She looked around, seeing the safari tour and animal paddocks, the carousel and apartment complex in the distance, and the aviary and bird hospital.The scents of sugar and grilled meat were in the air, and the muffled sounds of people milling about mixed with the carousel’s music.
“This is pretty cool,” she said.Closing her eyes, she turned her face to the sun and just soaked it in.
When she’d warmed her skin, she opened her eyes and turned to find Caesar watching her with a small smile curving the corner of his lips.
Could he be any sexier?
She joined him on the blanket and he pulled out the snacks and drinks from the cooler.As they nibbled, they talked quietly, on their private roof, about his past and hers, and how they’d both, miraculously, wound up in New Jersey at a safari park.
Being soulmates was a strange concept.
How was it possible that two people who were from very different shifter groups that never mingled, born in different states, ended up here?Finding each other despite crazy odds.Him disillusioned with pride life and wanting to start over with his sons; her running from a crazy alpha who believed she didn’t have the right to choose who she mated.
But here they were.
The jaguar and the lion.
* * *
They’d spent hours on the roof talking and even dozed off together, her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.Eventually, they made their way back down to the underground space, where they grabbed dinner at the market cafeteria and sat with several members of the pride, including his son Lucius and his mate Sidney, who was a human and worked at the gift shop drawing pictures of the animals.She offered to sketch Sera sometime, saying she’d never seen a jaguar up close and bet she was beautiful.
By the time the park was closed and the security team had declared it safe, she and Caesar made their way to the paddock to shift with each other under the moonlight.
“This has been the most amazing day,” she said.
Caesar climbed the steps leading up into the lions’ paddock ahead of her and pushed open the door in the floor.He turned and offered his hand, and she took it as she finished the last steps and moved into the maintenance barn.
“I think so too,” he said.“I’m glad you’ve had a good day.But we’re not done yet.”
He lowered the door back in place and pushed open one of the maintenance shed’s doors.Turning slowly, he faced her, his eyes amber and his body tense.
“You first, baby.”
She bit her lower lip, suddenly very aware of the fact she was about to be naked in front of her soulmate.
They hadn’t even kissed yet!
Well, that seemed strange and out of order, so she moved to him and went onto her toes, brushing her lips over his.
He pulled her close with a growl and kissed her back, but it wasn’t a simple brush of lips.He kissed her like he was going off to war, like the most important thing he could do with his lips was kiss her and drive her wild.
When she was breathless and senseless, he slowly released her, his lion purring loudly in his chest.They didn’t say a word as they stripped together, just kept their gazes locked and both of their beasts purring.
First the shirts, then the shoes and jeans.
And then her bra was on top of her clothes on the wood floor and they both stood just a foot apart in only their underwear.
Her body was positively humming.
It was so tempting to forget the shifting and just ask him to take her to bed.But the truth was, she wanted to see what he looked like in his shift.And theyhadjust met.Even if they were soulmates, she could keep her inner hussy on a leash for a little while longer.
Underwear was lowered and then they were fully naked.
The air was erotically charged, and she was pretty sure she’d never been so turned on in her life.
But she forced herself to focus on her jaguar, and she shifted.
In moments, she was on four paws, her tail swishing as she stretched and let out a low yowl.He dropped to his knees and ran his fingers through her short fur.“You’re beautiful, Sera.I feel like the luckiest male on the planet to have such a sweet and gorgeous female for my soulmate.”He cupped her face and pressed his forehead against hers, his fingers pressing lightly to her fur.“Baby, I thought I was going to be alone forever.I’m so glad that you’re in my life, and I want to do everything in my power to keep you safe and make you the happiest female on the planet.”
