Stolen by her Bear (Black Ridge Bears Shifter Romance Series Book 1) Read online

  Or his lips claiming hers.

  She grabbed her drink and sipped it, hid in it as Cobalt slid down from the arm of the couch to nestle against Ember. Heat filled his grey eyes, bringing out the gold as he gazed at his mate.

  Jealousy writhed inside Holly and not for the first time since Cobalt and Ember had picked her up to bring her to the Creek. She tried not to look at them, tried to shut them out as they smiled at each other, as they toyed with each other’s hands and spoke in low voices.

  They looked so good together, and they were clearly deeply in love, and here she was, unable to feel a damned thing.

  Cobalt’s grey-gold eyes warmed further. There was so much love in that look.

  She felt sure no one would ever look at her that way.

  Holly set her drink down and stood, and Ember looked up at her, surprise in her grey-blue eyes that turned to guilt as she eased away from her mate and tucked her fall of wavy black hair behind her ear.

  “I’m sorry,” Ember whispered.

  Holly waved her away. “Don’t be. I think I hear another book calling.”

  Before her friend could say anything else, she grabbed her purple jacket from the rack near the door by the kitchen and pulled her matching hat on, covering her own dark hair. She shoved her feet into her tall waterproof boots and slipped her arms into her coat.

  “Thanks for the drink.” She regretted turning to say that when she found Cobalt kissing Ember, his right hand framing her face.

  Holly hurried out of the door, needing the air.

  She stepped off the raised wooden deck of the L-shaped cabin, the snow crunching beneath her boots as she banked right, heading past the huge lodgepole pine that stood in the bend of the cabin. She kept her steps light as she walked, nimbly crossing a patch of slippery compacted snow, and glanced up the sloping clearing towards the far end of it, where the forest was untouched, covered the base of the mountain that watched over the Creek.

  Smoke curled lazily from the chimney of the cabin tucked beneath the trees at the top of the clearing, a small lodge with a deck below the pitched roof. Someone moved around inside it, stepping in front of the picture window to the right of the door, and in the triangular window that filled the space right beneath the roof, warm light flickered.

  Rath opened the door and stepped out, turned back towards the inside of the cabin and said something she didn’t hear. He pulled a black hat on and grabbed the two snow shovels on the deck, and stepped down onto the patch of grass he and his brothers had already worked to clear.

  It looked as if Cobalt was about to get another disturbance.

  She slipped into the woods to her right, slowly relaxing as she breathed deep of the crisp air, as her gaze darted over everything. Cougar Creek was beautiful in the snow. Peaceful. Sunlight filtered through the trees, caught on the snow that had made it through the branches of the evergreens and made it sparkle like diamonds.

  Holly listened to the world, enjoying the quiet of winter, the bite to the air and the chill on her skin. Birds sang in the distance, and more than one creature moved through the trees ahead of her and above her.

  She reached Cobalt’s cabin but rather than taking the steps up onto the raised deck of the smaller L-shaped wooden lodge that faced a patch of open land and the river, she picked another path, heading down towards that creek.

  She listened for it, smiled when she heard it trickling beneath the ice and layers of snow.

  Holly stopped close to the concealed bank of it, drew down a deep breath and sighed it out as she gazed at the snow-draped forest that covered the other side of the river, followed the trees up to the point where they thinned. She canted her head as she took in the mountains, struck by their beauty as their white peaks met clear deep blue sky.

  Winter was beautiful.

  She always had loved this time of year, despite how hard her family tried to ruin it for her.

  She could spend hours just standing in this one spot, taking in the forest and mountains, feeling nature surrounding her, and she was sure she wouldn’t feel the cold. She tensed as a breeze swirled snow around her boots, caressed icy fingers across her face. Fine, maybe she would feel it.

  She was already missing that hot chocolate she had left behind at Ember’s. Maybe she should have brought the mug with her, could have been enjoying it right that moment as she took in the view. A thought pinged into her head. She could make herself a hot drink to stand on the deck with or bring back to this spot. It would keep the chill off her and allow her to spend more time out in the fresh air.

