Page 91 of Beasts of Mine

“Other kinds meaning what?” I folded my arms, already suspicious of how broad that answer might become.

“More than we can explain this afternoon.” Malek glanced briefly toward Tavian and Luca before looking back at me. “And probably more than you want all at once.”

I searched his face for some indication that he was exaggerating and found none.

“That is extremely concerning. Are we talking vampires, witches, people who turn into giant snakes—” I glanced toward the vegetation beyond the courtyard as though some new species might choose that exact moment to wander past.

Tavian drew breath immediately.

“No. Do not answer that. I changed my mind.” I lifted one hand before Tavian could make my afternoon worse. Tavian closed his mouth again, disappointment appearing so quickly that Luca’s lips curved.

“Most humans genuinely don’t know any of this?” I turned toward Luca, choosing the man least likely to list every supernatural creature he knew just to watch me react.

“Most don’t.” Luca shifted his shoulder against the stone and loosely crossed one ankle over the other. “Some humans grow up connected to supernatural communities. Others find out later because someone trusts them enough to tell them. Mixed families exist too.”

“Mixed families?” I caught on the part of his answer that felt considerably more relevant.

“Humans and shifters.” Luca’s expression softened slightly as he watched me absorb that. “Human partners can know.”

“Partners.” I repeated the careful word, letting it sit there between us.

“Mates.” Tavian supplied the more specific term, his amber eyes settling on me with entirely too much interest. The glands beneath my jaw gave a small, inconvenient pulse.

I pretended they hadn’t.

“So humans can mate with shifters.” I kept my tone deliberately matter-of-fact as I looked at Tavian.

“They can.” Tavian’s mouth tipped upward when he clearly noticed how carefully I’d phrased the question.

“Do not make that face.” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“What face?” Tavian widened his eyes in an attempt at innocence that failed immediately because I’d already seen the leopard version of that exact look.

“That one.” I gave Tavian a long look before refusing to give him anything else to work with. The cracked wall behind Malek drew my attention next, stone disappearing beneath moss and tangled roots as the rainforest continued reclaiming everything humans—or shifters—had once built here.

“And this place belongs to leopard shifters?” I motioned around the courtyard, taking in the carving and the ruined walls.

“It’s part of an old sanctuary.” Malek turned enough to indicate the surrounding structures. “Some sections are generations old.”

“But you actually live here.” I looked toward the narrow path vanishing beneath vines farther east.

“Deeper in.” Luca pushed away from the wall and indicated the direction with one hand. “There are maintained buildings beyond this section. Living spaces, gardens, storage. This outer part hasn’t been used for a long time.”

I studied the trees, trying to picture an inhabited place hidden somewhere beyond the dense vegetation. Nothing on Mara’s maps or anything I’d seen during the assignment had suggested there was more out here than rainforest.

“So why hasn’t anyone found it?” I tapped the waterproof map sleeve protruding from my bag. “Something this large should show up somewhere.”

“There are protections around the sanctuary.” Luca’s attention moved briefly toward the surrounding forest as his voice lost some of its earlier amusement. “Old ones. They make it difficult for outsiders to notice more than they’re meant to.”

“You’re telling me this place hides itself.” I frowned at Luca, trying to decide how literally I was supposed to take that.

“Not exactly.” Luca shook his head before glancing toward the vine-covered path. “Nothing disappears. People overlook paths. Choose another direction. Equipment doesn’t always give useful results.”

“That sounds suspiciously like magic.” I folded my arms and waited for him to contradict me.

“It is.” Luca met my stare without hesitation.

“Of course it is.” I let my arms fall and rubbed one hand over my forehead before looking up through the broken canopy, where damp leaves shifted against a strip of pale afternoon sky.