Page 31 of Alpha's Claim
He was past caring, past reasoning. There was just the two of them and the relentless pursuit of release. Their movements grew desperate, frantic, as if they were chasing the storm outside, racing it to its peak. When he felt that familiar sizzle at the base of his spine, he knew his time had run out as he gasped for air, his heart pounding like it wanted to break out of his chest. The shavings beneath them shifted in protest as they defied the storm outside. Colt’s hands, rough and urgent, gripped her hips, guiding her, urging her on.
“Briar,” he panted, his voice a husky whisper that made her tremble despite the heat between them. “I need you. I can’t hold on.”
“Then don’t,” she breathed, bending low over him. Her lips found the salt of his skin, tasting the stormy mix of sweat and desire as she licked a path along his neck, catching his earlobe gently between her teeth. With a flick of her tongue, she whispered the command that would unleash them both. “Come.”
It was like she’d lit a fuse. Colt bucked beneath her, his control snapping as he let out a guttural moan. His body tensed, and then he shattered, releasing himself into her in hot, pulsing waves. She seemed to feel each spasm and part of him soared at the way they seemed to complete each other.
“God, Briar.” he groaned, his eyes locking onto hers, green, stormy and full of wonder.
“Shh,” she soothed, riding him through it, making sure he gave her everything he had to give.
The barn creaked around them, settling back into calm as the storm passed over. But within these walls, a new tempest was just beginning.
Colt’s guttural cry ripped through the quiet of the stable, raw and primal. His back arched off the blanket, muscles straining, as he drove up into her one final, decisive time. His breath hitched, chest heaving, riding out the last wave of their storm together.
“Briar,” he gasped, his eyes fluttering open to meet hers.
He nodded without another word and helped her to disentangle herself from him, the cool air of the barn a stark contrast against his heated skin. Standing up, he pulled her to her feet, clutching her face between his hands and giving her a passionate kiss. He grabbed a denim shirt that was hanging outside the stall and wrapped it around her. Lifting her in his arms, he strode from the barn, heading toward the house.
Colt held Briar close against his chest as he climbed the stairs, each step solid and purposeful. Her warm body was cradled in his arms, her scent—a mix of lavender, earth, and something uniquely her—filling his lungs. It soothed the primal part of him, the part that had surged to the surface the moment she’d tried to leave him. His wolf hummed with satisfaction. She was right where she belonged.
He kicked open the door to his room, the hinges groaning in protest, and carried her inside, setting her gently on the edge of the bed. The denim shirt he’d draped around her hung loose, slipping slightly off her shoulder, giving him a glimpse of her soft skin. His pulse quickened at the sight, but he forced himself to stay focused.
She needed answers—and so did he.
Colt walked back to the door and closed it behind them. He returned to the bed, crouching in front of her, resting his hands on her bare thighs. The heat of her skin seeped into his palms, grounding him, but also reminding him how close he’d come to losing her. His wolf snarled at the thought, still riding the edge of frustration.
“I’m sorry about Elle,” he said, his voice low, steady. “She’ll be dealt with. She had no right to say those things to you.”
Briar crossed her arms, her brow arched skeptically. “Dealt with?”
He nodded, his jaw tight. “She won’t interfere again. Not with us.” His gaze darkened. “I should’ve shut that down sooner, but I didn’t. That’s on me.” He ran his thumb gently along her knee, soothing, but his voice was laced with steel. “But she won’t be a problem anymore.”
Briar’s lips pressed into a thin line, doubt lingering in her eyes. “You can’t just say that.”
Colt’s wolf surged beneath his skin, ready to tear through anyone foolish enough to stand between him and his mate. He smiled grimly. “You forget, I am alpha. Elle has been a problem for a while, and I should have sent her away long before now.”
“I don’t want to be the cause of her being banished…”
“You won’t be. Elle is responsible for what she did—no one else.”
The truth was simple: there was no engagement, no promises to anyone else. Briar was the only one who mattered. She always had been, even before he knew who she was or understood exactly what she was to him.
He shifted closer, sliding his hands up her thighs to her waist, watching her carefully. “But before we go any further, I need to know something.” His voice dropped, rough with intensity. “Do you understand what it means to be claimed by an alpha wolf?”
Her breath caught, but she held his gaze. He saw the flicker of fear, of uncertainty—but beneath it was something else, something deeper.
“I know,” she whispered, her voice steady even as she rested her hands on his shoulders.
A slow grin spread across his face, satisfaction curling through him. “Good,” he murmured.
Her lips parted, and for a brief second, he saw the war inside her—the tug-of-war between reason and instinct, between fear and desire. And he knew, right then, that it didn’t matter what she tried to tell herself. She felt it, too.
He leaned in, brushing a kiss along the curve of her jaw. “I’ve waited long enough, Briar,” he whispered, his breath warm against her skin. “I’m done waiting.”
She didn’t push him away. In fact, she seemed to melt, the tension in her shoulders loosening as his lips moved from her jaw to her mouth. He kissed her slowly, savoring the taste of her—like wild honey and magic, like something he’d never be able to get enough of.
When he pulled back, she looked dazed, her green eyes wide, her breath shallow.