Jupiter (Were Zoo Book 2) by R. E. Butler Page B

and although he hadn’t
really doubted Caesar would back him up in whatever way he needed,
it was still nice to know. “We were going to walk over there and
take a look at the barn.”
    “ We’ll come with you.
You’ll need all hands on deck to convert an old barn into what can
pass for living quarters,” his dad said.
    “ Thanks,” Jupiter
said.
    “ You’d help us if the
situations were reversed,” Javan pointed out.
    “ Definitely.”
    After getting Celeste and Jenni from
the kitchen, the pride left his dad’s home and walked toward the
stairs that would lead them into the employee cafeteria.
    “ Are all the houses like
yours and your dad’s?” Celeste asked.
    “ Yes,” Jupiter said. “When
we first came here, this was just a large, empty room. We planned
small homes and built them from scratch, deciding on three
bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room in each
home.”
    “ The other shifter groups
have different kinds of homes and décor in their private areas.
Like the gorillas’ homes are all built on fake tree platforms, and
the interior walls of the wolves’ homes are covered with natural
stone to mimic a real den. It’s pretty neat,” Jenni
said.
    It took them twenty minutes to get
from the cafeteria to the barn. Caesar used a master key to unlock
the padlock that kept the chain around the door handles locked. The
interior of the barn was stuffed with old equipment and signs for
the petting zoo. Amadeus, who enjoyed building things, went to work
measuring the interior of the barn and calling out measurements to
Jenni, who entered them in her phone.
    “ Why did the petting zoo
close?” Celeste asked as she looked around, without leaving
Jupiter’s side.
    Javan laughed. “The animals
did not like the
wolves, who ran the exhibit. The animals would be fine until one of
the wolves would step into the fenced area, and then they’d flip
out.”
    “ Even in their human form?”
she asked.
    “ Yep. Normal animals can
sense our beasts. If the bears had been in charge of the petting
zoo, or the elephants, it might have worked out, but their groups
aren’t as large as the wolves and they didn’t have people to
spare.”
    “ That’s too bad. I like
petting zoos, they’re fun.”
    Jupiter winked at her. “You can pet me
anytime.”
    She blushed as she laughed. “You’ve
got a one-track mind.”
    Amadeus snapped the end of the
measuring tape into place and said, “We could build three
apartments in here and have a central room, maybe set it up like a
game room or gathering room. We could finish one apartment so it’s
realistic, and then just do the façade for the others; that way
we’re not wasting time on places that won’t be used.”
    “ The question is how fast
can we finish this so it looks real?” Jupiter asked.
    Amadeus shrugged. “If we
get lots of help, we can crank it out in a month, but that’s with
a lot of help.
The barn already has plumbing and wiring, so at least that part is
done.”
    “ A month is fine,” Celeste
said, looking up at Jupiter. “We can have dinner with my parents
next week, and then I can invite them here to visit when the
apartment is finished.”
    He wrapped his arms around her and
drew her close. “I’m sorry you have to lie to your
parents.”
    “ Don’t be. I don’t like
lying, but it keeps you and the pride safe. Besides, it’s not just
about us, it’s about our future. Our kids will be living here in
the zoo, and so will my bestie’s. I want them safe,
too.”
    “ Me too.”
    “ So a lie like this is okay
in my book. It’s for a very good cause.”
    “ I’ll find some plans
online I can copy and then I’ll get a supply list going. We can
start tomorrow,” Amadeus said.
    As they left the barn, Jupiter took
Celeste’s hand and asked, “Want to go for a walk?”
    “ Sure.” They said goodbye
to the pride and headed to the main path to walk around the
park.
    “ Tell me about your family.
I want to know them before I