Stolen By Her Bear by Felicity Heaton
Chapter 17
Saint was nervous as hell. Not just because he was going to a damned wedding for cougars of all things, but because he was going to see Holly again. It felt as if he was the one getting hitched as he dug out his best clothes and brushed them down, and neatened his appearance. Gods, he hoped she wasn’t too let down by the sight of him. He didn’t own fancy clothes suited to the occasion. The best he could do was black jeans, a plain black dress shirt, and his heavy snow boots.
He scrubbed his face again, stared in the mirror on the wall near the stairs of his cabin and debated trimming his beard.
Knox opened the door. “Ready?”
Saint wasn’t sure he was. That one word was enough to have his nerves rising, growing stronger, as he reached for the buttons of his shirt. His shoulder burned, ached as he wrestled with the first one, and he gritted his teeth.
“Here.” Knox crossed the room to him, swept his hands away and took over buttoning his shirt for him. The bear muttered, “Still not sure why I have to go. Lowe got a pass.”
Lowe had been given a pass as Knox put it because of the problem in his cabin. It turned out that Cameo was a parks ranger in serious trouble, and Lowe was extremely territorial about her.
Had almost run Saint off when he had gone to speak with him.
“It’ll look better if it isn’t just me,” Saint growled.
“And you need a wingman.” Knox finished with the last button and grinned at him. “Admit it. You don’t want to face a pride of cougars alone.”
Saint refused to admit that, even though it was the truth. He did want Knox there so he had some company, and some backup in case things didn’t go well. He was fully expecting a frosty reception from most of the cougars, and knew from experience that it was going to take a lot for Rath to keep the peace.
“There’s bound to be good food and plenty of alcohol at the party.” Saint strode towards the door and grabbed his thick winter coat, flinching only a little as he pulled it on and zipped it up.
Knox perked up. “Bribery might get you everywhere.”
The bear rubbed his stomach through his own black jacket.
Knox squeezed past him and opened the door, held it for him and closed it when he had passed. Saint took each step down to the ground with care, not wanting to slip and ruin the only passable clothes he had. When he hit the snow, he trudged across it, focusing on the thought of seeing Holly again and talking to her to shake another bout of nerves.
The cold made his shoulder ache, souring his mood as he walked in silence with Knox through the woods, following the track to Cougar Creek. He glanced at the male, caught the worry in his blue eyes before Knox masked it with a smile. He wasn’t worried about the celebration with the cougars. He was worried about his twin.
“We’ll make sure nothing happens to him.” Saint lifted his left hand and placed it on his shoulder, squeezed it tightly through his jacket. “Even if it’s the human female we need to protect him from.”
Saint doubted Lowe would ever forgive them if they were forced to deal with her, but it was better than allowing Lowe to get hurt.
Voices came from ahead of him, pushing thoughts of Lowe and Cameo from his head. The nerves he had forgotten while thinking about his kin rushed back in and he exhaled hard, his breath fogging in the air.
“You sure she’s the one?” Knox said.
Saint didn’t hesitate to nod. “She’s my fated female.”
He smiled tightly at his friend. Maybe a little nervously judging by the amused glimmer in Knox’s eyes and the way he patted Saint on the back.
“You’ll be fine, big guy. Just… I’d say be yourself, but…” Knox grinned as Saint scowled at him.
His steps slowed as he spotted a white marquee ahead of them, one that had been set up in the clearing he had seen the cougars making in the snow. Warm white lights hung in sweeping lines around the top of it, illuminating the sides, and torches had been set around the grass outside it. Those torches led the way to a firepit too, circled it and the logs someone had placed around it.
Knox growled and Saint knew why.
Near the firepit, a huge grill was already on, the smell of meat flowing from it to make Saint’s mouth water, and a table beside it had various dishes laid out and covered, just waiting for the post-ceremony celebrations. On the ground near it, there were two huge buckets filled with beers and wine on ice.
A few of the cougars milling around outside the marquee gave him and Knox funny looks, and he placed his hand on Knox’s arm when he sensed the male’s mood faltering, turning dark again.
“Let’s go in.” He jerked his chin towards the opening in the white tent, where ribbons of lights hung down to the floor on either side.
A long red carpet had been laid out inside, with wooden boards covering the grass on either side of it.
