Taming the Zookeeper

MELENA

I’d been waiting for nearly an hour for Doctor James, the local vet, to help me out with some medical supplies. Now, I found myself perched on a set of green steel benches in the heart of the zoo’s arena, waiting for the seal show to start.

Usually, Doctor Keller handled these kinds of visits, but since Marcus had become his top priority, he’d asked me to fill in for him this time.

I’d never been to the Lionheart National Zoo before, even though I’d driven past it countless times. I’d always wondered what it looked like inside and what kind of creatures lived within its rocky walls.

A female zookeeper stood in front of the large crowd, raising her arms to signal everyone to quiet down and take their seats.

She quickly gave a brief warning to the crowd, reminding us that wild animals shouldn’t be fed or touched for our safety and theirs.

I couldn’t help but chuckle, imagining someone trying to feed my wild beast, mistaking it for just some random wolf in the woods. That would definitely not end well.

The zookeeper continued, reciting some of the park’s rules and sharing a few logistical details to ensure a smooth and peaceful visit to the zoo.

She told us where to exit the arena after the show, where the restrooms were, and which direction to go if you wanted to watch the lion feeding happening right after the show.

Once she finished, she walked over to a steel door at the back of the stage and pulled a heavy lever, causing the solid door to rise with a loud clank.

In no time, two large seals burst out and wobbled across the stage and into the water.

They disappeared beneath the clear blue surface, gliding effortlessly through the massive pool.

People clapped and watched in awe as the woman took a deep bow and handed her microphone to a burly man dressed in a khaki uniform.

The moment I saw him, my heart inexplicably started to race, and a dull ache began to build deep in my gut.

“Mate! Mate!” my wolf practically screamed in my head, howling and nudging me frantically with her muzzle.

I stared, wide-eyed, at the handsome male zookeeper as the crowd continued to watch the seals.

A beautiful smile spread across his face as he watched the seals play in the water.

Tiny creases formed at the corners of his captivating eyes as he laughed heartily at the seals’ playful antics.

His slightly messy brown hair shone in the sunlight, and even from where I was sitting, I could see a hint of stubble on his chiseled jaw.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for Max and Kuba, our very own Cape fur seals,” he announced into the microphone, gesturing toward the animals.

People clapped and whistled, while I struggled to keep my insides from melting at the sound of his deep, husky voice.

“These two are brothers and rescues.

“They were flown to us almost three years ago after an oil tanker ruptured near the South African coast, just off the city of Cape Town. We’ve loved having them here ever since,” he said.

His words sounded rehearsed, like he’d been doing this show every day of his life.

I watched intently as he walked around the stage, continuing his introduction and grabbing a large white bucket from a shelf at the back.

He kept talking as he walked over to a small podium in the middle of the stage, ready to start the rest of the show.

“My name is Conner, and I’ll be your presenter for today.”

As he introduced himself, he reached into the bucket with his large, masculine hands and pulled out a small gray fish.

I was pretty sure he was about to start the exciting part of the seal show, but I wanted to hear more about him. Couldn’t his introduction be just a bit longer?

A moment later, he blew on a tiny silver whistle hanging from a chain around his neck, and the two seals leaped out of the pool and raced toward the tiny podium.

With a simple gesture of his hand, the seals obeyed and quickly climbed onto the podium, each earning a fish as a reward.

Throughout the rest of the show, I couldn’t take my eyes off the wonderful man in front of me.

Don’t get me wrong; the seals are also nice to look at.

But the way Conner carried himself and connected with the animals really warmed my heart. I couldn’t help but feel proud to have been blessed with such an amazing man as a mate.

When the show finally ended, I stayed seated a little longer, trying to stretch out the moment.

Conner finished up inside the fenced pool area as the crowd began to disperse. As soon as he stepped out of the caged area, he was immediately swarmed by people.

They surrounded him like he was some kind of celebrity, asking him questions about the animals and sharing their own stories.

The poor guy had to nod and listen to the most pointless, boring stories I’d ever heard, but he did it all while keeping a smile on his handsome face.

I could hear every word being said around him with my sensitive wolf-hearing, but I couldn’t seem to smell his wolf at all, which was odd.

Maybe his scent wasn’t as strong because he was covered in the smells of all the other animals he’d worked with earlier that day.

“All right folks, you’re going to miss the lion feeding if you don’t hurry.

“Take the steps over there to the left and keep going straight until you see a crowd of people,” he finally said, pointing up the stairs.

He tried to shoo the last group of people away so he could get some peace and quiet.

They followed his instructions immediately, chatting happily as they walked away to watch the lion feeding.

My eyes, however, stayed glued to Conner, who looked visibly more relaxed as soon as he was alone again. He walked away from the crowds toward a quieter, more secluded area of the park.

I followed him from a safe distance, studying his every move until he disappeared into a building with a sign on the front that read: “Staff only, no entry.”