Alpha's Claim: A Fated Mates Western Romance by Delta James

Author:Delta James [James, Delta]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-10-27T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter

Eleven

BRIAR

Briar 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.

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