Unicorn Vet

Zoe Chant

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Epilogue

A Note From Zoe Chant

Also by Zoe Chant

Chapter 1

Unicorn shifters were rare and special, with healing powers in their horns. They tended to become cardiologists or ER doctors or firefighter/paramedics, using their unique gifts for the betterment of humankind.

Angel Rosado, unicorn shifter and small-town veterinarian, re-read the text he’d just gotten. It still said COW STUCK IN TREE.

He tried calling the number back, but got only a busy signal. Cell phone service was unreliable in the little town of La Puerta, and landlines went down every time a tree fell. His patients, or rather his patients’ owners, had learned to send terse texts with the problem and their address, and just assumed he’d show up at some point.

As he drove up the winding mountain roads, he imagined assorted cows stuck in the trees he passed. Angel smiled to himself as he pictured a fat mooing Holstein perched precariously atop a towering pine, a fierce black bull crouched panther-like among the wide branches of an oak, and a bewildered calf peering down from a bushy fir like a stuck kitten.

He couldn’t imagine how any kind of cow could get stuck in a tree, unless there had been an incredibly localized tornado, but one of the many things he loved about being a country vet was that every day brought something completely new. Especially in La Puerta, whose name didn’t mean “the door” or “the gateway” for nothing.

Most of the townspeople thought the name came from the old stone gateway that had been built in the 1800s and, along with other buildings from that period, put them on the tourist map. Only a few knew about the much more interesting portal that Angel suspected had really given the town its name.

His inner unicorn gave an impatient stamp of his hoof. It hasn’t been very interesting lately. The last time it opened, nothing even came through.

Angel certainly hoped that was what had happened. It was true that sometimes the portal opened but nothing came out. But there had also been times when it had opened and whatever came out took off before they could get there. Most of the creatures that came through were harmless, but not all. Some deadly beast could be hiding in the woods, waiting to leap out…

Something leaped out.

Angel slammed on the brakes, sending all the junk on the backseat flying. A granola bar smacked into the back of his head.

He came to a hard stop in front of…

…a deer.

He sighed in relief, both that he hadn’t hit it and that it was only a deer. The deer had also stopped and was standing right in the midde of the road. It was a fine young buck with a rack of antlers, its coat gleaming golden in the sunlight. Its limpid black eyes studied him without fear.

Say hello to your little brother, Angel thought to his inner unicorn.

Inside his mind, his unicorn snorted and tossed his mane. A distant cousin, at most. Not half as magnificent as me.

Angel teased, Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?

With complete sincerity, his unicorn replied, Me. Unicorns are the fairest of all the animals. And I’m the fairest of all unicorns!

Angel shook his head, more in disbelief than actual denial. A shifter’s inner animal was supposed to represent their deepest, truest, most primal self. It had never made sense to Angel that he, who was such a spectacular disappointment within the community of unicorn shifters, had an inner animal who was so convinced that he was the best thing ever.

The buck trotted across the road and vanished into the forest. Angel drove on. He turned left at the cow crossing sign, and maneuvered along a narrow dirt road until he reached the Jeon family’s small farm.

He heard the cow before he saw it. Its frantic mooing filled the air, along with human yells and the rather disturbing sound of a chainsaw revving. Angel parked his car and got out, his bag of veterinary supplies in hand, and approached the scene of the ruckus.

The Jeon family was clustered around a spindly oak tree. Angel’s first, absurd thought was that the tree couldn’t possibly support the weight of a cow, but he looked up to check. There was no cow stuck in its branches.

But as the family moved away from the tree, he saw the rear end of a fat white cow stuck in the trunk. It looked like the cow had dematerialized and started to step through the tree, but had become solid again halfway through.

“How in the world…?” Angel began.

“Struck by lightning,” said Mrs. Jeon crisply.

For a second, Angel thought she was informing him that the cow had been struck by lightning and gained superpowers. Then he realized that she meant that the tree had been struck. Once he understood that, he saw what had happened.

The oak tree had been split lengthwise; what he had thought were a pair of skinny branching trunks were the halves of a normal-sized tree. The split didn’t go all the way to the ground, so the tree was still standing. The cow had attempted to walk through the split, but had gotten stuck in it instead and was wedged in too tightly to go either forward or back.

Mr. Jeon, who was brandishing the chainsaw, said, “She goes berserk every time I try to cut her free. I thought you could give her a knockout shot.”

A unicorn needs no knockouts, declaimed Angel’s inner unicorn.

“That won’t be necessary,” Angel said. “I think I can get her to calm down.”

He circled around the tree to approach the cow from the front. Once he was on the other side, he could see the black streaks of lightning burns.

“What’s her name?” he asked.

The Jeon farm was small, like most farms in La Puerta, with a few dairy cows, a flock of chickens, some pigs, and, rather randomly, a pair of peacocks. In Angel’s experience, anyone with fewer than twenty dairy cows named them.

“Bessie,” said the younger daughter.

“Of course,” said Angel. Anyone who had cows named at least one of them Bessie, just like anyone with a bull named it Ferdinand. Dropping his voice to a low, soothing register, he said, “It’s all right, Bessie. Just hold still. We’re trying to get you free…”

He laid his hand on Bessie’s plump side and summoned his inner unicorn. Not enough to shift, but enough that the power of his horn flowed through his hand and into the cow. Bessie gave a contented grunt and relaxed.

“You can cut her free now,” said Angel.

He kept the power flowing in a current of warmth between him and Bessie as the chainsaw revved and sawed through the tree. It took some careful work, but at last one half of the tree fell away, freeing the cow.

Angel took his hand from her side. Bessie gave a hopeful moo, turned her head, and gave him a nudge. One of her horns smacked into his shoulder.

“Ow,” said Angel.

Bessie looked at him with huge, soulful brown eyes. Animals always seemed to enjoy feeling his unicorn’s power, and often hung around hoping for more of it. He suspected that it felt like sitting in a hot bubble bath while a comforting voice told you that everything was going to be all right.

He gave her a light slap on the rump. “Off you go.”

With a disappointed moo, Bessie trotted off. Angel straightened up and found the entire Jeon family—father, mother, grandmother, two daughters, and son—watching him in awe.

“That was amazing,” said the son. “She went nuts every time we even got near her with the chain saw.”

“How did you do it?” asked the older daughter.

The grandmother said something in Korean, and Mr. Jeon translated, “She says you have a magic touch.”

Angel had been raised to respect his elders, and besides, she was right. Instead of denying it, he smiled and said, “Please tell her thank you.”

“Come inside,” said Mr. Jeon. “Have some coffee.”

“And pie,” said the younger daughter eagerly. “I made it myself, from our own apples!”

The next thing Angel knew, he was being hustled toward the farmhouse, with the family chattering in two languages about his incredible gift with animals.

Inside his mind, his unicorn pranced and preened, soaking up the praise like a sponge. But Angel himself couldn’t fully enjoy it. His unicorn’s gift was a wonderful thing, and the fact that Angel could use it while he was in his human form was unusual in addition to being useful. But it wasn’t the gift he was supposed to have.

Angel’s unicorn could calm down people and animals for as long as he touched them with his hands or horn. But that was all he could do. He couldn’t heal anyone, not even of a cold or a papercut.

In the world of humans, nobody knew there was anything wrong with him. But in the world of shifters, where everyone knew that unicorns could perform miracles of healing, he was a failure.

Chapter 2

Everly Sawyer stepped out of her car and took a deep, contented breath of La Puerta’s fresh, pine-scented air. She hadn’t even checked into her bed-and-breakfast yet, but she already felt 100% more relaxed. It was her first real vacation in three years, and she intended to spend the week doing absolutely nothing but relaxing, sipping coffee in charming cafés, relaxing, hiking in the woods, relaxing, watching birds, relaxing, reading, relaxing, enjoying not being on the phone, re—

Her phone buzzed.

Everly had instructed the staff of the French restaurant she managed to not contact her unless it was a genuine emergency. Her blood pressure shot skyward as she grabbed the phone to read the text from Des Dieux a Tes Levres.

SORRY TO BOTHER YOU BUT SUPPLIER SENT 100 LBS OYSTERS WE DIDN’T ORDER INSTEAD OF THE LOBSTER WE DID ORDER. DRIVER UNLOADED IT AND LEFT. SUPPLIER NOT RETURNING PHONE CALLS. HELP.

Everly sighed. The problem with her instructions was that restaurants were in a constant state of emergency.

She texted, THREATEN SUPPLIER WITH BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU COMPLAINT. IF NO RESPONSE IN 1 HOUR, TELL CHEF TO MAKE SPECIAL OYSTER MENU.

Everly stuffed her phone down into the depths of her purse. She’d have loved to have silenced it, but she didn’t get paid the big—well, big-ish—bucks to leave her staff completely to their own devices. Even on vacation.

But she immediately fished the phone out again, because she had to take a photo of the Come On Inn to send to her family. It was a charming old Victorian house, painted a silvery gray with pink trim. The color combination wouldn’t have occurred to her, but it was lovely, like a sunset on a cloudy day. Nestled in the middle of a pine forest, it looked absolutely magical.

Prepare yourself, Everly, she thought. It might look like Motel 6 on the inside.

But when she went inside, her duffel bag slung over her shoulder, she found a lobby that was mostly natural wood, with a few splashes of bright, attractive paint. And the owner who greeted her, a tall woman with cornrows that twisted into an intricate bun, immediately put her at ease.

“I’m Isa Oladele. And this is Jewel.” Isa indicated the cat that perched atop her desk, watching Everly with enormous green eyes in an elfin face. His gray fur was an odd mixture of wavy and fluffy, like cotton balls.

Everly petted Jewel, then exclaimed in delight. “He’s so soft! Like petting a cloud.”

“He’s a Devon Rex,” said Isa. “Hypoallergenic. Can’t have my guests sneezing and coughing from cat hair allergies, and I can’t be without a cat.”

Everly gave a start when the same cloud-softness brushed against her ankle. Another Devon Rex had crept up on her and was rubbing against her. This one was also gray, but had one green eye and one blue one. Everly bent to try to pet both cats at once.

“What’s this one’s name?”

“Opal. She’s Jewel’s sister.” Isa’s voice grew thoughtful. “I didn’t mention her because most guests never even see her. She’s shy. I’ve never seen her take to a guest like that.”

Everly straightened up. “I love cats.”

“Got any photos to show me? I’d love to see your own little darlings.”

A startlingly sharp pang of regret and resentment stabbed Everly right in the heart. She had to consciously keep her voice even when she said, “I don’t have any pets myself. I work long hours and I don’t have time to take care of them.”

“Well, enjoy these little rascals while you’re here.” Isa checked her in, gave her a map and brochure for La Puerta, and showed her to her room. On her way, she said, “Let me know if there’s anything specific you’re interested in: history, bird-watching, hiking, architecture, restaurants…”

Everly flinched at the word ‘restaurant.’ Just what she wanted on her vacation from a restaurant! “Any good cafés?”

“There’s a Starbucks two miles down the road from here. Left-hand side, after the ‘Watch for falling boulders’ sign.”

“There’s a Starbucks on every block of Refuge City. I was thinking of a non-chain café. You know, the sort that has daily pastries and local specialties and a shelf of books to browse.”

Isa gave her a wry look. “I know the type. We really ought to have one. But we don’t. I make good coffee, though. Anything else you’re looking for?”

“I mostly just want to relax. Maybe do some bird-watching. Or animal-watching—is there any wildlife around here?”

Isa smothered a laugh, as if Everly had said something funny. “Girl, you have come to the right place! Take a walk in the woods and put your feet softly, and you’ll see plenty of wildlife. Squirrels, deer, raccoons, skunks… And if you see a snake, don’t be afraid. We don’t have any poisonous ones around here.”

“I’m not afraid of snakes,” Everly assured her. “I like reptiles. I always wanted a pet snake or lizard when I was a little girl, but my mother wouldn’t let me.”

Once again, Isa’s lips twitched in suppressed laughter. “You are going to love it here. Welcome to La Puerta!”

With that, she opened the door to Everly’s room, showed her in, and went out, leaving her alone. Everly set down her duffel bag with a thud and walked around the room. Maybe it was because she’d mentioned being a little girl that had put the idea in her mind, but she felt a childlike sense of wonder as she explored the room. The last couple years had been so stressful and exhausting, she’d almost forgotten what it felt like to explore and discover and be delighted.

Isa had given her an upstairs room with big windows that showed beautiful views of the forest. One of the windows had window seat with pillows, big enough for her to put her feet up. It even had a little side table nearby with coasters, so she could sip coffee or hot chocolate or a hot toddy while she read or looked out the window.

The floor and walls and ceiling were polished wood of a rich warm brown. The throw rugs and sofa and chairs and cover on the big beautiful bed were various shades of green and blue, making her think of leaves and forests, ocean and sky. The paintings that hung on the walls were of La Puerta’s famous old stone gate, its winding mountain roads, forest glades, and meadows of wildflowers. The effect was incredibly restful.

The only way it could be better would be if she could share it. Her mind drifted to a fantasy of sitting on the windowseat with her feet up, across from some sexy guy who also had his feet up, drinking cocktails and chatting and playing footsie. And then, their drinks finished, he would lean in to kiss her, and then pick her up and carry her to that bed which was plenty big enough for two…

Everly sighed. She didn’t have time for romance. She barely even had time for friendship. Her family was always complaining that they never heard from her—and she loved her family! But that was how it went in the restaurant industry. Unless you lived in some quiet town and managed a little café and were very firm about making time for yourself, it took over your life. And she lived in a huge city and managed a hugely popular restaurant and maybe wasn’t so good at making time for herself.

It’s what I wanted, she reminded herself. I’m a success. My family is proud of me. And I did make time for myself. I’m here, aren’t I?

Everly took off her shoes and padded barefoot to the window seat. She sat down on it, pulled her feet up, and sat looking out at the forest. She’d needed this vacation, and she’d obviously picked the right place to go. Isa was sweet and her cats were adorable. The Come On Inn was beautiful. The peace and quiet was wonderf—

Her phone buzzed. Aggravated, Everly got off the window seat and fished it out of her purse. Another text from Des Dieux a Tes Levres.

SUPPLIER SAID WOULD DISPATCH TRUCK TO REMOVE OYSTERS AND REPLACE WITH LOBSTER. DRIVER UNLOADED 100 LBS OF UNKNOWN FISH AND LEFT WITHOUT OYSTERS. WHAT DO?

Everly was incredibly tempted to contact the supplier herself. But that was a slippery slope to doing her entire job long-distance while on vacation.

She texted, THREATEN TO REPORT SUPPLIER TO POLICE FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING. LOCK GATE BEHIND TRUCK AS SOON AS IT PULLS INTO PARKING LOT. HAVE LARGEST BUS BOYS OVERSEE LOADING/UNLOADING.

After sending, she thought for a moment, then added, HAVE A COUPLE OF THE LARGER SOUS-CHEFS STANDING BY WITH CLEAVERS.

She stuffed her phone back down and put her shoes on. The view from her room was lovely, but a walk would be even better. She was tempted to leave her phone in the room, but after a moment of mental debate, decided that she couldn’t abandon her staff to 200 lbs of unwanted oysters and mystery fish.

Outside, the late afternoon sunlight cast a deep golden light, turning the fallen leaves into scattered heaps of pirate treasure. Everly walked into the woods, taking deep breaths of pine-scented air and scuffling her feet in the leaves. Birds sang, squirrels chattered, and a few early crickets began to chirp. She could feel the worries and tension and pressure that was her life in the city falling away, replaced by a feeling of deep calm.

A gust of wind sent leaves tumbling, and uncovered a small blue-and-white rock that had been buried in a pile. Its shininess caught her eye, and she stopped to look. Everly didn’t know much about rocks, but she thought it might be agate. It was a beautiful color and an interesting shape. She bent to pick it up.

