Hot as Hall

Chapter Thirty Seven

Zoe

"Wow." I can hardly believe my eyes as I watch Annie and Iago, laying just a few away from each other, basking in the sunshine. Aside from a few side glances, they don't pay much attention to each other, and that's a great thing.

After Annie and her sister got her, my hopes of integrating them into the pride were quickly dashed. They were defensive and grouchy and were too aggressive for us to think about putting them with any of the other lions. But for the last few weeks, they've been under Zane's care, and we've seen an incredible change in their temperaments. Somehow, he's cracked the code.

We were careful about introducing the two, letting them meet through fences and enforced glass, spraying their scents into the other's enclosure so they could get used to it, and holding off until we were absolutely sure we could keep both Annie and Iago safe. Even today, we had every available zoo staff member standing by in case something went wrong. You can never be too careful, and now that it's done, I feel an immense relief off of my shoulders.

I was a little hesitant, but seeing the two of them together now almost takes my breath away. Lions are social animals, and having to isolate our rescues the way we have been has never sat right with me. Our program is actually working. We're making a difference.

Weeks ago, Zane changed their diets and, after seeing improvement in their heart function, we've been slowly adding in supplements and minerals in hopes of stabilizing them. It was an easy fix, but so far, it's working wonders, and as hard as it is for me to admit, int never would have happened without Zane and his innovative thinking. He might be a terrible person, but, damn, is he good at his job.

A few of the other keepers start transitioning Annie back to her enclosure. Even though it's gone so well, we don't want to take a chance and push them too far. It'll be small meetings like this for the next few weeks, but hopefully at some point, they can be together full time.

"Incredible, isn't it?" Zane doesn't take his eyes off of the lions, arms crossed over his chest as he stands next to me. With all the extra staff, the observation room is packed, and he's so close that our elbows keep brushing against each other.

I'm torn in two completely different directions with him. Part of me is still stuck in Africa, angry and resentful and waiting for any chance I get to tear into him. He doesn't deserve my praise for doing what he's paid to do, and he certainly doesn't deserve to be given the benefit of the doubt.

It's the other part that's tugging on my heart this morning, though. I'm so excited about what we've accomplished, I could almost hug him. I was quick to judge Zane when he came back, even blaming him for breaking into my house. Maybe I jumped the gun. Maybe I wasn't being fair and giving him the chance to prove that he really is a different person.

After mulling it over for weeks, I decided on a happy medium. I didn't have to trust the guy when it came to anything other than the lions or have any kind of relationship outside of work with him, but I didn't have to keep punishing him, either. We obviously work well together and we're seeing the benefits of our collaboration right now.

If you had asked me a few months ago if I could ever get to that point with Zane again, I would have thought you were losing it. Being with Tanner has shifted my mindset a bit, and I feel more confident and secure in myself than ever before. I love that he brings that out in me. I love the person I am with him.

"So far, so good, don't you think?" Zane turns to me with a grin on his face as the crowd dissipates.

"Its way better than good, Zane. It's a miracle."

"Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Their moods could just be stabilizing because of the supplements. The real test will be when we test their bloodwork and measure heart rates next week."