CHAPTER EIGHT
“Max, when you look at me, do I glow?” Crystal asked, excitement quickening her breath.
He opened his mouth to answer then snapped it shut and frowned. “What?”
“When you look at me, can you see a blue glow around me, like an aura?”
He blinked once. “Are you taking any narcotics or medications I should be aware of?”
She threw up a talk-to-the-hand gesture. “Never mind.”
Max didn’t see the halo?
Interesting.
Was this a new ability of hers? First herself, then Max, and now this stranger. People with freaky blue halos were not a common occurrence.
Seriously, there was something extremely intriguing about this zookeeper that went beyond his Malibu Ken good looks. A devious smile curled her lips. It would be remiss of her to not investigate further.
A round of clapping and cheers broke out when the man concluded his demonstration. When he dismissed the children, they scattered like Skittles hitting the floor of a movie theater. Their teachers chased after them as they rushed past Crystal and Max, corralling them as effectively as, well, a herd of children.
Crystal removed her hoodie and tied it around her waist. Taking a second to straighten her shirt to present her cleavage at its best, she fluffed her hair before sauntering over and popping a hand on her hip, thrusting it out in an enticing fashion. Yes, she wasn’t above using her feminine curves to her advantage.
“Your penguins are so cute,” she called out to Mr. Hunk.
His assessing gaze caressed her from head to breast before he turned up the wattage on that killer smile. “If they knew just how popular they are, they’d demand more fish.”
She smiled back at him. “Do they mind being out in this heat?”
“What are you doing?” Max whispered from behind her.
“These are Humboldt penguins,” the man replied. “They’re native to the Peruvian coast, so this is perfect weather for them.” His nostrils flared as he looked between her and Max. “It’s a nice afternoon for a midday date.”
“Date?” She tossed a glossy lock of her hair over her shoulder. “No, we’re just…friends.” She leaned closer as if she were imparting a great secret. “He just got out of prison. I thought it would be best to slowly reintroduce him into society by bringing him to where there’re animals, like he’s used to.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Max grumbled while the man tilted back his head and let out a hearty laugh.
The man—who bore some resemblance to a Nordic god, in her opinion—winked at her as if he recognized a fellow smart-ass. He nodded at Max’s leather get-up. “So, what were you in prison for? BDSM scene gone wrong? Lost out for best costume at a Matrix convention and caused some trouble?”
Max scratched the side of his nose with his middle finger. “You two are hysterical,” he replied in a deadpan voice that was as dry as the desert.
Actually, Crystal thought Max looked kind of badass, but seriously, the man should have left the duster in the car. She nudged him out of the way and murmured, “I’m working on something.”
“I can see that,” he replied with full sarcasm.
She sidled closer to her target. “So, what exactly do you do here? Do they actually call you a zookeeper?”
He settled his hands on his lean hips. “I’m the lead veterinarian. ‘Zookeeper’ is kind of outdated, plus most of our workers are volunteers.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. “Hey, do you want to come inside? I’ve got something to show you.”
“I just bet he does.”
She ignored Max’s rumble of discontent. “Don’t I have to go through training or something?”
“Nah.” He winked. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”
“I’d love to.” She jabbed her thumb in the direction of the simmering tower of man beside her. “But he has to come too.”
He gave Max another scrutinizing once-over. “All right. Give me a minute to put these two away. I’ll be right back.” He scooped up the penguins and disappeared through the door.
She took two steps forward to follow before Max hauled her back with a firm grip. “What are you doing, Crystal? I did not let you drag me down here so you could flirt with a blond hulk.”
She pulled free from his possessive grasp. “I’m investigating.”
“Who is he? Was he in your vision?”
“Possibly. That’s what I’m investigating. Look, your conversational skills suck, so just follow my lead and stop being—” she eyed his permanent scowl—“you.” She pushed down on his stiff shoulders. “Relax a little.”
The marked door opened and they were waved inside by her new friend. Concrete lined the walls and floor, which were stained with fluids she didn’t want to think about. Disinfectant and animal dander tickled her nose, making her eyes water.
