Storm looked as if they wouldn’t halt their attack, only Rath moving to leave Saint alone, she realised she needed to give them a reason to end their fight. Flint and Storm were fighters, and both preferred to take on foes who were stronger than they were, challenging themselves.
Her only way of making them leave Saint alone was making him out to be someone unworthy of their time. Unchallenging.
She couldn’t bring herself to look at Saint as she spoke, was aware this was going to hurt him, but it was the only way to help him.
“Look at him. It’s clear he’s no match for you. This is the third time you’ve beaten him. He’s so weak even I could defeat him.”
She turned away, guilt rolling through her as she felt Saint’s gaze on her. She silently apologised to him, wished there was another way to make the cougars leave him alone, but this was the only one that had come to her. It was the only way that would work with Storm and Flint. Neither brother was going to want to fight someone that a female had openly declared she could beat. They had a little too much male pride.
As predicted, Storm and Flint broke away from Saint, padding towards her through the flattened snow.
Holly trudged into the trees beside Cobalt, her heart heavy in her chest as Saint continued to stare after her, slowly filling with a need to turn back and go to him, to make sure he would be all right and to apologise to him.
Every step she took that increased the distance between them killed her.
But it was the only way of stopping the brothers from killing him.
If she had to endure pain a thousand times worse than this to save Saint, she would do it.
Because she had the feeling she was falling for him.
Chapter 12
Saint wasn’t sure how long he had been laying in the snow, still in his bear form. Staring at the trees. Staring after her.
Her words echoed in his ears. Cut him to the bone. Carved up his heart.
Her absence destroyed him.
He wasn’t sure when he had given up on everything.
No. He was. Wasn’t sure he would ever forget it either. It had been the moment she had walked out of his life without looking back. He had given up then, because without her, life wasn’t worth living.
Voices wobbled around him and scents other than his own blood filled his nostrils, but he just remained where he was, staring after a female who didn’t want him, who thought him weak, who hated him.
A female he wanted to call for, desperate for her to return. A female he needed more than anything. More than air. A female he felt sure had taken his heart with her when she had left him, leaving him hollow inside.
Dead.
“Oh my God. Don’t go near that bear!” A female voice he didn’t recognise rang out behind him, her scent unmistakably human.
A hunter?
Saint didn’t care.
She could kill him if she wanted.
Although, death was coming for him anyway. His bones were like ice. His mind sluggish. Every rasping breath he managed smelled like blood. His blood. It pooled around him, a huge patch of crimson that grew larger every hour, one that should have concerned him.
Only he couldn’t muster the strength to care.
He just kept staring in the direction Holly had gone.
Aching for her to return.
“Shit, he looks bad.” Lowe.
Black boots appeared to his left, red slush on their toes.
“I need to move him.”
“It’s a bear. You need to back away. I don’t know what attacked him but—” The female voice cut off in a muffled, pained grunt.
Lowe huffed. “Let’s get you to my cabin. All nice and toasty like. I’ll deal with him, and then I’ll deal with those fucking cougars.”
“You can’t shoot cougars! Regulations state…” Her words drifted into the distance.
Saint just kept staring at the trees, willing Holly to come back to him. She wouldn’t. He knew that. She was gone, and he would never see her again. She had made that clear.
She had made her decision.
He moaned, the sound mournful, couldn’t hold it back as that ache in his chest worsened, as the longing to see her again grew stronger. Killing him.
His vision tunnelled and everything went black for a second.
“Come on, now. No time to sleep.” Lowe again.
The male sucked in a sharp breath as he eased to a crouch on Saint’s right. Saint growled when the male reached for the wound on his shoulder,