The rock opened its eyes.

Everly froze, staring at the little creature. It was a lizard, she supposed—it had to be a lizard—but she’d never seen such a beautiful one before. Its gleaming scales were sky-blue, except for its back, which was white and strangely shaped. It looked like folded wings, but it had to be some kind of ridge, like the spines along an iguana’s back. Lizards didn’t have—

The lizard spread out its white wings.

Everly gasped. It was impossible, but she couldn’t deny the evidence of her eyes. There, crouched on the ground before her, was a dragon small enough to fit into the palm of her hand.

The tiny dragon leaped upward, wings flapping awkwardly, as if it was a baby bird still learning to fly. It crash-landed immediately, let out a pained squeak as it caught one wing beneath its body, then thrashed around in the leaves until it was on its feet again. Its shiny black eyes fixed on Everly, it let out another squeak. That one sounded eager. The little dragon made another attempt to get airborne. Its wings flapped even harder, and it flew for a moment before it started to go down again.

Instinctively, Everly caught it. The little dragon landed safely in her cupped hands. Its body was warm as a stone on a sunny day, and its scales felt smooth as a rock tumbled in the sea. It scrabbled around, its little talons pricking her like a cat’s claws, curled up in her hands, and went to sleep.

Everly held the tiny creature to her chest. As it snuggled into her, her disbelief and shock faded, replaced by a surge of protectiveness. As far as she could tell from its behavior, it was a baby, and its mama sure didn’t seem to be around. If she’d found an orphaned kitten or lost puppy, she’d take it to a veterinarian for a checkup, and then try to find a home for it.

How do you explain a baby dragon to a vet?

Chapter 3

Angel drove back from the Jeon farm, full of apple pie and mixed feelings. On the one hand, he’d rescued a cow from a tree, and had been fed absolutely delicious pie and treated like a king. On the other hand, he’d sat in the Jeon’s kitchen and watched Mr. and Mrs. Jeon bustling around it, treating each other with an offhanded affection that was obviously the product of a deep and lasting love.

You didn’t have to be a shifter to have a mate. Lots of ordinary people found true love. It was an everyday kind of miracle. The only difference was that shifters could recognize their one true mate at first sight. They mostly talked about that like it was a blessing, but Angel had always thought it was a double-edged sword. You never had the chance to glance at a stranger and imagine that she might be the one; once you looked into her eyes, you knew she wasn’t.

Angel had already looked into the eyes of every single woman in La Puerta. None of them were his mate. Seeing loving couples like the Jeons was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. He was happy for them, but also reminded of what would probably never be his.

He pushed aside those gloomy thoughts as he approached Vets For All Pets, the veterinary practice he shared with two other shifter vets. His workday wasn’t over, and it would alarm his patients’ owners if they caught him looking sad. They’d think it meant bad news for their pets.

Angel plastered on what he hoped was a professional and upbeat expression as he walked in, then realized that he was coming in through the back door rather than the lobby and let it drop.

Let your friends see how you really feel, put in his unicorn. They can argue you out of your silliness.

Angel promptly replaced the upbeat expression, though he now felt like he’d been posing for a photo so long that his smile had changed into some horrifying murder clown grin. The last thing he wanted was for the other vets to ask him what was wrong. They had enough problems of their own for him to bother them with his.

He was about to go check on his overnight patients when the speaker on the wall buzzed. It was Maisie, the receptionist. “Angel? I saw your car pull in. Are you there?”

He hit the button. “Just got back. What’s up?”

“I have a possible unusual case,” she said.

That got his attention. “Unusual” was code for “something that came through the portal.” Now he didn’t need to fake a smile; he loved those cases. “Oh?”

“The client is Everly Sawyer,” Maisie said. “She found what she says is ‘some kind of baby reptile.’ I haven’t seen it; she said it was shy and she didn’t want to scare it. She says she’s not sure exactly what it is. I’ve got room three open.”

“Send her in,” said Angel. “I’ll be right there.”

As he approached room three, he wondered about the baby reptile. It might just be an unusual kind of snake or lizard, like an escaped pet chameleon. Still…

Unusual, sang out his unicorn, prancing about inside his mind. Maisie said unusual!

She said “possibly unusual,” Angel corrected his inner animal. But his hopes were up too. The portal had opened recently, and they’d found nothing. It was extremely possible that something unusual had come through and taken off, to be found by Everly Sawyer.

Everly Sawyer, he thought. That’s a pretty name. I’d sure I’d remember it if I’d heard it before. She must be new in town.

He knocked on the door of room three. “Hello? I’m Dr. Angel Rosado. May I come in?”

“Yes, please,” said a woman’s voice. Everly’s voice was low and a little husky. Sexy.

Watch, Angel told himself. She’s going to be eighty years old and married.

He opened the door just wide enough to squeeze in, and shut it quickly behind him, so nothing could escape, but not so quickly that he couldn’t stop himself from squashing anything that did make a break for it. The in-and-shut maneuver was one of a vet’s most important skills.

His attention was immediately caught by the creature that Everly was holding on the exam table. It was unusual, all right: a beautiful blue-and-white dragonette. But so small! It was as tiny compared to an adult dragonette as a newborn kitten is compared to a cat.

He reached out for it, but that seemed to alarm the little creature. It launched itself from Everly’s hands and onto her chest, then tried to crawl inside her blouse.

“Stop it,” she exclaimed, trying to pry it out.

Angel couldn’t help her remove it without groping her, so he left her to it. Her head was bent and her box braids fell forward, hiding her eyes. But he could see the rest of her perfectly well, and she was well worth seeing.

She was tall for a woman, only a few inches shorter than himself, with a slim figure and strong-looking arms. Her skin was a very dark brown, like polished mahogany, and her lips were plump and kissable. Her shoulder-length box braids swung as she wrestled with the dragonette, and since she had to reach inside her blouse to extract it, Angel got an excellent view of her luscious cleavage.

Everly finally managed to remove the dragonette. Angel hurriedly yanked his gaze upward, embarrassed and hoping she hadn’t caught him looking down the front of her blouse. He never did things like that with the owners of his patients.

That was so unprofessional, he thought. What in the world got into me?

His eyes met hers.

Everly’s eyes were deep brown with a honey-golden sheen. They were the most beautiful, the most sensual, and the kindest eyes he’d ever seen. As he looked into them, he felt as if he was catching a glimpse into her very soul, and his own soul yearned toward hers. It was a moment that felt like it lasted a lifetime.

Love at first sight, he thought in wonder. It’s actually real.

Not only was it real, but it felt utterly right. How could he not love this gorgeous, sexy woman who rescued animals and whom he’d first seen trying to fish a baby dragonette out of her cleavage?

She’s the one. His unicorn’s voice rang out, bright and clear as a silver bell. Our mate.

Chapter 4

Oh no, Everly thought. I broke the vet.

The moment she’d gotten the baby dragon out of her blouse and the hot vet had gotten a good look at it, he’d frozen in utter shock. He was still standing there, gazing directly into her eyes, not moving a single one of his very fine muscles. It was like he’d short-circuited.

Trust me to get the sexiest veterinarian in the entire state—probably in the entire country, if not the entire world—and present him with something so impossible that it breaks his brain.

Speaking in slow, soothing tones, like she’d use in the event of a new waiter dropping a bowl of hot tomato soup in the lap of a food critic wearing a fancy white dress (something which, sadly, had actually happened), she said, “I know it’s hard to believe. Maybe it would be easier if you thought of it as an unusual type of lizard… that’s blue… and has wings.”

That seemed to snap the hot vet out of his paralysis. Dr. Rosado blinked, broke eye contact, and said, “No, it’s exactly what it looks like.”

Then it was her turn to be taken aback. The baby dragon was squirming in her hands right now, but she still felt like he might laugh at her when she said, “You’re saying it’s a dragon?”

He didn’t show the slightest trace of mockery as he replied, “It’s a dragonette. They’re like dragons, but much smaller. An adult would be the size of your forearm. This one’s a baby.”

“But... I mean… Dragons are magic. They’re not real.”

Still completely serious, Dr. Rosado said, “Magic is real. You can see it for yourself. You’re holding it in your hands.”

The dragonette squeaked.

“Here, let me take it,” said Dr. Rosado.

He deftly took the dragonette. The instant he touched the little creature, it stopped squirming and flapping, and settled down calmly into his hands. He spread out its wings, looked at them closely, then lifted it up to examine its belly. “I don’t see any injuries. And it doesn’t seem to be sick. I’ll do a full examination, but I think it’s fine.”

“Oh, good,” said Everly.

He resumed his examination, even listening to its heart with an extra-small stethoscope he pulled out of a drawer.

She watched him, fascinated. It wasn’t every day that you got to see a vet doing a physical exam on a baby dragonette. But even if Dr. Rosado had been looking over a kitten, she’d have been just as captivated. It wasn’t only that he was smoking hot, though he was: tall, handsome, leanly muscled, with warm brown skin and tousled black hair that kept falling into his eyes. It was his strong but gentle hands, the total concentration he gave to his work, and the skill with which he handled the little creature.

Wish he worked in Refuge City, Everly thought. Not that it matters. A guy like him is sure to be married. He probably doesn’t wear his ring to work so he doesn’t get it dirty.

Dr. Almost Certainly Married moved the dragonette’s tail out of the way, gave her a close look, and said, “She’s a girl.”

For some reason, that broke the dam that had been keeping Everly from peppering him with questions. “How do you know about dragonettes? Why is there a dragonette here? What do you mean, magic is real? What else is magical? Are you a wizard? Are there dragons here? Is La Puerta next to Elfland? Why are you telling me all this? Shouldn’t it be a secret? If it’s not a secret, why doesn’t everyone know about it already?”

She forced herself to shut up before she got to her next, completely ridiculous question, which would have been “Do unicorns exist?”

Dr. Rosado blinked. He had absolutely gorgeous eyes, big and dark, with long black lashes. “Yes, it’s a secret. I assume you didn’t tell anyone else?”

“No. I searched for a veterinary hospital on my cell phone, because I didn’t want to ask the owner of my bed-and-breakfast.”

“Oh!” Dr. Rosado looked inexplicably crestfallen. “Are you just visiting La Puerta? Or—” Now, equally inexplicably, he seemed hopeful. “Or are you checking it out because you’re thinking of moving here?”

“I’m here for a week’s vacation,” Everly said. “I live in Refuge City.”

For a second, she could have sworn that he looked absolutely heartbroken. Then the expression vanished so completely that she wondered if she’d imagined it, replaced by an upbeat, professional look. “Ah. Well, the reason I told you is that you literally already had a dragonette in your hands, and I didn’t think I could get away with claiming that it was a very unusual lizard that’s blue and has wings.”

His deadpan echoing of her own words made her laugh. “That’s right, Dr. Rosado. You couldn’t.”

“Please, call me Angel.” His smile lit up his entire face.

“Angel,” she repeated. It was just a name, but it somehow tasted sweet in her mouth. “Then you’ll have to call me Everly.”

“Everly,” he said. She loved the way he said her name. It was as if he found it the most beautiful name in the world. “So, to answer your questions—at least, the ones I remember—”

“Sorry, I know it was a lot.”

“This is a lot,” said Angel, indicating the dragonette.

He opened his hands, and she launched herself back to Everly. This time, instead of crawling into her blouse, the dragonette perched on her shoulder. Craning her neck, Everly could see the little creature’s bright, alert eyes, shining like polished obsidian. A pang went through her heart at the thought of having to give her up.

“I have another question,” said Everly. “Maybe the most important one. Can I keep her?”

“I don’t see why not. You’ve obviously already bonded. She wouldn’t want to go back now.”

Everly was immensely relieved. And, once again, curious. “Go back where?”

“La Puerta has more than one gateway,” said Angel. “There’s the famous one, the stone arch. Have you seen it yet?”

She shook her head. “I only drove up today. And I’m more interested in nature than architecture or history.”

“It’s worth seeing anyway. But there’s another gateway, which only a few people know about. A portal. Sometimes it opens, and animals come out. Magical animals: dragonettes and rain birds and kelpies and house hippos and creatures no one knows the name of. If they’re hurt or sick or hungry or cold, we take care of them. We mostly do catch-and-release back into the portal, but sometimes they bond with humans and refuse to go back in.”

“That’s amazing,” breathed Everly. “You must feel so lucky to be able to work here. Did you know about it already, or did you think you were taking a regular job and then someone brought in a kitten with wings?”

Angel hesitated, then said, “I already knew.” Before she could ask any follow-up questions, he said, “Baby dragonettes eat the same things as adults, so she doesn’t need a special diet. Feed her chopped raw meat or fish and raw leafy dark greens, like kale or collards.”

The dragonette nuzzled Everly’s cheek, and she stroked it with a fingertip. She was so smooth, like the stone Everly had mistaken her for. “I think I’ll name her Rock.”

“Rocky, like the boxer?”

“Rock. Like a rock.”

Everly’s phone buzzed. An instant later, so did Angel’s.

“I’m sorry,” they said simultaneously, then laughed.

“I have to take this,” he said.

“Me too.” Everly looked at her phone.

LOADED OYSTERS AND MYSTERY FISH BACK INTO TRUCK. DRIVER NOW REFUSING TO LEAVE UNTIL WE LET HIM UNLOAD IT.

Everly texted, DID HE BRING THE LOBSTER?

YES.

TAKE LOBSTER TO KITCHEN. TAKE DRIVER TO PHONE. CALL SUPPLIER AND HASH IT OUT.

She dropped her phone back in her purse and met Angel’s gorgeous dark eyes. “Fish truck strike,” she said.

At the same time, he said, “Lambing elbow lock.”

“What?”

“What?”

“I’m a restaurant manager,” Everly explained. “We’ve got a truck driver who delivered a truck full of mystery fish and is refusing to leave.”

“I have a sheep giving birth. The lamb’s got its elbows stuck in the birth canal.”

“Is that serious?”

“No, I just need to push the lamb back a bit and extend its legs. But it’s a house call. I mean a field call. Anyway, I have to go.” He pushed back his silky black hair, looking frustrated. It immediately fell back over his forehead. Everly ached to brush it back for him. Then he seemed to come to a decision. “I know you have a lot more questions, and I’d be happy to answer them. You said you like nature—would you like to go on a hike with me tomorrow? And a picnic?”

Was Dr. Hot And Maybe Not Married After All asking her out? Or was taking women on a hike and a picnic to answer their questions about magical animals a normal and totally platonic thing for a country vet who treated baby dragonettes to do?

Going on a picnic with Angel sounded like a slice of Heaven on Earth. For all that she was madly curious about the magical animals, what she really wanted was to know more about him. How had he come to be a veterinarian for magical animals? What sort of books did he read, or was he more of a movies-and-TV guy? Did he like living in La Puerta? Had he ever lived in a big city?

Did he like her?

There was only one catch, but it was a big one. In exactly six and a half days, she was leaving. Refuge City was a five-hour drive away from La Puerta, which was inconvenient but not impossible. But the reality was that once she got back to her job, it might as well be on the moon. She didn’t have time to date a man who lived one hour away. She didn’t have time to date anyone. She didn’t even know how she’d manage to carve out the time to care for her dragonette!

It’s only a picnic, she told herself. But she knew it was much more than that. In her entire life, she’d never felt as drawn to a man as she did to this sweet, sexy, fascinating, mysterious guy who loved animals and lived with magic. It wasn’t a picnic, it was an embossed invitation to heartbreak.

Everly opened her mouth to point out that she was only here for a week and much as she appreciated the offer, it probably wasn’t a good idea.

What came out was, “Thank you, Angel. I’d love to.”

