Chapter 9

Ginny was impressed with the security at the park. While August's friends—lions Mercer and Lucius, bear Justus, plus Mercer's mate Rhomi—walked around the park and pointed out all that had been done to upgrade their current security systems, she'd marveled at just how seriously everyone was taking it.

And it wasn't just about her having a target on her back. The alphas took everyone's safety seriously, from the littlest baby to the oldest shifter. They were all valuable and no one wanted anyone to be hurt, including newbies like Rhomi and herself.

The last time she'd felt truly safe was before her aunt and uncle were killed, before her grandfather had turned seventy and went on a rampage. When the pack had felt like home and not a dangerous place.

She glanced at August as their group stopped in front of the gorilla paddock on the safari tour. He was staring through the iron bars of the large gate that had a small security box on the ground level covered by shrubs with a code to unlock the gate.

"We never unlock the gate during the tours, of course," Justus said. "But in an emergency, we can get inside from the safari path."

August looked at her and smiled. Then he pointed to a large building in the paddock. "That's the maintenance shed. It has a security pad to unlock the door from the outside, and then there's a stairwell that leads down to our private living quarters. We strip in there and shift, then enter the paddock before the tours start. Each group has their own maintenance shed."

She stared through the bars, letting her gaze move from the maintenance shed to the small pond and numerous trees and platforms scattered around the grassy area. At the far side of the paddock was a huge stone wall that had security devices mounted at intervals.

August put his arm around her. "It's safe, sweetheart."

"It sure seems like it."

The group moved on, but she and August stayed at the gorilla paddock. He turned and she mirrored him.

He was taller than her petite five-foot-three by close to a foot, she guessed, with broad shoulders, his arms and chest thick with muscles. He had the nicest brown eyes, dark like chocolate and rimmed with lashes that rivaled any mascara she'd ever tried.

And those freaking lips.

He was meant to be kissed, and often. And since they were soulmates, she definitely thought she should be kissing him right now, not wondering if some jackal sent by her grandfather was going to scale the walls and get to her and August.

"I don't have one foot out the door," she blurted.

His brows rose. "What?"

She cleared her throat, her cheeks heating. "I'm still worried about my grandfather. I don't know if I'll ever get over that. But I do feel safe with you and I'm so glad you brought me around the park to show me the security features." She let her gaze drop to his lips for a moment before returning to his eyes. "I just wanted you to know that I'm not going to run again."

He took her hands and squeezed them. "It's important to me that you know that you're safe. If showing you the security has helped, then I'm glad we did it. It's reassuring to me too. My gorilla wants to come out and stand guard with you."

"He does?" she asked. "My jackal would like to spend time with you too."

He smiled. "Maybe one night soon we can shift together after the park closes. I haven't seen your shift yet, but you've seen mine."

She didn't want to think too hard about how close she'd come to getting taken by those jackals who had come for her. With a shudder, she firmly pushed those thoughts away and focused on August.

"We should catch up to the others," he said. "I've got some stuff to get ready for our date tonight."

"I can't wait."

"Me too."

They followed the path until they caught up to the rest of the group, August telling her which shifter group was in which paddock, as well as the paddock of norms—non-shifting animals.

Their group meandered around the remainder of the park, from the employee lot where she'd stolen an SUV to the maintenance shed where August worked on the park vehicles when he wasn't fixing things around the park, to the apartment complex she'd stayed in when they'd set her free from the cage in the aviary hospital.

At the petting zoo, Rhomi and Mercer stayed to check in on the animals, and Lucius and Justus stopped at the security office, leaving August and Ginny alone.

"Do you have any questions?" August asked.

"About what?"

He shrugged. "The park, the people, the security systems, anything?"

"Not really," she said. "I very much appreciate you making arrangements for this. It's helped settle the doubt-demons in my head."

His brows went high again. "What the heck are doubt-demons?"

"That's what my grandma used to call them," she said with a chuckle. "They're the little voices of doubt in your head."

"I like it. But I'm glad they're being quiet now."

"Me too. I don't like feeling stressed and helpless."

"You're definitely not helpless, Ginny. Plus, I've got your back."

August wanted to work on some hush-hush things for their date, so he walked her back to the petting zoo where she spent the morning hanging out with Rhomi and Mercer and playing with the baby animals until it was time for the park to open. August came to get her and they headed down to the private living area because no one thought it was a good idea for her to be topside in the park during operating hours as long as it was possible jackals might walk through the front gates.

