Page 29 of Alpha's Claim
Not knowing what else to say, she warned, “I’ll scream.”
“Doesn’t matter, and only with pleasure. I am alpha here. No one will interfere.” He reached up to brush a stray curl from her cheek. The contact was fleeting, but it sent a surge of heat through her, cancelling out all of her previous intentions.
“You’re not leaving,” Colt said quietly, his voice firm and unyielding. “Not now. Not ever.”
“You’re impossible,” she whispered. She could hear the quiver in her voice. “My staying here puts the pack in danger.”
Colt grinned; she could see his wolf—the wolf she’d seen in her dreams—staring out from behind his eyes. “Maybe. But I’m not letting you go.”
The barn seemed to close in around them, the air thick with tension—too much heat, too little space. Colt stood before her, completely and utterly naked, his powerful frame illuminated by the soft glow filtering through the slats of the barn. His darkeyes blazed with an intensity that made it impossible for Briar to think straight. Every nerve in her body buzzed with awareness of him, and the wildness in his gaze promised one thing—he wasn’t letting her walk away.
Before Briar could say a word, Colt was there, his hands—large, warm, and firm—grabbing her by the waist, spinning her and pressing her back against the wooden wall. The rough wood grazed her skin through her thin shirt, but she barely noticed. Colt’s body loomed over hers, surrounding her, crowding her, until there was nothing left in her world but him.
“Colt, I...” she began, her voice faltering.
He didn’t give her a chance to finish. His lips crashed into hers, stealing her breath and every coherent thought from her mind. The kiss was demanding, primal, as if he’d been holding back for far too long and was finally unleashing everything he’d kept bottled up.
Briar gasped into his mouth, her hands instinctively bracing against his chest, but the second her palms met the hard plane of muscle, any intention of resistance melted away. His skin was hot beneath her fingertips, the steady thrum of his heartbeat matching the frantic pulse in her own veins.
Colt deepened the kiss, his hand sliding up the curve of her waist to grip her hip possessively, drawing her closer. His tongue swept into her mouth, teasing, tasting, coaxing a soft moan from her throat. It was too much—too intense—but in the best possible way. Every touch, every stroke of his lips, ignited a fire in her blood, leaving her breathless and aching for more.
Her knees wobbled, and Colt seemed to notice. With a low growl, he pressed her tighter against the wall, his body a solid, unyielding presence that kept her grounded even as the world tilted beneath her feet.
“Colt...” she whispered, breaking the kiss just enough to catch her breath. Her lips tingled, swollen from his mouth, and the overwhelming ache in her core made it hard to think.
He pulled back slightly, just enough to meet her gaze, his thumb brushing along her cheek. The look in his eyes was primitive but steady—like a man who knew exactly what he wanted, and that something washer.
“I’m not attached to anyone, Briar,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “There’s no engagement, no promises, and certainly no attraction to Elle or anyone else.” His dark eyes burned into hers, leaving no room for doubt. “Whatever she told you—it’s all in her head. Her fantasy, not mine.”
Briar’s heart stuttered at the conviction in his voice. There was no hesitation, no uncertainty. Just the raw truth—and Colt laid it bare between them, daring her to disbelieve it.
“I have never wanted anyone but you,” he murmured, his lips grazing the corner of her mouth, teasing her with the promise of another kiss. “And I can guarantee you taste better than any fantasy that I might have had.”
Before Briar could respond, Colt claimed her lips again, his kiss fierce and possessive. Heat pooled low in her belly, spreading like wildfire through her veins. His tongue slid against hers, slow and deliberate, sending shivers down her spine. Every nerve in her body sang with arousal, and the tension that had been simmering between them for days now blazed to life with terrifying intensity.
Briar whimpered into the kiss, her hands moving up, tangling in Colt’s hair as he devoured her with lips and teeth, leaving her gasping for air. It wasn’t just a kiss—it was a declaration, a promise, a demand. Colt wasn’t just kissing her; he wasclaimingher, body and soul.
When he finally broke the kiss, they were both breathing heavily, their foreheads pressed together. Briar’s head swam, her body buzzing with sensations she hadn’t felt in years—if ever.
Colt’s eyes darkened with desire as he took in her dazed expression, his thumb tracing the outline of her bottom lip. “Elle can wait,” he whispered, a wicked grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “But I can’t.”
Before she could respond, Colt swept her up into his arms with effortless strength. Briar gasped, her hands gripping his shoulders as he cradled her against his chest, his warm, bare skin pressed against hers.
“You’re mine,” he rumbled, his voice low and full of certainty. “And we’re going to settle this—right here, right now.”
Her heart hammered in her chest as he carried her toward the nearest stall, his strides long and purposeful. There was no hesitation in him, no second-guessing. Just the fierce determination of a man who had made up his mind—and that mind was set on her.
“Colt,” she whispered, her voice wavering with equal parts desire and fear.
He paused, his golden eyes softening as he looked down at her. “You’re safe with me, Briar. Always.”
And in that moment, as the world faded away around them, Briar knew that no matter what happened next, there would be no going back. Colt Savage was going to claim her—maybe not right here and right now, but soon, and there wasn’t a force on earth that would stop him.
Chapter
Twelve
COLT