to Cobalt.
Saint’s bear side growled at that again and he put it down to an urge to have revenge on that male for the part he had played in a fight that had ended with Saint gaining a scar that cut across his left eye, from his forehead to the start of his beard, as well as deep scars on his right shoulder.
He stalked through the trees, ditching moving stealthily when he sensed three males ahead of him. When he rounded a bend in the path, he spotted a cabin on the right hand side of it, and the three cougars on the deck of it. He recognised both Cobalt and Storm as the two with Rath.
While Rath had dark hair, his two younger brothers were closer to blond, with Storm’s short hair a sandy brown colour and Cobalt’s nearer to platinum. Storm was the biggest of the three by far, his broad build unmistakable as he stood halfway up a ladder Cobalt was holding, stringing up coloured lights on the front of the cabin.
Rath stilled at the same time as his brothers, his grey eyes swinging towards Saint as he prowled towards them, emerging from the shadows. The big cougar male slowly set the box he had been picking through down near a lamp on the deck and stepped off it, onto the path.
“Saint.” Rath nodded, a frown etched on his face as he moved to stand a few feet in front of the cabin, placing himself between Saint and his brothers.
Always the alpha. Always taking care of his pride and keeping them safe. Rath was a good male. He would do the right thing, or Saint would convince him to do it.
Saint flicked a glance at Cobalt as he turned to face him and Storm as the male dropped to his booted feet beside him, and then set his gaze back on Rath.
“You mind keeping it down a little? Some of us are trying to have our winter sleep.” Saint held Rath’s gaze, ignoring the two younger cougars as they moved as one, coming to the edge of the deck.
Attempting to intimidate him.
The more rational part of him—the more human part—ignored their threat, uninterested in starting a fight with them and sure Rath wouldn’t let it get that far. He would keep control of his brothers and keep the peace.
The side of him that was ruled by his bear instincts growled, had him gearing up for a fight, assessing the brothers to decide which to deal with first.
“Sorry—” Rath started.
“Not sorry,” Storm snarled and jerked his chin towards Saint. “Fuck this guy. I got to remind you that he tried to kidnap Gabi?”
Rath looked over his shoulder at his younger brother and Saint could almost see him changing his mind, knew in that instant that the alpha was going to side with his brothers when he had looked ready to agree to keep the noise down before Storm had spoken.
As much as Saint hated admitting he had been wrong, as bitter as it tasted on his tongue, he lined up an apology about what he had done with Gabi, intending to explain the reason he had been in such a bad mood and that he had never intended to do anything to hurt her, had only meant to scare her a little to make her talk and confess whether she was a hunter or not.
He didn’t get a chance to issue that apology or explanation.
Cobalt growled and stared Saint down, a flicker of gold emerging in his grey eyes. “You know you almost killed Flint. He would’ve been dead if it wasn’t for Yasmin. You deserve fuck all from us.”
Guilt gnawed at Saint’s gut upon hearing that, the regret that had flared inside him upon thinking about his actions with Gabi increasing tenfold as he thought about his fight with the cougar male. He hadn’t realised Flint had been injured that badly. He amended his apology, adding one about Flint too, and opened his mouth to let it tumble from his lips, sure it would be enough to convince Rath and his kin to be a little more considerate about the noise.
Storm spat on the ground near Saint’s boots and glared at him.
Saint’s bear side roared to the fore, wrenched control from him in a heartbeat as anger surged through him, had a growl rolling up his throat and fur rippling over his skin.
“Your brother came to Black Ridge to pick a fight. He got what he deserved.”