Page 119 of Beasts of Mine

“Completely. Courtship isn’t permission for a bite.” Malek answered from across from me, his face sobering as his eyes briefly followed my hand.

“Or anything else you haven’t agreed to.” Tavian added quietly, all of his usual teasing gone as he made the point. That mattered more than either of them probably realized.

The stream moved steadily over the rocks behind us while insects hummed above the darker patches of water. Nobody rushed to fill the silence, giving me room to sort through what I’d learned. I liked the idea of courtship more than I expected, not because a collection of traditions suddenly made three complicated relationships simple, but because agreeing to this wasn’t the same as promising them the rest of my life. It meant giving them, and myself, a chance to find out what was actually here.

There were still things I needed them to understand first.

“If I say yes, my photography doesn’t stop.” I rested one hand on the camera at my side and looked between the three men, making sure I had all of their attention before continuing. “Not after this assignment, and not if this becomes serious. I travel for work, sometimes for weeks at a time, and I’m not giving that up.”

“I know.” Malek answered first, listening without treating my concern like something he needed to argue away.

“I’m also not moving into the jungle next week because I agreed to date you.” I continued, keeping my hand on the familiar weight of my camera while I looked between all three of them. “I have an apartment. I have work. I have family outside this place. My whole life doesn’t disappear because I found out shifters exist.”

“It shouldn’t.” Luca answered as he pushed away from the trunk, his response easy and certain rather than defensive.

“And I’m still going into the field.” I tapped the camera lightly against my side. “I know you’re protective. I’ve noticed. But I’m not going to become an Omega who needs permission to walk into the forest because I have three Alphas worrying about me.”

Tavian rubbed one hand along his jaw, actually thinking before he answered.

“I’m probably still going to worry.” Tavian admitted, his mouth pulling slightly to one side as he met my eyes. “But worrying and stopping you aren’t the same thing.”

“That’s an answer I can work with.” I told Tavian, relaxing slightly because he hadn’t made some ridiculous promise never to worry about me at all.

“My blockers and heat medication are also mine to manage.” I touched the pouch at my side, feeling the familiar shape through the fabric. “You can ask questions. You can know where the emergency medication is if we’re spending enough time together that it matters. But changes are my decision.”

“Agreed.” Luca answered immediately, giving me a short, decisive nod without checking with Malek first. I let out a slow breath. The rest didn’t need another lesson about shifter culture. They had already answered those questions yesterday. What mattered now was making sure the answers still held once I stopped being some hypothetical woman they might someday court.

“One more thing. Yesterday you said children aren’t automatic.” I looked between the three men, keeping my voice level despite how personal the subject was. “I need that to still mean exactly what it sounded like. Saying yes to courtship isn’t me agreeing to have cubs someday.”

“It isn’t.” Tavian answered first, shaking his head once. “Those are two completely different decisions.”

“Good.” I nodded before turning toward Malek. “Same with you being Head Alpha. I know that doesn’t put you above Tavian or Luca romantically, but I’m not agreeing to something where that changes later and you suddenly get more say over me than they do.”

“It won’t change.” Malek answered quietly, his posture remaining loose rather than defensive. “Being Head Alpha doesn’t make me more yours than they are.” That was exactly what I needed, and the ease of his answer mattered almost as much as the words themselves.

“Anything else?” Malek asked after giving me a moment to think, resting his weight comfortably against one leg while he waited instead of rushing me toward an answer.

“Probably eventually.” I adjusted the camera at my side and glanced toward the stream before facing him again. “We’ve known each other for days. I’m pretty sure I’m allowed to discover new concerns later.”

“You are.” Malek assured me with a small nod, the faint movement at one corner of his mouth telling me he appreciated the wording.

“Courtship isn’t supposed to be you proving you can fit into our life.” Luca stepped a little closer but stopped before entering my space, his gaze dropping briefly toward the camera beneath my hand. “We have to figure out how we fit into yours too. That includes this.”

For several seconds, I couldn’t think of anything clever to say.

The camera beneath my hand was scratched from years of use. The rubber grip was worn in one place near my thumb, and there was a tiny mark beside the display from an assignment when I’d slipped on wet stone and nearly sacrificed both myself and several thousand dollars’ worth of equipment to a river. Photography wasn’t something I did while waiting for the rest of my life to start. It was already part of my life, and Luca understood that. From everything I’d seen over the last two days, Malek and Tavian were beginning to understand it too.

I looked at Malek first. He had been the injured leopard beneath the roots who waited for me every day even after he no longer needed the food or bandages I brought. Somewhere along the way, I had started associating him with safety before I even knew his name. Tavian was completely different. He was stolen lens cloths, muddy chases, inappropriate commentary, and laughter at moments when I hadn’t realized how badly I needed it. Then there was Luca, who seemed to notice the practical details everyone else missed and had a way of making things easier without making me feel incapable.

I wanted more time with each of them, and for now, that was enough.

“Okay.” I drew in a slow breath, catching the way Tavian straightened while Malek became noticeably more still and Luca watched me without moving closer.

“Court me, then. All three of you.” I looked from Malek to Tavian and finally Luca, making sure each man heard the choice while my fingers tightened briefly around my camera strap.

Nobody spoke right away, but the sudden change in their scents told me plenty. Tavian’s citrus and sun-warmed wood sharpened first, bright enough to separate itself from the wet vegetation around us. Luca’s sandalwood and herbs deepened nearby, carrying the familiar warmer note beneath them, while Malek’s cedar, damp earth, and faint smoke grew stronger until I could pick out all three without trying. My own scent answered them, honey and jasmine growing sweeter beneath the blockers as nerves and excitement tangled together in my stomach.

Nobody commented on it. Tavian did, however, drag one hand over his mouth in a failed attempt to hide how happy he looked.