“Hey!There are windows in the ticket booth.”
“I want to come visit you.I feel like I don’t know your life anymore because of what’s been going on with you since you and Mercer got together.”
“I’d love that.Maybe next weekend?We could go on the safari tour and Mercer and Ford can talk about manly things.”
“Sounds good to me.Hey, are you guys mated?”
“Yep, of course.Why?”
“You got married, though.I was just wondering if that was because you’re human?”
“Not just because I’m human.Mercer asked me to marry him because he wants me to have his last name.I think a lot of shifter couples get married.The ones in the pride for sure—Caesar, Jupiter, Jenni, and Lucius.Do you want to marry Ford?”
“I can definitely see myself as Mrs.Anderson.”
“I love it.Please tell me I can be there for the wedding.”
“Of course.But first I need to move in with him.”
“Why aren’t you yet?Don’t you want to be with him?When I got over my initial panic at Mercer being a shifter, I didn’t want to be away from him.It was a no-brainer for me to move into the park.”
Darcy searched her feelings, and she knew Rhomi was right.
She loved Ford.So what was she waiting for?It would never get any easier for Cruz, whether she waited a day or a week or a month.He was clearly struggling with being left behind, but she’d make sure he was still a big part of her life.As much as he could be and still kept in the dark, anyway.
“I’m going to go find my mate and smooch on him a little,” Darcy said, climbing from the bed and stretching.
“Oh, I like that idea.I’m going to go find mine.Love ya!”
“Love you too.”
Darcy ended the call with a smile on her face and went to find Ford.
* * *
When Darcy woke to the dark room and the cold bed, she immediately missed Ford.She knew he was working, taking the night patrol along with Dani’s mate, Neo, who was a gorilla shifter of all things!She’d met him before she headed to bed.Alone.Missing Ford very much.
Picking up her phone, she saw that it was a bit after two a.m., and she wondered where he was on the farm.And maybe if she could see him and get a hug without distracting him too much.
She hemmed and hawed a bit, not wanting to bother him, but decided to go down to the kitchen and see if he passed by the windows.Dressing in leggings and a thick sweater, she made her way down to the dark kitchen, marveling at how quiet the house was after it had been so busy earlier.
Heading toward the back door so she could peek out onto the porch, she had the strangest feeling come over her.Like a tidal wave of fire ants prickling at her skin.
Danger.
Something was definitely wrong.She held her breath, listening intently for sounds of someone in the house, but heard nothing.
Then suddenly alarms went off outside, echoing in the night as security lights flashed in warning.
She opened her mouth to call for Ford?—
Glass shattered on the far side of the kitchen.
Too late.
Danger was already inside the farmhouse.
The walkie bumped slightly against Ford’s hip as he walked to the front gate of the farm’s property and then followed the fence to the treeline.The air was cold, leaves crunching under his boots as he walked, and every sense tuned to anything out of the ordinary.
