Although veterinary technician Carlton is violently allergic to cats, he loves them with an undying passion, enough to tolerate miserable symptoms to keep working with the felines in the San Maribal Zoo. The cheetahs especially fascinate him. Then he meets a mysterious stranger who is evasive about why he’s in the zoo -- nude and after hours! This man tells Carl there’s a cat inside him wanting to get out. That sounds really crazy, and the suggested way to make it happen even crazier ... but exciting.<br><br>Zyl is a member of the ancient shifter tribe, or Were-Kind. His people are working to enforce humane treatment of animals and save endangered species. Hearing of a planned raid by an extreme animal rights group to free the denizens of zoos, they realize this will a real catastrophe. Joining forces with regular humans to avert the problem will mean “coming out” as the powerful beings they are. Again, a potential disaster.<br><br>Attracted to Carlton against his better judgment, Zyl teams up with the vet tech he meets under awkward circumstances only to discover a valuable ally and a soul mate.

Catastrophe

Carl was almost late. He slid into a single vacant seat along the back wall of the auditorium where they sometimes showed films or offered lectures on various breeds and species of animals and other topics of supposed interest to the public. Wilford Hage, the manager of the whole zoo, was already at the podium. It only took a few words before Carl’s full attention focused on the speaker.


“We have a potentially serious situation developing. Although we do not have a date yet, I’ve received very good intelligence that Warriors for Enslaved Animals is planning a big demonstration. It could even escalate to an invasion of the zoo at some point and an outright attempt to free animals from their enclosures and habitat areas.”


The suit-clad man paused as his gaze swept the room. Carl shivered. No one had to tell him how catastrophic such an event could become.


Chapter 6