Catastrophe by Deirdre O'Dare Read Free Book Online

come out of hiding and stand with you for the safety of all. That's one reason I've been here. Our leader, he that we call the Were-King, has many contacts and we'll be warned before it happens, but it could come soon."
    "I know. Our boss--the big boss, the zoo director--held a meeting yesterday with all the staff. Everyone is on high alert."
    Then Carl yawned again. Zyl laughed. "To bed with you, spotted cousin. You've burned through a lot of energy tonight. Let's rest now. We've earned it."
    He suited action to words and dragged the bedspread and top sheet back. Already fading, Carl slipped into the bed's cool, welcoming softness. Even with many troubling new worries, he sank toward a dreamless sleep, as Zyl's arms gathered him close. Wouldn't tomorrow be soon enough to deal with those issues?
    Just before sleep claimed him entirely, he dragged himself back to being semi-awake. "You'll be with us, won't you, if those attacks or whatever take place?"
    Zyl made an affirmative sound. "Yes, of course. That's why a cell of Were-kind is located here in town. Taking part would mean we have to come out to humanity as what we are and that's contentious. There's been a group agitating the Were-King for this to happen anyway. I've heard he's about ready to approve it. But you said 'us'--I take it you mean the zoo people, not the Were-kind. You're now part of both, you know."
    "That's right. I am, aren't I? I was thinking as a zoo person. I think we can make it a common cause, can't we? I don't want to give up my job. I love it, and if my allergies are better, it'll be great. I'm ready to try to be Were-kind, too, though. Well, if they'll have me. I know I've got a lot to learn."
    Carl had relaxed into Zyl's embrace, but stiffed a little at the import of this discussion.
    Zyl's voice softened to a near purr. "Okay, I just needed to know where you stand. In this crisis, we'll serve a common cause, but Were-kind will only answer to our ruler, not a human boss. In time, you may have to choose. Sometimes one cannot serve two masters."
    He sighed. "Yeah, there's that. I can't make a decision right now, though. I hope I don't have to for a while. This is all so new and unexpected."
    * * * *
    Zyl knew at once when dawn began to lighten the sky. Although he would have preferred to stay, he knew he needed to be back in the cheetah area and in that form before people began to stir around the zoo. Carl seemed to be deeply asleep. Zyl hated to wake him, but he wasn't going to leave without a word.
    He pulled away from the comfortable warmth they'd shared, snuggled together, then he put his hand on Carl's shoulder and shook gently. "Hey, I've got to go. I need to be out of here well before daybreak. You're okay now, aren't you?"
    Carl gave a sleepy mumble that sounded affirmative.
    After drawing the covers snuggly up over the other man, Zyl dressed and slipped out without a sound. He wasn't sure how Carl would feel when he awoke. He might even think he'd just dreamed the whole night. That was okay, if it was the only way he could deal with the shock of learning he really was Were-kind. He'd come to terms with it. He was strong, even though he might not realize yet just how strong.
    Were-kind were not weaklings. The fact he'd managed to shift as an adult for the first time and then back into his human form proved that. Zyl would return after dark to check on him, of course.
    With that thought in mind, he slipped along like a shadow, cached his clothes in the hollow pillar and vaulted over the fence into the cheetah enclosure, shifting as soon as he hit the ground. The other cats accepted his coming and going without much concern. Although none of them were Were-kind, he knew that at least one Were shared the quarters of nearly every species in the zoo.
    His cat-face stretched in a feline, toothy smile. If those misguided idiots who thought they were helping and defending by trying to release all the animals in the zoo showed up, they'd be getting the