Page 50 of Alpha's Claim
Hold on, sweetheart,Colt thought fiercely, reaching out through their bond.I’m almost there. Just a little longer.
With a powerful leap, he surged forward, the fading light casting long shadows around him. The pack would follow, but Colt would be the one to find her. His wolf howled, the sound echoing through the trees, carrying a promise only Briar could hear.
I’m coming, sweetheart. I won’t let them take you from me.
Then, through the thread of their connection, her voice flickered into his mind, faint but clear.
Colt... I hear them. They’re coming. My coven... They’re almost here.
His chest tightened with a mixture of rage and fear. They were closing in on her. Time was running out.Shift, Briar!Colt urged through the link, his voice rough and commanding.You’re not helpless. Call your wolf. Let her take over.
There was a brief pause—an instant of hesitation—and Colt’s heart stuttered. Then he felt it: realization, followed by a flicker of readiness from her end of the bond.
I forgot...Briar’s thought came through, tinged with annoyance.They are not going to like this.She sounded almost gleeful.
He could sense as she shifted, the moment she remembered that she was no longer just a witch but a she-wolf, as well—a powerful, primal force waiting to be unleashed.
Through their connection, Colt felt Briar calling forth her wolf. It responded immediately, snarling in readiness, coiling within her, eager to break free. He could feel her wolf surge to the surface, her presence wild and fierce.
That’s it, sweetheart. Bring her forward. Let her out.
Colt felt a measure of pride along with her relief. Colt howled, the sound echoing through the trees, and was rewarded by his mate’s answer.
Colt’s paws barely touched the ground as he hurtled toward the clearing where she waited. Every muscle in his body burned with exertion, but he didn’t slow down. Not when he could feel Briar’s magic and her wolf rising to meet the danger that was closing in on her.
He burst through the last line of trees just as Briar’s coven arrived, their dark figures slipping into the clearing like wraiths. But what they found waiting for them wasn’t the helpless woman they’d expected.
A powerful she-wolf waited, but worse than that, a she-wolf with magic.
Briar stood at the center of the clearing, her sleek fur glinting in the moonlight, her eyes glowing with a mix of fury and power. The broken remnants of the ropes lay scattered by a tree. Her lips pulled back in a feral snarl, revealing sharp teeth. The men stumbled to a halt, startled by the sight before them.
Colt bounded into the clearing beside her with a low, menacing growl that rumbled through his chest like distant thunder. His large black form loomed beside Briar’s smaller but equally fierce one, and together they stood shoulder to shoulder, united against their enemies.
The coven members froze, their surprise evident. They hadn’t expected this. They’d come for a witch—but they found a she-wolf. And not just any wolf. A wolf bonded to an alpha.
Colt’s glowing amber eyes locked onto the men, his lips curling in a silent snarl. His growl deepened, vibrating through the ground beneath their feet. He could smell their unease, their sudden doubt. Good. Let them realize their mistake. Let them see just how badly they’d miscalculated.
Briar’s wolf let out a sharp snarl, a warning that sent a ripple of tension through the air. Her magic shimmered faintly around her, a reminder of the witch she had once been—and still was. The combination of wolf and witch was something these men hadn’t prepared for.
Colt took a step forward, his muscles taut and ready, his gaze never leaving the men. If they made a single move toward Briar, he would tear them apart without hesitation.
The men exchanged nervous glances, clearly thrown off balance. One of them raised a hand, muttering a low incantation under his breath, but Colt’s snarl cut through the air, sharp and commanding. The man faltered, his magic fizzling out before it could take hold.
Not today, bastard,Colt thought grimly.
Beside him, Briar growled softly, her body tense and poised to strike. The bond between them thrummed with shared purpose. They were in this together, and there wasn’t a force in the world that would take her from him.
The coven hesitated, their fear growing with every passing moment. They had expected an easy victory. They’d expected to take Briar without a fight. Instead, they stood before an alpha wolf and his mate, a force they hadn’t accounted for.
Colt’s wolf bristled with satisfaction at their fear, but his focus remained sharp. He wasn’t just here to intimidate. He was here to protect. To end this.
Stay close,Colt told Briar through the bond.
She gave a low rumble of agreement, her wolf fully in sync with his. And together, they waited, muscles coiled, ready to unleash hell at the slightest provocation.
The coven had no idea what they were dealing with. And Colt was more than willing to show them just how big of a mistake they’d made. Beside him, Briar’s wolf was sleek and powerful, her green eyes glowing with a strange, beautiful light that spokeof her dual nature—witch and wolf. She wasn’t just any she-wolf. She washisshe-wolf,hismate. And she wasn’t running.
The coven’s leader, a gaunt man with cruel eyes, stepped forward, muttering incantations under his breath. Power flickered in the air like static electricity, and Colt’s muscles tensed. He prepared to lunge, but before he could move, Briar did something that made him freeze in awe.