They reached the opening in the marquee and Saint drew up short as he almost ran straight into Flint. The black-haired male gave him an awkward smile and glanced inside the tent.
“Damned guys who were meant to be bringing the chairs couldn’t make it.” Flint didn’t look happy about that as he looked down at a clipboard in his hand. “Everyone is going to have to stand. We’re lucky half the guests made it after that little snowstorm kicked in.”
Saint was beginning to wish none of them had been able to make it through the snow. He didn’t like the way they all looked at him, as if he didn’t belong there. There was no need for them to try to make him feel that way. He knew he didn’t.
Saint shrugged it off, fought a grimace as his shoulder ached, hiding it from the cougar.
Flint looked as if he was going to leave without another word, and then he rocked back on his heels, that awkward edge to his grey eyes growing. “Sorry about the low blow I dealt you. I was courting Yasmin and had to do something dramatic to win her and… well… I shouldn’t have done that.”
Saint came dangerously close to growling at the male, because he didn’t need a reminder of being laid low for a week because of this cougar, waiting for his balls to heal. The only thing that stopped him was the fact he had admitted he had been trying to win his female. His mate. Saint thought about what he would do in order to win Holly’s love, and found there was nothing he wouldn’t do.
Saint lifted his hand and Flint tensed, flinched away a little, and then relaxed as Saint merely slapped him on the shoulder rather than punching him as he had clearly expected. “Apology accepted. Not going to hold it against you. No bad blood between us, cougar… just… don’t come picking fights at Black Ridge again.”
“Thanks, man.” Flint gave him a tight smile and hurried off, heading for the group of cougars. “Come on. Inside.”
Saint caught Knox’s arm and dragged him into the tent, ignored the gazes of the curious cougars who all looked their way and found a quiet spot near the entrance, away from all of them. Knox sighed and Saint knew why. The spot he had chosen was close to one of the patio heaters and the warmth of it was delicious, like standing outside in the summer sunshine.
Whoever had decorated the marquee had done a nice job of it. Strings of warm white lights had been draped between the walls and the high peak in the centre of the ceiling, and a cream painted trellis arch at the far end had the same lights woven among holly, mistletoe and ivy. All very seasonal.
He didn’t need to tiptoe to see the faces of everyone in the tent, searched them all in a hunt for Holly, only he couldn’t see her anywhere. Where was she?
Rath and Storm entered, both males dressed in black tuxedos, and Cobalt trailed in behind them, wearing a dark blue suit that hugged his broad frame.
Everyone hurried to greet the two grooms, and Rath and Storm smiled at everyone. The alpha even took a moment to look for him, smiled and nodded at the same time as Saint when their eyes locked. He wanted to ask Rath where Holly was as an uneasy feeling grew inside him, a fear she had been taken ill or something had happened to her, but he didn’t get the chance.
Both males reached the arch where Cobalt had settled himself and was flipping through cards he held in a white-knuckle grip, radiating more nerves than the two grooms combined. Flint started the music and the crowd murmured, but Saint was too busy staring at the arch to pay attention to what was happening, his gaze fixed on the holly on it.
He needed to see his Holly.
Saint turned to leave as that need became too great to deny, stopped dead as she stepped into the marquee, a small bundle of white flowers held tucked to her chest in both hands.
Gods, she was breathtaking. Radiant.
A long, dark green satin dress hugged her curves, inflamed him and made him forget where he was. Made him forget his own damned name.
Cobalt growled low, a possessive snarl that echoed inside Saint too. Beside Holly, Ember blushed and cast a self-conscious look at her own deep green dress. They almost looked like twins as they walked as one down the aisle, with their raven hair twisted into a knot at the back of their heads and their grey eyes bright with happiness.
But one thing set them apart.
Ember had a mating mark on her nape.
His heart thudded hard when Holly shyly glanced his way before facing forwards again, and his gaze caught on her nape, on that patch of unmarked skin. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from it, was sure she would be aware of him staring at it, aware of the hungers raging through him, a need that had him firmly back on edge.
He wanted to be the one to mark her nape.
He wanted to be her mate.
The two brides entered, Ivy wearing an elegant corseted white gown while Gabi had gone for a more conservative modern dress. He tried to focus on them as they approached their respective grooms, tried to pay attention to the ceremony, but Holly stole the whole of his focus.
He needed her.
And he would have her.
