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“Oh,” Waylon murmured, his voice going quiet. “It’s like that, huh?”
“Yep.” Peter figured his smart friend would get the reference. What he needed to talk to them about might have paranormal connotations. “I’m driving your way now.” Considering Waylon said he was at the bar working—Waylon worked as a bartender at one of Aquatica’s restaurants—Peter asked, “Do you get off any time soon?”
“I’m here until six,” Waylon told him. “And Colton won’t be available until probably thirty minutes after that. He’s working in the aquarium until then.”
Peter knew that meant Colton was in his seahorse form and actuallyinthe aquarium. Most of the shifters there took turns in the aquariums to show visitors various marine life. Unless the shifter was something too exotic—such as the alpha and beta, who shared their psyche with huge squids—or a couple of security guards who turned into animals thought to be extinct.
“Okay.”Damn. Guess I shouldn’t have rushed into this without thinking. I could’ve still had my sauna time.“Well, I’ll be at the park in twenty minutes, so I’ll just wander the exhibits until you’re off.”
“You’re welcome to come hang out at the bar with me,” Waylon offered. “Are you hungry?”
“Yeah, okay,” Peter agreed, even as his stomach growled at the mention of food. “I could certainly eat.” With a laugh, he admitted, “I kinda rushed out the door without thinking after work.”
Waylon hummed softly. “Sounds serious.”
“Could be,” Peter replied, sobering.
“I’ll put in an order for the clam strip basket and fries for you in about ten minutes,” Waylon told him, knowing exactly what Peter would want to eat. His buddy knew him well. “That way, it’ll be hot and fresh when you get here.”
“Thanks, man.” Peter hummed as his mouth watered with anticipation. “I appreciate it.”
“Sure. See you soon.”
Waylon closed the call, and Peter pressed on the accelerator just a little bit harder. Noting his speed, he sighed and eased back off again. Getting pulled over for speeding wouldn’t get him to the park any faster.
Peter arrived and headed to the VIP parking area near the front. After parking, he leaned over and opened the glove box. From within, he pulled the VIP tag that Colton had provided for all of Waylon’s friends. After hanging it on his rearview mirror, Peter exited, locked his door, and headed toward the park.
Showing his annual pass to the attendant at the gate—also provided by Colton—Peter made his way into the park. As he headed toward the restaurant, he noticed the billboard with show times of the marine life shows. A stab of disappointment filled Peter when he saw he wouldn’t be able to make the last tiger shark show if he sat down to eat. Then Peter grinned when he noticed that if he ate fast, hewouldbe able to see the dolphin show.
That’ll be a great distraction after I eat.
With that plan in mind, Peter hurried to the restaurant.
* * * *
Pisces swam into the huge aquarium with Angelina by his side. Having worked with the fellow bottlenose dolphin on many occasions, he easily kept pace beside her. They’d done this routine so many times, he figured he could do it in his sleep.
Listening to Gerard introduce them as George and Gracy, Pisces prepared to do their first trick. The man had a mild Australian accent, which most found pleasing to the ear. After shows, while Pisces swam around so people could take pictures, he always got a kick out of how many people flirted with the man. Of course, these days, Gerard gently let people down, seeing as the weedy sea dragon shifter had met his mate.
A pang of jealousy stirred within Pisces, and he did his best to push it down. Over the years, a number of shifters in his pod had found their fated mate—the person who was the other half of their soul. Pisces always hoped the fates would smile upon him and he would meet his special someone soon.
The vibration of a stick tapping the water twice drew Pisces’s attention. Knowing the cue, he undulated his powerful tail as he arched his body. Pisces leaped from the water, Angelina right beside him doing the same, and twirled in the air. Adjusting in mid-air, Pisces made certain to splash a large wave at the waiting crowd, soaking the first two rows.
Before being fully submerged again, Pisces took a deep breath through his blowhole. In that instant, the most tantalizing scent registered. Pisces enjoyed the smell so much that he nearly rose back to the surface to try to get another hint of it.
Pisces caught himself just in time and continued with the routine. That didn’t stop him from searching for the scent each time he did a trick. Every time he used his tail to dance across the top of the water, Pisces searched for more.
When Barry—theirtrainer—was riding Pisces’s back—one foot on him and the other on Angelina—he finally realized the delicious fragrance was coming from someone in the stands...and what it meant.
Holy shit! My mate is somewhere in block A, B, or C. How the hell will I be able to find him?
At that realization, Pisces’s mind blanked a little. He pushed too hard through the water, breaking stride with Angelina. Barry was still on their backs and hissed his name, redrawing Pisces’s focus. It was a good thing Barry was a harbor seal shifter with heightened reflexes, or he would have tumbled into the water.
Oops!
It took every scrap of self-control Pisces had to continue the routine. He knew he couldn’t very well stop everything, shift, and go hunting for that special someone, even though every fiber of his being screamed at him to do just that. Instead, Pisces did his job.
Still, each time Pisces swam by the area where he knew his mate sat, he searched the stands—not that it helped. There was absolutely no way for him to pinpoint who the mouth-watering aroma belonged to.
