stopped aching and his muscles no longer felt like liquid beneath his skin, and the pain of his wounds fell away. He tried to keep still for Lowe as he worked, taking care of his smaller injuries now, but he was restless as he watched night fall.
As the need to see Holly grew stronger, close to overwhelming him, a driving force that compelled him to go to her and tell her everything, before he lost her forever.
But the need to sleep was stronger still as warmth soaked into him, as everything caught up with him, as he felt safe with his kin nearby to protect him. To watch over him.
He fought to remain conscious, fearing that if he slept now, he would be sleeping for some time, that a healing sleep would become a winter sleep and he wouldn’t wake until spring.
Until it was too late.
Holly would leave Cougar Creek soon and he knew in his heart she would never return.
Darkness overpowered him, dragged him down into it, and he battled it with all his strength, even when he knew he couldn’t stop it from taking him. As he sank into it, one thought echoed in his mind.
Would he wake in time?
Or would he never see Holly again?
Chapter 13
Worried didn’t cover how Holly felt as she sat on the red couch in Ember’s lodge, not really paying attention to anyone as they crowded around her. All she could think about was how much blood there had been.
How pained Saint had looked.
How fiercely she ached inside.
“I told you we should have put the bastard down when we had the chance,” Storm growled, long strides chewing up the distance between the wall to Holly’s left and the kitchen to her right as he paced in front of the fireplace.
She curled her fingers into fists, saw Saint all over again, covered in blood, moaning in pain.
“Did he hurt you, Holly?” Rath eased down to crouch before her, his grey eyes holding a wealth of concern. Blood tracked down his cheek from a cut there, and it wasn’t the only one he had.
When Storm, Rath and Flint had shifted back and dressed in clothing they had stashed in the woods, she had seen all the wounds Saint had given them, and it had turned her stomach. She had expected to feel a sense of guilt, or perhaps remorse, because they had been hurt too and she had thought only of Saint, but that feeling hadn’t hit her.
She felt sure she should feel terrible about what had happened to Rath and his brothers, and should feel grateful to them for rescuing her and bringing her home to the Creek.
But she didn’t.
She only felt bad about what had happened to Saint.
She only wanted to see him again.
“Look at her. She’s in shock. Gods only know what that brute did to her.” Flint snarled those words, ignoring his beautiful black-haired mate as she tended to a particularly nasty gash on his upper left arm, just below the sleeve of his navy T-shirt. His grey eyes flashed fire as he shoved his dirty fingers through his short onyx hair, and bared short fangs as he growled. “Storm’s right. We should finish him off once and for all. Look at what he did to Gabi.”
Gabi who had remained with Ivy in Rath’s cabin, the two females waiting there for their mates to return.
“Don’t get me started.” Storm paced harder behind her, the aggression that rolled off him stoking Holly’s own.
Making her want to lash out at everyone.
Fight everyone.
“Storm,” Rath said, his voice calm and even but firm enough to convey a silent order to his younger brother, a demand that he dial it back. His warm grey eyes dropped to Holly again and he placed his left hand on her knee. “You can talk to us, Holly. What happened?”
“I think we can all guess what happened. He tried to take Gabi, Rath, and he was pretty damned clear about what he had wanted to do with her,” Storm bit out.
Holly shot to her feet, almost knocking Rath on his ass, and startling everyone in the room. They all stared at her, expressions blank.
“I need some air,” she muttered and turned towards the door, but Rath was on his feet before she could move a step, had his hand wrapped around her arm.
“You stay. I think we’re the ones who need some air.” Rath gave her a tight smile and then looked at Storm and Flint, and Yasmin. “Let’s give