Chapter 14

Chapter

Fourteen

brIAR

B riar felt the edge of the bed at the back of her knees. She drew the shirt up and over her hair before pushing down her leggings and panties. She removed her bra as he stood, his gaze devouring her. She knew what he wanted, what he expected. She thought she might feel nervous or afraid, but she didn't. Her skin felt as if it were pulled taut over her body as every part of her throbbed with heat. His scent called to her in a way nothing ever had. He was so close, but still seemed so far.

God, he was gorgeous. He was alpha, and she was his mate. He was her alpha.

Briar could feel arousal pooling in her nether region. The moment her scent reached him, it was as if the world shifted. His nostrils flared and his lips parted as he drank in the faint traces of her arousal. His dark eyes intensified as they gazed at her.

"I need you, Briar. I keep worrying that I'm going to wake up and find you're not real."

A purr rumbled deep in his chest. His body was braced, like he wanted to move towards her, but he was using his last measure of control to hold out so as not to frighten her. He was so honorable, so noble, and it was all so unnecessary. She'd been fascinated by the tales of alpha wolves and how they treated and claimed their mates.

All she could think about was getting those strong hands wrapped around her again, pinning her to the bed, and showing her what it meant to be claimed and knotted. Her pulse hammered through her veins, and her muscles twitched at the thought.

"Alpha," she purred in a husky voice, pulling his gaze to lock eyes with hers. He braced himself, ready to go against every primal instinct in his body if she told him no. She knew he would wait if she asked him to, but she had no intention of doing that.

She lay down on the bed, reaching her hand out to him. "Did you know that the elders in the coven told tales about male alpha wolves and how they would descend upon anything female, stripping them naked and driving their knots up into them before claiming them with a savage bite?"

"I hope you're joking."

"Oh no, they made it sound horrible. The problem is, I was always intrigued. I never thought I'd actually see a male wolf, especially an alpha and especially one fully aroused with a knot forming at the base of his cock."

Colt grinned, and she could feel the tension and his concern sliding off of him. There was a part of her who recognized now she'd always felt part wolf, and that wolf longed to be set free and howl in victory. Heat rolled off her body in waves. Slick coated her thighs, her pussy throbbing in anticipation of being knotted for the first time.

Colt pulled off his clothes and climbed into bed, dragging her beneath him until she was pinned by his muscular body, growling low and seductively. She didn't just hear the sound, but she felt it, as well. Briar inhaled deeply, filling her nostrils with the rich, musky scent of him as she reached out for his body.

But Colt wouldn't let her. With both of her wrists in one of his large, calloused hands, he pulled her arms over her head and held them tight. Her body was stretched out and glistening with sweat and slick. Colt took advantage of her immobility to press his nose into the crook of her neck and inhale. After filling his lungs with her scent, he growled again, then began to trail wet, open-mouthed kisses across her skin, drowning her in his own scent.

"Colt, please..."

Her sex was swollen almost to the point of being painful, and Briar was too far gone to care about her dignity. She decided she'd beg for his knot if he wanted her to.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll give you what you need."

As he said it, he demonstrated it by dragging the length of his cock between her legs. Still pinning her to the bed with one hand, he straddled her thighs and guided his cock with the other. The hot, velvet skin of his crown teased at her lips, making her cry out when he didn't press in.

Colt's eyes never left hers as he watched desire bloom, causing her nipples to stiffen and goosebumps to rise along her heated flesh. He rumbled at her softly and she purred in invitation. He paid deliberate and lingering attention to both of her nipples and alternated between them, using both his mouth and hands to inflame her need further.

His cock was thick and hard and the knot at its base impressive, but she trusted him and was eager to experience something she had only fantasized about.

Continuing to fondle her breasts, Colt began to move down her body—licking, sucking, nipping until his head was between her legs. He raised each one over one of his shoulders, nuzzling her clit before sucking it into his mouth and swirling his tongue around it. He gave it the edge of his teeth before splaying her labia to spear her pussy with his tongue. Briar moaned as she began to move her hips in an old and familiar rhythm.

