this was where she wanted to be.
She was done doing what she was told.
She was going to do what she wanted to do.
“I wasn’t kidnapped.” This time. “I came here by choice.”
Neither Storm nor Flint looked like they believed her. Rath looked worried. About her? Cobalt was too busy staring down Knox.
Ember peeked her head out from behind her mate. “You did?”
Holly looked into her grey-blue eyes and nodded, drew down a breath and sighed it out as some of the tension flowed from her. “I needed to see he was all right.”
“Why?” Storm bit out. “He was holding you captive, Holly. You shouldn’t give two damns about him. You should want him dead.”
She growled and flashed fangs at him, followed it up with a glare. “The last thing I want is Saint dead. You don’t understand. None of you do.”
“I’m thinking you don’t understand.” Flint glanced at Rath and spoke out of the corner of his mouth. “This some kind of Stockholm syndrome thing?”
Rath shook his head, a frown knitting his dark eyebrows and narrowing his grey eyes. “Let her talk.”
She wanted to thank Rath for that, for being the only one other than Ember who was willing to listen to her, to actually take in what she was saying and trust she meant every word.
“Saint… He might have taken me hostage, but he was never rough with me.” She looked to the blue sky, fighting for the right words, ones that would convince the brothers she was telling the truth.
“It doesn’t change what he did.” Storm levelled a black look on Lowe when he moved, and she was surprised when the bear stepped up beside her.
“Saint isn’t a bad male—” Lowe started.
Storm cut him off with a scoff. “Yeah, tell that to my mate.”
She could see things were heading south again, knew she had precious little time to convince her kin to back down and leave. That feeling intensified as Knox came to stand on the other side of her.
“I thought you were just a little overwrought yesterday when you argued with me, but now I’m starting to think the bears have brainwashed you.” Cobalt looked her right in the eye, and she wanted to curse him as he added, “I figured you just needed some sleep and you’d forget this nonsense in the morning. See things right, like.”
“Overwrought? Just needed sleep?” She hurled each word at Cobalt as anger built inside her, because he was treating her just as her family did, as if she was delicate because she was female and incapable of making her own decisions. “I’m not a child, Cobalt. What I feel for—”
She cut herself off, losing all momentum as she stared at the brothers, at Ember, feeling as shocked by what she had been about to say as they all looked.
Rath stepped forwards, concern washing across his face, softening his rugged features. His tone was gentle as he held her gaze.
“What do you feel, Holly?”
She clenched her fists beside her hips and wrestled with herself, trying to vanquish the part of her that said to keep her feelings to herself. She couldn’t, because they were the only way to convince the brothers to leave Saint alone and make them believe she was telling the truth and had come here to check on him.
“I feel…” She pulled down another steadying breath, gathered her courage and steeled her nerves as everyone looked at her, including Knox and Lowe. The weight of expectation was crushing, had her wanting to bolt and escape their gazes, but she pushed onwards. “Saint is my fated mate.”
“Took you long enough to figure that out, Holly.”
That deep baritone coming from behind her sent a shiver traipsing down her spine and had her spinning to face the owner of it as shock rolled through her.
Saint stood in the doorway of his cabin, leaning heavily on the frame, his dark eyes warmed by what looked a lot like affection to her.
Her heart lodged in her throat as she stared at him, unsure what to say, deeply aware that he knew what he was to her. She wanted to curse him, wanted to ask him why he hadn’t told her, wanted to run into his arms.
Rath spoke before she could do any of those things, dragging everyone’s attention to him, including hers.
“You’re sure?” His deep voice was soft, laced with concern that shone in his grey eyes as he looked at her.
Holly swallowed hard and nodded, feeling lighter inside as she looked into