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It was hard to let Ezra’s words soothe her guilt. He pulled her back to his chest, his fingers tickling as they traced invisible shapes over her skin. She didn’t even feel like moving when she heard the front door open and Mateo called for her.

“In the bedroom,” Ezra said but made no move to let her go.

“Ah, what a beautiful sight. Although I could do with less dick next time.” Mateo laughed and walked over to give her a kiss on the cheek.

Ezra growled and pulled her even closer. “Fuck you too.”

“Fine, no ice cream or cake for the grumpy asshole.”

“There is ice cream?” she asked, lifting her head.

“Yes, and I would suggest eating it first.”

“Hmm,” she hummed, already trying to escape Ezra’s tight grip. “Dessert before dinner.”

“And yes, you can have seconds.” Mateo grinned and offered up her shirt.

“Seconds? There’s two…” But she halted and stared at him, a blush crawling over her cheeks as she understood the deeper meaning of his words. “Oh—Ezra was my first.”

“That’s right,” he laughed.

Ezra chuckled and softly praised, “Clever princess.”

Vince and Mateo had bought ice cream from the small café they’d discovered the day before—the kind they could bathe themselves in and not get sick of—and they followed it with a dinner of steak, vegetables, and mouth-watering garlic bread.

Once she’d had more than her fair share and her stomach was more than full, Mateo took her hand in his and pulled her to her feet.

“Come with me.” But instead of going back to the bedroom, he walked out the front door with her. He sat down on one of the rocking chairs and settled her into his lap. “Perfect,” he hummed with a kiss to her temple.

She cuddled up to him, her cheek on his neck and her nose against his throat. “How are you feeling?”

“Excited, nervous, and sad.” His fingers stroked over her bare thigh.

Though she wore nothing more but an oversized shirt, she didn’t feel exposed.

Not with him. “Going on a hunt feels different knowing that I’m leaving something so precious behind.

I still want to hunt and will love it as before, but it feels as if the stakes are higher now. ”

“As if the risk of not returning is different?”

“Yes. I’ve always wanted to return in one piece, but now in my mind, I truly have to. What sort of man—what sort of mate would I be to you if I robbed you of part of your soul.”

“Do all three of you feel like that?”

“I believe so. It’s different for all of us.”

“I’m a little scared too,” she admitted. “I mean, I know you are good at what you do, but this one seems so big. You’ve never hunted a lycan, let alone a handful of them. I trust you to return to me, but there’s this nagging voice in the back of my head that’s telling me you won’t come back.”

“I think everyone has a little sucker like that somewhere in their mind. No matter how positive one’s attitude and thoughts are, there is always a dark shadow.”

“Will all three of you go together once you’ve located them?”

“Yes. Ezra and I will start our search tomorrow by setting a perimeter. But with the locals avoiding that area largely, we have much ground to cover.”

“Will you be able to let us know that you’re okay?”

Mateo nodded against her head. “We have a satellite phone with us and a GPS tracker that Vince has access to.”

“So if you have not moved in a while and have not called, he knows something is wrong?”

“Basically. He’s always had good instincts about these things too.”

“So I shouldn’t get nervous until he does.”

Mateo chuckled lightly. “Exactly, but don’t follow him when he goes out to check on us. You’re not strong or experienced enough yet.”

“I promise I’ll be a good mate and stay behind.”

“Thank you.” She could sense that Mateo had more on his chest, so she stayed quiet until he found the strength to speak again. “How much do you want to be involved in the aftermath of the hunt?”

“What do you mean?”

“We’ll bring the lycans back if the hunt is successful, but if you don’t want to see any of it, we’ll make sure of it.”

“Honestly? I’m not sure. The thought of seeing them doesn’t scare me too much but then again, I’m not sure what their state will be like. I don’t want to think of the whole cutting-their hearts-out thing.”

“We’ll make sure not to give you any nightmares.”

“I have a feeling Ezra would think of me as pathetic.”

“None of us think that. Just remember: princesses don’t get their hands dirty. It’s our job to provide and care for you and that means protecting you from images you might not want to see. Your mental health is just as important as your physical.”

Scarlett hummed and nuzzled deeper into his neck, that warm fuzzy feeling spreading through her veins. “Thank you.”