He thrust his tongue inside before flattening it so he could fully taste all of her honeyed essence. He felt her legs tremble as her body shivered. Colt pulled back so as not to send her over the edge. She whimpered in frustration, and he chuckled.

He nipped at her swollen nub as he began to make his way back up her body. She had never known such sweet torment, but Colt seemed intent on taking his time. She spread her legs wider so that he could make a home for himself there. The head of his cock prodded between her thighs. He reached between them with one hand and fingered her core as he pressed his thumb down on her clit. Slipping his hands beneath her to cup her buttocks, he squeezed them lightly, steadying her. Her body tensed in anticipation of the pain and ecstasy she knew she was about to experience.

"Relax, Briar," he crooned before his mouth captured hers as he surged forward with a ferocity and power unlike anything she'd ever experienced, breaching her with his knot.

Colt lay still, allowing her body to relax and accept his knot. His kisses became more coaxing than demanding. He held her tight to keep her from moving as he began to slowly rock within her. Nothing had ever felt so exquisite. She pushed past the pain of the breach and began to embrace the intimacy and sensuality that was inherent in being knotted.

She could feel the knot swelling within her to ensure none of his seed would escape. Colt held her close and nuzzled her neck to reassure her. She wrapped herself around him, her legs intertwining with his in wanton response to his possession and claiming. He trailed kisses down her neck and then lifted her chin, baring her throat to him. He kissed the spot between the hollow of her throat and her collarbone, nipping it once before baring his canines and sinking them into her.

Briar cried out, raking her nails down his back. She wasn't sure if it was from passion or pain and realized it didn't much matter. He bit down savagely, shaking her gently as he began to rock more ferociously within her. His knot pulled against her entrance until it finally caught. Her body tensed, bearing down on him and holding him tight as he pulsed inside of her. She could feel the splash of his hot seed as it filled her, setting off a chain reaction of pleasure and rightness.

They lay tied together as her body milked his knot for every drop of his cum that she could drain from him. There seemed to be an infinite amount of pleasure to be had from being with Colt. The soft groans that escaped his lips as he kissed and nuzzled her were satisfying in the extreme.

T he days that followed Briar's claiming, she felt like she had stepped into a new world—a world that both frightened and exhilarated her. Her senses had sharpened, everything around her becoming more vivid. The scents of the earth, the crisp morning air, the sounds of the ranch—the distant nicker of horses, the rhythmic thrum of the wind—all came alive with startling clarity. It was as though her soul had cracked open, allowing her to experience everything in a way she never had before.

Colt had been right there with her through it all, steady and unflinching. His touch grounded her, his presence a constant reminder that she wasn't alone. He gave her space when she needed it but stayed close enough to catch her when the changes overwhelmed her. In moments of confusion or panic, his quiet strength kept her anchored.

Now that the storm inside her had settled, Briar knew one thing for sure: she wasn't going anywhere. Not because she had to stay, but because she wanted to. And that truth filled her with a kind of peace she hadn't thought possible.

The garden, too, was beginning to take shape, and that was where Briar found herself again after Colt had ridden out with some of the men, admonishing her to stay in the house and rest. The once-overgrown patch of earth was now a space of beauty and order. Vines had been tamed to climb the trellises properly, and tender shoots sprouted from the raised beds she had revitalized. The fountain in the center burbled softly, its water catching the afternoon light. It was hers now—a place to put her restless energy and magic into something tangible, something alive.

Briar knelt by one of the beds, gloved hands gently patting soil around a budding lavender plant. The rhythmic motion soothed her, just as it always did. She felt calm here, connected—not just to the earth, but to herself. The peace didn't last long.

A flicker of movement caught Briar's eye, and before she could look up fully, Elle's sharp voice cut through the quiet air.

"Well, well. Back in your little garden, I see."

Briar sighed inwardly, but she forced her expression to remain neutral as she stood and turned toward the other woman. Elle stood at the edge of the garden, her posture stiff and her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She looked as though she hadn't slept in days—her face drawn, her eyes wild.

"How did you get past the patrols?" Briar asked.

"If you're patient enough you can slip through them, especially if a couple of the boys are sweet on you any way."

