Atticus by R.E. Butler
Chapter Two
Alpha gorilla Atticus Keeton leaned against one of the large shade trees in the gorilla paddock in the Amazing Adventures Safari Park. He was in his shift, taking a break from the heat of the afternoon. He looked out in the paddock and saw his fellow gorilla shifters: his son, Zane, who was mated to a human named Adriana; Win, who was mated to a human named Lexy; Neo, who was mated to a human named Dani, Cael, who was mated to a human-shifter hybrid named Novi; and August, who, like Atticus, had never been mated.
He’d met Zane’s mom when he’d been in Europe and they’d had an affair. When Zane was born, she’d given him to Atticus to raise so she could mate the male of her alpha father’s choosing. He’d liked her, but she just wasn’t his soulmate so he hadn’t protested her lack of desire in mating him and raising Zane together. At this point in his life, now in his mid-forties, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever get a soulmate. Even if his gorilla wanted to settle down and have someone to snuggle up to at night, it didn’t mean that it was in the cards for them.
A Jeep engine rumbled in the distance, and he heaved himself up from the ground and made his way toward the fence.
He and the other alphas in the park had decided that not enough unmated males and females came through the park, so they’d created a VIP tour wherein free tickets were sent to single humans in the tri-state area for a private tour. As the humans stopped at each animal paddock, unaware that they were looking at shifters and not natural animals, the shifters hoped to find their soulmate among them.
A soulmate—the one perfect person on the planet for a shifter.
Atticus’s son had found his soulmate on a tour. Win had found Lexy at the side of the road when her car had broken down. Neo had met Dani when she’d come on the tour against the wishes of her family.
The Jeep stopped in front of the paddock and a wolf male, posing as a tour guide, got out of the vehicle and helped a petite blonde female out. They approached the fence and milled around. Although Atticus didn’t expect to find his soulmate, his gorilla hooted in his head, and he sat back on his haunches and inhaled. He smelled french fries from the park’s food stalls and some kind of flowery soap he suspected belonged to the blonde.
His beast was interested in something, or someone, but not the blonde.
Subtly, he shook his head at the wolf guide and watched August do the same thing.
August sighed loudly then shook his head again and turned away. The guide nodded at them, took a picture of the blonde, and then encouraged her to get back in the vehicle so they could continue on the tour.
While the tours had been set up to hopefully bring in soulmates, only a few had been found. At this point, after more than a year of VIP tours, a handful of soulmates had been claimed. There were more soulmates who’d been found in that time span, but in other ways aside from the tours. He wanted his people to find their soulmates, he was happy for them, but he also wished he didn’t feel so damned negative about the idea of himself finding one.
He was forty-six. That wasn’t too old for love.
His gorilla grunted an agreement and urged Atticus to return to the maintenance shed in the paddock and shift. Normally, his beast was fine with hanging out in his shift for however long he wanted to, but today, he was getting push back from the creature. It was a first for sure.
Rubbing the space over his heart, he listened for more Jeeps but didn’t hear any coming, so he headed back to the shade tree and sat.
The urge to return to the shed grew with each passing moment until he was fighting with his beast to stay in his shift.
With a deep frown, he asked his other half what the problem was, but of course got nothing but grunts and non-answers.
As if his beast would actually talk. Now that would be handy.
He had another hour to go before the tours were finished, and then another hour before the area would be cleared by security so they could go to the shed to shift. Maybe he needed to take a walk around the park to settle his beast.
Calm down, we can’t leave yet, he mentally told his gorilla.
The responding grunt was furious, antsy even, but he wasn’t about to go rogue on his people and leave them with more tours to go.
Suck it up, furball.
* * *
When they finally received the all-clear from the patrols that there were no humans in the vicinity and it was safe for them to return to human, Atticus made his way to the maintenance shed. Inside, he returned to his human form, his gorilla still urging him to go out into the park.
He tugged on his uniform and sat on a bench to lace up his boots.
“You okay, Dad?” Zane asked once he’d returned to human.
Atticus let out a deep sigh. “I am. I think.”
“You think?” Win asked.
“I don’t know. My gorilla’s feeling antsy. I can’t really explain it, I just feel kind of off.”
August leaned against a counter. “When did that start?”
Atticus shrugged. “When I was in my shift.”
“Do you think one of the VIPs was your soulmate?” Zane asked.