Chapter 5

Under ordinary circumstances, Angel loved doing lambings. It was one of his favorite parts of being a country vet.

Lambs usually came in twos and sometimes in threes, and often got so tangled up inside the ewe that they needed his help in sorting them out and delivering them. It was like untangling a complicated knot completely by feel. And when he was done, he was rewarded by the sight of the wobbly little creatures stumbling to their feet, their mother huffing at them and licking them clean, and their tiny tails wagging as they took their very first drink of her warm milk.

But on his way to the Seely farm, he could barely concentrate. He had to force himself to focus on his driving enough to make sure he didn’t drive straight into a tree.

His inner unicorn was prancing about, tossing its mane and singing out, Our mate! Our mate! Everly Sawyer is our beautiful mate!

Angel’s heart was on the exact same page. His entire being was alight with joy. He’d found his mate! After all those long years of loneliness, in which he’d resigned himself to never finding that special kind of love, it had come to him when he’d least expected it.

Everly was so much more gorgeous and wonderful and desirable than he’d ever imagined anyone could be. She rescued baby animals. She had the loveliest smile. She was funny. She was curious. She liked nature. She was obviously extremely smart and competent and assertive, to hold down what seemed like a very demanding job.

And off in the corner, Angel’s head was thinking, She’s going to break my heart into a million little pieces.

She lived in the big city, which was five hours away, and she was so dedicated to her job that she was on call at all times. She didn’t wear a ring and hadn’t mentioned a significant other, and she’d accepted his picnic date, so he was pretty sure she was single. But why would such a gorgeous and accomplished and caring woman still be single? The only possible reason was that she either didn’t want a partner or didn’t have time for one. She might be up for a vacation romance, but that was all. After that, she’d be headed back to her real life.

Don’t even think it, snorted his unicorn. Mates cannot be parted.

The other option, of course, was that Angel could move to Refuge City. He preferred country living, but he didn’t dislike cities. But his veterinary practice was here. His colleagues were here. Most importantly, the portal was here. He had a unique duty to the magical animals that came through it. Could he abandon his calling, even for love?

Fence!

His unicorn’s warning came just in time. Angel slammed on the brakes.

As he parked, he thought again about Everly and the dilemma she posed. Could he leave? Might she stay? Exactly how painful would it be if they met once and then parted forever?

He abruptly realized that he’d gotten out of his car, greeted Mary Seely, and had been escorted to his patient without even registering that he’d done any of it. He forced his mind back on his job as he knelt before the ewe. He had patients to tend to.

To his relief, he found that once he started, he had no problem maintaining concentration. He delivered the stuck lamb, and once it was out, its twin slipped out on its own. The two lambs staggered to their feet, then wobbled straight to the right place and began to suck.

“Amazing how they know exactly where to go,” Mary Seely remarked.

“Instinct is a powerful thing,” Angel replied. “We have them, too. Do you ever just know something?”

“Oh, yes,” said Mary. “I’ve always known I wanted to be a farmer, ever since I was a little girl. Everyone told me it was a hard life, but I knew it would make me happy. And it has.”

I know something, too, Angel thought as he drove away from the farm. I know that I love Everly. What I don’t know is how she feels.

His unicorn gave a loud snort. Don’t be ridiculous. Of course she wants us. Especially once she sees me!

Angel wasn’t so sure about that. He’d asked her out for a picnic specifically so he could tell her he was a shifter, and then prove it. He wasn’t worried that she would have a problem with the concept of shifters in general, or with him being one in particular, or with his specific shift form. She already had a pet dragonette! He had a feeling she’d be thrilled and delighted to meet a real unicorn.

What he was worried about was that it wouldn’t matter. Sure, unicorns were cool. Even a flawed unicorn like himself would probably be amazing to someone who’d never heard of shifters before. But Everly had an entire life that had nothing to do with magic. He couldn’t ask her to give up her life’s work just because he looked pretty in the moonlight.

I look magnificent in the moonlight, his unicorn said loftily. And you’re forgetting the most important part. You’re her one true mate! No one would pick a truck of mystery fish over true love.

It’s more than a truck, Angel replied. Just like my job is more than a stethoscope.

His unicorn began to object again, but Angel interrupted, Be constructive. Help me put together the best picnic ever.

That stopped the argument in its tracks, as Angel had intended. While his unicorn happily murmured about pastries and blankets, Angel couldn’t stop worrying in the secret corners of his mind. A unicorn was a magical, wonderful thing, but a one true mate was a huge commitment. If he told her about that, would she run straight back to her restaurant? Worse, would she feel an obligation to be with him, even if it meant sacrificing her own dreams?

If you love something, you can’t lock it in a cage. If being with me will make Everly unhappy, I have to let her go.

Chapter 6

Everly hadn’t been this keyed-up over a date since…

Since ever, she realized.

Part of it was that she still wasn’t sure whether or not it was a date, which made deciding what to wear even harder. If it was a date, she wanted to look sexy. If it wasn’t, she wanted to look like she was going on a normal, totally platonic hike and picnic.

The decision had been taken out of her hands when she removed every single piece of clothing from her suitcase, and realized that she hadn’t brought anything sexy. Normal hiking clothes it was. Unless she rushed out and bought something…

“No,” she said firmly and aloud. “Everly, you are losing your mind. It’s just a hike. And it’s too late anyway. He’s probably already on his way.”

Rock gave a muffled squeak through a mouthful of collard. She was steadily munching her way through a leaf twice her size, its dark green contrasting with her sky-and-cloud coloring. Everly looked fondly down at the dragonette. She’d slept curled up atop the covers at Everly’s feet the night before, and had spent the morning fluttering around the living room floor and making vain attempts to gain enough height to reach the window seat or a chair or the bed or anything more than about six inches high.

Everly was giving serious thought to how she could possibly rearrange her work schedule to get more free time. She couldn’t miss this precious and no doubt all-too-short stage in Rock’s life. Probably she’d be flying like a pro in a month or less.

Still turning it over in her mind, she dressed in a tight-fitting pair of blue jeans, a white tank top that contrasted nicely with her skin and showed off her shoulders, and her hiking boots. She put on some plum-colored lipstick, double-checked that her hair looked nice, and decided to call it a day.

She popped Rock and the rest of the collard leaf in her purse, hefted the backpack full of the picnic things she’d purchased at the market the day before when she’d gone to get Rock her raw meat and collards, and went down to the lobby with a stomach full of butterflies.

Once she was actually in the lobby, the butterflies turned into full-size dragonettes. Where was Angel? Was he late? Was she early? Was it a date? Exactly how crushed would she feel if it turned out that it wasn’t a date?

Extremely, she admitted to herself.

“Waiting for someone?”

Everly jumped a foot in the air before she saw that it was just Isa.

“Yes,” she said, without thinking.

“Oh?” said Isa, her eyebrows and tone conveying that she knew exactly why Everly was so twitchy. “Who?”

“Angel Rosado. We’re going hiking.” As soon as she said it, Everly regretted it. How in the world was she supposed to explain how she’d met him?

To her immense relief, Isa didn’t ask the obvious question. Instead, she gave Everly a mischievous girlfriend smile and said, “Oh, you’ll have a great time. Angel’s fantastic. It used to take me an hour to catch Opal to take her to the vet. She just knew when I was planning it and she’d hide. But once Angel joined the practice, she and Jewel started waiting by their carrier when they had an appointment, even though they must’ve known they were going to get shots. That’s how much they love him. See, they’ve figured out he’s coming.”

Sure enough, Jewel and Opal were waiting patiently at the door.

Everly was dying to know if Isa was one of the few who knew the secret of the town. Tentatively, she said, “It seems like your cats are psychic.”

Isa grinned. “Aren’t all cats?”

Everly’s phone buzzed. With a feeling of doom, she took it out.

CLEANERS WASHED OUR TABLECLOTHS, NAPKINS, ETC WITH BASEBALL TEAM’S RED UNIFORMS. EVERYTHING NOW BRIGHT PINK.

She considered this for a moment, then wrote, ORDER NEW EVERYTHING. USE PINK FOR TONIGHT. MAYBE WE’LL START A TREND.

She crammed her phone back into her purse as Angel strode into the lobby. He wore casual hiking clothes, but on him, they looked amazing. His faded blue jeans showed off his long legs and trim ass, and his white T-shirt was tight around the sleeves, giving Everly an excellent view of his strong shoulders and arms. But most of all, her heart lifted at the unselfconscious happiness that sparked in his eyes when he saw her.

“Everly,” he said. Once again, she marveled at the simple sound of her name on his lips. “I’m so glad to see you.”

“Me too,” she replied.

“Hi, Isa,” said Angel. “Hi, Opal. Hi, Jewel.”

He held out his arms, and the cats jumped into them. Purring and kneading, they rubbed their faces against his and stretched upward to chew on his hair.

“Wow,” Everly marveled. “Animals really love you.”

Angel nodded and removed the cats. They went reluctantly, and he had to unhook a few claws.

“You match,” said Isa, looking from Everly to Angel.

“We do.” Angel spoke with such unexpected solemnity that it took Everly a moment to realize that Isa had meant their clothes. Both of them were wearing faded blue jeans and white shirts.

“Have fun!” The mischievous twinkle was back in Isa’s eyes, and she actually winked at Everly as she waved them out. It made Everly miss having a real girlfriend, someone she could call up and tell all the details about her dates or a bad day or just any day. Maybe she and Isa could stay in touch after she left.

Angel held the door open for her when they walked out, though the gentlemanly gesture became a lot less dignified when he immediately had to use his feet to fend off the cats that were attempting to follow him. Isa had to rescue him by scooping them up, whereupon Everly slammed the door on them.

“Whew,” said Angel. “Those cats of Isa’s are a handful.”

He shot a glance at Everly’s purse. She guessed that he was wondering about Rock, but some other people staying at the Come On Inn were within hearing distance, so she just nodded and agreed.

She’d caught a glimpse of him driving off for the lambing the day before, and for a moment she thought he was driving a different car. Then she realized that it was same one, but had been washed and polished until it gleamed. Maybe he did that every weekend, but she liked to think that he’d gone out of his way to make things nice for her.

He went to the passenger side of his car and held the door open for her, remarking, “Much easier without cats. Can I take your backpack?”

She handed it to him, and he put it in the back seat beside an old-fashioned wicker picnic basket. When he got into the driver’s seat, he didn’t start the engine immediately, nor did he speak. They just sat there, soaking in the moment of stillness. The closeness between them was palpable; she could feel the outline of his body without even looking at him, by her sense of his presence and the heat of the air. She could almost feel him breathing. Her own heartbeat was loud in her ears.

When he started the car and pulled out, the fraught intensity of that moment faded, but her awareness of his physical presence remained. He was so close. If they chose, they could touch. She longed so much to put her hand on his thigh that she shoved her hands into her jeans pockets.

“You can let Rock out, if you like,” he said. “I don’t think anyone can see her in the car, and we’re going to an out-of-the-way place. But please keep her in your lap while I’m driving.”

She opened her purse. Rock clambered out, still chomping the remains of the collard leaf. To Everly’s relief, she didn’t attempt to flap around the car. Instead, she perched on Everly’s knee, looking around alertly with her bright black eyes.

“Good girl, Rock,” Everly crooned.

Angel chuckled. “I’m getting to like the name.”

“When I was a kid, I got to name our new puppy. I named him Puppy.”

The chuckle became an outright laugh. “Did he grow up to be huge?”

“Yeah. He was a mutt from the shelter, but it turned out that he was part Saint Bernard. People used to crack up when they saw three little girls running after this enormous dog, yelling, ‘Puppy! Puppy!’”

“You have two sisters? Older or younger?”

“Both older. They’re lawyers now.” Normally she would have left it at that, but something about Angel made her feel comfortable revealing more. He was so easy to talk to, and she felt sure he wouldn’t judge her. “We grew up poor. No one in my family had ever gone to college or owned their own home, but my parents really wanted us to have a better life. They made so many sacrifices so we could be successful. My sisters got scholarships and went to college. I wanted to make my family happy, but by the time I was halfway through high school, I knew college wasn’t for me. I like doing things, not sitting and studying.”

“Me too. I really wanted to be a vet, but medical school was a big struggle for me. The only way I got through it was by keeping my eyes on the prize.”

“Eyes on the prize,” echoed Everly. “That’s exactly how I think of it. Keep my eyes on the prize, and make my family proud.”

“Are they?”

“Yes. It’s hard work, managing a five-star gourmet restaurant in a big city. They appreciate that, even without the college.”

“What’s the restaurant called?”

“Des Dieux a Tes Levres.”

“Whoa.” Angel made a whistling sound. “That’s a mouthful.”

“It means ‘from the Gods to your lips.’”

He whistled again. “How’s the food?”

“I’ve actually never eaten there,” Everly confessed. “I know that sounds weird, but even with an employee discount, it’s incredibly expensive. And it’s not really my kind of thing. Every dish has forty different ingredients and a million different steps. It gets great reviews, though.”

“Oh, good. I was starting to worry the picnic food I brought wouldn’t be fancy enough for you.”

She gave an inelegant snort. “Picnic food isn’t supposed to be fancy.”

He grinned, then slowed the car and pointed, letting her and Rock watch a flock of wild turkeys strolling along the side of the road. The turkeys strutted into the woods, and Angel sped up again.

“What’s your family like?” she asked. “Any brothers or sisters?”

“Just me.”

“What about college? Were you the first to go to college, too?”

He gave a smile that looked a little pained. “The opposite, actually. My parents are both doctors. Dad’s a cardiologist from Mexico, and Mom’s a surgeon from Puerto Rico. They moved to California before I was born, kind of as a compromise.”

“How’d you end up living all the way across the country?”

He gestured, indicating Rock. The baby dragonette stretched her cloud-white wings and preened. “La Puerta is special. I’d have come here regardless. But honestly… I’m happy not to live too close to my parents and their, um, community. There were a lot of expectations on me.”

“Did they want you to be a doctor?”

He nodded. “My family’s been doctors for generations, on both sides. Literally for as long back as anyone remembers. I love being a vet, but they’re disappointed that I’m not a doctor.”

Everly felt instantly defensive on his behalf. “Animals need doctors too. And from what I hear, you’re a great vet. I bet you’re a better vet than you would’ve been as a doctor.”

Angel’s forehead creased as he considered that idea. “I hadn’t thought of it that way. I know I’m a lot happier as a vet than I would’ve been as a doctor. And if you’re unhappy in your job, eventually you burn out and either start doing it badly or quit.”

The conversation flowed easily as they drove up winding mountain roads, then up a bouncy dirt road. The open window let in the pine-scented air, and Everly breathed it in, along with Angel’s presence. They’d gone on this trip so she could quiz him about portals and magical creatures, but once they’d started talking, it turned out that there were other things she wanted to know even more. She wanted to learn more about Angel: his past, his present, his friends, his family, his favorite movies, what he liked to eat for breakfast.

But he seemed just as interested in her, and so soon he’d heard all about her sisters and her childhood and Des Dieux a Tes Levres. And while he was happy to tell her that his favorite sport was soccer, his favorite movie was March of the Penguins, he loved traditional Mexican breakfasts, he was a terrible cook, and he liked playing video games, he was vague about his past and family.

There was something he wasn’t telling her. A divorce? A divorce that was still in progress? Whatever it was, she wished he’d bite the bullet and confess. She felt certain it couldn’t be anything that bad.

The dirt road dead-ended, and Angel parked the car. He got the picnic basket and Everly hefted her backpack. Rock clawed her way up Everly’s tank top and perched on her shoulder. And so they set off through the woods, following a barely-there trail that Angel said was a deer path.

“About the portal…” Angel said slowly, then stopped, looking worried.

“I promise not to tell anyone about it,” Everly assured him. “Though I’m a little nervous about Rock. It’s going to be hard to keep her a secret in the city.”

