Page 91 of Claimed By 3 Mountain Men

The night air is cool against my skin, the scent of pine and earth fills my lungs as I close my eyes, letting the moment wash over me. For the first time in weeks, I feel a sense of peace. It’s fragile but real.

“Dad would’ve been proud, you know,” Hank says, finally breaking away.

JT doesn’t say anything, but the look in his eyes speaks volumes. He knows. We all know.

“Let’s head back home,” he murmurs. “I need a stiff drink.”

Ben chuckles, the sound hollow but genuine. “Yeah, I could use one too.”

We begin the trek back.

As we leave the clearing behind, I can’t help but look back one last time, the disparate pieces of the puzzle finally slotting into place.

My muscles ache, the weight of everything we’ve just been through pulling at me, but there’s a quiet peace here—something I didn’t think I’d ever feel again.

Something stirs in the silence, a subtle shift in the air, a presence I can’t quite explain. My skin prickles with awareness, and instinctively, I turn, my eyes sweeping over the darkened forest behind us.

And then, I see them.

Three lynxes, their silver coats shimmering in the faint light of the moon, standing at the edge of the clearing, their eyes glowing like molten amber. I freeze, my heart catching in my throat, as the world around me falls away, leaving only them—these beautiful, elusive creatures I’ve been chasing for so long.

They’re bigger than I imagined, their muscles rippling beneath their sleek fur, their eyes sharp and intelligent as they watch me with an intensity that takes my breath away.

I don’t dare move, I don’t even breathe, afraid that the slightest shift in the air will scare them away. But instead of running, the lynxes stand still, their eyes locked onto mine. I feel a strange connection, something deep and primal, as if they can sense what I’ve done, and know the lengths I’ve gone to protect them.

One of them, the largest of the three, tilts its head slightly, as if considering me. Then, in a movement so fluid it’s almost graceful, it lowers its head—bowing. The other two follow suit, their heads dipping in unison, a gesture so deliberate, so reverent, that I feel a lump rise in my throat.

I freeze, taken aback, by the sheer beauty of it all. The wind rustles through the trees, carrying the scent of earth and wild things, and in that moment, it’s as if the lynxes are thanking me.

Tears prickle at the corners of my eyes, and I blink them away, not wanting to lose sight of these magnificent creatures for even a second. I’ve spent so long fighting to protect them, but never thought I’d see them like this—so close, so wild, so free.

And then, as quickly as they appeared, the lynxes rise, their eyes meeting mine one last time before they turn, their silver coats melting into the shadows of the forest. I watch them go, my heart pounding in my chest, my pulse thrumming with the lingering echo of their presence.

The forest swallows them whole, the trees close behind them like a curtain, and the clearing is silent once more.

“Mac, you alright?” Ben asks, stopping.

I blink quickly turning back to face the three Truitt brothers who are all staring at me with concern in their cool eyes. I nod slowly.

“I am.”

24

MAC

Iblink, waking up slowly. The heavy warmth of sleep still clings to my limbs. The sheets are tangled around me, cool against my skin, and for a moment, I just lie there, staring up at the wooden beams on the ceiling, trying to make sense of everything that’s happened.

I’m in JT’s bed.

I sit up slowly, my muscles stiff.

But now, in the quiet morning light, it all feels distant, like something from another world.

What now?

I look around the room, at the rough-hewn furniture, the heavy wooden wardrobe, the scent of pine and something that’s justhimlingering in the air. I’ve spent so much time fighting for what I believed in, fighting to protect this land, this forest, and these animals. But now that it’s over, I’m not sure where I belong.

The logical part of me knows I should head back to the conservatory. I’ve done my job here. I’ve gotten the footage, and the evidence. The lynxes are safe, the poachers are in custody. My work here is done.

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