Chapter 15

Ginny was powerfully bored. They'd been watching the security monitors for days and she'd seen neither hide nor hair of anyone from her former pack. She'd told August what the males who were closest to her grandfather, highest ranked and most powerful, looked like, but he couldn't really look for someone based on her recollection of what their appearance was. She did remember that one of his high-ranked males had a scar on his cheek from a rank fight, and another had burn scars on one hand from being injured before he was old enough to shift.

She hadn't had any friends in the pack except her brother. She'd been homeschooled by her mom and had finished high school when she was sixteen, then got her GED so she could get a job. Her grandfather had allowed her to work for the coffee shop because it was run by pack members, and she'd enjoyed talking to people and learning how to make different coffee drinks.

It hadn't been what she'd wanted to do with her life, but she hadn't experienced enough of the world outside her pack to even begin to know what she'd like to do. But spending time with August over the last week had made her want to learn how to fix things.

"Do you think," she said, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands and then turning to face him, "that we could spend time in the storage building again?"

He faced her, the chair squeaking as it turned. "It is a secure building," he said. "If we had an escort, I suppose that would be okay. Hell, it's been three days and we haven't seen anyone come into the park or had any other things happen like the food tampering."

"I don't want us to let our guard down," she said. "I was just wondering if I could learn how to fix things, like refinishing the carousel horses and figuring out how to put it together. If you'd teach me."

"I'd love to do that. We need to check with Jupiter about security. The alphas aren't ready to declare your grandfather not a threat anymore, but we could maybe spend a little time there."

"You do know how to put it together?"

He chuckled. "There's a huge manual, I mean like six inches thick, with details on how to care for the horses and maintain the carousel. I was part of the group that took it apart and put it away. I'd love to teach you how to put things together." He paused and then said, "What made you ask? Are you bored?"

"I'm definitely bored staring at screens all day, but also I like that you can fix things. I'd like to fix things too. How did you learn, anyway?"

"My uncle taught me a lot before he died, but I guess I've always been handy. I like seeing a problem and being able to fix it. I'm not as handy with vehicle repair as Zane is, so while I can do routine maintenance on the park vehicles, I mostly like to fix other stuff."

"I think I'd like that too. I'd like to be an expert at something."

"What do you mean?"

"Like if there was a specific issue, it would be cool if someone might say, hey, we should call Ginny about this, she could fix it. I've never had anyone really rely on me." She rubbed the space over her heart that panged at those words. Even her brother hadn't relied on her, not sharing his plans for them to escape. They'd waited too long. If he'd only told her his fears, then they might have been able to get away together.

"You okay, sweetheart?" he asked with a low voice.

"I just miss my brother. I never really got to grieve for him. It's been one long nightmare from the moment I saw them carry him out wrapped up in that rug to now. I don't know if my grandfather will ever give up trying to get to me." Her eyes stung and she squeezed them shut because she didn't want to cry.

August pulled her close, the chairs bumping with a clacking sound. She buried her face in his neck and wrapped her arms around him and let herself go into the grief that she'd never had a chance to really feel.

While she'd been captive in that cage and worried if she'd die, trapped in her jackal form, she'd grieved in a way for her brother, and her parents and aunt and uncle. But it felt good now to cry and just miss them all.

August rubbed her back and held her close while she let herself go into the feelings she hadn't really dealt with. It was all so very unfair.

"Let's go out on a date," August said when the park was closed and Ginny's eyes were positively aching from staring at the monitors and wondering if she'd find someone from her past lurking around.

She sat back in the chair and looked at him curiously. "In the park?"

"Well, yeah," he said, giving her a sheepish grin. "More like a group date too."

Her brows rose. "Do tell."

"Well," he said, standing and stretching with a grunt. "I was texting with Zane about putting you on the maintenance team once things are settled with your grandfather and it's safe for you to be out and about in the park with me, and he mentioned that Adriana wanted to go out on a date, but the alphas have put the kibosh on that kind of stuff."

