it was way fancier than it truly was. We’d shared meals and housekeeping and, for a year, until it died, a car. How natural was it to share a life?

I climbed out of the car and looked around for Angus. He stood out in any crowd, with his ready smile and twinkling eyes. His sense of humor was one of his best qualities, not to sell his handsome looks short.

Heading toward the pathway up the cliff, I continued to search left and right among the rest of those going the same way. When they said all kinds of folks were welcome here, they weren’t kidding. I passed a coven of witches, a couple of trolls, and three sorority sisters giggling about being here on a dare along with hundreds of shifters of all kinds.

Another rumor was that the management allowed people to take their fur inside the actual club, something I was going to have to see to believe. I got so caught up in people watching, for a minute or two I forgot the purpose of my visit. Living in the human world, I just didn’t get to connect that much with my own kind or others who were outside the ordinary, and being here felt good. Hopefully Angus would be up for taking more trips like this. Animals also had sister clubs in San Diego and New Orleans.

While imagining future vacations with my friend/mate I finally saw him and sped up my steps to catch up with him. But he wasn’t alone.

I was happy for him, certainly. I’d been ready to spend out life together, happy about it even, but to see someone so dear to me achieve his real dream? How could I be anything but glad for him. And just a little bit sad for me. But grateful we hadn’t gone any further with our plan because he had the best of all possible worlds. His true and fated mate.

At least one of us did.

After considering turning back to the car for a moment, I decided to continue on. I’d already taken the time off and really did want to see Animals. So I followed all the others up the long trail and past the bear shifter bouncers at the door. Inside, I set out to explore. It was much bigger than I thought, and there were so many shenanigans going on. But then, I caught a scent, was transfixed and followed it into an area where no other guests seemed to be around. Where I ended up was not anything like the rest.

The scent I’d followed intensified. But there was something in the water. No, not something, someone. Floating facedown. My wolf tensed then howled, and I flung myself into the water to save him. “You are not dying and leaving me all alone, mate. Not on my watch.:

Was he breathing? I wasn’t sure, but I couldn’t take the chance so I pressed my lips to his and blew into his mouth. His eyes snapped open and he gasped.

Chapter Six

Chip