The seven men stood on the riverbank, searching for tracks, animal hair, any clue that might lead them to the creature they longed to capture. They didn't know exactly what they would face, but they were armed and motivated to confront it. They carried nets and ropes because if they were lucky, they would catch the beast alive.Don Juan Bustamante had shown Sebastián the newspaper clipping certifying the discovery of the bones of a strange creature of colossal dimensions. The young Spaniard was more than motivated by the glory and reward they could obtain if they found a living one."Alright, where do we start looking?" Sebastián asked, looking at Bustamante, who had organized the expedition."Right here, boy. The bones were found near the river. At some point, the creatures will need to come close to drink water. They've been searched for years, and considering their large size, they camouflage very well. We should try to cover as much ground as possible. We know almost nothing about them, so be very careful. If we manage to capture a living specimen, that would be ideal, but if it attacks us, don't hesitate to defend yourselves. We could also get a great reward if we present the king with its carcass," Bustamante said, playing with his white mustache."I think splitting into small groups would be a way to cover more ground," suggested Pablo Ferreira."Great idea, boy!" exclaimed the old man."I'm not sure. What if it's dangerous? We don't know exactly what we're looking for," commented Diego, and his father glared at him for seeming cowardly."Don't worry, Diego. The chances of the creature spitting fire are slim. I've killed some pumas, so if you go with me, you'll be safe," joked Mariano, Juan Bustamante's only son and heir.Diego seemed uncomfortable with the situation. He had never been very adventurous and still had his arm bandaged from Antony Van Ewen's dog bite."I'll team up with Sebastián! You three who are more experienced can go upriver, Diego and Mariano can go downriver, and we'll explore the grasslands," Pablo told Juan Bustamante."I love your determination, boy! So it will be. We'll meet here at sunset," the old man responded, patting the Creole on the shoulder.The three groups set off in the designated directions."We're going to catch that monster!" Sebastián exclaimed with determination.Pablo stopped and made sure the other explorers were far enough away not to hear them."We won't," he said."Don't give up, my friend. You need to have more faith in us," Sebastián encouraged, a bit confused.He couldn't understand the sudden change in the Creole's attitude. What had happened to the optimism he had shown just a moment ago? Had he been pretending just to impress the others?"We won't find it because we have something much better to do," Pablo explained, pulling a letter from his vest pocket.Sebastián raised an amused eyebrow and added, "What a mystery! What could be more memorable than capturing a monster?""I don't know if we could call it memorable, but it will definitely be more fun," Pablo said with a smile on his face and handed the letter to Sebastián.The young man took it and pulled out a perfumed letter written in a stylized script addressed to his friend. Without a doubt, a woman had given it to him. Sebastián began to read it aloud:"Dear Pablo: I count the minutes until I see you again. I haven't been able to stop thinking about your lips and your audacity in kissing me. I'm grateful you did because my heart had not known true happiness until you came into my life. I can't help but miss you more than is good for me. Tomorrow afternoon, my godfather's family will be absent, and Ana has invited me to spend the day at her house. Only she knows about us and has given me permission to invite you and the young man we met at the party. I hope it doesn't inconvenience either of you, but you asked me to let you know when we could see each other again, and I don't think there's a better time than this. I'll leave the decision to invite your friend up to you. I know you'll be prudent and wise. Signed with love, María Magdalena de Toledo y Rojas."That letter meant that Ana also wanted to see him again. She was inviting him to her house. Sebastián couldn't stop smiling."Do you want to keep looking for the monster or go with the beautiful ladies?" Pablo asked, although the answer was more than obvious.The young men almost ran to the stables of La Rosa estate to take two horses and get to town as quickly as possible. They were less than an hour's ride from the Bustamante mansion.Once at the mansion, a slave led them to the room where Ana and Magdalena were drinking wine. Both were very beautiful, and as soon as the black woman announced the guests, they stood up to greet them."Luisa, let no one disturb us!" ordered Ana Bustamante."As you command, mistress. With your permission..." Luisa said, bowing her head before leaving.Pablo approached Magdalena, took her by the waist, and kissed her on the lips without any hesitation. Ana looked away, blushing, and moved a little closer to Sebastián."My lady," greeted the young Spaniard, kissing her hand and lingering a little longer than usual before letting go.When Pablo and Magdalena separated, the Creole greeted Ana with a nod, and Sebastián followed suit, turning to Magdalena, who responded. Her dark hair was slightly tousled, and her cheeks were flushed.The four of them sat on the elegant sofas and shared several glasses of wine and some anecdotes. Ana's stepdaughters had gone out, so it was just them and the servants, who had orders not to disturb them. Luisa had come with Ana to the family and answered directly to her; they had nothing to worry about.Pablo whispered something in his beloved's ear, and she laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. Then she said, "I'm going to walk in the gardens with Mr. Pablo, if you'll excuse us..."The Creole stood up and gave the young woman his hand to help her up. They walked away arm in arm, whispering things to each other that their friends couldn't hear.Sebastián and Ana were left alone. She fanned herself a little nervously. She didn't dare look the young man in the eye and kept her gaze fixed on her glass."You look very beautiful," he said, running his fingertip along her arm.The young woman lifted her deep blue eyes to his. She was very pretty, even more so than the day of the party. He desired her with every fiber of his being. He placed a hand on her cheek and slowly brought his lips to Ana's, which were slightly parted. They let themselves be carried away by that magical kiss, which would be the first of many. He wasn't going to give her up, even if she could never be completely his."It's madness," Ana murmured, barely separating her lips from Sebastián's."Yes, you're right, but until I met you, I hadn't stopped to think about how boring sanity can be," he confessed, resting his forehead on hers.This time it was Ana who sought his eager mouth and kissed him. The young man responded with passion. He pulled her close and traced the contours of her body with caresses. They rid themselves of their clothes and insecurities, giving themselves to each other without fear and without shame; forgetting about Pablo, Magdalena, the servants, and their families. At that moment, nothing beyond what was happening in that room mattered. Everything else seemed distant to them.