Page 135 of Beasts of Mine

“You okay?” Luca asked as he stopped in front of me, concern softening his expression without turning the question intrusive.

“I’m good.” I answered Luca, giving him a small smile so he could see the short response wasn’t meant to hide anything.

Some of the tension left his shoulders. “Hungry?” Luca asked as he lifted the cloth-wrapped bundle in his hand, his mouth already beginning to curve when my gaze dropped toward it.

I looked at the bundle, then at Malek, then back at Luca. “Do all of you just carry food around waiting for an opportunity to feed me?” I asked Luca, unable to keep the disbelief from my voice.

“Yes.” Tavian answered for him immediately, looking delighted to finally have a question he could answer without getting himself into trouble.

“I wasn’t asking you.” I told Tavian as I gave him a pointed look and accepted the bundle from Luca.

“He’s right.” Luca admitted, his mouth curving while he passed the food into my hands. “You were out all day.” I opened the wrapping enough to smell roasted meat and herbs, and my stomach betrayed me with an embarrassingly loud growl. Tavian heard it. Of course Tavian heard it. I ignored him.

“Thank you.” I told Luca as I closed the wrapping again and tucked the bundle securely against my side for the walk back.

Tavian’s gaze dropped to the charcoal shirt, and his grin returned with renewed force. “That is Malek’s.” Tavian pointed toward the fabric hanging low over my hips, his amber eyes immediately flicking toward his packmate afterward.

“I noticed.” I told Tavian dryly, glancing down at the very obviously oversized shirt before returning my attention to him.

“You’re keeping it?” Tavian asked, interest brightening his expression as he looked between Malek and me.

“Yes.” I answered Tavian before Malek could say anything, tightening my hold on the food bundle.

Tavian looked genuinely delighted. “Good.” He rocked back onto his heels while looking at Malek. “He needs fewer shirts.”

Malek’s expression flattened. “That doesn’t make sense.” Malek looked at Tavian like the statement had offended basic logic.

“It doesn’t need to.” Tavian replied cheerfully, completely unbothered by Malek’s stare.

Luca laughed under his breath before stepping closer to me, stopping just outside my space instead of assuming. “Can I?” Luca asked as he lifted one hand slightly toward my shoulder, his green-gold eyes meeting mine.

I knew what he meant. “Yeah.” I shifted the food bundle into my other hand and angled my shoulder toward Luca. Luca touched me lightly, his thumb brushing once over Malek’s shirt before he leaned close enough that sandalwood and fresh herbs joined the cedar surrounding me. My Omega instincts settled almost immediately. Tavian moved closer on my other side, citrus and sun-warmed wood joining the familiar mixture without him touching me, while Malek simply reached for my camera bag.

“You carry the food.” Malek told me as he lifted the heavier bag from my shoulder and settled its strap across his own body.

“I can carry both.” I reminded Malek, although after an entire day in the field I didn’t fight particularly hard to get the weight back.

“I know.” Malek answered, glancing at me once as he adjusted the strap. That was it. Not you’re tired. Not you shouldn’t. Just I know. I smiled and let him keep it.

My watch read seven-oh-three, which gave us plenty of time. We started toward the station together, Tavian moving several yards ahead while Luca stayed near me and Malek walked on my other side. They would turn back before the trail reached the area regularly used by station staff, and by then I would also have to change out of Malek’s shirt if I didn’t want Mara asking why I had returned from a supposedly solo wildlife assignment wearing a man’s clothing.

The shirt was still coming with me. That part wasn’t negotiable.

Tavian looked back over his shoulder. “You’re walking carefully.” Tavian observed, the beginning of a grin already forming as his gaze dropped briefly toward my boots.

I stared at the back of his head.

“Tavian.” I warned him as Luca made a suspicious choking noise beside me, my grip tightening around the food bundle.

“I’m just making an observation.” Tavian defended himself without turning around, though his shoulders were already shaking with suppressed laughter.

“You are about three seconds away from observing what my boot feels like.” I warned Tavian as I lifted one foot slightly, seriously considering whether the satisfaction would be worth the effort.

“See? She’s fine.” Tavian announced to Luca as if that had been the purpose of the entire exchange. Luca laughed, and Malek’s purr started beside me.

“You are not helping.” I told Malek as I turned toward him, catching the movement he failed to hide at the corner of his mouth.

“He doesn’t need my help.” Malek replied, his purr deepening while Tavian laughed somewhere ahead of us.