An attack changes Tempest Joseph’s entire view of the world. Monster hunters are real and the three men who saved her are gargoyles. Every touch from the three men sends desire flaring higher and questions of right or wrong out of her mind. All that matters are the men and their touch. But hunters are still after her and the only safe place is with her men.

Phoenix, Noah, and Sawyer found their mate and they won’t let some human’s hunting monsters take her from them. With the hunters targeting Tempest as well as them, they keep her close to protect her. Their hunger for her deepens the longer their together. With each touch and kiss, the connection between them grows. They can’t lose her. When an attack on the community leaves Tempest vulnerable, they’ll have to fight to save her and claim their chance at love.

“Seriously, what are we doing here?” Sawyer turned to look at Phoenix as he climbed out of the car. Noah slid from the back seat and slammed the door. Dusk painted the western sky deep orange and red as the eastern sky darkened from blue to black. A chilly wind whipped around them.

“You wanted to see Tempest.” Phoenix glanced over at him.

Sawyer shook his head. Not what he meant. Yes, seeing the woman meant to be theirs would be great, but coming to this restaurant now, it wasn’t a good idea. Especially not with what they’d have to do.

He glanced around. No one in the parking lot, but the Rising River Restaurant was busy. Windows lined the front of the red brick building. The indistinct blur of patrons filled nearly every clear pane.

“When you said see her, I was pretty sure you meant stake out her place in preparation for bringing her home.” Sawyer rolled his eyes. Tempest was human. Not Branal. There was no treaty to honor, and she was certainly in danger. The people coming their way wouldn’t play games. Normally, they went after anyone different. This time, thanks to George Smith, the hunters had a list to go off.

Phoenix hung his head. “What the hell, Sawyer? All of us haven’t talked to her. You haven’t seen her.”

“The hunters are coming, Phoenix.” He shook his head. “I’m not sure we have time to court her.”

“I’m not thinking about courting her.” Phoenix waved his hand. “I just don’t want to burst into her life like some crazed stalker.”

“We’ll seem even more like crazed stalkers since we’re popping into her restaurant and meeting her,” Noah said with a laugh. “There’s no way to make this seem normal to her.”

Phoenix’s shoulders slumped. “Did you want to go home instead of walking in there?”

“No, we’re here now,” Sawyer said. “I want to see her, even if it is for a few minutes and she’s acting as our server. I just wish we could talk to her more and learn about her. I don’t think she’ll be in any kind of mood to open up to us once we take her from her home.” He shook his head. It would be an uphill battle with her. They would win it and her affection.

“Even without the push from the danger to her, I don’t think we’d last very long in a courting relationship. If she even gave us the time of day as a group.” Noah shook his head. “A ménage just isn’t normal in human eyes, even in these progressive times.”

“All right, I guess we stick to the standard plan of stalk and capture.” Phoenix nodded.

“But she doesn’t need to know that. It will be much harder to get her into our hands if she’s running from us. And she’ll be in greater danger out there on her own.” Noah closed his door and started toward the restaurant.

Sawyer strolled after him. He narrowed his eyes and clenched his fist. A knot of fear weighed heavy in his gut. They couldn’t let her escape. Not with the hunters coming. “As if any of us are raw rookies when it comes to that.”

“Yeah, but this is the first time that it meant this much to us.” Noah shook his head and opened the door.

Too right. That was their mate in there, and he wouldn’t let some human hunters touch her. With her name on the list of suspected “monsters,” the hunters would capture and torture her to try to get their proof. They couldn’t let that happen. Sawyer followed him in, and Phoenix entered right after him. Sawyer held his breath. Would they even get a seat in her section? Diners crowded around tables, and both sides of the restaurant were packed.

“Things have mattered before,” Phoenix muttered as he stepped up beside Noah.

Noah shook his head. “Not like this. All the other times, yeah, it might have been for the good of everyone else, but this time is personal, and that’s why it’s going to be so much more important and so much easier for us to rush and mess up.”

Phoenix turned and glared at Noah. “We won’t mess it up.”