“You can train magical animals to become invisible to anyone who doesn’t already know about them. Rock’s too young to learn, but if you can keep her secret for a couple months, it won’t be a problem after that.”

“Oh, good. I can keep her in my apartment for a couple months, and hide her in my purse when I’m taking her for outings. Though I don’t know where I could take her outside in Refuge City where there aren’t at least a few people around.” She darted a quick glance at Angel, then said, “Guess I’ll have to come back here a lot!”

She’d hoped he’d say something like, “Yes, come back all the time so we can spend more time together.”

He looked wistful, and didn’t reply immediately. For the first time, the conversation came to an awkward halt. Angel took a deep breath, and said, “There’s something I haven’t told you. I brought you here so I could show you after I tell you.”

Here it comes, she thought. At least it wouldn’t be a wife or girlfriend. He could’ve showed her a photo anywhere.

“You already know magical animals exist,” he went on. “Well… Magical people do too. We—”

“You’re a wizard!” Everly burst out, delighted. “I knew it!”

“No…”

“An elf!”

“No…”

“A vampire?” she asked nervously, hoping it wasn’t that. Then, trying not to be prejudiced, she quickly added, “I mean, if you are, I’m sure you only suck blood from people who consent in advance.”

“No, no, nothing like that,” he assured her. Then he laughed. “I was so nervous about telling you about this, but I obviously shouldn’t have been. You’re unflappable.”

“I have a baby dragonette on my shoulder and I manage a five-star restaurant,” she pointed out. “I kind of have to be. Wait, I know it! Are you a real angel, with wings?”

He laughed again. She loved his laugh. “None of the above. I’m a shifter—a person who can turn into an animal.”

“Oh!” She was surprised, but not disbelieving. He moved with a grace that was just this side of more-than-human, like a stallion or a deer or a—

She looked into his eyes, dark as pools of clear water in a forest at night, with a light in them shining like the full moon, and she just… knew.

“You’re a unicorn,” she breathed.

His jaw dropped, then he gave a wry chuckle. “And you are amazing. I was going to wait to shift when we got to where we’re going—it’s much prettier—but now that the cat’s out of the bag…”

He set down the picnic basket and took a few steps back, holding up his hand to keep her from following him. Then he stood still, looking into her eyes. A faint mist gathered around him, glowing silver as if the moon shone through it.

Everly forgot to breathe. As the mist dissipated, she beheld the unicorn.

She’d always imagined unicorns as beautiful horses with horns. But the unicorn that Angel had become was slimmer and more delicate, but also more fierce: something like an Arabian racehorse, something like a stag, and something entirely its own.

His coat was a shimmering silver-white, and his cloven hooves gleamed like pewter. His mane and tail flowed like waterfalls with rainbows playing over them. An opalescent horn grew from the center of his noble head in a slender spiral, ending in a very sharp point. It looked more like glass than bone, and yet it didn’t strike her as fragile. It was beautiful and dangerous, like a hawk’s talons or a tiger’s claws.

A pair of huge, beautiful dark eyes regarded her. They were much bigger, but she recognized them as Angel’s eyes.

“That’s how I knew what you were,” she murmured. “You have the eyes of a unicorn.”

He took a step toward her. The dappled sunlight struck his horn, making it blaze like molten gold.

“Can I touch your mane?” Everly asked, hoping she wasn’t being too forward. They hadn’t even held hands yet. She still wasn’t totally sure if it was a date yet. But the unicorn’s mane looked so silky, she just had to ask. Before he could respond, a horrible thought struck her. “Or do I have to be a virgin? Please tell me I don’t have to be a virgin!”

The unicorn that was Angel gave a whicker that sounded almost like a snicker. He lowered his head, letting his silken mane fall across her hands.

She let out a sigh of mingled pleasure and relief. “I didn’t burst into flames, so I guess not. Can I touch—”

The unicorn snorted, then shoved his velvety nose into her shoulder. She giggled and stroked his face. His coat was as soft as a puppy’s ears, his mane light as a cloud. Daring, she ran a finger along his horn. It was smooth as glass. When she tapped it with a fingernail, it rang like a bell.

And then Angel himself was standing before her, his head lowered. Her fingers were tangled in his black hair, which was almost as silky as his mane. Instinctively, she pulled him closer to her, and he caught her up in his strong arms and kissed her.

In her entire life, she had never been kissed so passionately before. His hands were warm on her back, his mouth was hot against hers, and she wanted nothing more than to live in that moment forever. His scent enveloped her, an enticing masculine aroma that made her think of sunlight on grass. She breathed it in, letting it fill her lungs.

Her feet were on the ground, but she felt like she was floating on a cloud. Her body melted into his, and it felt as if they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, as if they had been made for each other, as if they had always been meant to be one.

It felt as if they might have gone on kissing forever, but two things happened to make them break apart: her phone buzzed, and Rock, startled by the sound, fell off Everly’s shoulder and fluttered squeaking to the ground.

Everly scooped up her little dragonette, crooning, “It’s all right, baby.”

In a stage whisper, Angel said, “Don’t tell her you forgot she was on your shoulder. She could be traumatized for life.”

“She’ll never know.” Then, unable to resist, she said, “Now that we’ve established that I’m not a virgin, I have to tell you that you have the biggest horn I’ve ever seen.”

Chapter 7

Angel put on the most exaggeratedly sexy voice he could manage. “So, you like my big, long, hard horn?”

In a breathless voice to match his, Everly said, “I had no idea a man could be so… so horny!”

They both burst out laughing.

This is what I wanted, he realized. A woman who isn’t just sexy, isn’t just beautiful, isn’t just smart and easy to talk to, but a woman I can laugh with.

It had been so long since he’d laughed like that. Tears actually came to his eyes, and he saw her dab at her own. It was the kind of laughter that wasn’t just about bad horn jokes, but came from sheer joy.

My mate, he thought.

He could still feel the warmth of her mouth on his, of her body pressed to his own. Her hands stroking his mane.

“The myths got it wrong,” he said. “Actually, it’s virgins who burst into flames if they touch a unicorn.”

She gave him a playful shove. “They do not, you liar.”

“Non-virgins get a kiss instead.”

“Good thing I’m experienced.”

They kissed again. Everly had Rock cupped to her chest, so they leaned into each other. Only their lips touched. And yet it was just as passionate, transporting, and magical as the first time. Once again, he didn’t want it to end.

But the kiss was punctuated by a series of buzzes from her cell phone, until Angel worried that she’d get in trouble at work if she kept ignoring it. Finally, he asked, “Do you need to get that?”

“Probably.” She checked it, blew out an exasperated breath, and handed it to him. “Welcome to my vacation.”

CITY GARBAGE COLLECTORS ON STRIKE. BAGS OF GARBAGE PILING UP OUTSIDE RESTAURANT.

BUS BOYS DISCUSSING SOLIDARITY STRIKE.

REFUGE CITY TIMES RESTAURANT CRITIC RUMORED TO COME TONIGHT.

HEAD WAITER GETTING GARBAGE-INDUCED MIGRAINE.

MOUSE SPOTTED IN MEZZANINE.

FISH TRUCK CIRCLING BLOCK. MIGHT BE PLOTTING SOMETHING???

Angel’s head spun at the thought of having to deal with all this. Part of him wished he’d let her go on ignoring the messages. Then he felt like a jerk for even thinking about sabotaging her career. “What a shame. Never mind, I’ll drive you back. We can have the picnic some other time.”

“What?” She gave him a blank look, then chuckled. “Angel, this isn’t some kind of catastrophe. This is normal. Hang on, just give me a second.” She typed rapidly, then tossed her phone back in purse. “Okay, we’re good.” Everly looped her arm around his, as if he was escorting her to a dance. “Lead on. And tell me all about the portal, and how you got to be a dragonette vet, and all the stuff you didn’t want to tell me before I knew about your great big horn.”

Tell her you’re her mate, urged his unicorn, pointing his horn proudly upward.

It’s too soon, Angel replied. It’s too… big.

He smiled, realizing the double entendre. Everly nudged him. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. Just thinking about my horny secret that you have absolutely no problem with.”

“I love your secret horniness. Most things are secret because they’re bad, but yours is a secret because… why, actually? You don’t want to become a celebrity and be swarmed by paparazzi and thirsty virgins?”

“I wish it was just that,” he said as they continued along the shaded path. “Shifters have powers other than being able to turn into animals. We can recover from injuries faster and better, we have sharper senses, and we…”

We can recognize our mates, said his unicorn pointedly.

“That is, some of us have other powers. Valuable ones. We have to keep a low profile, or we could get kidnapped and trapped in labs where people experiment with us to see if they can transfer our powers to themselves, or use us as weapons. It’s happened to people I know. Not close friends or anything, but people in the community.”

Her fingers closed tightly around his arm. “That’s horrible!”

“Yeah. And the same with the portal. The magical animals that come through are harmless… mostly… but none of them deserve to be captured and studied in a lab. Even most shifters don’t know about the portal.”

“I’ll never tell a soul,” she vowed. “Who does know, though? The other vets? The receptionist? Isa?”

“Right on all counts. Isa knows because we once had to get out our tranquilizer rifles and chase an angry cockatrice through the Come On Inn. Luckily it was the off season.”

“Can I tell her about Rock, then?” Everly asked hopefully. “I’d love to show her off.”

“Absolutely. Just make sure no one else is around.”

They turned a corner and reached their destination. The woods opened up to a sunny meadow of wildflowers. Angel had known it would be pretty, but he hadn’t visited it in a few weeks, and the meadow changed rapidly in springtime as one set of flowers blossomed and others faded. Today it was covered with brilliant red cardinal flowers, delicate pink-and-white spring beauty, and yellow star-grass. Bees buzzed around, butterflies fluttered, and hummingbirds darted about, their wings vibrating too fast to see.

“Oh, it’s gorgeous!” Everly exclaimed. “The perfect spot for a unicorn.”

I’m perfect anywhere, said his unicorn.

Angel gave her a quick explanation of what an inner animal was, then repeated his unicorn’s words.

She laughed. “He’s vain. Doesn’t sound at all like you. Are you sure he’s your primal self?”

“They also have some traits that have more to do with the type of animal,” said Angel. “Unicorns tend to be very aware of exactly how pretty they are.”

“Like having an inner supermodel.”

“Thankfully minus the high heels.”

Rock fluttered out of Everly’s hands and began romping and pouncing and chasing butterflies, her blue-and-white colors like a bit of fallen sky amongst the flowers.

He spread out the blanket for the picnic, set the basket on it, and began to unpack. She did the same with her backpack. It was immediately obvious, before they’d taken out half their goodies, that between them, they had assembled enough for two entire picnics.

“Possibly I overdid it,” she admitted.

“I can eat a lot. Being a country vet involves a lot of exercise. You literally have to chase after your patients sometimes. And lambings are easy, but when you have a big animal like a cow that’s much stronger than you, trying to pull out a calf—” He broke off, remembering that they were eating. “Let’s just say that it takes muscle.”

“I’m not squeamish,” she assured him. But she was distracted from getting more details on calvings by the next thing he removed from the basket. “What are those?”

“Scotch eggs.” When she looked blank, he said, “Hard-boiled eggs wrapped in sausage meat and fried. I got everything at the Pipe & Pudding. It’s a currently-British restaurant.”

“What do you mean, currently?”

“It’s a restaurant space that keeps closing down and re-opening with new management and themes. Six months ago it was Mexican—that one was pretty good—and before that it was a dessert restaurant, which was great. Before that, it was vegan keto. We won’t speak about that one.”

“That does sound unspeakable.” Everly reached into her pack. “I grabbed a few things from the market. You’ll be happy to know that while some are technically vegan and some are technically keto, none of them are both.”

It turned out that what they’d gotten was remarkably compatible. She’d brought a jug of Coke, a loaf of golden-crusted bread, a hard salami, a chunk of white cheddar, and a bag of plump cherries. Angel had bought a large bottle of lemonade, Scotch eggs, cucumber sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, scones with little jars of clotted cream and lemon curd to spread on them, and shortbread.

“So how did you hear about the portal?” Everly asked. “You said most shifters don’t know about it.”

“I was recruited by Waylon and Bryan, the other vets here. They’re shifters too.”

“Unicorns?” She practically glowed with excitement. “Pegasuses?”

“Pegasi. But actually, Waylon’s a grizzly bear and Bryan’s a wolf.”

“Also cool. Though not as cool as unicorns.”

Our mate has excellent taste, said his unicorn.

Grinning, Angel said, “There’s not that many shifter veterinarians, so a lot of us know about each other to some degree or another. We have a private online forum where we talk about stuff like ‘what do you feed a baby dragonette’ and ‘I’m a wolf shifter and my cat patients are scared of me, help.’” He sliced a Scotch egg in half, revealing the golden yolk within the sausage, and took a bite. He washed it down with lemonade, then went on. “I was the only unicorn. Usually unicorn shifters become doctors, not vets.”

“How come? I mean, not just why not vets, but why doctors?”

He had to unclench his jaw before he replied. “Remember those extra powers that some shifters have? Unicorns have one. Their horns can heal. Not everything, but a lot of things. Only mine doesn’t work.”

Of course it works, thundered his unicorn. It works perfectly.

“You look like someone just yelled at you,” said Everly. “Was that your inner unicorn?”

“Yeah.” He repeated what his unicorn had said, and explained, “My horn has a calming influence. It works on people and animals, even when I’m in my human form. But it doesn’t heal.”

“Calming is important,” she pointed out. “I can’t tell you how valuable it would be for me if I could calm people down. Especially if I could do it long-distance.” She cast a dark look at her purse, where her phone was buried.

“I have to touch them. Anyway, I’m a double disappointment to the unicorn community: no healing power, and I work with animals instead of humans.”

A scowl that would make a brave man quail appeared on her face at the word ‘disappointment,’ but instead of remarking on that, she said, “Is that why you became a vet? Because of your power?”

“No,” Angel admitted. “I love animals. I used to almost wish I wasn’t a unicorn—” Sorry, he said inwardly. “—because it was so much pressure. But I’m glad I’m some kind of shifter, because otherwise I’d never have gotten my amazing job.”

Still scowling, Everly popped a cherry into her mouth. The lipstick had worn off her lips, but they were now stained red with cherry juice. It made him want to lean over and kiss her then and there. The only reason he didn’t was that he’d wanted that ever since he’d met her, and they had to do something other than kiss some of the time.

She spat out the pit with some force. “I really hope the other vets at your hospital appreciate you more than those judgmental unicorns!”

Without thinking, he replied, “Why don’t you come meet them? You can see for yourself.”

Everly seemed taken aback. He hoped she was only surprised, not thinking that his invitation was too much, too soon. Then she smiled. “Sure. I’d love to meet the family.”

Chapter 8

On Angel’s suggestion, Everly came to Vets For All Pets at closing time, so she could meet the unusual animals they were boarding. But once she got to the door of the veterinary hospital, she couldn’t help being a little nervous; though she’d been joking when she’d called it meeting the family, once she got there, she wondered if she’d come closer to the truth than she’d known. Angel had told her he wasn’t close to his own family, and he really loved his job.

She opened her purse, silenced her phone so no magical animals could be scared by buzzing text messages, and told Rock sternly, “No clawing or biting. We want to make a good impression.”

“Do you always talk to your purse?”

Everly nearly jumped out of her skin. A teenage girl was leaning out of a window, looking her up and down with great interest. She had short, flaming red hair and looked about thirteen, and Everly had absolutely no idea what to say to her.

“I, um,” Everly stammered. She had no idea who the girl was, so she could hardly explain that she was actually talking to the baby dragonette lurking inside her purse. “Adults are eccentric sometimes.”

