Page 96 of Beasts of Mine

“Don’t ruin it.” I watched Tavian turn toward the trail before he could answer. The forest closed around us quickly after we left the courtyard. Their usual formation returned without discussion—Tavian ahead, Luca near my side, Malek covering the trail behind us.

The pattern was familiar.

The men weren’t.

Tavian’s dark hair curled around his forehead from the humidity whenever he turned back to check on us. Luca had tied his longer hair loosely at the nape, exposing the strong line of his throat whenever he angled his head toward the trees. Malek remained almost silent behind me despite his size, but every so often the faint scrape of his boots reminded me there was a six-foot-something man behind me now instead of four padded paws.

My brain was handling that distinction badly.

“You know, the animals were trying to get me to mate Malek.” I raised my voice toward Tavian when I decided I desperately needed a distraction from the way Malek’s dark shirt stretched across his shoulders.

Tavian stopped so abruptly that Luca nearly walked into him. A rough sound came from Malek behind me.

“The animals were doing what?” Tavian twisted around, delight spreading across his face as though I’d just announced the best part of his day.

“I knew this was a mistake before I finished saying it.” I shook my head while Tavian started walking backward so he could keep looking at me.

“No, this was an excellent decision.” Tavian spread one hand in encouragement, completely abandoning any attempt to hide his interest. “Explain.”

“Turn around before you impale yourself on something.” Luca caught Tavian by the shoulder and redirected him around a hanging vine.

“The capuchins were very invested.” I couldn’t keep the humor from creeping into my voice as I glanced briefly toward Malek. “They thought Malek was strong, a good hunter, and had excellent teeth.”

Tavian immediately looked past me at Malek.

“Good teeth?” Tavian studied Malek with exaggerated seriousness, even leaning slightly to get a better look.

“Keep walking.” Malek’s warning came from behind me, low enough that Luca immediately started laughing.

“They aren’t wrong.” Tavian gave Malek an approving nod before finally facing forward again.

That was enough to make me laugh too.

After the afternoon I’d had, a group of capuchins judging Malek’s teeth was somehow what finally broke through the last of my tension.

A quiet vibration started beside me.

I turned toward Luca.

His purr was softer than Malek’s, a warm rumble I noticed more than heard as he stepped carefully around a slick root beside me. It didn’t hit me with the same immediate weight as Malek’s had. It simply made me want to remain close enough to feel it a little longer.

“You too.” I stared at Luca as recognition settled in.

“The purring?” Luca’s eyebrows lifted, though the vibration continued faintly beneath his voice.

“Yes.” I waved one hand toward his very human body. “Still getting used to that coming from a person.”

“Does it bother you?” Luca slowed slightly without crowding me, watching my face for the answer.

“No.” I answered before I could reconsider how much that admitted. “That’s part of the problem.”

Tavian looked back over his shoulder.

“Interesting.” Tavian’s grin reappeared immediately as he glanced between Luca and me.

“Nobody asked you.” I jerked my chin toward the trail ahead, making it clear exactly where I wanted Tavian looking.

Tavian laughed and kept walking. The rest of the hike passed quickly. Tavian’s scouting loops shortened as the light began thinning beneath the canopy, Luca kept our pace steady over the wet ground, and Malek occasionally checked the sky through breaks in the leaves. The humidity had settled heavily against my skin by the time the first familiar section of camp came into view between the trees.