Briar shook her head, making a mental note to let Colt know. "What do you want, Elle?" she asked, keeping her voice even.

Elle's gaze dropped to Briar's neck, and her expression shifted from tense to unhinged as she spotted Colt's claiming bite. "You let him mark you." Her voice cracked, equal parts accusation and disbelief. "You ruined everything."

Briar's fingers instinctively brushed the spot on her neck where Colt's claiming bite rested—a small, crescent-shaped mark that still tingled whenever she thought about him. She let her hand fall to her side. "I didn't ruin anything," Briar said softly. "There was never anything to ruin, Elle. There was nothing between you and Colt."

Elle's laugh was bitter and sharp, bordering on hysterical. "You don't get it, do you? He was supposed to be mine! We were supposed to be together. And then you show up, some... stray witch, and take everything."

Briar folded her arms, trying to remain patient. She didn't enjoy seeing anyone in pain, but Elle had brought this on herself. "I didn't take anything from you," Briar said gently. "Colt never belonged to you. He never promised you anything."

"That's not the point!" Elle snapped, her hands fisting at her sides. "I had a place here. I belonged. And now..." She shook her head, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You've taken it all from me."

Briar exhaled slowly, feeling every bit of Elle's anger. "I didn't ask for any of this. But you need to let it go. Colt made his choice, and you're only hurting yourself by holding on to something that was never real."

Elle's expression twisted with rage, and for a moment, Briar thought the woman might actually lunge at her. Instead, Elle took a step closer, her eyes gleaming with malice. "You need to leave, Briar. While you still can. You think Colt can protect you? You think you're safe here? You're not. And when the people hunting you catch up, they won't care who stands in their way."

Briar held Elle's gaze, refusing to back down. She was done running. And she was done letting people like Elle try to intimidate her. "I appreciate the warning," Briar said calmly, though she didn't mean it. "But I'm staying."

Elle's face twisted with frustration. "You're a fool," she hissed. "Mark my words—you'll regret this."

Briar pulled off her gardening gloves and gave Elle a tired look. "If that's how you feel, I suggest you leave. You know Colt won't be happy that you're back here. You were banished, remember?"

The flicker of panic in Elle's eyes was brief, but it was enough to tell Briar she was right. Elle might be angry and desperate, but she knew exactly how precarious her position was.

Briar rolled her shoulders, as if trying to shrug off the encounter. "I'm done here. I think I'll spend the rest of the day with Colt." She gave Elle a small, dismissive smile. "Do whatever you want, Elle. Just don't make it my problem."

With that, Briar turned and started walking toward the barn. She didn't look back. There was no point. Whatever twisted fantasy Elle had built in her mind about Colt was her own to deal with. Briar had her own future to think about, and it didn't involve indulging a bitter she-wolf.

As she neared the barn, Landon appeared from the shadows, his expression casual but alert. He tipped his hat to Briar, his blue eyes gleaming with quiet amusement.

"Everything all right, Briar?" he asked, falling into step beside her.

Briar glanced sideways at him, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I assume you were listening?"

Landon grinned. "Only a little." He gave her a wink. "Don't worry about Elle. She won't be bothering you again."

Briar arched an eyebrow. "And how can you be so sure?"

Landon's grin widened. "Let's just say Colt made it very clear if she didn't stay away that Cameron Nichols said he'll take her in. We'll give her a choice: return to Dallas or be escorted to Galveston."

Briar nodded, relief washing over her. "Good."

Landon's gaze softened, his usual teasing demeanor replaced with quiet sincerity. "You're one of us now, Briar. Whatever trouble comes knocking, we'll handle it. Pack takes care of pack."

Briar smiled, grateful for the sentiment. "Thank you, Landon."

He tipped his hat again. "Anytime."

As Landon veered off to head back to the garden, Briar's thoughts drifted back to Colt. Whatever challenges lay ahead, she knew one thing for certain: she wasn't alone in this fight. Colt was her anchor, her protector. And she was his. He might believe in the power of the pack, but Briar was a witch, and she would throw her magic in behind them. Whatever came, they would be ready.