Chapter 11

The next morning Ginny woke up in August's arms, loving how it felt to be cherished, even while she was asleep.

She touched the place on her neck where he'd marked her, the memory of the way it had felt for his thick fangs to mark her while they'd been making love sending a riot of shivers down her spine.

August murmured in his sleep and pulled her a little closer.

She smiled to herself and let her fingers play over the scarred mark. No matter how much she shifted for the rest of her life, the mark would remain, like a wedding ring that couldn't be taken off.

She was all in with August now. She wasn't going to run to try to keep him safe; she was going to stand with him and fight back if her grandfather or any other jackals showed up to get her. It scared her a little, knowing that she may never fully be able to relax or feel entirely safe, but it scared her more to think of leaving August behind.

Now that they were mated, now that they wore each other's marks and she knew what it felt like to roll around naked with him?

She absolutely wasn't going anywhere without him.

Maybe in time her grandfather would decide she wasn't worth the trouble.

She also kind of hoped he might just die. It warred with her to wish harm on someone, even someone as evil as her grandfather, but how would she and August ever truly be safe as long as he lived?

All she could do was live her life and make a home with August. She wouldn't spend the precious minutes of her life worrying about what her grandfather might do because she couldn't hope to guess his crazy mind.

But she could be alert and watchful, she could have August's back the way he had hers, and she could focus on the future.

One that was going to be filled with love and, someday, with kids.

Little jackals and gorillas, running around freely in the paddocks without care.

August pressed his lips to her neck and curled a little more tightly around her.

"You smell amazing in the morning," he said with a growl.

She shivered again as his lips touched her mark. "I was just thinking about the future."

"What about it?"

"Building a life here in the park with you, and having kids running around."

He nipped at her throat. "I want that too."

She rolled in his arms and kissed him. They were both naked, their bodies pressed tightly together as she slid her leg over his hip and pulled herself close. "I want…"

She feathered her lips over his then across his jaw.

His hands tightened, his fingers digging into her.

"Want what?" he prompted.

"You," she said.

"You've got me."

She tilted her face to his for a kiss, then rolled away and got up. "Join me in the shower, sexy. I'm starving, but I want to start the day with a couple of orgasms."

She gave him a wink and sauntered to the bathroom.

"Just a couple?" he called after her.

"To start," she said with a chuckle, turning on the water.

He was behind her a moment later, his hands on her hips as he kissed his way up her spine.

"You first, sweetheart," he said.

She glanced over her shoulder at him. "Me first, what?"

"You come first. And last. And a few more in between."

Testing the water with her hand, she ducked under the spray. "That's going to take a lot of hot water."

"Just so long as you're having a good time, I don't care if the water turns to ice."

He joined her in the shower, and all the thoughts that had been running through her mind before she got out of bed left as he brought her to a quick orgasm under the hot spray of the showerhead and then took her against the wall.

It was going to be a great day.

When August offered to swing Ginny over to Atticus's house, she decided that was just a little bit too much swinging from steel tree to steel tree, so they walked instead. She hadn't met everyone in the band yet, so she was looking forward to the evening ahead.

Atticus called down to them. "Lori doesn't like me swinging her around too far either."

August chuckled as they reached the stairs up to the alpha's house. "I guess it takes getting used to."

"It does," Lori said. "Although I do like it better out in the paddock. There's something about swinging on real trees and the fresh air that's different and not as scary."

"I'd like to try that," Ginny said.

"We can totally do that," August said. "One morning before the park opens. Or maybe you could even be out in the paddock with us during the tours."

She glanced at him as they reached the porch. "What?"

"I've done it," Lori said. "We wear zookeeper uniforms and walk around to clean up the paddock and hand out treats to the guys. It's fun and reinforces that we're a real zoo, even though we're not totally."

Ginny thought that was pretty awesome.

She and Lori hugged in greeting and then followed the males into the house.

The gorilla band was one of the smaller groups in the park, with Atticus and his son, Zane, plus August, Win, Neo, Patton, and Nathan.

Patton shook her hand. "I handle electrical work for the park, so you might see me here and there and occasionally getting shocked."

She smiled. "It's nice to meet you."

August said, "Zane, Win, and Neo handle the vehicles for the park including the Jeeps used for the safari tours. Nathan works with me around the park with anything that needs to be fixed."

"What do you do?" she asked Atticus.

"I'm a plumber and handle everything plumbing related for the park, topside and underground."

After she got hugs from the mates, Atticus called them to the table for dinner.

"We should toast," Atticus said, lifting his glass of punch in the air.

Everyone lifted their glasses. Lori said, "To finding our soulmates."

"Soon," Nathan said.

"I second that," Patton said.

"To fate working quick for our last two males," Atticus said, "and a hearty welcome to Ginny—congratulations on your mating, you two, and welcome to the band."

Everyone cheered and hooted, and August gave her a quick kiss after clinking their glasses together.

"Thanks for the warm welcome, everyone," she said. "You're all so kind."

"It's what we do for our fellow band members," Neo said.

Conversation flowed around the table as the platters and bowls of food were passed. Ginny had never eaten so well in her life, and she hadn't had anything resembling a big family meal like that since her parents had been taken from her.

After the goodbyes were said and she and August headed back to his house, she told him how much she appreciated his people and their kindness.

He paused at the base of the huge tree and smiled at her. "They're your people now too. You and I are mated, and that means you're part of the band."

She grinned. "I love when you say that, it always makes me think of music."

He ducked to his knee and she climbed on his back so he could swing them up to the porch. "We've got a couple more days off before I need to get back to my job. How about another date tomorrow night?"

"I'd love that," she said. He leaped for the bottom branch and carried them up to the porch, landing softly and letting her down.

He tucked a lock of dark hair behind her ear. "Sweet Ginny, the road that brought us together was so rough for you, but mating you was the best thing that ever happened to me."

"As long as we're together, we can handle anything."

"Definitely."

He stared down at her, his eyes flashing to the amber of his beast as a low growl rumbled in his chest. Her jackal answered with a gruff purr.

Not breaking eye contact, August opened the door, then swept her off her feet and into his arms.

"I told you everything I have is yours, right?" he asked as he stepped inside and kicked the door shut.

"Yes."

"Then the house is yours, and all the stuff inside." He gazed at her for a long, quiet moment, and then he said, "And that includes my heart."

"August," she whispered, feeling her emotions swell and her eyes sting with happy tears. "My heart is yours too."