“I have something else I would like to talk to you about.”

“That sounds serious.”

Mateo chuckled again, his fingers still caressing her thigh. “The times that we have shared you, how did you feel about it?”

“Inexperienced, mostly.”

“But did you feel comfortable with all three of us at the same time?”

“It’s odd because I do feel comfortable with you, but at the same time as if I won’t be enough. As if you won’t enjoy it as much as I do.”

“Rest assured that we do.”

“I just don’t know what to do.”

“Yet.”

“What?”

“You don’t know what to do yet . We are eager to teach you.”

Scarlett smiled to herself. “You are, and the thing I love most about it is that you don’t make me feel inexperienced.”

“We enjoy teaching you not only about sex, but anything really. I still remember how overwhelmed you were with the crowds at the market, and now you handle our visits into the village so well.”

Mateo’s praise sent a shiver down her spine and warmth shooting through her veins. “I feel safe with you.”

“And if you ever don’t feel safe, we want you to tell us. Even if it’s just that tiny weed in the back of your mind.”

“I will.”

She closed her eyes and let him spoil her, slowly dozing off again.

Her muscles ached, an overwhelming combination of the strenuous physical activities over the last few days.

She’d loved how patient they’d been with her, how much they enjoyed their outings even though they were nothing special to them.

She’d never felt as if they were upset or bored and the three of them never hesitated to make her feel taken care of.

She didn’t even open her eyes when Mateo picked her up and carried her inside to the bedroom. He tucked her into Ezra’s side and kissed her cheek.

As he walked out, he addressed Vince, “Want to lay with her tonight?”

“I’ll have her the next few days.”

A little while later, Scarlett felt the mattress dip as Mateo slid into the bed, turning in for an early night.

She dreaded opening her eyes when she felt both her night guards shift out of bed. She reached for one, closing her hand around Ezra’s wrist. She knew it was him because of the scars beneath her fingertips.

“Princess,” he hummed. She felt the bed dip again, his lips brushing her cheek. “I would love nothing more than to hold you a little longer.”

“I know.” She sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make it harder on you.”

“Have breakfast with us.”

Only then did she open her eyes and grin up at him. “Only if my prince asks me nicely.”

“Sweet, precious princess, would you please come join us for breakfast?”

“I would love to.”

In the kitchen, she didn’t hesitate to step up beside Mateo and mix the pancake batter. “Have you packed everything?”

“I believe so.”

She tried to ignore the knot forming in her stomach as she and Mateo worked through breakfast. When she tried to sit down, she was pulled into Ezra’s lap and felt his nose running through her hair.

She didn’t fight him, instead pulling her plate next to his and digging in.

She didn’t have the appetite, but she knew that if she didn’t, they would worry and that was the last thing they needed.

She ate slowly, so when the three of them had cleared their second plates, she was just finishing up her first.

Then she watched, trying to keep her tears at bay as Mateo and Ezra got dressed and walked out into the still dark morning where Vince made sure their truck was loaded properly.

Mateo was the first to say goodbye, wrapping his arms around her from behind and kissing her cheek. “Enjoy your time with Vince. Try not to smother him with your radiant, lovely self. He isn’t used to people liking him from close up.”

“Yeah, most people like him from afar until they see his ugly face,” Ezra laughed, walking past her. “Isn’t that right, Vince?”

Vince didn’t respond. At least, not verbally. He stared Ezra down, who threw his backpack into the truck.

She always enjoyed their bickering, but now it had a bitter taste to it. “Only if you two promise not to cuddle too much without me. You’re allowed to keep each other warm on cold nights, but nothing more than necessary.”

“Ah, that is a hard ask, my love.” Mateo laughed and squeezed her harder. “But for you I will try my best.”

Ezra approached again and tipped her head up by a finger under her chin. “No one but you will ever have my heart.”

She stared up at him, fighting tears, and was saved by his lips crashing down on hers.

His fingers combed through her hair and grabbed the back of her neck, holding her in place until he felt that it was appropriate to pull away.

Her hands reached up and held his jaw. Even though she tried with all her might to trap him in their kiss even longer, he pulled away and turned on his heel.

In one swift second, he sat in the driver seat, slammed the door, and fired up the engine.