on the left, the older of the two buildings. Knox lived there alone now, but he and his brother had shared it once, before Lowe had decided they both needed some space. Lowe’s newer cabin was a replica of the old one, a touch larger than Saint’s own cabin but similar in style, with a raised deck covered by the extended pitched roof but two windows on the lower half, one on either side of the door. Above that door, there was a smaller window that allowed light into the loft bedroom.
Smoke curled from the metal chimney to the left of the roof, was caught in the wind and swiftly merged with the constant flurry of snow.
Saint knocked his boots against the side of the steps up to the deck, clearing some of the snow off them before he ascended the few stairs.
He rapped his knuckles against the door and waited, looked back at his cabin, squinting at it through the snow as a need to go back speared him, had his mind filling with thoughts of the female.
When Knox didn’t answer, he knocked again, harder this time, impatient to have someone guarding Ember so she didn’t get ideas about escaping.
The door opened.
Knox rubbed the back of his hand across his eyes and then upwards, over the unruly wild waves of his dark blond hair. The male was already dressed, wearing weatherproof trousers and a thick black cable-knit sweater, and he had trimmed his beard too, leaving just a light scruff on the lower half of his face.
The fatigue in his stormy blue eyes and the fact he had washed up told Saint that Knox hadn’t been able to sleep, had been finding ways to pass the time in his cabin and had run out of things to keep himself occupied so he had settled on some personal grooming.
Knox grumbled, “What’s up?”
“I need you to keep an eye on Ember while I go for a walk.” Saint looked back at his cabin, wanting to curse as the snow grew heavier, trying to steal it from view.
“A walk?” Knox arched an eyebrow at him as he leaned his right shoulder against the doorframe and peered out. “Have you seen the weather?”
“Walked through it, didn’t I?” Saint growled and folded his arms across his chest, straightened his spine and made sure Knox got the message that he wasn’t messing around. “I just need to work off some energy. Thirty minutes tops.”
Knox looked beyond him to the snow. “It’s dangerous. Weather is getting worse by the second.”
He was aware of that, and appreciated Knox’s concern, but it wasn’t going to stop him. He needed to get some air and some space. Standing on the deck of his cabin wasn’t going to be enough. He had to get away from the female for a moment and get his head on straight, and that was something he couldn’t do with her scent taunting him.
“I won’t go far. Just a few laps around the property. I’ll stick to this side of the creek.” Saint hated to compromise, but Knox was looking as if he wasn’t going to agree to watching Ember for him, and he didn’t like how long he had been away from her already. He didn’t have time to argue with Knox about this, or ask Lowe.
He doubted Lowe would help him even if he ordered it.
He had seen the look the older of the twins had given him, had heard in his voice that he thought Saint had made a mistake by snatching Ember.
Saint was starting to feel the same way.
“Fine.” Knox grabbed his black coat and shoved his arms into it, his face darkening as he zipped it up. He pushed his feet into his boots and stepped out onto the deck. “But if you turn into a popsicle out here, I’m not saving your ass.”
Saint chuckled. “I’m sure I could rouse a shift if I get that cold.”
Although there was always a chance he would be too cold to make it happen. He wouldn’t be the first bear to die because he had left it too long before attempting a shift to keep himself warm.
Knox closed his door and stepped past him, and as Saint turned to watch him walking towards his cabin, a fierce need to growl and roar blazed to life inside him, born of the thought of Knox being near her.
Saint forced himself to take the steps down from Knox’s deck and to walk away, heading in the