Page 1 of Alfie

Chapter One

Alfie Wright strode along the interior fence of the Amazing Adventures Safari Park, walkie clipped to his belt, and eyes scanning for anything out of the ordinary. The park was closed for the holidays, which meant he didn’t have to hide from human visitors that he was a wolf shifter and could tap into his enhanced senses of sight and hearing to look for trouble.

Not that he expected any. But one could never be sure.

Their people—who lived and worked at the park—had run-ins with occasional whackjobs who wanted to take over the park, or abduct someone, or cause unusual amounts of trouble. So he, and the other security team members, took the safety of the park very seriously.

Along with the wolves in his pack, run by alpha Joss and his human mate Jeanie, elephants, lions, bears, and gorillas lived safely underneath the park in a fully functioning underground city, complete with a market for food, sundries, offices, and each group’s private living area.

Alfie had come to the park several years ago when he was a young male, tired of his tracking skills being utilized by his former alpha for nefarious purposes. Joss had used Alfie’s talent for tracking, taught to him by his dad and grandpa, to help the park shifters, who lived in secret from the humans in the world, but never in the evil ways of his former alpha.

The only thing missing from his life was his soulmate.

Recently, his closest friends had found their happily ever afters in the arms of their soulmates, and that made Alfie feel like he was getting left behind. He was, of course, happy for his friends, but bummed for himself.

“Bro.”

He paused the trek around the park’s interior wall and looked around.

“Hey,” he said, greeting Amadeus, one of the lions and a member of the security team.

“I called your name like six times.”

“Thinking.”

“I thought I smelled smoke.”

Alfie rolled his eyes with a chuckle and joined Amadeus, the last unmated son of the alpha lion Caesar. Caesar had recently found his own soulmate in a jaguar named Sera, who made excellent coffee in the market and was going to run a safari-themed coffee shop.

“What’s up?”

“You nearly done with your shift, right?”

“Yeah.” He glanced at his watch, finding it close to the end of his time. “What’s up? You want to grab a bite in the cafeteria?”

“I was thinking we could get a drink. Hit that bar we all like.”

“Sure. Let me finish my rounds and grab a shower. Did you tell Nathan and Hyde?”

Lately, the four males had become thick as thieves, commiserating in their unmatedness and hope for their own romantic futures.

“I did. They’re in. Just need to tell Jupiter.”

Jupiter, Amadeus’s brother, was the head of security. Their people weren’t in danger at the moment, but they weren’t supposed to leave the park without an escort. Considering two of the males heading out were on the security team, they’d be fine on their own.

“I’m going to grab a shower. I’ll see you in the cafeteria in an hour.”

“You’re really upbeat about this,” Alfie said, giving his friend a curious look.

“Hell yes, I have a good feeling about tonight.”

“What kind of good feeling?”

“One of us is going to meet his soulmate. Tonight. I’m positive.”

“Developed psychic abilities recently?” Alfie teased.

“Maybe,” Amadeus said, his eyes glittering with mischief. “I’m just sure that one of us is going to find his special lady. Of course, I’m positive it will be me.”