The girl burst out laughing. “Kidding! I know you have a dragonette in there. Angel told us. Can I see it? I love animals. Especially unusual ones. When I grow up, I’m going to be a vet and work here. Dad lets me help out sometimes, but not with the dangerous animals. I’m working on talking him into letting me help with all the animals, though.”

“Work away,” said a rumbling male voice. “The answer is still going to be no.”

The man who had walked up loomed over the girl, but then again, he was big enough to loom over practically anyone. Though he wore the standard veterinary gear of green scrub pants and a white coat, his red-gold hair and beard made Everly think of a Viking.

Or a bear, she thought. If he’s not the grizzly bear, I’ll eat my cell phone.

He opened the door, beckoned her into the lobby, and offered her his hand. It engulfed hers when they shook hands. “You must be Everly. I’m Waylon Brody.”

Yep. Bear.

“And this is my daughter, Raelynn.”

“Pleased to meet you, Raelynn.” Everly wondered if Raelynn turned into a bear too, and if it was rude to ask. And also, where Angel was. She’d expected him to meet her at the door.

“Your dragonette?” Raelynn reminded her.

Everly opened her purse, and Rock clambered out and perched on her shoulder. “There she is.”

“Ooh, gorgeous,” breathed Raelynn. “I think that’s the prettiest one I’ve ever seen. She looks like a summer sky. What’s her name? Lady? Sky? Lady Sky?”

“Rock,” said Everly. “Like, um, a rock.”

“A rock,” repeated Raelynn. “Like… a jewel! A sapphire! What about Sapphire?”

“Raelynn…” Waylon spoke in a long-suffering tone. “It’s Everly’s dragonette.”

Hopefully, Raelynn suggested, “Lady Rock?”

“Rock,” said Everly firmly. Rock nuzzled her neck. “See? She likes it.”

“I’ll show you and Rock around,” Raelynn said. “Want to meet our unusual animals? And the regular ones too. I love ALL animals.”

“I’m sure Angel will want to do that,” said Waylon. He glanced around. “Where is Angel?”

“I’ll find him!” Raelynn turned to rush off, and almost ran straight into another man in scrubs and a white coat.

This vet had come in so silently, Everly hadn’t noticed him until that moment. His hair was as black as Angel’s, but where Angel’s fell in silky locks, this man’s was spiky, like an animal’s ruffled fur. His eyes were amber, and and they had a dangerous, almost feral gleam.

“So you’re the woman Angel was talking about,” said the amber-eyed man, in a tone like a TV detective saying, “Her fingerprints are all over the murder weapon.”

“Yes.” Everly wondered what exactly Angel had said about her. Waylon had acted like she was his friend’s new girlfriend, but this man was watching her like he thought she was a spy from one of those evil labs. She offered him her hand. “I’m Everly Sawyer.”

“Yes,” said the amber-eyed man, not taking it. “He told us your name.”

Waylon made an exasperated huff. “Everly, this is Bryan Lee. He’s one of the vets.”

Of course, Everly thought. The wolf. He sure looks like he could go for the throat.

“Have you repeated anything Angel told you about us?” Bryan asked.

“No, and I won’t. He told me to keep it a secret, and he told me why.”

“He told you why?” Bryan demanded. “Exactly what did he tell you?”

“Lay off her, Bryan,” said Waylon. “If Angel trusts her, I trust her.”

“A dragonette would never bond with anyone evil,” put in Raelynn.

To Everly’s surprise, it was Raelynn’s point that seemed to get through to Bryan. Grudgingly, he broke eye contact with Everly and bent to offer his hand to Rock. She gave a little trill and nuzzled him, and he stroked her outstretched throat with a fingertip.

I bet Raelynn’s right, Everly thought. Anyone Rock likes has to be all right.

Angel rushed in, panting and slightly wild-eyed. “Nightcrawler’s out of her cage! I can’t find her anywhere!” Turning to Everly, he said in a rush, “Sorry, we’ve had an escape, maybe Raelynn can get you some coffee while we hunt.”

“I wanna help hunt!” Raelynn exclaimed, and dove down behind the counter to search.

“It’s fine, Angel, I don’t need any coffee,” Everly said. Nervously, she said, “What’s a nightcrawler?”

“It’s her name, not her species,” said Bryan over his shoulder. He was leaning out the window, sniffing.

“She’s named after Nightcrawler from the X-Men,” said Raelynn, popping her head back up. “Because they both teleport.”

“Is she dangerous?” Everly cupped her hands protectively around Rock. “Should I put Rock away?”

Everyone glanced at each other, then Angel said, “Yeah, I think that’d be a good idea.”

Everly scooped up Rock and popped her back into her purse, then edged closer to Angel. He put his arm around her. “So what is—”

Waylon, who’d opened the front door, exclaimed, “I see her!”

He bolted outside, followed by Bryan. Waylon ran like a football player going for a touchdown, with a massive, visible strength. Bryan moved like a predator chasing down his still-living dinner. Waylon had a head start, but Bryan vanished into the woods before Waylon reached them.

Raelynn ducked around the corner and made for the door, but Angel stepped in front of her. “Wait. They can corner her between the two of them. One more person will just get in the way.”

Sure enough, Waylon emerged from the woods, clutching something white to his chest. He hurried back to Vets For All Pets, followed by Bryan. Everly watched in fascination. What was the teleporting beast?

Waylon strode inside, clutching a flapping chicken emitting loud, angry bawks. “Angel! Grab her, quick!”

The chicken vanished from his arms, only to reappear perched on the counter. One of its legs was encased in a shiny blue splint, and it couldn’t stand easily on the smooth surface. It scrabbled around, letting out panicky bawks, before Angel lunged forward and laid his hand on its side. Instantly, the chicken calmed down. He scooped her up, and she sat docile in his arms, letting out the occasional pleased cluck.

“It’s a chicken,” said Everly.

“That’s no chicken,” hissed Raelynn. “That is evil manifest!”

“What?” Everly asked.

“It’s a chicken,” said Angel. “A chicken that teleports.”

“Evil!” Raelynn insisted. “Beware of the evil that flaps in the night!”

“Knock it off, Rae,” said Waylon. “You’re teasing Everly like she’s one of us, but she’s not. She’s just a visitor who found a dragonette.”

A pang went through Everly’s heart. She was just a visitor. But suddenly, she wanted to be one of them.

“Just wait till you’re minding your own business, and a chicken materializes behind you and pecks your ankle,” said Raelynn. “Then you’ll understand.”

“She’s a fierce and stealthy beast,” said Bryan approvingly.

“How do you do keep her in a cage when she can teleport?” Everly asked.

“We can’t, really,” admitted Angel. “We try to make her want to stay in her cage. It’s the only place in the building that has mealworms. And during the day we have dogs everywhere, so she mostly only terrorizes us after hours.”

“Show her the video,” suggested Raelynn.

“Of Nightcrawler terrorizing you guys?” asked Everly.

Angel chuckled. “No, of the portal. We have a hidden camera on it, so we can see when it opens.”

“Ooh!” Everly exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell me before? I want to see it!”

He led her to the reception desk. Beneath the counter, placed where only the receptionist could see it, was a webcam feed of a pretty but unremarkable forest glen with a small pool.

Everly peered at it. “Where is it? I feel like I’m looking at one of those pictures with a sailboat or a clown or something hidden in the dots.”

“When it’s closed, there’s literally nothing there,” said Waylon. “I’ve watched deer walk right through the place where it would be.”

“I’ll take you to see it the next time it opens,” Angel promised her, seeing her longing expression.

“Have any of you ever tried to go in?” she asked.

“You can’t,” said Bryan. “Only creatures that came from it can go through it.”

Settling the now-contented Nightcrawler under one arm, Angel extended his hand to Everly. “Would you like the tour now?”

She offered him her elbow, and he took it as if he was escorting her to a dance. The Magical Poultry Ball, maybe.

“I’ll take you straight to where we keep the unusual animals, so I can put Nightcrawler back,” Angel said.

Raelynn started to tag along, but her father gave her a quick shake of his head. She stopped, looking disappointed. Angel gave Everly a questioning glance. Everly appreciated Waylon trying to give her and Angel some privacy, but she liked Raelynn’s exuberance and sense of humor. And she didn’t often get to interact with kids that age—her nieces were much younger.

“Come on, Raelynn,” Everly said. “I bet you can tell me all about the animals.”

Eagerly, the girl followed. Waylon came with her. So did Bryan, though he looked more like he was shadowing a suspect than tagging along for a tour.

Oh, well, Everly thought. Two out of three isn’t bad.

The magical animal room was all the way at the back of the building, as far from the lobby as possible. On the way, Angel pointed out the examination rooms, the operating theatre, the bathing room with bathtubs sized for everything from mice to Saint Bernards, and the rooms with cages of recovering dogs and cats and rats and birds and reptiles and rescued ordinary wild creatures.

“Can we go inside those rooms after I see the magical animals?” Everly asked. “I’d love to see the non-magical animals, too.”

“Of course,” said Angel.

She caught Bryan’s surprised, grudgingly approving look when she asked. Had he assumed she only cared about magical animals? But the expression was only there for an instant. The next moment, what seemed to be his habitually wary look returned.

They came to a door with a prominent sign:

Surgical Waste And Chemical Disposal: Warning! Biological Hazard!

DO NOT ENTER WITHOUT PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT!

Everly started to give it a wide berth, but Angel grinned. "This is it. We want to make sure no one looking for the bathroom opens it by accident.”

With a flourish, he opened the door. “Ta-da!”

It was a spacious room with sorts of cages and enclosures, from lizard habitats to aviaries to aquariums. Angel deposited Nightcrawler into a small chicken coop, and watched her until she strutted off and began to peck at her food dish.

Most of the cages were empty. Seeing her glance at an uninhabited terrarium with lush tropical plants, Angel said, “We never know what might come through. We even have a barn for large magical animals, but nothing’s in it now.”

“How large is large?” Everly asked.

“The portal’s not that big,” said Waylon. “Nothing bigger than a horse could fit through it.”

“So no dragons.” Everly wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.

“Oh, we get dragons,” said Raelynn, her eyes gleaming. “Just not adult ones. Teenage dragons are about the size of a horse.”

“Amazing,” Everly breathed. “Every time I think I’ve gotten used to what you have here, it hits me again how amazing it is.”

“Me too,” said Angel. “Every day.”

Raelynn pointed to a terrarium. “Look at this! I call it the Toad Mahal. Like the Taj Mahal. But for toads.”

The ground and logs were brown with patches of green moss, and the toads were also mottled brown and green. They would have blended in and been hard to see, but each toad had a gleaming jewel embedded in its forehead, sparkling with ruby or emerald or diamond or sapphire light.

“Gem toads,” said Angel. “They’re not hurt or sick, just lost. The portal isn’t always open, so we’re keeping them for their own safety till it opens again and we can return them.”

A gem toad with a faceted aquamarine in its forehead gazed at Everly placidly with startlingly beautiful eyes of brown and gold. Then she realized it wasn’t looking at her, but at an earthworm that was between them. The toad bent forward, snapped it up, and used its long fingers to stuff the rest of it into its wide mouth, like a person without silverware eating a very long noodle.

Angel opened the next cage for her, so she could pet the long-haired guinea pig with delicate moth wings and antennae. It snuffled at her, and Angel produced a piece of carrot for her to feed to it.

“Also lost,” he explained. “It goes back when the toads go back.” Leading her to the next inhabited cage, he said, “This little merhorse was hurt, though. He needed sixteen very small stitches. We’re keeping him till he’s all healed up.”

Enchanted, Everly gazed at the aquarium/terrarium containing a merhorse the size of a hamster. His wet coat was blue-green, as were the shimmering scales of the fish tail that he had instead of hind legs. He was lying on the tiny beach, munching on a strand of seaweed, and flicked his tail nervously when she approached. She quickly moved on so she didn’t scare him into abandoning its meal.

“That’s it,” said Raelynn. “Only four right now. I hope you’re not disappointed.”

“Are you kidding? They’re fantastic!” Everly glanced over her shoulder at the merhorse, which had finished his seaweed and was swimming underwater with heart-stopping grace, now and then diving to nose at the seashells at the bottom of the tank. A thought came to her. “These are all different environments. An ocean, a forest, a…wherever guinea pigs live.”

“Good catch,” said Angel. “The portal sends them back to wherever they came from. You can catch a glimpse of it when they go through.”

His dark eyes were full of wonder. She thought again of how he’d said he never stopped being amazed by his life. So many people were cynical or jaded or just held themselves aloof, unwilling to let themselves commit to wholehearted love or feeling that it was uncool to admit it even if they felt it. Angel wasn’t like that. He was sincere and openhearted, and he didn’t care who knew it.

“The animals are lucky to have you,” she said.

“I’m lucky to have them,” he replied. But his words were accompanied by a wistful glance at her, as if there was something else he wanted that he wasn’t sure he could have.

Everly realized that the other people had quietly left the room, maybe while she was watching the merhorse. She and Angel were alone together, and the atmosphere felt charged with possibility.

He stepped forward, and she instinctively tipped her face upward to meet his kiss. Their bodies melded together. It was a magical moment, like their other kisses. Like everything here.

I can’t be in love with him, she told herself. It’s too soon. I have my entire life to go back to. This is only a vacation.

Her thoughts whirled on in a panicky rush. Am I leading him on? What if I break his heart? What if he breaks mine? I can’t give up everything I’ve worked so hard for… Can I? Should I?

“Everly?” Angel asked. “Are you all right?”

No, I’m afraid my life is turning upside down, she thought. Yes, this is the most right I’ve ever been in my life.

She settled on, “I feel like things are moving really fast. It’s good, but it’s kind of scary, too.”

“I know what you mean. And I don’t want to pressure you. Do you want us to stop…?” He made a vague flapping gesture.

“Kissing? No! Definitely not! I want to keep going! If that’s what you meant by..,” She imitated his hand-flap.

“That’s what I meant. Want to…?” He flapped his hand again.

Laughing, she returned to his arms.

Chapter 9

The days after Everly visited Vets For All Pets were the most joyous and most stressful of Angel’s life.

On the joyous side, he got to be with Everly and show her all over town and go hiking with her and play with Rock and learn more about her and her life. On the stressful side, his inner unicorn kept demanding that he tell her they were mates and meant to be together forever, but he couldn’t because Everly had already said she felt like everything was moving really fast. But every day he didn’t tell her, he felt like he was withholding information she needed to know.

Even worse, every day that passed was a day closer to when she’d go back home, and he’d have to decide whether he was willing to leave everything else that he loved to go with her. He tried not to think about it, but that was like trying not to think about a purple pegasus with candy-striped wings.

But then he’d meet her beautiful eyes, or kiss her glorious lips, or debate the best flavor of ice cream, and he’d be happier than he’d been in his entire life.

He loved La Puerta, so it was also fun getting to show it to Everly. She was mildly appreciative of the stone arch and historic buildings, but adored the more human and quirky aspects of the town.

They shared a hot fudge and caramel sundae at Ice Ice Baby Ice Cream Parlor & Art Gallery, withstood the owner’s high-pressure sales tactics for her giant mushroom statues made of welded industrial machinery, and listened to her story of how Angel had saved her beagle’s life when he’d eaten part of a toadstool.

They strolled down Main Street and visited all the shops, from the used bookshop where Angel was pounced on by Harry the store cat to the jewelry shop where he bought her a pair of blue butterfly earrings to the candle shop where they closed their eyes and tried to guess the candles by scent.

They had to leave the candy shop in a hurry when Rock escaped from Everly’s purse and made a flapping leap at a sparkling display of rock candy. She was only assuaged when Everly bought her a chunk of glittery mica and a pretty pink quartz heart at the collectibles shop next door.