  Holly looked over her shoulder at the cabin, tempted to head inside and make her own, aware that if she did she would end up curling up in front of the fire with it rather than coming back out to take in the view.

  She looked back at the world around her. Just a little more time outside. The air would do her good and it was better than sitting indoors all day. Although, she might end up napping on the couch, worn out by the cold and the walk.

  She stamped her feet to warm them and then set off again, following the concealed river to the other side of Cobalt’s small territory, heading into the woods there. Animal tracks cut through the thin snow, stealing her focus as she picked out which species they belonged to, and mused over ones she didn’t recognise.

  Holly lifted her head and stilled as she found herself in a part of the woods she didn’t recognise.

  When she had first arrived, Cobalt had warned her not to stray too far north of the Creek, had told her scary stories about the bears there when everyone had been drinking beers around the fire Rath had built in the clearing, close to Ember’s home.

  Storm had assured her that she could wander all she wanted. The bears who remained at Black Ridge slept through the winter like their animal counterparts. It had reassured her, but only a little. Her walk back to Cobalt’s cabin in the pitch dark had been swift, and she had made sure to lock the door behind her. Her mind had run wild that night, filled with fantasies about running into one of the bears, ones that had turned to nightmares.

  Mostly because Rath had told her to get her butt straight back to the Creek if she ever crossed paths with any of the bears.

  Or yell for help.

  When she had looked at the others, none of them had contradicted him. Everyone had looked grave.

  Holly had decided not to stray far from Cobalt’s cabin, to keep firmly away from the bears’ territory. She was sure they were all sleeping just as Storm had said, but she didn’t want to risk it. She didn’t want any trouble with them.

  A bird flitted overhead and she turned and lifted her head to track it, raised her hand to shield her eyes as she tried to see it. It was long gone, disappeared into the trees.

  She had been trying to catch sight of birds for days now, had only heard them so far.

  A sudden sensation that something wasn’t right hit her, had her instincts rushing to the fore, flooding her with awareness of the world around her.

  Holly’s spine stiffened.

  She wasn’t alone.

  Her breathing slowed as her senses sharpened, as she listened hard for a sign that she hadn’t imagined that someone was out there.

  Watching her.

  A bear?

  Panic was swift to set in, the tales the brothers had spun about them filling her mind, making her heart race.

  She did exactly what her alpha had told her to do.

  She hurried back towards the cabin.

  Prayed to the gods that whoever was out there, they wouldn’t chase her.

  Her heart jolted into her throat as a twig snapped behind her.

  Chapter 3

  The urge to follow the cougar female was strong, had Saint rising to his feet, taking a step in the direction she had gone. A branch snapped beneath his boot and he cursed as she broke into a run, found the strength to deny the instinct she ignited in him—an urge to chase down his prey and not let it escape.

  Saint huffed, his breath fogging in the air, and forced h
imself to turn away instead. No good would come from scaring the female. He was too tired for a fight with the cougars, just wanted to sleep. He knew what the noise was now, so he didn’t need to start a war.

  He just needed to crawl back into bed.

  He reached the edge of the woods, grumbled under his breath as he started wading through the snow, back towards the heart of Black Ridge. The sight of smoke drifting into the air from the firepit in the centre of the clearing was a welcome one, had him veering away from his cabin and heading towards it instead.

  Knox and Lowe sat on the thick logs they had uncovered, ones set around the large firepit, a ridge of snow surrounding them to create a circular clearing around twenty feet across. Two entrances had been cut into the wall of snow, one leading to a path the twins had cleared to his cabin and one to their own homes. Branching off from that path was another one that led to the outbuilding that stood between his cabin and those of the twins.

