Soothing the Zebra's Fears

By Charlie Richards

At nearly three centuries old, Diego Tamang decides to take a more proactive approach to finding his mate. He walks away from leading his pack, so he can travel with Kontra Belikov and his shifter motorcycle gang. His decision pays off when he walks into a backwater town’s diner and scents his mate, Zachary Young. Quickly making his intentions clear, Diego wonders what will be harder to overcome—Zachary’s young age, or his mother’s clearly displeased attitude. It turns out, neither, for soon Diego discovers that witches may have caused Zachary’s injury, which forces him to use a cane...and Zachary doesn’t know he’s a shifter. Can Diego ease his young lover into the paranormal world while keeping him safe from those that would do him harm?

• Language: English
• Publisher: eXtasy Books Inc
• Release date: Nov 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9781487400767

Book preview

On the Road: We always find what we’re looking for in the last place we look.

At nearly three centuries old, Diego Tamang decides to take a more proactive approach to finding his mate. He walks away from leading his pack, so he can travel with Kontra Belikov and his shifter motorcycle gang. His decision pays off when he walks into a backwater town’s diner and scents his mate, Zachary Young. Quickly making his intentions clear, Diego wonders what will be harder to overcome—Zachary’s young age, or his mother’s clearly displeased attitude. It turns out, neither, for soon Diego discovers that witches may have caused Zachary’s injury, which forces him to use a cane…and Zachary doesn’t know he’s a shifter. Can Diego ease his young lover into the paranormal world while keeping him safe from those that would do him harm?

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Soothing the Zebra’s Fears

Copyright © 2014 Charlie Richards

ISBN: 978-1-4874-0076-7

Cover art by Carmen Waters

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by eXtasy Books Inc or

Devine Destinies, an imprint of eXtasy Books Inc

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Smashwords Edition

Soothing the Zebra’s Fears

Kontra’s Menagerie: Book Twenty

By

Charlie Richards

Dedication

To Zach, who wanted to see his name in a book.

Chapter One

Look what I found. Diego Tamang dropped the information card on the table and eased onto the bench seat next to Chip Medina.

The group of shifters, led by Kontra Belikov, had stopped at the side of the road diner for lunch after gassing up their motorcycles. Their group of over a dozen and a half men was spread out over three tables.

Chip, a small bobcat shifter, had taken his mate’s last name when he’d bonded with the lion shifter, Grimes Medina. Lamar Jaworski sat on Grimes’ other side. The peacock shifter had mated with the human Rueben Malone.

Ryan Carpenter, the human in the final couple at their table, leaned forward and grabbed the four-inch by eight-inch piece of cardboard. Oh, skydiving. He smirked. I did plenty of that in the military.

Skydiving? Sam Abbott rumbled, plucking the card from his mate’s fingers. He read it, frowning. Finally, he scowled at Diego incredulously. Why the fuck would you want to do something like that?

With seven men, most of them fairly large, packing into the U-shaped booth, there wasn’t a lot of room. Good thing they were all pretty friendly with each other. As a close-knit group of shifters, Diego actually felt like the odd man out. The other six men at the table were mated couples. In addition, while he hadn’t been the last to join their merry gang, Diego had done it for the sole purpose of walking away from his own pack, which he’d led for nearly a century. He didn’t really feel as if Kontra was his leader, but he did respect the man.

Diego chuckled, leaning back in his seat and smirking at the others around the table. Isn’t skydiving on any of your bucket lists, he teased. You gonna show me proper techniques, Ryan? he asked. He should have known the ex-military man would have experience in jumping out of airplanes. I haven’t been up in almost a decade.

I suppose, Ryan replied. He looked toward Sam and seemed to note his stricken look. Grinning, he patted Sam’s hand where it rested on the table, still holding the card about the activity. Easy, handsome, he soothed. I’ve done it plenty of times. I can even vet the facilities. If they’re not up to par, I won’t let anyone in our pack step foot in their planes.

Sam curled his lip. The idea of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane— The massive bull shifter cut himself off and shook his head. I don’t understand it.

I wanna try it, Chip whispered.

Everyone turned to stare at the usually shy shifter.

You do? Grimes asked, his dark brows shooting up to his hairline. You want to skydive?

Chip nodded. Uh, huh. Tentatively, he reached out to Sam, who relinquished the flyer to him. Chip stared at it raptly, his eyes moving over the card, indicating that he was reading.

Lamar smiled faintly. It seems those who are earthbound do have a fascination with flying. I’ve done my fair share of falling, he admitted depreciatively. I’ll sit this activity out.

Taking Lamar’s hand in his own, Rueben brought it to his lips and kissed it. He winked. I’ll go. I love it.

You’ve skydived? Ryan asked, leaning against the cushioned back and laying his arm along the back. He threaded his fingers through his lover’s short hair, earning him a grin from Sam. How long ago?

Rueben scratched his chin. Uh, right before my last season started, he told them. Grinning, he added, It was some place in Mexico. Couldn’t have my coaches finding out. They would have benched me.

They would? Why? Ryan asked, curious.

Liability issues, Rueben explained. I was being paid to stay healthy. Dangerous activities were, uh…severely frowned upon.

Lamar smirked. No. Instead, you broke your ankle while playing hockey.

Rueben grinned widely, his eyes sparkling. Lifting Lamar’s hand to his lips again, he murmured, It brought me to you.

Diego turned away from the mushy couple, feeling equal parts jealous and equal parts uncomfortable. While he wanted his mate—and truth be told, he didn’t care if it turned out to be a guy—Diego hadn’t been around such openly