With every moment that went by, Angel loved her more. What in the world would he do if she went away? Could he leave the animals who depended on him to follow his heart?

He stopped to tie an undone shoelace, and caught a glimpse of Everly’s absolutely perfect ass, displayed to perfection in her tight white jeans. He wondered if it was possible to spontaneously combust out of sexual frustration.

She snapped her fingers. “Penny for your thoughts.”

In my entire life, I’ve never been hornier.

I know this is moving fast, but want to spend the night together?

You’re my destined mate, marry me.

What actually came out was “Do you need to answer that?”

Everly groaned and fished out her buzzing phone. They were on their way to the Pipe & Pudding for a fish-and-chips dinner, and they kept walking as she typed rapidly. Angel kept an eye out for any obstacles, and was ready to catch her if she tripped. But she seemed very used to walking while texting.

She returned her phone to her purse, explaining, “The deep fryer caught fire.”

“Hopefully the Pipe & Pudding’s fryer won’t. Or at least not till we’ve already had our dinner. I’m really looking forward to the fried trout and extra-crispy—”

They turned the corner, and came face-to-face with the sign taped to the door of the Pipe & Pudding:

Out Of Business

"—chips,” Angel finished gloomily. “Dammit, I really liked that place. Now it’s probably going to be replaced by Dieter’s Delight.”

“Special tonight: steamed tofu and extra-soggy broccoli. Sorry, Rock. Looks like none of us are getting fish tonight.” A faint squeak came from her purse. She glanced up at Angel. “Do you think she understood? Or was it just that I said her name?”

“Hard to say. Lots of animals do understand some words. I know people who have to spell out W-A-L-K, or their dog jumps up to go out. Or she might sense that you were disappointed. Anyway, there’s a nice pizza place around here. Nothing there would be good for Rock, but afterward we could stop and get her some—”

BZZZT!

He looked at Everly. She looked at him.

“Not mine,” she said. “I thought you were off tonight.”

“I am.” Adrenaline set him on high alert as he pulled out his phone. “This is either an emergency, or an unusual animal, or—”

She peered over his shoulder as he read the text from Waylon: UNUSUAL ANIMAL EMERGENCY. MEET AT HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY.

“I can drop you off at Come On Inn,” Angel began as they hurried back to his car, but wasn’t surprised when she gave a scornful snort of refusal, followed by, “Not a chance.”

“Okay, fine. But if it’s something dangerous, you’ll have to keep out of the way and do what I say.”

“Of course. You’re the boss when it comes to veterinary emergencies. Besides, I have to protect Rock. But what… um…” Her voice trailed off as they passed a few townspeople, and she didn’t finish her sentence until they were safely inside his car with the windows rolled up. As he peeled out of the parking lot, she said, “How dangerous do the unusual animals get?”

“Honestly, mostly they’re harmless,” he admitted. “It’s probably just something difficult and inconvenient, like the hawk that could break the sound barrier. But it could be something poisonous. Or fire-breathing. We had a flying king cobra once.”

“Yikes.”

“We caught it with a butterfly net and slung it straight back through the portal, like we were playing lacrosse.”

“Was that the worst creature to ever come through the portal?”

“I’d say the worst had to be the invisible weasel.” His hand went automatically to the scar on his forearm. “Good thing vets get the rabies vaccine.”

“Owww,” said Everly.

“Oh, it could be much worse. Bryan ‘discovered’ the weasel. By sitting on it.”

“OWWW,” said Everly.

“That’s the only time I’ve ever seen him lose his cool.” Angel chuckled. “Well, that and when we tease him about it.”

At Vets For All Pets, Waylon and Bryan were at the receptionist’s desk, watching the feed from the portal cam. Angel immediately went to look. The portal was open, but he could see nothing moving in the forest around it.

“We have a problem.” Bryan’s face was pale, and he looked shaken. Angel had never seen him look like that, not even immediately post-weasel. “I got the alarm that the portal had opened, so I went straight to it.”

“Bryan…” Angel began, then gave up. They were all supposed to observe the portal through the cam first, rather than rushing off with no idea of what they’d find, but Bryan was convinced that this lost them valuable time.

“I keep all the gear in my car,” said Bryan. “Nets, tranquilizer rifles, portable aquariums, everything. Anyway, at first I didn’t see anything. Then I found this.” He held up a life-size, beautifully detailed sculpture of a mouse.

“A stone mouse?” Everly peered at it. “Is it like a gargoyle?”

“No, it’s not alive. Not anymore, anyway.”

Angel had a sinking feeling. “Bryan, please tell me that isn’t what I think it is.”

Bryan did not oblige. Instead, he held up another sculpture, this one of a millipede. Then a sparrow. Then a pair of stone butterflies. “There were stone bugs and birds and squirrels all over the glade.”

Angel’s heart sank right into his shoes. He’d worried about this happening for ages, and it had finally come true. “A basilisk. A basilisk came through the portal.” To Everly, he said, “Anything that looks it in the eyes turns to stone.”

“Should you all be watching that cam?” she asked.

“It doesn’t work over video,” Bryan said. “I know because I took out my phone and searched for it that way. It’s a baby, the size of a rabbit, and it’s quick. I only got off one good shot with the tranquilizer rifle before it disappeared.”

“What happened?” Angel asked. “Is it immune to drugs?”

Waylon shook his head. “Its skin is like living stone. Darts bounce right off.”

Angel took a deep breath. “It won’t be immune to me. If I can get my hands on it, I can put it back through the portal.”

Everly clutched at his arm. “How are you supposed to do that without turning to stone?”

The hero never turns to stone, declaimed his unicorn, swishing its tail. We have the strength of ten, because our love is true!

“Um…” Angel said, hoping to come up with an actual idea on the fly. “I could close my eyes and someone could watch it with their phone and direct me?”

Bryan shook his head. “It’s much too quick to be caught by one man stumbling around blind. And I don’t even know where it is. We’d have to start by finding it.”

“You and I could track by scent,” suggested Waylon. “We could corner it between the two of us.”

“And catch it how?” Bryan inquired. “I can get the general idea of where it is by scent alone, but I don’t think I could grab it in my jaws with my eyes shut.”

Everly’s phone buzzed. She automatically took it out, then stood still, gazing down at it thoughtfully without actually reading the message. Then she turned off her phone and looked up at them. Her face had the cool, calm, competent expression she had when she texted her restaurant.

“I have an idea,” she said.

Chapter 10

“You’re a genius,” said Angel.

Everly gave dismissive wave of her hand. “I just put together your idea with Waylon’s idea and Bryan’s descriptions. That’s all.”

She could hear her heartbeat pounding, louder in her ears than the rumble of the car engine. Her plan involved putting Angel into deadly danger—not to mention Waylon and Bryan. At least she’d been able to leave Rock safely back at Vets For All Pets, munching on some raw meat in an empty cage beside the jewel toads.

“I wish your plan didn’t involve you taking the biggest risk,” he went on. “If there was any other way…”

“Oh, please. It’s much riskier for the rest of you. I won’t be getting anywhere near the basilisk.”

“Yes,” he said, squeezing her hand. “But you’ll be the only one with your eyes open.”

“I won’t look at anything but my phone screen,” she promised. “I’ve had plenty of practice with that!”

He gave a shaky laugh as he pulled up at the edge of the woods. They were the first car to arrive, so they sat inside and waited for the others. He leaned over and kissed her passionately, and she responded in kind. She could never get enough of him—his strength, his tenderness, his passion, his kindness, his courage, his bad horn jokes. His everything.

Despite his body heat and the warmth of the car, she shivered. They’d known each other for such a short time, but it felt like an eternity. If she lost him, it would break her heart.

I love him, Everly realized. I’d jump in front of a basilisk for him. I’d walk away from everything I have, just to be with him.

I’d do anything for him, and be happy to have the chance.

She took a deep breath, trying to decide if she should tell him she was in love with him now or if it would be bad to distract him right when he needed all his concentration.

Waylon’s pick-up truck came rattling up, with Bryan in the passenger seat. Everly supposed the decision had been made for her. Her heart was beating fast as a frightened rabbit’s at the thought of the danger Angel would be in.

“I don’t want to distract you,” he murmured in her ear. His breath was warm and sweet. “So all I’ll say now is that you’re incredibly brave and ferociously smart, and I absolutely trust that you have this.”

His faith in her made her feel more steady. She whispered back, “You’re the best unicorn vet in the whole entire world. You’ve got this.”

They got out and met with Bryan and Waylon. Bryan sniffed the air, his amber eyes taking on that dangerous feral gleam. “I don’t smell it. We’ll have to track it from the portal.”

The moon shone a brilliant white in the night sky, casting enough light that that didn’t need flashlights. Under other circumstances, walking through the woods with Angel in the moonlight would be swooningly romantic.

But it is romantic, Everly thought. Just not in the ‘gaze into each other’s eyes in the moonlight’ sense. What could possibly be more romantic than walking with a man who’s about to risk his life to protect others, and who trusts you to hold up your end of that?

On the webcam, the portal had been barely visible, easily mistaken for a shaft of moonlight between the trees; Angel had needed to point it out to her. In the moonlit glade, she would have probably missed it again if she hadn’t already known where it was. Between a pair of great oaks, the air shimmered silver in the shape of an archway. As the vets had said, a horse could fit through, but nothing bigger than that.

Everly’s foot came down on something small and hard. She bent down, and plucked a stone beetle from the mossy ground. Like Bryan had said, stone bugs were scattered across the forest floor, along with some unlucky birds and squirrels.

Bryan inhaled a deep breath of air, then pointed. “That way. I can track it from here.”

Without another word, he unceremoniously pulled off his shirt and dropped it on the ground, then started unbuckling his belt.

Everly heard her voice rise to a squeak. “What are you doing?!”

He gave her a look like she was the weird one. “My wolf’ll rip this stuff to shreds. If you don’t want to watch, turn your back.”

Everly hurriedly turned her back… and came face to face with Waylon, who had politely stepped behind a tree to undress. She made another turn, her face burning, telling herself it wasn’t his fault that he was a big guy and the tree didn’t hide as much as he thought.

“You guys,” said Angel, exasperated. “She’s only ever seen me shift. She didn’t know you two have to strip.”

“How come their clothes don’t go with them?”

“It’s more ‘how come mine do,’” he said. “It’s because I’m a mythic shifter. We have extra abilites other shifters don’t.”

“Convenient.”

A grizzly bear lumbered into view. Though Everly knew it was Waylon, it was still a little unnerving being so close to the enormous, shaggy beast. His claws dug into the moss like daggers. He gave a soft whuff, then closed his eyes.

A low growl made the hair on the back of Everly’s neck stand up. She turned and saw the wolf that Bryan had become. She’d never realized how big wolves were compared to dogs; she’d thought of them as wild Siberian huskies. This wolf was a huge gray beast who’d be six feet tall if he stood on his hind legs. His amber eyes looked more natural in his fierce face than they did in Bryan’s.

The wolf also closed his eyes, then turned his nose toward the direction he’d pointed to.

“Just a second,” said Angel.

He bent his head so Everly could help tie on the black blindfold they’d brought (a strip of dog blanket.) Her hands trembled as she wrapped it securely around his face. It was just extra security—he’d have his eyes shut beneath it—but it made her worry about Waylon and Bryan, who couldn’t keep a blindfold on in their animal forms. All it would take would be a single slip, and then they’d be cold stone statues forever.

She turned on her phone camera and fixed her view on its small screen. “I’m ready.”

“Go slow, Bryan,” Angel warned. “Remember, Everly’s got the dangerous job. Don’t make her move her camera fast to keep up with you.”

Bryan whined in what she supposed was agreement, and they set off. Bryan went first, cautiously, sniffing his way through the forest. He could apparently smell trees and rocks, because he avoided them with ease. Waylon went behind him, crashing through the bushes and frequently bumping into things.

Everly followed, guiding Angel, keeping her gaze fixed on nothing but her screen and the ground right in front of them. It was a precarious, difficult, nervewracking way to travel, especially when she knew what awaited them at the end of it. They barely even needed Bryan; she kept stepping on stone millipedes and beetles and ants. Once she had to step over a stone rabbit.

“We’ll have to go back through and pick up all the stone bugs and so forth,” said Everly. “Otherwise people will wonder.”

“Maybe Raelynn will want them,” said Angel. “Or we can pretend we got a deal on them in Refuge City, and donate them to the SPCA thrift store.”

Everly giggled. Despite her fear for herself, Angel, and his colleagues, being with him made her brave. He was such a calm and trusting presence beside her, she had to believe that everything would be all right.

The wolf gave a sharp bark. On that signal, Everly turned her back, tugging Angel to turn with her. She switched her camera view and raised her phone, watching the scene behind her. The wolf was creeping up on a bush, sniffing, with the grizzly bear trying to circle around it. But Waylon stepped on a dry branch that cracked with a sound like a gunshot, and the basilisk bolted out from under the bush with Bryan and Waylon in hot pursuit.

“Angel, wait,” said Everly. “They haven’t cornered it yet.”

That was their plan: for Waylon and Bryan to chase the basilisk by scent, and corner it until it was forced to run toward Angel. Then Everly would direct Angel to grab it.

It had all seemed a lot more reasonable and possible when they’d been taking about than now, when the basilisk was zipping around like video game creature and Waylon and Bryan were chasing it without being able to see a thing.

“Left, Waylon!” Everly shouted; he couldn’t smell as well as Bryan. The grizzly veered, setting himself on a collision course with a tree. “More left!”

Waylon barely missed cracking his head on the tree. His heavy paws shook the ground. The basilisk, a creature with a catlike body, a hawk’s body, and a snake’s tail, screeched and leaped aside from Bryan’s lunge at him. With stunning speed, Bryan whipped around, cornering it between him and Waylon. The basilisk froze for an instant, then zipped for Waylon.

“It’s headed between your paws, Waylon!” Everly shouted. “Wait… Grab!”

Waylon brought his huge paws together, but a moment too late. Hissing, the basilisk darted toward Angel.

“Angel!” Everly yelled. “Step left! Turn right! Tackle!”

He followed her directions with preternatural grace and speed. When she told him to tackle, he launched himself fearlessly forward, arms stretched out, blind and utterly trusting. He landed with a thud on the forest floor, clutching the basilisk in his outstretched hands.

The basilisk stopped in mid-hiss. Angel sat up and cradled it to his chest.

“You’re just a little baby, aren’t you,” Angel said soothingly. “Bet your mama will be glad to see you again.”

The baby basilisk cheeped and nuzzled him.

Waylon gave a snort.

Everly, stepping very carefully, edged backward until she was beside Angel. Gazing fixedly into her phone, she pulled a black drawstring bag out of her purse, dropped it over the baby basilisk, and tied the strings around Angel’s elbows.

“Everly, you were incredible,” he said.

“So were you. I’d never have had the nerve to fling myself like that when I couldn’t see.”

He smiled that sweet smile of his. “Didn’t take any nerve. You told me to do it, so I knew it’d be fine.”

She reversed her camera view and led him back to the portal. This time Bryan and Waylon followed her scent, and the sound of Angel’s voice as he spoke gently to the baby basilisk, which happily chirped back to him, unperturbed by the bag encasing it.

At last they reached the portal. She guided Angel to it, then turned her back and watched through the phone as he removed the baby basilisk from the bag. He knelt down and, cupping his hands around the basilisk, scooted the creature through the portal.

There was a soft ringing sound, and her ears popped. The portal vanished.

Instantly, the grove was filled with sound and movement. Birds exploded up from the forest floor, wings flapping and feathers flying. Rabbits, mice, and squirrels bolted in every direction, squealing and squeaking. Crickets resumed chirping, and millipedes trundled away on their many-legged business. With the basilisk’s departure, all the stone creatures had come back to life.