“No.” Atticus shook his head and stood. “It’s not that. I just feel like I need to go for a walk in the park.” He hadn’t strolled around the park in several weeks. He’d been busy working on the Jeeps and other park vehicles in the maintenance building within the park. For the last month or so, he’d been doing nothing but working, taking his meals in the marketplace underneath the park where the shifters lived. He hadn’t left the park in ages.
“Want some company?” Win asked.
“Nah. Maybe I’ll grab a bite to eat and clear my head.”
“We’ll see you in the maintenance shed later,” Zane said. “I’m meeting Adriana for dinner after she finishes a manicure. We’re going to make a run to the beauty supply place and get something to eat after.”
“Have fun and be safe,” Atticus said.
“You know it.”
The group left through the door in the floor of the shed that led down to the underground living quarters. The gorillas lived in a large room that contained small homes they’d each claimed. The homes were built on fake trees made of steel and covered with material to appear more natural. The walls of the room were painted to look like the jungle.
When the door was shut and Atticus was alone, he left the maintenance shed and walked out of the paddock, locking the gate behind him. He started toward the exit, following the dirt path that would lead to where the tours started. The area was closed for the day, so no one was around. Once he was past the tour station, he stopped.
His gorilla started to grunt again, urging him forward.
But forward to what?
He had no freaking clue and he really hated that he had no idea what his beast wanted from him.
If only he could figure it out.
And then he caught it.
Something sweet on the air that made everything within him quiet completely.
Closing his eyes, he focused on the scent. His gorilla hooted happily.
Was it possible? Had he caught the scent of his soulmate in the park?
Is that why you were acting so crazy? he asked his beast.
The urgency returned and he decided to follow the scent and see what happened. He made his way through the park, finding the scent growing stronger. His body was reacting like crazy—his muscles were tight, his blood was heating, and parts south were ready for action.
A female stood a few feet from one of the food stalls, staring at the menu and chewing on her bottom lip. She had a small backpack with embroidered butterflies hanging from one shoulder. Her hair was long and dark, pulled to the side in a low ponytail. She was petite and lushly curved, and while she was the most beautiful female he’d ever seen in his life, he couldn’t help but notice the dark circles under her eyes or the way she watched everything even as she studied the menu. Her shoulders were hunched like she was ready to run away, and her posture spoke of a person who never felt at peace.
Who the hell was she?
His beast let him know exactly who she was. The source of the scent.
His soulmate.
“Hey, Atticus.”
He startled from staring at the female and turned to see Javan, one of the lions from the security office.
“Hi, how’s it going?”
“Not too bad, just came to grab lunch. Oh hey, Lori, what’s up?” The young male waved at Atticus’s female, and she gave him a small smile.
“Hi, Javan. Late lunch. You?”
“Same. I’m going to the cafeteria though.”
Atticus nudged the young male. “What?” Javan asked.
“Introduce me,” Atticus said with a low voice.
“Oh, sure.” They closed the distance to the female—Lori. “Lori Jones, this is Atticus Keeton. He works at the park and heads up the vehicle repair for our tour Jeeps and stuff. This is Lori, she’s Novi’s mom and is staying in one of the apartments.”
Lori looked at Atticus. “Hello.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Atticus said. He extended his hand, and she hesitated a moment before taking it. Her hand was cold, and she looked nervous.
Then he put two and two together. He’d been told by Alistair, the elephant alpha, that Cael’s soulmate Novi and her mother were in danger from a polar bear shifter who’d been stalking them since Novi’s birth.
Suddenly, he wanted to find the male and slaughter him to put Lori’s mind at ease.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Lori said.
“I gotta jam, lunch calls. See you both later,” Javan said.
“Would you like some company?” Atticus asked. “There are some empty picnic tables around.”
Her brow furrowed a bit and then she nodded. “Sure. I was just going to read for a while, but conversation would be nice too.”
They both ordered burgers and fries, but he got a double order of fries. They found a table, and he sat across from her. His nerves kicked up as his beast hooted in joy. Every time he inhaled, he got more of her scent, and he knew without a doubt that she was his soulmate.
But there were several problems. She had a dangerous stalker and was in hiding in the park. She clearly didn’t trust people, even if she did agree to have lunch with him. And she had no idea that shifters were real.
But he was nothing if not determined. All his wondering if he’d get a soulmate was now put to rest. He’d found her, he just needed to earn her trust.
It would be difficult, but he knew she would be worth it.