  Knox grunted as Saint sank onto the log opposite him, jerked his chin slightly and went back to prodding the fire with an iron, a sour look on his face. He was dressed more appropriately now, had donned the same warm protective gear as his brother wore, and both males had pulled thick black knitted hats on, covering their blond hair. Firelight flickered in his blue eyes as he stared at the flames, sitting hunched forwards with his elbows resting on his knees and his back to his cabin.

  Beside him, Lowe sat upright, stifling another yawn. Two shovels had been propped against the other end of the log he sat on, and Lowe had removed his gloves. He leaned forwards, warming his hands on the fire, and looked over the flames at Saint.

  “Cougars?” His deep voice was a rumbling growl, laced with fatigue.

  Saint nodded. “They seem to be overwintering at the Creek this year.”

  Knox muttered something beneath his breath and Saint could feel his mood degenerating, turning blacker.

  He pinned his blue eyes on Saint. “Why? What the hell are they doing there? They know we’re sleeping here.”

  Lowe just looked at his brother and placed his hand on his back. He had never been the talkative one out of the twins. Knox said enough for both of them.

  “There’s some kind of celebration going on. I heard Rath ask Cobalt about a certificate, and the male said something about being ordained.” Saint rested his elbows on his knees and stretched his hands out towards the fire, almost moaned as the heat of it chased the icy numbness from his bones.

  Knox grunted, “Sounds like a wedding.”

  “Makes sense.” Saint rubbed his hands together, warming them further. “Two of their mates are human. They probably wanted a traditional wedding ceremony to go with their mating.”

  “We still owe Storm and Flint,” Lowe growled, and the cougars must have really pissed him off by waking him up because it really wasn’t like Lowe to be out for blood.

  “Believe me, I know that.” Saint remembered all too well what those two brothers had done to him, but getting into a war with them wasn’t going to change the past.

  Although, it would probably improve his mood.

  His bear side had been restless since Flint had rolled into the Ridge to pick a fight, wanted a rematch with the cougar.

  He tried not to listen to that tempting voice inside him that said he could have revenge, and in the process teach the cougars a lesson for waking him and his kin from their winter sleep. His bear side had a tendency to make bad decisions if he let it take the helm, ones that usually got him into a lot of trouble and landed him with a whole heap of regrets.

  “Saw a female in the woods too.” Saint lifted his head and debated whether to say much more than that, some part of him growling at the thought of sharing her with Knox and Lowe, making him want to clam up and keep her to himself. He managed to shake off that urge as Knox sat up, giving him the whole of his attention. “Black hair. Petite. Grey eyes like the rest of them. Definitely cougar.”

  “Black hair?” Knox rubbed his blond beard. “Sounds like Cobalt’s mate. I saw them from the other side of the river in summer.”

  Acid scoured Saint’s insides as he thought about the fact the female belonged to Cobalt. It was what he had thought, but for some reason hearing Knox confirm that she was mated to another had Saint on the verge of shifting, made him want to roar and unleash his fury on everything in his path.

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. Rubbed it. He was just tired and cranky. Just wanted to sleep.

  “Did she cross into our territory?” Knox’s voice held a dark note, one that warned Saint his thoughts were treading dangerous paths. “We could get some payback. The cougars messed with us. We mess with the cougars.”

  Tempting, but he tamped down his desire to let anger steal control of him, pulled back on the reins and cleared his head, refusing to let his bear side rule his actions. He wanted a fight right now, and it would be all too easy to let that part of him take the helm. Maintaining the peace between his pride and the cougars was more important than revenge.

  Especially when only three of them were here and there were four cougar males at the Creek.

  While he, Knox and Lowe would have the advantage of brute strength, the cougars were quicker, worked well as a team, and they were cunning too.

  He dropped his head into his palm. And he really just wanted to sleep.

  “I’ll get some food on.” Lowe stood, grabbed the shovels and went back to his cabin, taking a detour via the small outbuilding they used as a larder and storage room.

  Knox continued to poke at the fire, showering sparks into the cold air, his expression slowly darkening. Saint could practically feel his mood taking a nosedive as the seconds ticked by, as they rolled into minutes and then close to an hour.