Everly’s relief was so intense that she felt dizzy. She swayed, the phone falling from her hand. It hit a rock with a sharp crack.

Angel yanked off his blindfold and rushed to her side, steadying her in his strong arms. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” she gasped. “Don’t worry.”

“You were amazing,” said Angel. “You saved so many lives.”

“Especially in the bug population,” said Bryan from behind her. She nearly turned around, then decided to leave him a little more time to get dressed.

“More than that,” said Waylon, also from behind her. “That basilisk was fast. If it wasn’t for Everly, it might’ve turned up in Raelynn’s bedroom!”

“None of us could’ve gotten back here if it wasn’t for Angel,” said Everly. He shrugged, brushing it off, but she persisted. “No, it’s true. Angel, you really have a gift. Who cares that you can’t heal? What you do is better than healing. Anyone can stitch a cut or set a broken bone, but only you can touch a terrified, dangerous creature and make it calm down. That basilisk wasn’t sick or hurt, it was just lost and scared. It didn’t need a healer. It needed you.”

Chapter 11

Angel looked into his mate’s beautiful brown eyes, and felt the truth of her words. The power he had might not be the power his family had expected, but it was important and useful, and it was his. He’d heard that before, from friends and colleagues, but it had taken Everly saying so to make him believe it.

His inner unicorn tossed his mane. I’ve been telling you all along. We’re perfect exactly the way we are.

“I believe you,” Angel said to Everly, mentally adding, I don’t know about perfect. But you’re right enough to say ‘I told you so.’

I told you so, said his unicorn.

Angel laughed. In that moment, all his doubts and hesitations vanished. Everly had come up with a plan to capture a baby basilisk, and risked her own life to carry it out. She was strong as steel. He could tell her the truth of his heart, and trust her not to feel pressured or rushed by it.

“I love you,” he said. “I’ve loved you since the first moment I laid eyes on you. It’s a gift that shifters have, to recognize their mate—their true love—at first sight. You’re mine, and I’m yours. I don’t know how we’ll work out the details, but I know we can.”

Her eyes glistened in the moonlight. But if she was holding back tears, they were clearly tears of joy. She threw herself into his arms, and the heat of her mouth on his told him everything he needed to know.

Some time later, when they were capable again of noticing anything but each other, they heard the faint sound of a truck engine starting, then the sound of a truck driving away. They broke apart and glanced around. At some time while they’d been kissing and lost to the world, Waylon and Bryan had taken off.

“Should I be embarrassed?” Everly asked.

“Nah,” said Angel, though he was, a little bit. Trying not to think about his colleagues packing up and leaving while he and Everly had been obliviously lip-locked, he went on, “Like I said, it’s a shifter thing. They understand. Sort of.”

“Do they have mates?”

“Not that I’m aware of. Bryan doesn’t socialize, and Raelynn’s mom isn’t in the picture. So… I guess they understand, but they don’t understand understand.” He touched his heart. “Here.”

“I understand here.” Everly put her own hand on her heart. “And I’m glad you explained—I kept thinking it was way too soon to fall in love so hard. But if it isn’t just me, then it’s not weird.”

“It’s not weird at all.”

She stooped to pick up her phone from the forest floor. Shards of glass tinkled down as she lifted it.

“Oh, no,” said Angel.

Everly looked down at it thoughtfully, then said, “To be honest… It’s a relief. This thing is like the One Ring from Lord of the Rings. It takes over my life. It sucks out my energy. It’s always on my mind. Even when it’s not buzzing, I know it could at any minute.”

“And it doesn’t even make you invisible.”

She chuckled, then hit the power button. “Just to see…”

To his surprise, the phone lit up. The screen was spiderwebbed with cracks, but the phone still worked. It buzzed aggressively, text message after text message popping up. She caught a glimpse of FROZEN MYSTERY FISH THROWN INSIDE, HIT RESTAURANT CRITIC ON HEAD before she averted her eyes.

“You know, Waylon and Bryan and me have a system for after-hours calls,” Angel said. “None of us are on call all the time, unless it’s an actual emergency that requires all of us. We rotate which of us is on call for the portal, and which of us is on call for regular veterinary emergencies. That way none of us are getting bugged on our days off.”

“But I’m the only manager,” Everly began, then trailed off. “You’re right, though. I do have a staff. I don’t have to be on call during my vacation. I guess it just feels like this is how high-pressure jobs are supposed to work. If you’re not on duty 24-7, you’re slacking.”

“No one can be on duty 24-7 without burning out.”

Decisively, she wrote a brief text message, then showed it to him.

PLEASE STOP TEXTING ME WHILE I’M ON VACATION. USE YOUR OWN BEST JUDGMENT TO DEAL WITH ANY PROBLEMS.

Her finger hovered over the “send” button.

“It’s a great text,” said Angel.

She hit the button.

He gathered her into his arms. “I’m proud of you. I bet that took even more nerve than the basilisk hunt.”

“You are so right.”

They drove back to Vets For All Pets, which Angel was rather relieved to find empty, and went to the unusual animal room to collect Rock.

The guinea moth was curled up in a nest of straw, its antennae twitching gently as it dreamed. Nightcrawler was a ball of white feathers in the dimness, sleeping on her perch with her head tucked under her wing. The merhorse slept on the beach, kneeling with its legs on the sand and its tail in the water. The gem toads, which were sleepy in the day, were wide awake now, hopping around and croaking and polishing their jewels on tufts of moss.

Rock was clinging to the bars of the cage, looking deeply annoyed at being in it. When Everly opened the door, the little dragonette flew at her, then veered aside and flapped all the way across the room before colliding with Angel’s chest and glomming onto it with her sharp little talons.

“She flew!” Everly picked her up and petted her. “Good girl, Rock. What a good first flight.”

Rock, apparently overwhelmed with success, dove into Everly’s cleavage and hid there. It reminded Angel just how much he’d like to get a better look at her cleavage. Minus the dragonette.

“Spend the night with me,” he said, taking her into his arms.

She melted into his touch, nuzzling his throat in a way that set his blood on fire. He couldn’t wait to take her home and—

Home. That brought his dreams to a screeching halt.

I told you to make your apartment a place of romance and sensuality fit for a mate, said his unicorn. But no. Gaming consoles and muddy boots and pizza boxes everywhere! You cannot subject our mate to such horrors.

Angel had to agree. “My place is kind of a bachelor pad. To put it mildly.”

“Mine is the world’s coziest and most romantic bed & breakfast.” Her voice dropped to a purr that sent desire thrilling through his entire body. “Just wait till you see my bed.”

Angel couldn’t resist. Lifting her into his arms, he said, “Just wait till you see my horn.”

Chapter 12

Everly awoke beside Angel’s warm body, filled with a bone-deep sense of satisfaction. She stretched luxuriously, curling into him, then leaned on her elbow to look at him. Her gaze lingered on the fine bone structure of his sleeping face, his hair like black silk, his thick eyelashes, the ripped muscles of his arms and shoulders and chest, the elegant bones of his pelvis…

His horn, she thought, and giggled.

He woke up, his warm brown eyes opening, and the sweetest smile spread over his face. He drew her down and kissed her, and her satisfaction blossomed into a pure, true love. It was as if an invisible bond connected them, living and unbreakable. She never wanted to leave him—not even to go to a city five hours away.

Angel must have been having the same thoughts, because he said, “I’ve been thinking. This isn’t the only place where I could be a vet. I could do that anywhere. There’s lots of pets in Refuge City. Some of them are even magical animals.”

That was the last thing she’d expected. “Really?”

“Yeah. Not a lot of them. But there’s a few. I’m scheduled to see some of them today, actually. Their owners have to drive all the way here to get their shots and so forth. If I moved to the city and opened a practice, I’d mostly see regular animals, but I’d still have a few magical ones.”

“But Angel, would you really be happy there?”

“I’d be happy anywhere that I could be with you.” His sincerity and love were unmistakable. He really would go anywhere in the world, just to be with her.

But that went both ways. She’d go anywhere to be with him.

In Refuge City, he’d have his practice and she’d have her restaurant. He loved all animals, so he really would be happy even if there were fewer magical ones. She’d keep a better work-life balance, so while she’d still be busy, she’d draw a hard line at being pestered when she was off-duty.

“In La Puerta,” she said, only realizing she was speaking aloud when she heard her own words, “You’d have your practice with Waylon and Bryan. They’re not just colleagues, they’re friends. I don’t have real friends at Des Dieux a Tes Levres. And I’ve never even met any of my co-workers’ kids. You have Raelynn hanging around all the time. She’s great. I know you’d miss them.”

“I would. But…”

“You have a restaurant space here that needs to be filled. There’s successful restaurants here, so there’s enough locals and tourists to support them. But you know what you don’t have? A really good café. You know what would make that work? A really excellent manager.”

Angel was starting to smile. “I bet running a café in La Puerta would be less stressful than running a five-star gourmet restaurant in Refuge City, huh?”

“And a lot more fun.” Everly’s mind was racing ahead. “La Puerta is closer to my family. They’d love to see me more. And I’d love to see them more. I don’t think they care at all exactly what work I’m doing, so long as I’m happy with it. I like the people here—the vets and Raelynn and Isa. I like the forests. I like the ice cream. And I love the magical animals.”

Angel’s eyes gleamed like stars. “No wonder we’re mates. We’re going to be so happy together.”

A loud squawk above their heads made them both jump. Rock was perched on the top of the headboard, white wings spread wide, tail lashing.

“I think she’s hungry,” said Angel, at the same time that Everly said, “She wants breakfast.”

They scrambled out of bed, then almost collided as they rushed for the mini-fridge where Everly kept Rock’s collards and chopped meat.

“My unicorn says we’re made for each other,” said Angel.

Everly reached up and brushed his silky black hair out of his eyes. “Your unicorn’s right.”

After they fed Rock, they showered together, which was an incredible experience all by itself, then called down for coffee and breakfast for two. Isa brought it up to them, remarking, “I wondered how long it’d be before I saw Angel here.”

“He’s my mate,” said Everly. “I’m moving to La Puerta.”

Isa hugged her. “Congratulations! You’ll love it here. I knew it from the moment I saw you. This place is much more your style.” Then she hugged Angel, saying, “You’ve got a strong, smart, beautiful mate. Don’t let it go to your… horn.”

He gave a theatrical groan. Isa stooped to pet Rock, then went out, laughing.

They squeezed into the window seat and ate breakfast together, bare feet and knees touching, looking out at the pine forest below.

“Our house should have a window seat,” said Angel.

“Are we getting a house now?”

“My unicorn would really like me to get rid of my apartment. And I would too. What do you think?”

“I think I have enough money saved from Des Dieux a Tes Levres that if I pool it with whatever you’ve saved, it’s possible. So yes. We’ll hold out for a window seat.”

Angel had to work that day, but she came with him to Vets For All Pets. There were some things she needed to do, and she wanted to do them with him around, even if he was mostly busy. She greeted all the unusual animals, and the ordinary animals as well. Then she sat down in the break room with a mug of coffee (nowhere near as good as Isa’s) and composed her letter of resignation to Des Dieux a Tes Levres, while Rock made vain attempts to fly all the way up to the counters.

When Angel came in between patients to give her a kiss and see if she needed anything, she told him what she’d done.

“Can I read it?”

She passed him her phone. He looked, then burst out laughing. “You resigned over text message?”

“I thought it was appropriate,” said Everly.

“Extremely. What else do you have on your schedule?”

“Giving notice to my landlord and utilities, and hiring movers. I’ll save telling my family for later. After I catch them up, we can all do a video call, so I can introduce you. They’ll love you.”

Angel rubbed his forehead, looking a bit alarmed. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. Come on, Angel, you faced down a basilisk that could have turned you to stone. How scary are a pair of parents… and grandparents… and sisters… and their spouses and kids…”

“Much scarier than the basilisk. But I guess they can’t turn me to stone over a video call. Anyway, I wanted to tell you to stick around for another hour. We have the unusual pets coming in. Raelynn even wheedled her dad into letting her stay home from school so she could spend extra time with them.”

“What kind of unusual pets are they?”

“They’ve never been here before,” Angel said. “I gather their owners only got them recently.”

“You must know what they are, though.”

He grinned. “I’ve gotten descriptions. And from the descriptions, I think it’ll be really fun to see your face when you see them.”

He ducked out before she could reply. As she worked through her phone calls, people started joining her in the break room.

First Bryan came in, got a cup of coffee, leaned against the wall, and looked at her over the edge of the mug with his amber wolf eyes. She was expecting something along the lines of “If you break Angel’s heart I will lock you in a room with the basilisk,” but instead he said, “Anyone who can bond with a dragonette and help catch a basilisk and make Angel that happy is all right with me.”

“Thank you. Any friend of Angel’s is a friend of mine.”

“You two are mates, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, we are.”

“I wonder what that’s like,” he said, very quietly and more to himself than to her. “To have someone.”

Then he picked up a file and started reading it with an air of “do not disturb.”

“You’re moving here, right?” Raelynn demanded, bursting through the door. “Angel’s not leaving, is he?”

“No, no,” Everly assured her. “I’ll be living with him right here.”

“Oh, good. It’ll be nice having you here, too. I’ve always hoped a dragonette would choose me… or anything would choose me… well, anyway, I’m so happy to have a dragonette around.”

Waylon, who had come in after her and caught the end of her speech, said pointedly, “And…?”

“And you too, of course, Everly,” Raelynn added.

“Congratulations,” Waylon said. “Welcome to La Puerta.”

“Welcome to the pa—” Bryan broke off in mid-word, coughed, and said, “Welcome to Vets For All Pets.”

“We should throw her a party,” suggested Raelynn. “With cake!”

“You just want cake,” said Waylon.

“I want cake,” said Everly.

Waylon opened his huge hands in surrender. “Cake it is.”

“Not chocolate,” said Bryan.

“He’s allergic,” confided Raelynn to Everly. “Isn’t that tragic?”

“Angel and I like non-chocolate cakes best anyway,” said Everly. It made her so happy to be able to say “Angel and I.” To Waylon, she said, “Is there a bakery in La Puerta that could do a tres leches cake? That’s his favorite.”

“How am I suddenly throwing this party?” Waylon asked no one in particular, then, to Everly, said, “Got a favorite color? For decorations.”

“Blue,” said Everly. Though her real favorite color now was the delicate silver of Angel’s horn. His unicorn’s horn, she added to herself with an internal snicker.

“Blue,” repeated Waylon. “Tres leches cake. Got it.”

The atmosphere at Vets For All Pets was so different from Des Dieux a Tes Levres. The restaurant made excellent food (if you liked that kind of thing) and had high-class service (fussy and snooty, in Everly’s opinion), but behind the scenes, it was a toxic blend of panic, pressure, and stress. The veterinary hospital was professional and friendly on the surface, and behind the scenes it was playful and kind.

Angel opened the door. “Come on out. They’re here!”

Everly popped Rock into her purse and kept a firm grip on the opening. The last thing she wanted was for a fight to break out between her dragonette and… whatever was in the lobby.

The Vets For All Pets schedule had been cleared to accommodate the magical pets, so the lobby was empty except for their owners. They were a muscular man with a military haircut, a girl of Raelynn’s age who was obviously his daughter, and a woman with curly brown hair who sat in a manual wheelchair. The man held a cat carrier designed so you couldn’t see into it from the outside, and the girl clutched a smaller carrier of a similar design.

They looked up in surprise as the three vets, Everly, and Raelynn spilled out into the lobby.

The man stood up. “Hi, I’m Pete Valdez. This is my daughter Caro, and my fiancée Tirzah Lowe.”

Angel introduced his colleagues and Raelynn, who eyed Caro with great and returned interest. When he introduced Everly as “my mate,” a thrill of happiness went through her.

