Page 67 of Knotting Autumn

He nodded, turning away.

“Sawyer? I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Bittersweet affection welled inside of me, and I swallowed, fighting back the urge to cry. But everything was overwhelming. The image of Sawyer shoving a kitchen knife between a man’s ribs flashed behind my eyes, followed by Cole’s stunned expression. They’d certainly have a crazy story to tell about how they bonded.

Wandering back into the cabin, I stopped beside Thorne. He leaned against the kitchen cabinets, watching Cole worriedly.

“So, Sawyer says they’re fated mates,” I said quietly.

Thorne dipped his chin, his mouth flattening. His gaze lingered on Cole for a moment before he turned his attention to me. “Yeah, that’s what I suspected.”

Cole lifted his head, soft gray eyes meeting mine. His words echoed back to me, and I repeated them to Thorne. “What about all four of us together?”

“Is that what you want?” he asked, wrapping an arm around my hips.

Pausing, I considered. “I want everyone to be happy. And yes, I want you and Sawyer. And I do have feelings for Cole. They’re different, but still there.”

Thorne bit his lip, and I could see thoughts whirling behind his eyes. “Fated mates aren’t common, but they’re common enough that I know with male-male pairings, things can be different.”

“What do you mean,different?”

“Sawyer may not be able to ignore the bond the way we did.”

“It’s not like that worked well for us,” I said, frowning. “We got sick.”

“Yes. This would be worse. Look, let’s hope I’m wrong.”

“That’s not reassuring,” I said.

Sawyer refused to come back inside the cabin until darkness forced him to. I warmed up canned soup on the gas stove as Thorne fed wood into the fireplace. It was late enough in the year that it was icy cold in the mountains.

Once the sun set, bitter cold crept in. Cole didn’t move from the futon except to use the bathroom, while Sawyer perched on the bed, eyeing him suspiciously.

No one seemed willing to discuss anything, and I had a sinking feeling that if I pushed Sawyer, he would get angry and it would make things worse.

Sawyer retrieved blankets from the closet, and Cole stretched out on the futon while the three of us curled on the bed together.

I woke up in the night to see Cole curled against Sawyer’s back. My heart did a weird flip-flop at the sight. Sighing, I snuggled against Thorne and went back to sleep.

Chapter 22

Boy Heat

Thorne nudged me, waking me. Scowling at him, I tried to roll away, but he grabbed my shoulder. Jerking his head, he silently asked me to come with him.

Despite the cold, I followed him onto the front porch. Our breath came out in little clouds, and a shiver worked its way down my spine.

“Oh, love, I’m sorry it’s so cold,” Thorne murmured, wrapping his arms around me.

“Why did you drag me out here?” I grumbled, irritated enough to ignore the desire stirring in my gut at his proximity.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, peering down at me.

Huffing, I leaned my cheek against his chest, needing to touch him. “I’m fine.”

Taking a deep breath, Thorne continued. “How does Sawyer feel through your bond?”