“I texted them while you were filling up at the gas station when we got off the expressway,” Liam explained in a quick aside. “So they’d be expecting us.”
Troy pulled up to the curb by the group, and Liam stepped out of the van. The oldest man there stepped forward, one hand extended.
“Dr. McConnell? I’m Dr. Marshfield. We have to thank you for helping to sort this all out.”
Liam shook the offered hand, and nodded to Ramon, who stood beside the cage with another zookeeper. He gestured to Troy, who was coming around the front of the van. “This is my associate, Dr. Troy Shelton.”
Dr. Marshfield shook Troy’s hand, shaking his head. “This is most unprecedented. We’ve never had the case of an undocumented animal in the zoo before.”
Liam infused his voice with sympathy. “Who could have anticipated anyone going to this length to get rid of a wild pet? But at least they did their best to do right by her. They didn’t dump her on the roadside, or in the woods somewhere.”
“True, true,” Dr. Marshfield nodded. He gestured to one of the men with him, who stepped forward with a clipboard.
“The paperwork was faxed to us this morning. Everything is in order, we just need your signature, and you can be on your way with her.”
As he signed the papers, Ramon and the other zookeeper lifted the cage, bringing it to the van, while Troy opened the side door to allow them to slide it inside. Ramon hung back as the other men took their leave, his gaze on the small leopard lying in the cage.
“She’ll be all right?” He asked Liam, sounding hesitant.
“She’ll be fine,” Liam reassured the young man, and Troy nodded his agreement. “We’ve got her placed in a wild animal sanctuary in Ohio. She’ll be taken care of, and well-treated.”
“She started eating, after your visit the other evening,” Ramon reported, looking a bit happier. “They were able to stop the IV fluids.” He shook his head. “That’s some magic you’ve got with the animals, man. I wish I had it.”
“You have good instincts,” Liam said, resting his hand on Ramon’s shoulder. “Learn to trust them. You were right about her being depressed. She’ll do better in her new environment. I’m sure of it.”
“Well, that’s good, anyway.” Ramon stepped back with a brief wave, and turned away as Liam took his seat beside Troy in the van.
Waiting until the van had pulled out of the zoo parking lot, Liam unfastened his seatbelt and made his way into the back of the van. Unlatching the cage door, he lifted the clouded leopard out of it, placing the groggy cat on the van floor and seating himself beside her. He lifted her head onto his lap, stroking gently.
“Sorry about the sedation,” he apologized. “It’s standard procedure, but you should feel more alert soon.”
Her sleek head moved a little, and a broad tongue swiped roughly across his arm. He smiled.
“Good girl. As soon as you feel up to it, you can Change. I’ve got some kind of clothing here for you… a caftan, I think it’s called. There’s a hairbrush, too. Once we get to the Inn, the girls will take over and get you into something your size, okay?”
Again her head moved, he assumed signifying assent, and her eyes closed. By her steady breathing he knew she slept, and he felt oddly pleased that she felt enough trust in him to let herself sleep; had she not, she would have fought the sedation harder, trying to stay awake.
It wasn’t until they exited the parkway in the Hudson Valley, however, that she opened her eyes again, lifting her head to look around. She lurched to her feet, although she swayed groggily.
“It won’t be much longer before we get to the Inn,” Liam told her. “Do you feel like you can Change?”
She nodded, moving away from him toward the back of the van. He rose to his feet and went forward, reaching for the small bag Katerina had provided. He placed it beside her, and slid over the center armrest to take his place in the front seat again, giving her privacy.
The zing of shifter magic filled the van, then faded. He waited a few minutes, hearing the rustle of fabric coming from the back. Finally judging it to be safe, he turned in his seat to look toward the back of the van.
The young woman sitting cross-legged on the floor was slender, delicate even, with gentle features. Wide blue-grey eyes the color of stormy seas, and pale blonde hair, set off porcelain-fair skin. She was far too thin, with her collarbones and wrists showing as sharp angles. She was pulling a brush through the mass of silky looking hair, which seemed long in back, but cut short in front to cause wisps to frame the gentle oval of her face.
“Hi, Naomi.” Liam smiled, looking at her. “It’s nice to meet you at last.”
“Myself also,” Troy said, casting a quick smile over his shoulder before returning his attention to the road. “I’m Troy Shelton, one of the partners at the vet clinic where Liam works.”
“Thank you.” Her voice quivered, and she paused in her brushing. Her glance flickered nervously across Troy’s profile, then settled on Liam. She tried to smile, but it was clearly an effort.
“So where are you taking me? I know you said an inn…” her voice trailed off, and the look of anxiety on her face intensified.
“It’s a bed and breakfast, actually,” Liam explained. He allowed his enthusiasm for the building to creep into his voice. “It’s an old Victorian home that’s been renovated into a B&B. It’s quite beautiful, with gingerbread trim and balconies and turrets.”
Troy chuckled, which was more like a deep rumble in his chest. “Katerina—that’s my fiancee—she stayed there in one of the turrets for awhile. She told me she felt just like a princess.”