“Right,” said Pete. “This whole shifter thing is pretty new to me. Tirzah is my mate, too.”

Everly wondered what he meant by that. Tirzah was the shifter, not him? Or had he been turned into a shifter rather than born one? She made a mental note to ask Angel later if that was possible, because Pete’s tone didn’t invite questioning on the subject.

“Who referred you to us?” Angel asked. “We don’t get many patients from Refuge City.”

“No one.” Tirzah made a tapping movement with her fingers, as if she was typing on an invisible keyboard. “I found the shifter vets discussion group.”

Bryan’s amber eyes narrowed. “You found it? How could you find it? It’s a private group. It’s not searchable. It’s password-protected!”

As if Pete was daring Bryan to make something of it, he said, “Nothing online is protected from Tirzah.”

Angel stepped in between them. With deliberate cheer, he said, “Let’s see your pets. Just routine shots and exams, right? Nothing wrong with them?”

“Oh, no,” said Tirzah. “They seem very healthy.”

“I take great care of my Moonbow,” said Caro proudly.

“You have a magical pet?” Raelynn asked, her tone distinctly envious.

“You don’t?” Caro replied. “How come? I mean, with all the magical creatures around here…”

“They have to choose you,” Raelynn said glumly. “Apparently I’m not worthy.”

“Raelynn…” Waylon began, but Caro spoke over him. “Oh, I’m sure you just haven’t found the right one for you yet. I didn’t even know magical animals existed, when the most gorgeous, exquisite, magnificent—”

Angel beckoned, and Pete steered his daughter toward the largest exam room as she went on singing the praises of Moonbow. Whatever Moonbow was. Everly was wildly curious about it, not to mention whatever was in the cat carrier.

Caro set her carrier down on the exam table, opened the door, and held out a fragment of carrot. “Come on out, Moonbow. Nice carrot waiting!”

A tiny winged stallion trotted out of the carrier. His hooves made a ringing sound on the metal exam table, his white coat gleaming under the lights. He looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air, and his opalescent feathered wings opened.

Everly’s gasp of sheer delight was echoed by Raelynn’s.

“Steady, Moonbow,” murmured Caro, stroking him with a finger. “Eat your nice carrot.”

Moonbow folded his wings and munched the carrot, occasionally shooting nervous glances over his shoulder. Waylon, who specialized in horses, spoke soothingly and examined him, carefully checking each ivory hoof and using the smallest and most delicate instruments to check his heart and lungs.

“He’s a young stallion in perfect health,” Waylon said. “You do take excellent care of him, Caro. I can see it. I’ll just give him his shots. He’ll barely feel them.”

Moonbow bore the vaccinations calmly, with no more protest than a single hoof stamp that made a sound like a wind chime.

“He’s the bravest, prettiest, sweetest mini-pegasus ever,” said Raelynn. “You’re so lucky, Caro!”

“I think you’re lucky, living with all these magical animals,” Caro replied. “Do you have any here now?”

“Yes! Want to see?”

“Yes!”

Caro coaxed Moonbow back into his carrier, and the girls ran out together.

“Waylon, I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” remarked Tirzah.

Lowering his voice, Waylon said, “I hope so. Raelynn’s my pride and joy, and things can be… difficult… for her.”

“I hope she does find a magical pet,” said Pete. “Caro absolutely adores her little pony.”

“Mmm.” Waylon frowned slightly. “I didn’t mean just that. Anyway, I’m happy to drive her up to the city if the girls want to visit.”

“And we’d love to drive Caro down here,” said Pete.

Everly was touched. She’d had her sisters growing up, and she knew how important friendships were for girls at that age. Or any age. She glanced at Angel, and their eyes met in unspoken understanding.

“What have you got in the cat carrier?” Angel asked.

“Cats,” said Tirzah.

Pete set the carrier on the exam table and opened it. “Come on, guys.”

A warning yowl and a menacing hiss were all that came out. Everly peered inside, but could see nothing but two pairs of gleaming yellow eyes.

“Let me,” said Angel, reaching for the carrier.

“No, no,” said Pete. “They’ll claw the hell out of you. And there’s no need. The top comes off.”

Before Angel could explain that he was the one person who wouldn’t get clawed, Pete popped the top off the carrier. Everly caught a glimpse of two kittens huddled together. One was an ordinary, if exceptionally cute, ball of black fur. The other, which must be the magical one, had spiky green fur.

Then the black kitten spread a pair of furry black wings, the green kitten spread a pair of spiky green ones, and both kittens launched into the air. They zoomed straight upward, evading Angel, Pete, and Bryan’s attempts to grab them, and began circling below the ceiling, hissing.

“They’re adorable,” said Everly. “What are their names?”

“The black one’s Batcat, and the green one’s Spike,” said Tirzah.

“Adorable nuisances,” muttered Pete, trying to corner Batcat.

Everly saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She clutched harder at her purse, but was horrified to see Rock launch herself out of a hole she’d ripped in the side. “Rock!”

Her fearless little dragonette flapped upward, then crash-landed on the exam table. She cocked her head at the kittens circling overhead and let out a squeak. First Spike, then Batcat landed on the table. Warily, the winged kittens and the dragonette sniffed at each other.

Angel snaked up his hands and managed to touch both kittens. They instantly relaxed, purring and nuzzling him.

“Wow,” said Tirzah.

“It’s his special gift,” said Everly proudly. “Isn’t it marvelous?”

“Yes,” said Waylon, heartfelt. “I was not looking forward to hauling in a ladder to catch those little guys.”

Bryan shrugged. “We do have butterfly nets.”

But when Bryan examined and vaccinated the kittens that Angel kept calm, his touch was gentle, and he tickled them both under the chin before he put them back in their carrier.

They ordered in pizza and ate in the break room, with the now-relaxed kittens and Moonbow and Rock cautiously playing together.

“Do all magical animals come from the portal here?” Pete asked. “Ours are… rescues, essentially. We’ve been trying to figure out where they originally came from.”

“No,” said Angel. “There’s some magical animals living in our world already. There’s small populations of wild dragonettes in a couple European countries, for instance. They might have originally come through a portal, but if they did, it was a long time ago.”

“And there’s other portals,” said Waylon. “This is just one of the most active ones.”

“You didn’t ever spot any people hanging around the portal trying to capture the animals, did you?” asked Tirzah.

The vets all shook their heads.

“But we’ll keep a lookout for them,” said Bryan.

After lunch, Pete and Tirzah and Caro checked into Come On Inn for the night, and then Pete and Tirzah went sightseeing while Caro and Raelynn went to play with Moonbow in the woods. The vets resumed their regular workday. Angel had two young dogs to spay while Waylon vaccinated a steady stream of cats, and Bryan went on a house call for a flock of chickens. Everly left a message for the owner of the Pipe & Pudding to see if he’d be interested in re-opening with a new manager with big city experience. Other than his reply, which summed up to “Please please please please please,” her phone didn’t ring once.

At the end of the day, Angel found her in the unusual animals room. Rock was napping inside her blouse while she watched the merhorse swim underwater, its shimmering tail flicking like a fan.

It was the end of an exciting day, and yet the real excitement was just beginning. This was her new life now, full of love and joy and animals, with her own family so much closer and her new family at Vets For All Pets right there in town.

As if he’d read her mind, Angel smiled and said, “Just another day in the life of a country vet and his mate.”

“Just another perfect day,” said Everly, and pulled him in for a kiss.

Epilogue

The parking lot of the Come On Inn echoed with goodbyes. Everly’s family, which had come up to La Puerta for the weekend, was taking off.

Everly’s mom, the last to climb into the minivan, gave her a hug. “I’m so proud of you.”

Her dad stuck his head out the window. “Your café is great. None of us liked the food at that unpronounceable restaurant of yours.”

“Don’t say that,” Mom protested. “She did a wonderful job with it.”

“If only the chef had too,” said Dad.

Everly laughed. She felt warm all over with the love and approval of her family, like a dragonette basking in the sun. “Come back soon!”

They waved goodbye as the minivan pulled out. She could still hear the echoes of her nieces yelling, “Goodbye! Goodbye!” even after the minivan rounded the corner and was out of sight.

“I’ll miss them,” said Angel. “They really made me feel like family.”

“You are family,” Everly replied. “My nieces especially adored you.”

“Of course they did. I introduced them to a litter of kittens and an orphan baby raccoon.”

Everly smiled, remembering with pleasure how delighted the girls had been and how careful and gentle they’d been with the baby animals. “Too bad we couldn’t show them the magical animals. Or Rock.” Her dragonette had been confined to a walk-in closet when Everly’s family had visited their home, which had greatly annoyed her; normally she had the run of the house. “Or your unicorn!”

“I wish we could too. Maybe my unicorn, someday. But the portal’s too big of a secret. Some of the animals that come through really are dangerous.”

Everly nodded. “Like the basilisk. It takes special people to see it as a scared lost baby who needs to be sent back home, not a monster to be slain.”

“Special people like you.” Angel kissed her, then glanced at his watch. “Well, guess we’re both off to work.”

“You’re not due at Vets For All Pets for another hour. And I’m not due at the café, yet, either.”

“I thought it’d be nice to have some coffee and pastry before work.”

“Oh, that’d be lovely, Angel. Let’s do it.”

“What’s today’s pastry of the day?”

“Lemon-raspberry bars. I tried one last night. You’ll love them.”

“Can’t wait.”

They got in the car, and he started toward La Puerta’s newest café, Coffee. Everly not only managed it, she had named it. She felt very proud every time a customer said with mild bewilderment, “The café is named Coffee?”

She felt even prouder when they tasted the coffee and pastries, or complimented the service or décor. Ninety percent of her work was behind the scenes, but the result was a café that ran smoothly, pleased the customers, and made money. And thanks to her strict policies about not taking work home, her phone rarely rang when she was off-duty.

They’d just pulled into the Coffee parking lot when Angel’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it, then at Everly. “Something came through the portal. Waylon got the alert when he was driving Raelynn to school, so she’s there too. When he got there, he realized it might be something dangerous. Would you mind coming along to make sure she doesn’t try to pet the basilisk or whatever it is?”

“Of course!” Everly loved coming along for portal trips. Thankfully, they’d all been peaceful since the basilisk. She’d watched the vets return the jewel toads, Nightcrawler, and the merhorse to their homes, gone on an expedition to chase down a runaway jackalope, and wielded a butterfly net to help capture a small flock of phosphorescent bluejays.

Bryan’s car was parked alongside Waylon’s truck in the secluded spot nearest to the portal. Angel pulled up and opened her door for her. She got out, smiling. There was nothing like a man who trusted you with his life but still followed the old-school rules of being a gentleman.

“I smell smoke,” Everly said. Her nose was finely honed from too much experience with kitchen fires.

Angel frowned, sniffing the air. “Me too. Might be a salamander. I mean the kind that lives in fire. Let me get the galvanized gloves.”

He pulled two pairs out of the trunk, along with a fire extinguisher and a metal cage. Gloved up, they ventured into the forest. The portal had closed again, but in the area where it opened, they found a haze of smoke and a reek of burned vegetation, along with an irritated Bryan, a worried Waylon, and a delighted Raelynn, all wearing fireproof gloves. Waylon had a large fire extinguisher, and Bryan had a tranquilizer rifle.

“Everly, would you mind taking Rae to wait in the car while we track down whatever it is?” Waylon asked.

“Nooo,” Raelynn protested, but relented when her father gave her a firm look and Everly said, “The portal’s closed, so you’ll see it once they catch it.”

Raelynn cheered up when Everly pointed out that depending on how long it took to catch the whatever it was, she might miss the entire school day. Like Angel, Raelynn found school boring and only maintained a good grade level because she’d need it to become a veterinarian.

It was a beautiful, crisp morning. Rather than sit inside the car, they leaned against it, breathing in the fresh mountain air.

“Angel and I were going to get coffee and raspberry-lemon bars when his phone rang,” said Everly. “I’ll snag one for you, if you like.”

Raelynn brightened. “Ooh, yes please!”

A sharp clack made them turn their heads. Everly was startled to see a young, pitch-black horse standing in the road, looking at them curiously.

“There’s a ranch nearby,” said Raelynn. “He must’ve gotten out through a hole in the fence. I better get him before he gets hit by a car.”

She chirruped to him. The colt didn’t approach, but only cocked his ears forward warily.

“I’ll get a carrot.” Raelynn rummaged in the trunk, then emerged with one. She held it out to the colt. “Come on. Nice carrot for you.” Still holding it out, she remarked to Everly, “Did you know that most horses we call black are really dark brown? I’m sure he’s a true black, though. And what perfect conformation! I’ve never seen such a beauty.”

Everly, who didn’t know much about horses, was impressed by the way Raelynn coaxed the shy colt forward, until he finally stretched out his neck, reaching for the carrot with his teeth.

“Raelynn!” Waylon’s voice boomed like thunder.

The colt burst into flames. His black eyes became a pair of red-hot coals, sparks exploded like fireworks from his hooves, and flame streamed from his black coat. His mane and tail were blazing comets.

Everly grabbed Raelynn and yanked her away from the horse of fire.

The colt wheeled and bolted, straight down the road, fire and sparks streaming in his wake. Bryan fired his tranquilizer rifle, but the colt veered, galloping onto the shoulder. Abruptly, its fire went out. Everly caught a final glimpse of the black colt as he vanished into the woods.

“Brushfires!” Angel shouted. “Put them out!”

For several minutes, everyone was busy, rushing around spraying fire extinguishers and stamping on the little brushfires the colt had set. When they were done, they were all smoky and sooty and sweaty and covered with bits of dead leaves.

“Good thing it’s rained recently,” said Bryan. “Otherwise, we’d have a forest fire on our hands.”

“What was it?” Everly asked.

“A hellhorse,” said Angel. “Very rare. Very dangerous.”

Raelynn was gazing down the road where the hellhorse had galloped. She breathed, “He was the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in my whole entire life.”

“That wild hellhorse colt is the most dangerous beast that’s ever come through the portal,” said Waylon. “If I’d known what it was, I’d never have let you come along, or let you and Everly walk back alone. I won’t sleep till we catch it and send it back to whatever hell-world it came from.”

Everly vividly remembered being a young teenager. She hadn’t been particularly rebellious, but she’d had her moments. And she recognized the look that Raelynn turned toward her father. It was the look of a girl who wasn’t going to back down, a girl who’d seen something she loved and would walk through hell itself to keep it.

“No,” Raelynn said, folding her arms across her chest. “I can tame him. I love him. He’s mine.”

A Note From Zoe Chant

Bear Vet will be next in the Shifter Vets series.

Thank you for reading Unicorn Vet. I hope you had as much fun reading it as I did writing it. It’s part of my Shifter Bites line of shifter romances that are short enough to read on your lunch break!

If you enjoyed the magical creatures in Unicorn Vet or would like to read more about Pete, Tirzah, Caro, and their pets, they star in my full-length novel Defender Cave Bear. It’s the first book in the Protection, Inc: Defenders series, which is about a team of sexy shifter bodyguards, their strong mates, and their magical pets.

If you’d like to be emailed when I release my next book, please click here to be added to my mailing list. You can also visit my webpage, or join my VIP Readers Group on Facebook!

Please review this book on Amazon. Hearing from readers like you is what keeps me writing!

Also by Zoe Chant

Protection, Inc: Defenders

Defender Cave Bear

Defender Raptor

Defender Hellhound

Protection, Inc.

Bodyguard Bear

Defender Dragon

Protector Panther

Warrior Wolf

Leader Lion

Soldier Snow Leopard

Top Gun Tiger

Shifter Bites

Cute But Prickly

Fire & Rescue: First Mission

Unicorn Vet

See Zoe Chant’s complete list of books here!