so caught up in the fight, her heart lodged in her throat as she battled the instincts roaring to life inside her, that she didn’t notice someone sneaking up on her.
She shrieked as they grabbed her, reacted on instinct and clawed his arm, leaving long grooves in his black jacket.
“Shit,” Cobalt muttered and scowled at her, his stony grey eyes filled with an unimpressed look as he caught her hand, stopping her from clawing him again. “Some greeting.”
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her forwards, down the steps of the deck, and she stumbled along behind him, couldn’t take her eyes off Saint as he fought the three cougars. She didn’t feel the cold bite of the air through her red long-sleeved T-shirt as she watched him, felt numb all over.
Worry churned her stomach, had her heart beating faster and harder, as Saint took a bad blow to his face, Rath’s claws leaving red grooves in his shorter fur. She pulled to a halt, forcing Cobalt to stop, her brow furrowing as the three cougars worked to take Saint down.
A feeling stirred inside her, a primal need that was strong and had her pulling Cobalt back the way they had come.
Towards Saint.
She had to help him.
He was strong, but it was three against one, and Rath, Flint and Storm were swift in their cougar forms, agile as they dodged Saint’s attempts to even the odds.
Cobalt muttered things she didn’t listen to as she dragged him forwards, resisting his attempts to pull her in the other direction, determination to reach Saint powering her, making it impossible for Cobalt to stop her.
She flinched as Saint batted Flint away, leaving himself open to Storm. Storm leaped on his back, viciously clawed at Saint’s right shoulder, cleaving it open, and Saint loosed a mournful moan as he tried to shake Storm but couldn’t. She didn’t want to look as Storm sank his fangs into Saint’s shoulder, yanked his head back and ripped a gash in it that spilled crimson.
The sight of all that blood tracking down his shoulder, soaking his rich brown fur, turned her stomach and a need surged through her.
A need to go to Saint and defend him.
Shock swept through her, that instinct stunning her enough that she forgot to fight Cobalt, couldn’t muster the strength to resist him as he dragged her towards the trees.
She stared at Saint as she stumbled backwards, unable to take her eyes off him, off the way he was fighting.
Desperation. Rage. Fear. She swore she could feel all those emotions in him and could see them in his dark eyes as they leaped to her as he tried to throw Rath from his back, as he realised the distance between them was growing and he couldn’t stop the cougars from taking her back.
Holly expected him to give up, to accept that he had lost and that she was no longer his captive.
He didn’t.
He only fought harder.
He was vicious as he took on the three cougars, managed to land a few blows, but he wasn’t fast enough. His size and his injuries slowed him down.
And his fear.
She could feel that emotion in him, could feel it growing as he wrestled with Rath and dislodged him, as he glanced at her again and took a hard hit from Flint.
Why fear?
Was he afraid of losing this fight?
A thought struck her.
Or was he afraid of losing her?
Flint smashed into Saint’s head, colliding hard with him, and Saint went down, hitting the churned snow. His head slammed into it, his eyes glazed with pain.
She opened her mouth to call for him, an urge to break free of Cobalt’s strong hold on her arm shooting through her, but stopped when Saint looked right at her.
Resignation shone in his eyes.
Resignation and pain.
She shook her head slightly as he tried to stand, willing him to give up, because if he didn’t, the brothers would kill him.
Holly’s brow furrowed as she stared at him, torn between going to him and leaving with the brothers so they would end their assault on him. Leaving won, because it was the only way to save Saint.
Her heart ached as she backed away from him, as he sank back onto the snow and stared at her and that fear she could feel in him grew, and she knew in her heart that it was fear of losing her.
“I’m leaving,” she said, loud enough that all the brothers would hear her. “Leave the bear. He’s learned his lesson.”
When Flint and