“No, but just saying that this isn’t going to be easy for us. We won’t be logical about this.” Noah held up a hand.

“Logic can come after.” Phoenix shook his head. “I’m not losing her.”

After they had her in their home and happy. Sawyer nodded. He could definitely agree with that.

An older woman showed them to a table. He turned his head. A redheaded waitress drifted among the tables, delivering food and chatting with the diners. She hadn’t come near enough for him to tell by scent.

“Is that her?” Sawyer nodded his head toward the woman delivering food two tables away as he sat down. He drummed his fingers on the dark wood of the table top.

“Yeah, hopefully, I can find my damned tongue this time. I barely said a word the entire meal when I was with Dante.” Phoenix shook his head.

Noah reached over and patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, man. You’d just discovered the truth. I’d expect you to be stunned. Doesn’t mean I won’t rib you about it sometime in the future, though. Smooth talker got tongue-tied.”

“And it doesn’t mean I won’t take you to the ground.” Phoenix knocked Noah’s hand off.

“Hello, I have your menus right here. What can I get you three to drink tonight?” The sweet voice rolled over him.

A shiver shot down his spine. Sawyer whipped around and stared. He inhaled, and fire seared through him. He dropped his hands beneath the table and clenched them. His nails hurt as his claws pushed to burst free. Damn. Way more intense than his parents had implied.
Tempest had secured her fiery red hair at the back of her neck. A white button-down shirt highlighted her pale skin and the swell of her breasts. Black pants molded to her full hips.

“Hi.” Sawyer smiled up at her. Damn, she was gorgeous. Curvy and a little above average in height.

She handed him a menu and smiled. “Hello, did you have a drink preference, or would you like an appetizer?”

Sawyer opened the menu and glanced at the appetizers. “We’ll have an order of the wings and the loaded potato skins. I’ll have an iced tea.”

She noted the order down. “Regular iced tea or peach tea? We have both tonight.”

“Give me the peach,” Sawyer said, then leaned back in the chair.

“And for you two gentlemen?” She turned to Phoenix and Noah. “Weren’t you here yesterday?”

Phoenix nodded. “Yes, I’d stopped by with a friend then. We’re on our way back from a conference.”

She’d rip into him for that lie later, but it was unavoidable. They couldn’t tell her the truth. Not yet. Even when they did and she saw their differences, she wouldn’t accept the truth and the danger. Sawyer ground his teeth. She’d fight the attraction to them and maybe even run. It had happened before, especially with humans brought into the gargoyle community. They’d have to watch her to ensure she didn’t make it out.

“I hope you had a good time there. Do you know what you want to drink?” Tempest held her hand poised.

“Water for me as well as a cup of coffee.” Phoenix nodded, and then continued, “Also add an order of the stuffed mushroom appetizers.”

“I’ll do that.” She nodded. “And what would you like to drink?”

“Normal tea, no sugar,” Noah replied with a nod. Tempest jotted down the order and walked away.

Once she was out of earshot, Sawyer turned to Phoenix. “Have we learned anything about that group coming in?” With the number of people around them, they had to be careful what was overheard. “When they’ll arrive?”

“They think some of them might already be here, which is why this project is going to have to move forward at a fast clip. I don’t want anything destroyed or wrecked because of outside interference.” Phoenix tapped his fingers.

“Sounds good to me. Were you thinking of finishing it this time or the next?” Sawyer raised a brow. Today or tomorrow. If the hunters had scouts in the area, they needed to get her out of danger as quickly as possible. They’d come after her. She was on the list.

“This time, if possible, but there will have to be some set up done. Do you two agree?” Phoenix glanced at Noah and Sawyer.

“With that other group coming in, they’ll go after any weakness. I’d say this time is the best option. Get everything in order and just go.” Noah nodded.

“Yeah, that’s my opinion, too.” Sawyer turned his head. Tempest carried a tray of food to another table. “I don’t want this to blow up in our faces like it has before.”

Those damn bastards would probably go after the most vulnerable first, and she was vulnerable. Single, lived alone, and human.