Maybe someday she'd be able to be topside and not worry about someone trying to abduct her and troop her off to her grave, but that wasn't going to be today.

The temperature was a little cool once the sun went down, so Ginny borrowed a warm jacket from one of the females mated to a gorilla, Lexy, who was human and mated to Win.

"Maybe we can have a girls' day," Lexy said as she watched Ginny put the coat on over the long-sleeved top and jeans.

"Oh, I second that," Adriana, who was also human and mated to Zane, one of the gorillas, said as she sat on a stool at the counter of Lexy's kitchen.

"Did you say a girls' day or a girls' night?" Lori asked, swiveling on the stool next to Adriana.

"Definitely a girls' night," Dani, who was mated to Neo, said. She was human too.

"So August said that Nathan and Patton are the only gorillas without a soulmate?" Ginny asked as she pulled her long, dark brown hair from the back of the coat and turned to face the females.

"Yep," Dani said. "I'm sure they're both super hopeful to meet their soulmates soon. Zane was the first one, right, Adriana?"

"Yes," she said with a nod. "In fact, me and my bestie Celeste were the first two humans to have soulmates on the VIP tours. Everyone had really high hopes when there were two soulmates early on in the program, but it hasn't been that successful."

"I think," Lori said, "that as long as there's hope, the alphas will keep doing the tours. Even just one soulmate is worth the work and cost of the VIP tours."

"I definitely agree," Adriana said. "I wouldn't have met Zane otherwise, and Celeste wouldn't have met Jupiter. The park is a wonderful place, it's just tough for the guys when they go years without finding their soulmate."

Ginny had never really given having a soulmate a thought, even before her grandfather went crazy. But now she had August, and he was amazing. Sweet and sexy and protective.

Her parents would have loved him.

There was a knock at the door, and Lexy let out a little girly squeal. "I bet that's your date!"

Ginny couldn't help but smile. The females had all come over when they heard that Ginny was going to borrow one of Lexy's coats. The trip to Lexy and Win's home had turned into a half-hour chat fest, which she'd thoroughly enjoyed.

"I wonder what he's going to do for your big date?" Dani asked. "The gorillas are so romantic!"

"They sure are," Lori said with a smile.

August was waiting at the door with a bouquet of flowers. He wore a button-down shirt and jeans, and his eyes were sparkling with interest when Ginny joined Lexy at the door.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart," he said, handing her the flowers.

She was going to point out that he'd literally just seen her before she walked over to Lexy's, but instead, she accepted the compliment with a smile and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for the flowers, you look really good too."

"Hey, do you two have a picture of yourselves yet? It'll be awesome to mark the occasion," Dani said.

"On it," Adriana said. She took out her phone and snapped a few pictures of them, then texted them to Ginny.

"Thanks so much for everything," Ginny said to the females. "Let me know when the girls' day is scheduled."

"Girls' night for sure," Dani said.

"You bet we will. Have fun you two," Lori said.

August lowered on one knee and said, "Climb on and I'll swing us down."

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"It's what the males do for their females sometimes," he said. "I promise I won't drop you."

"Oh gosh, I hadn't even thought of that." She laughed. Feeling a little silly, but loving how sweet he was, she climbed onto his back and hooked her arm across his chest, gripping the flowers in her other hand. "Definitely don't drop me."

"I promise." He rose to his feet and said, "Hold on, sweetheart."

A moment later, he leaped for a branch and she let out an eep! as he swung them from one branch to the next, crossing from Lexy and Win's home to theirs, then down the branches as far as he could go before dropping gracefully to the padded floor.

"That was amazing!"

"I'm glad you liked it." He dropped to one knee and she climbed from his back. "That was fun for me too. I've never carried someone before."

"I'm glad I could be the first."

"So I've got a fun night planned for us. The park is totally empty and security will be out on patrols as usual. Are you ready for our first date?"

"One hundred percent."

He gave her a little bow and offered her his arm, and then they walked toward the door that led to the gorilla paddock.

Her soulmate…she was definitely falling for him.

How could she not?

He was her knight in shining armor, her furry defender, her sweet protector.

It turned out the best thing that had ever happened to her was getting captured by those asshole human animal hoarders. Without them, she might have just run forever and never known how sweet it was to call someone soulmate.