Page 26 of Knot Her Mountain Men

Fleeing into the wilderness was supposed to havereducedmy problems. It did, for a while. I wasn’t sure what to do about this one. As a pack we had never actively pursued anyone, preferring to quietly build a life that suited us. Now Morgan was a bomb dropped right in the center of it. I didn’t even want to try to protect myself from the damage she could do.

A body dropped into the snow next to me and I lifted my head to see Bear. “What are you doing out here?”

He shrugged, lying back.

“Morgan and Kit slept together.”

Bear nodded.

“It doesn’t bother you?”

He let out a sharp laugh. Bear wasn’t chatty to begin with, and being out in the winter darkness prevented a lot of communication since he’d have to take off his mittens to sign and I wouldn’t be able to see them well anyway.

“Did you come out to bring me inside or to make sure I don’t get eaten?”

He shrugged again. I was pretty sure Bear hadn’t been high-strung a day in his life. He would sit out here in complete silence with me while I ruminated, protecting me while my mind was occupied.

Eventually I balled up my self-pity and shoved it deep into my gut. “Let’s go in. Make sure Mav hasn’t gotten restless and done something stupid.”

We rose as one and slipped back into the lodge, chucking our gear in the garage and moving through the pitch-black halls until we emerged on the main floor, where the central fire cast a warm glow on everything.

I nudged Maverick with my toes. “You still alive?”

He raised his middle finger without opening his eyes.

“Carry on.” I turned back to Bear. “Okay, give me your opinions now that I can see them.”

“She likes him,” he signed, expression soft and contemplative.

“Obviously. You don’t wish it was you who had taken her to stake out a nest?”

“Sure.” Bear shrugged, raising an eyebrow as he angled his head toward the stairs. “But better him than none.”

Maverick peeled open one eye. “What did I miss?”

“Kit and Morgan in my bed,” I replied.

He tried to sit up sharply and winced, lowering himself back down. “Scent match working fast?”

“Sure seems like it.” It was a good thing. The more of us she got close to, the less likely she was to leave. In theory.

Kit was the best of us at interpersonal relationships and making people feel at ease, so it wasn’t surprising that Morgan had attached to him the quickest. We needed to move fast. Morgan had to know what kind of life we could offer her before the end of the storm took her away.

Long-distance dating wasn’t the end of the world. We could make it to Missoula and back in the same day, even if it wasn’t ideal. I would do it if she needed it.

We all would.

“Is your room going to be her nest?” Maverick asked.

“No clue. She can have it if she wants.”

Pumpkin launched herself onto the couch, making herself comfortable on top of me. I scratched her ears, squeezing my eyes shut and tucking my lips in as she licked all over my face. Curling a hand gently over her muzzle stopped the onslaught. “Are you not getting all the attention anymore? Don’t worry, sweet girl. No one’s going to forget you because we have an omega.”

Pumpkin thumped her entire body weight onto the side, nearly knocking the wind out of me as she flailed her legs around to find the perfect position.

Bear’s shoulders shook with laughter and Maverick chuckled from his spot on the floor.

When Pumpkin finally settled, I stroked her belly fur and stared up the stairs. “What do you think the odds are of sleeping in my own bed tonight?”

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