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Kaelen makes a sound between a whine and a growl, clearly struggling with the concept but backing up a step, nonetheless.

“Yes,” I say, swiping at my eyes angrily. “Space. Boundaries. Basic respect for the fact that I’m still processing a major heartbreak and didn’t sign up for Monster Dating Game: Summer Edition.”

The air in the cabin shifts as they all physically pull back. I can breathe again, though my heart still races.

“Just… give me some time. Alone. Please.” My voice cracks on the last word.

They exchange glances before Oren nods. “Okay,” he agrees. “Alone. Safe.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, feeling suddenly exhausted.

One by one, they file out—Oren first, then Caspian with a lingering look, and finally Kaelen, who pauses at the door.

“I will still protect you,” he says firmly. “But from a distance.”

When the door closes behind them, I slide down to sit on the kitchen floor, coffee forgotten, face in my hands.

What have I gotten myself into?

And why do I already miss their presence despite this moment of panic?

15

Kaelen

Her distress calls to me even through closed doors and wooden walls. I circle the cabin, keeping my distance as promised, but my every instinct screams to go to her, comfort, and protect.

The wolf in me understands only possession and territory, sees her rejection as a challenge rather than a boundary. But the man, the part of me that has learned patience over centuries, recognizes her fear for what it is—not fear of me, specifically, but fear of being overwhelmed, of losing herself in our intensity.

We three monsters have been fighting over who gets to claim her without considering whether she wishes to be claimed at all.

The realization sits like a stone in my gut.

I pause at the edge of the clearing, ears pricked toward the cabin. Inside, I can hear her movement—soft footsteps, occasional sniffles, the clink of her coffee mug against the counter. Her scent carries notes of salt and stress.

She’s been crying.

The knowledge makes something in my chest twist painfully.

This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.

In my long life, I’ve encountered humans before—frightened and sometimes hunted them when they threatened my territory. But never have I wanted one like this. I never felt this overwhelming urge to protect and cherish, rather than intimidate.

There might have been something with the water-dweller, once. We were happy for a brief moment, but I wanted more.

I needed more.

I needed him to want me as much as I wanted him, but that moment never came. I stopped wanting, and my yearning for him turned sour.

There is no way I’ll lose Lily to him.

My Lily.

My mate.

What is it about her that makes her different?

Her fearlessness, certainly—the way she faced three monsters without cowering.