“I’m Crystal. This is Max.” She held out her hand. One second, that’s all she needed to find out this man’s secret.
“Ripley.” He slapped a pair of latex gloves in her open palm. He raised a blond brow at Max, who stood with arms crossed over his chest. He laughed at the lack of response and snapped on his own pair of gloves over his huge hands. “Follow me.”
They passed several closed doors and a kitchen area that rivaled most restaurants. A volunteer tore the top off a plastic bag and poured thousands of wiggly mealworms into a cracked plastic container. Another volunteer used a large butcher knife to portion out a side of beef. The rhythmic thwack of the blade hacking through flesh squelched any appetite Crystal may have had.
She glanced inside an exam room and felt her heart stir at the sight of a cougar lying in the only occupied cage. It stared blankly around the bars, its head resting on his paws. Brown fur, once a sleek shiny maize color, appeared dull and gray in the low-watt institutional lighting.
“What’s wrong with the cougar?” she asked.
Ripley shook his head. “I’m not certain yet. He’s very old. I believe he’s suffering from dementia.”
“Really?” she squeaked. “That can happen to animals?”
“They’re really not that different from you and me, gorgeous.”
“Where are all the rest of the employees?” Max asked, his gaze combing every shadow.
“Isn’t it amazing how many people suddenly fall ill and call in sick on such a lovely day?” Ripley smirked.
He led them through another door and into the back of the penguin habitat. It was a haven of rocks and cubbyholes, jetted Jacuzzis, and a wave pool that emulated their native land in Peru. Or at least tried to emulate. Cement slathered over chicken wire was still cement and could never replace the natural rocky shoreline of their origins.
Several of the penguins dove into the water like rockets, riding the waves on their slippery feathers. Krill and plankton floated on the surface like a convenient buffet.
“Why are those ones naked?” Max pointed at two birds that rested in the shade and brayed at each other like donkeys.
“They lose all their feathers when they molt. They’re getting ready to mate.” Ripley stepped over a few birds that refused to move from their path.
“That just looks like all kinds of wrong,” Max muttered.
Crystal bit her lip to keep from giggling. Whether he liked it or not, Max was intrigued with their surroundings.
Ripley stopped at an alcove and slid open the top of a wooden box. “Look here.”
Two baby chicks sat side by side and immediately began to bawl for attention the moment Ripley moved closer. Black eyes peered out from their little brownish-gray faces as their heads swiveled around.
“Oh, they’re so cute,” she cooed. “And you’re making me do baby talk, and I hate it when other people do that. Max, look at them.” She glanced over her shoulder and saw him watching her with a little half smile on his lips.
“They’re precious,” he remarked, just as dry as ever.
She stuck out her tongue and turned back to watch Ripley examine the chicks.
“These little guys hatched about three weeks ago,” he said. “See how this one is much smaller? For some reason the parents decided that he’s not worthy and stopped feeding him. Usually they only do that when there is a lack of food and they choose the strongest to survive. Since that isn’t the case here, then the issue is personal.”
“That’s awful,” she gasped.
He nodded. “That’s why we are going to take care of him.” With fingers far gentler than his size implied he was capable of, he lifted the bird. “Hold out your hands.”
She cupped her palms and her breath caught when the warm bundle of fluff settled in her hold.
Ripley stood. “Let’s take him into one of the exam rooms.”
“How do you know it’s a he?” Max held the door open for them.
“I don’t, not yet anyway. I’m just sexist and call all of them ‘he.’”
Max laughed out loud at that.
Ripley led them to an open room down a quiet hall.
“Set him down there, Crystal.” Ripley nodded at the exam table and closed the door behind them.
One wall was lined with cages of various sizes, while the opposite wall contained glassed-in locked cabinets and shelves filled with medical supplies. Papers, heat lamps, and wires hung from every available surface. The concrete floor had a drain in the center that she guessed was used to hose the room down if need be. Charming.
She shivered in the air-conditioned space, then trembled again when a low growl erupted from under the table, sending a streak of alarm down her neck.
“What the hell?” Ripley frowned and bent low to look. “How did you get out?”
