Chapter 11
Chapter
Eleven
brIAR
B riar snapped the reins again, her heart thundering in her chest as the buggy raced down the narrow trail. Colt’s shouts echoed behind her, sharp and commanding, but she bit down on her lip, refusing to look back. She wouldn’t let him see the tears burning at the corners of her eyes. Not him. Not anyone.
“Briar, wait! Damn it—stop!” Colt’s voice cut through the wind as he whistled, a sharp, clear sound that carried across the hills. The horse’s ears flicked at the sound, but, to Briar’s relief, it didn’t slow. She didn’t understand how or why, but the horse wasn’t responding to him. It only answered her commands, and she wasn’t about to waste that chance.
“Keep going,” she murmured to the horse, urging it faster. The wind whipped through her hair, tugging loose strands from her braid. “Come on, boy. Don’t let me down.”
She heard Colt’s voice behind her again, his deep timbre carried on the breeze. “It’s not what you think! There’s no fiancée—no engagement! Damn it, Briar, stop the buggy!”
She clenched her jaw, the sting of betrayal bitter in her mouth. How stupid had she been? She’d known better—she always knew better. But this time—this time she’d let her guard down. She’d let herself believe, even if only for a moment, that there might be something real between them. Something worth staying for, but she’d been wrong.
The buggy bumped and jostled along the uneven path, but Briar barely noticed. Her mind whirled, her heart cracking under the weight of Colt’s lies. She’d seen the ring on Elle’s finger—heard the smug, satisfied way the woman had warned her off. An engagement since childhood, Elle had said. A bond so strong it had been practically inevitable.
An embittered laugh escaped her lips, carried away by the wind. Was she really that kind of woman? The kind who tempted someone away from a relationship? Had she tempted Colt? Her stomach churned at the thought. She’d told herself she wasn’t interested—that she was only staying at the ranch because it felt safe, because the garden gave her purpose. But that had been a lie, hadn’t it? She had been developing feelings for him.
How could he do this to her? To Elle?
The thought of it—of her role in whatever this was—made her feel sick. Briar gripped the reins tighter, her knuckles white, as if she could outrun the shame creeping over her. Hope was a dangerous thing and she’d been a fool to allow herself to do so. Weak.
A part of her whispered that maybe Colt was telling the truth. Maybe there had been a misunderstanding. But Briar squashed the thought before it could take root. She didn’t want to hear his excuses. She didn’t want to listen to him try to smooth things over with that warm, seductive, infuriating voice of his. She couldn’t bear it.
Ahead, the trail opened into a gentle slope, and Briar urged the horse faster—the faster she ran, the sooner she could put distance between herself and the mess she’d stumbled into.
But just as the buggy hit a smoother stretch of ground, Briar heard something strange—something that made her blood run cold. Laughter. Colt’s laughter.
What the hell?
The sound startled her, sharp and warm, as if he was amused by the whole situation. It grated against her frayed nerves, twisting something deep inside her. Why was he laughing? What could possibly be funny? And how had it carried on the wind? Had it truly done that, or was it just her imagination playing tricks on her?
Her hands tightened on the reins, her jaw clenching so hard it ached. She’d left him behind—on foot, no less. He had no way to catch up, and yet...
The sound of his laughter drifted through the air again, and her chest tightened. He shouldn’t be laughing. He should be chasing her, shouldn’t he? Or at least calling after her, desperate to explain. But instead, he was laughing, like the entire thing was some kind of joke.
"Asshole," she muttered under her breath, blinking furiously against the tears threatening to spill.
She had no intention of giving him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She’d tried to ignore her feelings, bury them beneath layers of practicality and caution, but it had been there, hadn’t it? That flicker of warmth, the way her heart stuttered whenever he was near.
And now? Now it was shattered.
Focus. Just focus on getting away, she told herself. She leaned forward, urging the horse to keep going, to carry her far from Colt and from everything he represented.
