growl now as rage rolled through him, as every instinct fired and demanded he get her back in his arms, tucked safely against him. He fought the powerful grip of sleep, tried to shake it loose as he heard the door open, as snarls and growls reached his ears.
Knox. Lowe. He needed to protect them.
He needed to protect his female.
“Return Holly, and maybe I won’t kill you.” The familiar male voice belonged to Storm and Saint wanted to snarl as his fangs elongated, as fur rippled over his skin.
No one was taking Holly from him.
Sweet berries.
His heaven.
He couldn’t lose her again.
Saint rolled and hit the floor with a grunt, pushed to his feet and stumbled as his head spun, the loft twirling with it, and his knees gave out. His head hit the mattress as he slumped onto it, his upper half resting on the furs while his bare knees pressed into the floorboards. He sucked down a deep breath.
Caught Holly’s scent.
Holly.
He couldn’t let them take her. He shook off the dizziness and mustered his strength, limited as it was, another thing that made him want to rage. He pushed up again, grabbed the jeans someone had slung over a chest and sank onto the edge of the bed. Almost lost his balance and rolled right off the damned thing.
He fumbled with the jeans, growing increasingly frustrated as he tried to get his feet into them. He was stronger than this. He was an alpha and his pride were in danger.
Holly was in danger.
On a low growl, he tackled his jeans with a renewed sense of purpose, managed to get his bare feet into them this time and tugged them up his legs. He stood and locked his knees as they wobbled, pulled his jeans up and snarled at the fiddly buttons, cursing them.
“Cameo, go back inside.” Lowe hollered that order and followed it with a vicious growl. “Take your eyes off her, cougar.”
Cameo? Saint vaguely recalled smelling a human female, hearing her talking to Lowe when he had found him in the snow. Lowe was keeping the female at Black Ridge. That tore a growl from him for a different reason. He would be having words with Lowe once he had driven the cougars away.
“You into kidnapping too?” Cobalt growled that question.
“Fuck off,” Knox answered. “You don’t know shit about my brother. You don’t know anything about any of us.”
Cobalt scoffed. “Know enough to know you’ll get your asses kicked if you don’t hand Holly over.”
No. It wasn’t going to happen. Not on Saint’s watch. Holly had come back to him. She had chosen him. He wouldn’t let the cougars take her again. He needed her.
He reached for the newel post at the top of the wooden spiral staircase, gripped it so hard he was sure it was going to crack under the pressure, using it to support himself. He shuffled forwards, fighting another dizzy spell as his right shoulder ached and every muscle in his body protested about being used.
Saint gritted his teeth as he shifted his left hand down to the railing mounted on the wall, as his leg almost gave out beneath him and he had to grab the banister with his right hand to stop himself from falling.
Pain blazed through his shoulder, an inferno that stole his breath and filled the air with the scent of blood. He glanced at the bandage, at the spots of fresh crimson seeping through the cream material, and clenched his jaw as he pushed onwards, unwilling to let the injury slow him down.
Nothing would stop him from protecting Holly.
He reached the bottom step and swayed left, grabbed the kitchen counter and used it as a crutch as his vision blurred. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook off the dizziness, dragged down a breath and forced himself to keep moving.
Saint mustered his strength, aware he would need it when he reached the door, when he stepped out onto the deck to deal with the cougars.
He had to protect Holly.
Had to stop the males from taking her.
He reached the door and gripped the frame hard, lifted his head to assess the situation and froze.
Stunned by the sight of Holly standing just in front of Knox and Lowe, facing off against the cougars.
Her own kin.
Defying them and defending him.
Chapter 16
Fired up didn’t feel like a strong enough word to convey how Holly felt as she woke in Saint’s arms and sensed Ember, her alpha and his brothers outside, when she heard