The cougar from the other room lay low along the floor. His black eyes appeared dazed and confused as he watched them, his nostrils working as he separated their scents on the air. His mouth fell open when he saw the tiny bird in Crystal’s hold and recognized the penguin-nugget as a tasty snack. His shoulder blades worked up and down before he leapt.
Everything happened so fast, Crystal barely had time to blink.
The cat sprang straight for her with claws unleashed and lips curled over its fangs. Sharp nails raked across her biceps just as a second cougar, this one with golden fur, crashed into it in mid-air, knocking the crazed feline away from her as she fell to the ground. A pile of shredded blue cotton and khaki was all that remained from where Ripley once stood.
Two balls of snarling fur tangled and thrashed, smashing into every piece of furniture. One cat latched onto the other’s shoulder, digging in deep with its teeth. The bitten cat howled and fought harder for dominance. They rolled across the floor and into a shelf of supplies. Boxes and vials rained down, instantly destroyed in the battle.
Max flung out his hands and lifted both cats, their twisting bodies hovering in the air as he shoved them into separate cages and locked them in.
One of the large cats continued to hiss and charge the door, the metal rattling with the force. The other cat sat on its haunches and stared at them expectantly with bright blue eyes. As Crystal and Max stared at him in shock, he gave a short yowl and tilted his head to the side.
“Did what just happen just happen?” Max asked.
“I think so.”
“He’s…?”
“I think so,” she repeated in a whisper.
Max approached the cage and slowly reached out his hand. The cougar continued to stare up at him, and if possible, appeared to be tapping his paw with impatience. Max unlocked the cage and the cougar sprang out, morphing mid-leap into Ripley, who knelt beside Crystal. Worry was etched on his brow and the firm line of his lips even as blood poured from his shoulder.
“Crystal, are you okay?” He eyed the slashes on her arm then reached for a box of gauze from a shelf above them.
She bit her lip to hold back the hysterical laughter bubbling up her throat. The man just turned into cougar and back again and was now standing before her in all his divine and glorious nakedness covered in bite marks and scratches, and he was worried about her?
“I’ll be all right. You look worse.” She hissed when he poured antiseptic over the slashes. “Oww,” she whimpered as quietly as possible, trying not to look like a wimp.
“Sorry. God, I’m sorry about this. I’ve told people a thousand times to make sure the cages are locked. Max, shut and lock that door in case anyone heard and might be coming.”
“On it.”
“You shapeshifted,” she whispered in awe, still not believing what she saw. “You shifted. Why did you shift?”
He raised a brow, as if surprised at why she would ask such a question. “You were in danger.”
“No.” She shook her head. “You don’t shift in front of anyone. Why did you do it in front of us?”
He looked back and forth between her and Max. “You two smell different. Not like…people.”
“Not like people?” Max asked. “What the hell does that mean?”
“I think I understand,” she said with a laugh and leaned her head back against the wall. “You glow. Blue. Just like me and Max.”
“I glow?” The big golden man chuckled while he continued to wrap more gauze around her biceps and taping it to her skin.
“Just a little. Like a halo.”
“Well, let me be the first to tell you, I’m no angel.”
The two shared a laugh that was interrupted by Max clearing his throat. “Your shoulder is bleeding pretty badly, and maybe you want to throw some clothes on.” He was going to have a permanent crease in his brow from all the frowning he did.
Ripley stood to his full height. Sunlight streamed in from a tiny window and bathed his golden body, highlighting the fine hairs that covered the slab of muscles on his chest and thighs. Crystal swallowed hard as his cock hung, long and heavy, just above her head. Damn, the man was built.
He looked down at her with an amused smile, not bothered in the slightest by her open admiration. “That arm is going to need stitches.”
“It looks like you will, too.” Max said tightly, displeasure branded in his scowl, and shoved a towel at Ripley.
“I’ll be fine, but let me take you to a people doctor. I have a friend who can get us in right away.” He blotted off the blood then pulled a change of clothes from a cabinet and dressed quickly.
Crystal got to her feet on shaky knees. “What about him?”
“Who?” both men asked.
“Him.” She held out her hands to show them the little penguin, asleep in her palms.