Page 85 of The Prince of New York

Danielle’s cat likewise settled in, but hers opted to make use of the toddler’s pillow and keep her head warm.

With the RPS agents on duty, I waited a few extra minutes, checking on both girls a final time before heading towards my sister’s office with the leopards and the parrot in tow.

The tigers waited outside the office door, which informed me she’d been in a sensitive meeting that not even they could hear. Both regarded me and my new companions with wide eyes.

“Amisha, Endah, come meet Sika, Tumen, and Isla,” I said. Aware I would be in the middle of a quartet of four dangerous felines while escorting a priceless parrot, I crouched, careful to secure my hold on the leashes near their collars.

With rumbling chuffs, both tigers strolled over, and they sniffed at the leopards.

The leopards sniffed back.

Nobody took any swipes, thus sparing me from having to try to save one of the endangered animals from injury.

I worried Sika and Tumen were like my sister’s tigers, of abnormally high intellect and capable of understanding more than I wished for at times. “Good girls! Sika and Tumen used to live at a nice place where they were loved, but they lost their habitat and were rescued. They’ll be living here with us now, so you have to protect them, okay? And when they have cubs, you’ll have to protect their little ones.”

We’d learned early on that the tigers loved babies of all species, and the news there might be cubs in the future did them both in. The tigers went to work grooming their new friends, chuffing their contentment. I reassured the leopards, who accepted the presence of the larger cats without any evidence of worry.

After a few minutes, I got to my feet, giving the leopards more leash, and eased around the tigers so I could knock at my sister’s door before letting myself in. “Rachel, please don’t kill me.”

“I’ll let you off this time. What have you done now?”

I chuckled, and it took calling Amisha and Endah over to get them to free the leopards enough I could coax them into the room. “We need to tighten our rules about endangered species, especially when they fall into the hands of shelters. I went to the shelter and came out with two cats and a bird, and they’re all endangered.”

Rachel, who had been hard at work at her desk, blinked, stood up, and peered at my new felines. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“I’m really not.” I petted both Sika and Tumen before focusing on Isla, who issued a bunch of her excited calls, both in the middle and upper pitches. “This is Isla, and she lost her bonded human and decided I’m a tolerable custodian. I’m going to ruin many a suit keeping her on my shoulder, I suspect. She’s a nocturnal bird, and I’m hoping that I’ll be able to get her into a habitat during the day and have her run around my suite until bedtime before settling her in her cage. She’s cage sour.”

“I did not know a bird could like their cage too much.”

“Isla seemed well loved and cared for but kept in her cage a lot, so we’ll have to deal with anxiety issues getting her used to a proper habitat.” I explained what I knew of Isla’s past, careful to praise the bird and make certain she got sufficient attention. “We have an entire colony of old cats, and I asked the shelter to contact us whenever they get a senior cat that is unlikely to be adopted. We’re an old cat charity now.”

“I was told about the senior cats, and I’m not going to argue if you want to turn some of that wasted space into an old cat sanctuary. I’ll find out how many senior cats we can realistically house, and I’ll work with the local veterinarian schools about programs to help new vets get practice caring for senior animals. We might be able to earn some good will when we start having absurd vetting situations in this place.” Rachel came around her desk and crouched just out of leash range of the Amur leopards, cooing reassurances to her tigers. “I can tell they’re leopards of some sort, but what sort of leopards?”

“They’re Amur leopards. I’ll take full responsibility for them. Can you please ask Ethan to warn his parents we’ll be bringing them? They’ll be staying in my suite as far as I know.”

“And Madelyn’s cats?”

“I’m getting the feeling the leopards are like Amisha and Endah. Can you ask your cat empath friend to do an emergency visit?”

“I can have him here in a few hours,” she promised. “The cheetahs are actually ready early, so they can come tonight, too. We may as well go all in. I was going to wait after you were on the way to California so you wouldn’t worry about it, but if you need some help with your furry babies, then we get help.”

I foresaw a great deal of chaos. “That leaves us with the very serious problem of the box Monty is taking to the exotic animal wing. I may have sent the RPS scattering across the city to get supplies for them.”

“Box? What box?”

“The one with our new colony of black footed ferrets, also from the shelter.”

Her mouth dropped open. She spluttered, and after a few moments, she got to her feet. “We have black footed ferrets?”

“Thirteen of them. They were dumped at the shelter, apparently rescued from smugglers.”

My sister inhaled, and a moment later, she yowled, “Alfred!”

The RPS agent stepped through the door, which led to her office’s sitting room. “What do you need?”

“Ian is never allowed to go to pet shelters ever again. He locates and commits felonies when he does so. He is in possession of more endangered animals than is legal.”

I stared at my sister and raised a brow.

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