  Evening was beginning to fall as Lowe emerged from his cabin, three bowls in one hand and an old cast iron pot in the other.

  Saint’s mouth watered at the smell of the food as Lowe sat on the log, set the pot down and pulled the lid off. Lowe filled a bowl with the hearty bean and beef stew, and held it out to Saint.

  “Thanks.” Saint was quick to take it, to grab the spoon and dig in. He groaned at the taste of it, threw Lowe an appreciative look.

  “That good, huh?” Knox grabbed the next bowl from Lowe and scooped up a mouthful, ate it and was quick to nod. “Damn, that is good.”

  Lowe looked as if he might blush.

  It was probably just hunger talking, making the stew taste like the most amazing thing on the planet, but then again, it probably wasn’t. Lowe was a demon in the kitchen, always kept everyone well fed.

  Saint polished off a second bowl and set it down on top of Lowe’s one inside the empty pot. He stretched and yawned, tilted his head back and stared at the Milky Way that arched above the moonlit mountains. That was beautiful. Not the snow. Seeing the heavens so clearly because of the cold, still air almost made being awake in winter worth it.

  Almost.

  “I’m hitting the sack.” He patted his full stomach. “Got enough fuel to see me through to spring now. Don’t stay up too late.”

  Lowe nodded.

  Knox snarled as a rowdy cheer went up to the south of the Ridge, followed by a round of laughter.

  Saint glared in that direction, fisted his hands and fought to leash his mood as it blackened again, as he realised getting sleep wasn’t going to be as easy as it had sounded just a moment ago.

  Knox stood when another peal of laughter drifted through the trees.

  Saint held his right hand out towards him, stopping him from moving, and Knox scowled at him but obeyed his silent order to remain where he was.

  “I’ll handle this. I’ll speak to Rath, convince him to keep the noise down.” Saint zipped up his coat again, the thought of having to head back out through the snow, in the dark this time, when it was even colder now, turning his mood pitch-black.

  He had thought they would all be able to sleep now they knew who was causing the noise, but the look on Knox’s face said the male wasn’t t
hinking about hitting the sack. He was thinking about starting a war. No way Saint could sleep knowing that Knox was probably plotting ways to force the cougars to be quiet, liable to go off half-cocked to bloody some noses and ruin the fragile peace between Cougar Creek and Black Ridge.

  He wanted to growl, his bear instincts coming to the fore as sleep was snatched from him again. He should have talked to Rath earlier, but he had wanted to avoid a conflict. Now he had the feeling that wasn’t possible.

  Either he told the cougars to turn down the volume of their celebration or Knox was going to tear through Cougar Creek on a rampage.

  Saint followed the path he had cut through the snow to reach the fire when he had returned from Cougar Creek, his anger rising with each step that brought him closer to the cougars’ territory. He was careful as he reached the woods, silently picking his way through the trees, moving with stealth so the felines wouldn’t sense him until he had located Rath.

  He lifted his head and scented the air, picked up the cougar alpha’s familiar smell, together with the faint aroma of sweet berries. He growled at that scent, at the need to shift that swept through him in response to it, his thoughts treading dark paths of revenge again. Saint reined in that urge, put a lid on it and focused on his mission.

  Talking to Rath.

  The male was reasonable ninety percent of the time. If Saint asked nicely, explained the situation without a bite in his tone, then the male would probably agree to keep it down.

  He tracked Rath’s scent and frowned when it led him towards the mountains, not towards the clearing. Laughter rang through the trees in the direction of that clearing, voices there filling the night air, drawing his focus to them. Was the female there? Ember. Knox had said that was her name.

  And that she belonged to Cobalt.

  Saint’s bear side growled at that again and he put it down to an urge to have revenge on that male for the part he had played in a fight that had ended with Saint gaining a scar that cut across his left eye, from his forehead to the start of his beard, as well as deep scars on his right shoulder.