Zoe felt Marcy’s hand tense in hers and was amused to see the embarrassment in her expression. “Your girlfriend?” she asked in a teasing tone before turning back to the ranger. She’d never expected Marcy to say something like that, but she had, and it made her feel all warm and gooey inside. “That would be me, I guess.” Even in the dim light outside, she could tell Marcy was blushing, and her uncomfortable body language was adorable.
“Yes,” Marcy said with a chuckle, then rolled her eyes as if cursing herself. “Come on, we can talk about girlfriend status later. First things first.”
Inside, the lights were turned low, and Zoe needed a moment for her eyes to adjust. “What’s that noise?”
“We have kittens,” Marcy whispered. “Tank just gave birth.” She pulled Zoe along toward a screen placed around the nook in the sleeping area next to the bed.
“What? You’re kidding, ri—” Zoe swallowed her words when she looked over the screen and saw two tiny lynx kittens covered in downy fur, suckling on their mother. Tank looked wiped-out, splayed out on her side, only glancing up briefly when she spotted them. Zoe covered her mouth with her hands as she tried to make sense of what she saw. “Oh my God. I don’t even know what to say.”
“They’re cute, right?” Marcy put her arms around Zoe’s waist from behind and rested her chin on her shoulder.
“Beyond cute.” Zoe cherished the moment of sheer confusion that felt incredibly intimate and beautiful. Marcy holding her like this and watching new life brought out a rush of wonderment in her, and they stood there for long moments, taking in the adorable sight. “That was unexpected…”
“Yes. He – I mean she – wasn’t chubby. She was pregnant.” Marcy kissed Zoe’s cheek and let her lips linger against her skin as she continued. “The ranger suspects she’s given birth here before when the house was still a cave. It’s not unusual for them to return to the same den. It was probably too noisy in the past years with the building work going on, but now that it’s quiet and she trusts me, she’s decided she likes that cave nook.”
“Amazing. Can you stay here tonight?”
“It’s okay as long as I’m quiet. It’s all about reducing stress for Tank according to my new friends outside.”
“So, you just saidwehave kittens.” Zoe leaned back against Marcy, comfortable in her strong grip.
“Yes. Tank is yours too; you named her,” Marcy said. “Although in hindsight, Kitty might actually have been a better name. I’m having trouble with the ‘her’, after thinking she was a boy all this time.”
“Me too.” Zoe chuckled softly and turned to her. “And you told the ranger I was your girlfriend?”
Their eyes met, and Marcy gave her a shy smile as she took Zoe’s hands. “Is that okay?” she asked after a moment’s hesitation. “After our talk over dinner the other night, I figured we were exclusive…”
“Of course.” Zoe returned her smile and leaned in to brush her lips against Marcy’s. “And you can call me that.” She wanted to kiss her, but she was aware of the people outside.
“Good. Because I don’t want to share you with anyone.” Marcy clearly wanted to kiss her too from the way her gaze kept lowering to Zoe’s lips. Their chemistry was electric, and she could see the longing in Marcy’s stare.
“Are we going to be alone anytime soon?” Zoe asked. Not seeing each other had been harder than she’d expected but she’d needed time to focus on the event and that was impossible when she was distracted and dreaming all day.
“Not tonight. The rangers and the vet will stay here and regularly check on the kittens in their crucial first hours. Tomorrow they’ll decide on where to take them. They said they’re doing really well, though.” She brushed a lock of hair behind Zoe’s ear. “Do you want to stay the night? It’s a bit awkward as we won’t be alone and we may not even be able to go to bed, but it’s a chance of a lifetime.”
“I do.” Zoe turned back to the kittens and sighed. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world. It’s a very special moment.”
“I know.” Marcy looked a little emotional as she followed her gaze. “And I’m so glad I get to share it with you.”
52
“How do I feel about having three wild lynxes in my house?” Marcy couldn’t help but laugh at the absurd proposal. Although the team of rangers and veterinarians laughed along, it was clear that Ana wasn’t joking.
“We’ve discussed it with the wider team and we have a couple of options, but we all feel it would be tricky to move them while they’re still so young,” she said. “This is a very unusual situation. All lynxes born in the past decade were either born in the wild or in Malaga Zoo, so it’s hard to say how such a traumatic event as a move will affect them. We completely understand if you don’t want them here, of course, but you will be compensated if you agree to having them here until they’re old enough to leave the nest with their mother.”
“And how long would that be?” Marcy asked.
Ana looked to the others and shrugged, then back to her. “Normally, it’s four to six months, but being inside, it’s likely they’ll move out sooner as their mother will encourage them to develop their hunting skills and they won’t be able to do that inside. They might be around the house for a while; it’s hard to say how long they’ll stick around.” She glanced outside. “You have a lot of private land and with the protected land behind it, it’s not a bad habitat for them.”
“I see.” Marcy nodded, aware that this was a big decision. “I wouldn’t do this for the compensation, though; I don’t need the money. So how would this work exactly?”
Ana pointed to the sliding glass doors. “Well, these would have to stay open at all times and you shouldn’t interact with either Tank or the kittens. They’ll return to the wild, so in no case should they be domesticated in any way, nor deprived from leaving the house.”
“But I have to work,” Marcy said. “I can’t be here twenty-four seven and I’m not going to leave the door open while I’m away.”
“Our team could keep an eye on your place while you’re away,” Rico suggested. “We’d have to be here on a daily basis anyway, to make sure they’re okay. It would be myself mostly, and one of my colleagues when I’m not available. We’d be outside, not in your house, and if Tank and the kittens show any signs of breaking the place down, we’ll change strategy. In the first month, they’re mainly just nursing but after that, they’ll start exploring with their mother.”
“We know it’s a lot to ask.” Ana smiled. “So seriously, no hard feelings if you don’t want to do this. We’re just very grateful for your wonderful help so far.”