The path twisted and turned through the hills, and for a moment, Briar thought she might have done it—might have escaped him. The buggy rumbled steadily along, the horse’s hooves pounding against the earth in a steady rhythm.
But no matter how fast she went, she couldn’t seem to outrun the ache in her chest, the sharp sting of disappointment that settled deep in her bones. She’d let herself hope and now everything she’d hoped for was just slipping away as if it had never been.
She swiped at her eyes, refusing to let the tears fall. She wouldn’t break, not over this. Not over him.
As the buggy crested a hill, Briar took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She didn’t know where she was going—didn’t have a plan. All she knew was that she couldn’t stay. She couldn’t face Colt or Elle or the lies wrapped up in everything she’d come to care about.
Briar’s breath hitched as the buggy jostled over the uneven trail, her heart racing with a mixture of fear and regret. It was for the best—leaving. She had to believe that. Colt had already tangled her emotions in ways she couldn’t afford, making her long for things she knew were dangerous.
Better to leave now. Best to keep the people who’d shown her kindness—Etta, Bryce, Landon—safe. She couldn’t let them get caught in the crossfire of whatever storm was brewing around her. Colt could deal with Elle and their future together.
Colt and Elle... The thought twisted in her gut like a knife, sharp and unforgiving. She swallowed hard, refusing to dwell on it. They would have their lives together. Colt was strong, smart. He’d be fine without her. He always would have been.
I’ll find my own future, she told herself fiercely, ignoring the pang in her chest that said otherwise. She didn’t belong here. She couldn’t. And staying any longer would only make things harder—for everyone.
But where could she go? Briar’s mind scrambled for options. She needed to find a safe place, somewhere they couldn’t follow her. Should she stay a little longer, just until she figured it out?
No. She shook her head, her resolve hardening. I need to be gone before I lose myself to this place. Before I lose myself to him.
Colt had started to feel like home in a way no place ever had before, and that scared her more than anything. She couldn’t afford to want this—couldn’t afford to let herself believe that she might have found something real here.
The barnyard came into view, and a strange, uneasy sensation crawled over her skin. It was eerily quiet. The usual hum of activity—the sounds of horses shifting in their stalls, the occasional call of a ranch hand—was missing.
Frowning, Briar slowed the horse and guided it through the open stable doors. The space inside was dim, the barn cool and silent except for the soft clop of the horse’s hooves on the dirt floor.
She needed to unhitch the buggy and put the horse away properly. That would buy her a little time to calm her racing heart, and then she’d grab some things from the room Colt had given her. Just the essentials. She didn’t need much.
The buggy rolled to a halt inside the barn, the horse shifting restlessly beneath the harness. Briar reached up to stroke the horse soothingly, murmuring to it softly calm it. “Easy, boy. Just a little longer.”
A movement in the shadows caught her attention.
Colt.
Her breath caught, her heart lurching in her chest. Somehow, impossibly, he’d beaten her back to the ranch. He stood in the barn, his golden eyes glowing faintly in the dim light, his broad, muscled chest rising and falling steadily as if he hadn’t just run a race against time.
And he was naked.
Gorgeously, gloriously naked.
Briar froze, her heart slamming against her ribs. The sight of him was overwhelming—his powerful frame, the ripple of muscle beneath his tanned skin, the way his dark hair fell slightly into his eyes. Every inch of him was raw, unfiltered masculinity, and for one breathless moment, all she could do was stare.
“How’d you beat me back?” she asked, looking around and watching him as he strode past her and pulled the barn doors shut.
“You’re not the only one who hasn’t been completely honest,” he said, a grin tugging at his lips.
Briar’s eyes narrowed, her cheeks flushing with a mixture of anger and something else—something that sent a thrill racing from her heart straight to her pussy. She wasn’t the least bit afraid of him as arousal replaced anger.
“Wolf-shifter,” she muttered as recognition dawned.
“Witch,” he chuckled, reaching out to lift her from the buggy.
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 dark eyes 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 was her .
“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 was claiming her, 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.