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, they don't want to risk anyone being used to try to get to you, you know, like how Alistair stopped the jackals from hotwiring the park vehicle."

"Oh, that makes me feel bad."

"Don't, sweetheart. It won't last forever, I'm sure. And whatever we have to do to keep people safe is worth it, okay? But anyway, I mentioned that we'd talked a while back with Tarquin and some of the others about using the theater for movies for our people."

"There's a theater?"

August explained that the park had a small theater that showed educational films and let park patrons get out of the elements for short periods of time.

"It's got a big screen. The seating isn't super comfy, just carpet-covered benches, but we could bring in pillows and blankets and snacks, and find a movie on a streaming service to watch. Zane put out the word to the gorillas who have mates, but then the unmated guys were grumpy about that, so it's a group date plus Patton and Nathan."

She chuckled. "That sounds really great."

"I was hoping you'd say that. Lori wants the females to meet in the theater and discuss the movie choices while us guys go get the snacks and drinks."

"When?" She stood and rolled her neck, not realizing how stiff she was from sitting for so long.

"Now."

"Oh! How cool."

"I'm glad you like the idea. Someday I'll take you to a real theater. But in the meantime, this is a good substitution."

"I love it, honestly. I think it'll be lots of fun."

They said goodnight to Justus and Lucius and left the small building, heading to the theater. It was near the main food area, where stalls were manned by bears and sold ice cream in the warmer months, burgers and fries year-round, and snacks like cotton candy and various types of popcorn.

"I hadn't noticed this building, it's cute," she said when they reached the theater.

"It's not manned by anyone," he said. "The movies play on a loop, and there's a schedule posted at the entrance and in the park brochures. They're geared toward children and families, mostly about the park's history and the animals."

He opened the door and let her in, and she greeted the females standing in the center of a large room that had dark carpeting. Lori, Lexy, Adriana, and Dani all hugged her, animatedly sharing their excitement for a group movie date.

August gave Ginny a kiss on the cheek. "Snacks?"

"Popcorn and Milk Duds if you have them," she said. "And a Coke."

"You got it," he said.

She sat on one of the benches with the females as Lori listed the movie options. "I want you to know that Nathan asked for no sappy romances, but if we really want to watch one, he promised he wouldn't complain."

"I'd like something upbeat," Ginny said. "I don't want to cry."

"Me either," Dani said, giving Ginny's hand a squeeze. "Life's hard enough without a movie making us sad."

"You got it," Lori said.

"I'm sure we can find something that will make us laugh," Adriana said. "Oh crap, I forgot to tell Zane I wanted Sour Patch Kids." She pulled out her phone and texted her mate.

"I love those," Dani said. "But only the red ones."

"Oh, I hate the red ones," Adriana said. "You can have all mine."

"Woohoo!"

"Now that the snacks are settled," Lexy said, "let's find something fun."

As the movies were discussed, Ginny took just a moment to marvel at how normal it all felt. She was sitting with females in a theater in a park, talking about a movie for a group date. Her mate, the sexiest male on the planet, was gathering snacks and comfy pillows and blankets, and she couldn't wait to snuggle up with him.

Nothing in her life since her parents had died felt half as good as this did. She'd been on edge for such a long time, worrying and wondering.

She was still worried and still wondering, but she wasn't alone. She had August.

And the other gorillas and their mates.

Her grandfather might try to get to her, but he would come up against a wall of people determined to keep her and all their people safe, and right now? That felt fucking amazing.

"Honey, are you okay? You're crying," Adriana said.

Ginny brushed at the tears she hadn't realized she'd let fall. "Oh, I am, honestly. I was just thinking how much I appreciate you all, and how glad I am that I found August."

"We're glad you're here too," Adriana said, giving her a hug.

Lexy, Dani, and Lori joined in, and Ginny laughed and hugged them all back.

As the conversation returned to the movies and Ginny added her two cents, she pushed away thoughts of the past and whatever her grandfather might be conspiring to do, and she focused on the present.

She'd found her soulmate and peace with his people.

It was really okay to just enjoy the good moments when they came.