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Lion shifter Lucius strode along the winding paths of the Amazing Adventures Safari Park, his senses alert for anything out of the ordinary. Even as a human, his lion’s instincts helped him navigate the myriad of sounds and smells that painted a vivid picture of the day-to-day of the park. The blazing July sun was high in the sky, ensuring he needed sunglasses to keep from spending the day squinting at everything. To the hundreds of people who had come through the park already that day, it was a place to come for a safari tour, a bird show in the sanctuary, a ride on the new carousel, or a turn feeding tiny animals in the petting zoo. But to him, it was home.

He'd been a security guard at the park since he was eighteen. He’d come to the park in his early teens with his family: his dad, Caesar, who was the alpha lion of the pride, and his brothers, Jupiter and Amadeus.

The safari park was more than a job for him, it was a sanctuary for the shifters who worked there as well as lived underground in secret, keeping the truth of shifters from humans. Humans had no idea that the staff of the park were almost entirely shifters, from the animals in the paddocks of the safari tour, to the animal handlers, ticket takers, security guards, food staff, and other workers.

As he walked, Lucius nodded to the patrons, a small smile playing on his lips. The park was busy today, families moving from exhibit to exhibit. Despite being surrounded by laughing children, Lucius couldn’t help but muse on the emptiness that had been growing inside him lately.

His heart ached for more—someone to share his life with, someone he could tell the truth of his shifting nature to.

His soulmate.

He’d always hoped he’d meet his soulmate once he’d come to the safari park. The alphas of the various shifter groups had decided to encourage unmated males and females to come to the park by sending out coupons for free VIP safari tours so that the shifters in the park might have a chance to find their soulmate through some twist of fate.

It had happened a few times since the tours had started, but not as often as the alphas had hoped. Just recently, they’d begun an email campaign, opting to send out digital coupons versus the paper coupons in the mail that weren’t bringing soulmates through the gates.

Lucius had always wanted to find his soulmate, but since one of his best friends—Jasper—had recently reunited with his soulmate, Lucius had even more of a knot of longing inside him. He hoped he’d meet her soon, and he didn’t care if she was human or a shifter, just so long as they found each other.

Pushing aside the longing that always seemed to find him whenever he saw couples with small children in the park, he focused on his job and the safety of the park and guests.

Just as he was about to turn the corner near the bird sanctuary, his sharp hearing picked up the sound of a soft, hiccupping sob. He scanned the crowd of people and saw a little girl. Her face was streaked with tears and she held a stuffed macaw to her chest.

He moved swiftly to her and dropped to one knee. “Hey there, kiddo,” he said gently. “I’m a security guard here at the park and my name is Lucius. What’s the matter?”

She inhaled shakily and clutched the bird tighter. “I…I can’t find my mommy.”

He smiled reassuringly. “It’s okay, little one. We’ll find her together, okay? What’s your name?”

“Layla.”

He stood and offered her his hand. “Let’s go find your mommy.”

She put her tiny hand in his. He brought his walkie to his mouth and said softly, “I’ve got a lost kid here, female, blond hair, and wearing shorts and a tank top with hearts on it.”

“Head to the security office,” Jupiter said. “I’ll send word to the workers in the park to let them know to send anyone looking for her here. Name?”

“Layla. We’re on the way.”

As they walked to the security office, Lucius said, “Did you see a bird show? They’re so cool.”

“I want to, but Mommy said not today,” she said.

“Aw, well, maybe next time. I love your bird. What’s his name?”

“Feathers.”

“That’s a great name!”

She smiled up at him. “I like the birds the best.”

“They’re awesome. How about the petting zoo?”

She shook her head.

He guided her to the security office. Jupiter opened the door and a woman dashed out, grabbing Layla in a hug. “Baby! Where did you go? I was so scared!”

Layla started to cry again as she told her mom that she got lost and couldn’t find her. Her mom stood with Layla in her arms. “Thank you so much for keeping her safe. My husband was watching her while I changed our son in the restroom and he said he turned his back for a minute and she walked off.”

“I found her at the bird sanctuary,” Lucius said.

“Oh, honey,” she said, hugging her tighter. “She loves birds. We didn’t order advanced tickets for the shows today and they’re sold out. She was so disappointed.”

Jupiter cleared his throat. “I think we can help with that. If you have time, I’m sure we can find space for you and your family in the one p.m. show.”

“Oh, could you? That would be wonderful. Let me call my husband. He’s waiting at the ticket office with our baby to watch for her.”

Jupiter radioed to the season ticket office and let them know they’d found Layla as the woman called her husband to share the news.

The woman looked at Lucius for a long moment with tears shining in her eyes. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to her.”

“Just doing my job, I’m glad I could help.”

“Well, thank you. Truly.”

When the father appeared pushing a stroller, Lucius smiled at the reunion, grateful that he’d been able to help bring them back together. Jupiter handed over tickets to the next bird show and told them to let Jess at the entrance know that he’d personally sent them as special guests.

“Thank you, Lucius,” Layla said from her mom’s arms.

“You’re welcome, kiddo. Enjoy the show, and you too, Feathers.”

The family walked off toward the bird sanctuary, and Lucius turned to Jupiter with a smile. “I might not have my own family yet, but I do love this job for that reason right there.”

“Yeah, it’s awesome to be part of that kind of happy ending. Aside from that little hiccup in the day, how’s it going?”

“Good. Quiet.”

“That’s how we like it.”

Lucius definitely preferred things quiet in the park too. They’d had some issues over the past months with other shifter groups trying to come in and either take over or harm someone, like his friend August’s mate, Ginny, whose murderous grandfather had tried to kill her to keep her from taking over their jackal pack.

He’d take a quiet day in the park over that sort of problem any day.

After saying goodbye, he turned his attention back to his patrol route, his heart a little lighter than before. He had no idea when he’d meet his soulmate. He hoped that she was out there waiting for him, just like he was waiting for her.

For now, all he could do was focus on his job and keep the park safe for the shifters who called it home and the patrons who came to enjoy the amenities offered. Maybe someday, his soulmate would walk through the gates and into his arms. Until then, he’d just hope that someday would be soon.