Page 34 of Alpha's Claim
Colt chuckled, squeezing Briar’s shoulder. “Something like that.”
Briar smiled up at him, and Colt could feel the tension slowly easing out of her. She might not have expected to find herself sitting at his side, surrounded by his family—but she was here. And that was all that mattered.
Etta placed a hand on Briar’s knee under the table, her smile warm and genuine. “Welcome to the family, sweetheart.”
Briar blinked, clearly taken aback, but the corners of her mouth curved into a small, tentative smile.
Colt leaned in, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered, “Told you. You belong here.”
And as the conversation around the room resumed, Colt retook his seat knowing, without a doubt, that this was just the beginning. Whatever challenges lay ahead, whatever threats they still had to face—Briar was his. And he would fight for her, no matter what.
Dinner continued and as the clink of silverware quieted, Colt set his knife and fork down with a deliberate motion, the scrape of metal on the plate sharp in the silence. He waited, his silence focusing the attention of everyone in the room on him. His family, his pack—they were watching, waiting.
He leaned back in his chair, slow and deliberate, exuding calm control even as the protective force of his wolf surged beneath the surface. With Briar sitting beside him, her presence grounding him, it was time to speak as the alpha.
As dinner started to wind down, Colt stood once again. “Before everyone leaves, I have a few more things to say,” he said, his voice dropping into a deeper register, steady and deliberate. “Briar isn’t just running from her past. She’s being hunted.”
A ripple of tension moved through the room, low growls rising from those men seated around the tables. Their hackles raised instinctively at the thought of someone pursuing one of their own.
Colt rested his hand on Briar’s thigh beneath the table, steadying both of them as he continued. “Her former coven arranged for her to marry a man from another coven—one who’s already proven violent. When she refused, they didn’t take it well. Some of them tracked her here, and today three of those men came looking for her.”
A series of low, angry murmurs filled the room, the sound rumbling like distant thunder. Landon’s jaw tightened, and Bryce cursed under his breath. Several of the others exchanged dark looks, their expressions hardening with resolve.
Colt gave them a moment to absorb the news before continuing. “This isn’t just a visitor issue. They mean to take her from us.” His gaze swept across the table, his eyes gleaming with the promise of violence. “That’s not happening.”
A growl of agreement spread around the room, low and dangerous, the pack shifting in their seats as their collective anger simmered just beneath the surface. These were his people—his wolves—and no one threatened what belonged to them without facing the consequences.
“What do you need from us, Alpha?” one of the older pack members asked, his voice gruff and steady.
Colt sat forward, his hands braced on the edge of the table, every movement deliberate and controlled. “Landon and Bryce are already working with some of the men to increase patrols. No one comes or goes without my permission.” His voice cut through the air like a blade, leaving no room for argument. “We’re in lockdown starting now.”
Murmurs of acknowledgment rippled through the room. Colt could feel the shift—the pack falling into line, their instincts syncing with his. This wasn’t just about orders. This was about protecting one of their own.
“No one leaves the barnyard without an escort,” Colt continued, his voice a low growl. “I don’t care if it’s a quickerrand or a moonlight stroll. If you’re out of sight of the main compound, I want you covered. We’ll try to get this resolved as soon as possible.”
“We understand,” came the firm response from the pack.
Landon leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his expression hard as steel. “We’ll keep everyone in line, Colt. Patrols are already doubling.”
Bryce cracked his knuckles, his grin sharp and dangerous. “I’ll make sure no one gets close without us knowing.”
Colt gave them a nod, satisfied. His pack was ready. They would defend their land, their people, and, most importantly, his mate.
He glanced down at Briar, her green eyes wide but steady as she absorbed the meaning of the conversation. He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. She wasn’t alone in this fight—not anymore.
“Anything else?” one of the younger men asked, his wolf peeking out in the gleam of his eyes, ready to act.
Colt’s gaze hardened, and his voice rumbled with quiet authority. “If those bastards come back, they don’t leave in one piece.”
A growl of approval spread around the table, sharp and hungry. The pack was ready for a fight—eager, even.
With that, Briar rested her hand on his. The message was clear. The pack knew where they stood—and where Briar stood at his side, where she belonged. And anyone who thought otherwise? Well, they’d learn soon enough what it meant to cross Colt Savage and his pack.
The tension in the room shifted, sharp and crackling as Colt’s gaze swept across the pack, locking eyes with each of them. There was one more matter to handle—one that had festered for far too long. His jaw tightened as he leaned forward, his expression hard, voice low and deliberate.
“There’s one more thing.” Colt’s tone was all alpha now, brooking no argument. “Elle will be escorted into Dallas first thing tomorrow. That should be far enough to keep her out of the hunters’ reach. She’s no longer welcome here. And if anyone has a problem with that, they can pack their things and leave with her.”
A shocked silence fell over the table, broken only by the faint scrape of utensils as the pack exchanged stunned glances.