Verik's Price (Alpha Barbarians Book 3)

5. Iris

Her breath froze in her chest as she looked up at Verik. Mouth hanging open, her mind came to a halt as Verik stared back at her.

When he turned back to his brother, it was like the fist that had wrapped around her suddenly released. Gasping, she pressed a hand over her racing heart before looking at the angry Alpha in front of them.

She could see Vargan trembling, his fists clenched at his sides like he wished to attack Verik.

"I have proven myself..."

His hiss was cut off by Larok's laugh.

"When? How? All you've every proven is how unreliable and useless you are."

Vargan took a step toward where Larok was seated.

"Who are you to dare judge..."

He was cut off again as both Verik and Larok growled, Larok standing on the other side of Autumn.

Caught between two growling Alphas, facing another, as they all radiated aggression, left both Autumn and Iris trembling in their seats. Leaning against each other, they huddled down and tried to distance themselves as much as possible in their seats.

"I am the Second, and I've kicked your ass enough to know you're too weak to protect an omega," Larok rumbled.

Watching the Alphas from beneath lowered lashes in case a fight began, Iris was surprised Vargan continued to face against the two men.

"Leave, Vargan. While you still can. I don't want to see you again until you can be a useful member of this clan."

Verik's low snarl was barely understandable, but Vargan seemed to realize he had gone too far. Eyes darting from Verik to Larok, they settled on her before he turned and stormed away. The Alphas remained standing until he was out of sight before they settled back into their chairs.

Iris tried to get herself to calm down, but the air was still clogged with the Alphas' pheromones and her racing heart didn't want to listen. As soon as Verik sat down, she turned on him.

"What do you mean you're choosing me?"

His eyebrow raised as he looked back at her.

"That statement is fairly self-explanatory."

Iris ground her teeth together as her hands clenched in her lap.

"Do I not get a say? What if I don't want claimed by you?"

"No... and you will."

His smirk made her want to lash out at him, but all she did was bare her teeth.

"And what makes you think that?" she growled through her clenched jaw.

The smirk dropped off his face as his hand reached out to grip her hair. Jerking her face closer to his, she could feel the warmth of his breath ghost over her cheek and neck as he whispered in her ear.

"Because you don't have a choice."

Scalp prickling with the strength of his hold on her hair, Iris' breathing stuttered as he ran his nose along her neck to where it met her shoulder. The kiss he placed there was feather soft.

"If you don't belong to me, you won't belong to anyone. Or more accurately, you'll belong to every Alpha in the clan."

Iris gasped and tried to jerk away, but his grip in her hair prevented her from moving. Growling, she pressed her hands to his chest, trying to dig her nails into him through his shirt.

"You'd make me be a whore for denying you."

"If you deny me, no other Alpha here will be able to satisfy you, because I'm the best of them."

"Maybe I'd prefer your Second."

Verik snarled, pulling her forward until she was sprawled across his chest with his teeth scraping the side of her neck. Iris could feel his chest heaving under her.

"I'd kill him. I'll kill any man you touch, and then I'll kill your little friend too."

Iris had been trying to push herself off of him, but she stilled at his words. She may not have been close to Autumn before the raid, but she was still her blood, and Iris wouldn't do anything to put someone else in danger.

Unwilling to concede defeat, she growled against him.

"You will not touch her."

She could feel his lips pull up into a grin where they pressed against her neck, and she realized she had given away her weakness. Silently cursing herself, she tried to think of a way out of the hole she had dug.

"If you want to claim me, fine. One Alpha is the same as another. But you will let Autumn choose her mate."

Huffing, he pulled her head back so he could see her face.

"What makes you think you can bargain with me?"

"Because I can make your life a living hell. Or I can make it easy. I can scream and fight every time you touch me, or I can come to you willingly."

Iris glared up at him.

Leaning down until his lips were a breath away from hers, he whispered, "You'll always come with me."

Ignoring the shiver that trailed down her spine and the way her core clenched when he bucked his hips up and dug his erection into her belly, she turned her head to the side.

"I doubt you spend all of your time here. You'll have to leave me alone at some point."

Rage flashed in his eyes again when she turned hers up to his. As his chest started to rumble and his grip in her hair tightened again, she rushed to calm his anger.

"I will give you everything you want. Be everything you want. Just give her a chance," Iris whispered.

Eyes narrowing, he stared down at her in silence before releasing her hair and pushing her over into her chair.

"Finish your dinner."

His command was gruff, and she knew she was on the edge of pushing him too far, but she needed to know if he agreed with her request.

"Do we have a deal?"

Verik didn't bother to look at her, and she felt her anger flare once again.

"Do. We. Have. A. Deal?"

She grit the words out between her teeth, glaring at the obstinate Alpha who pretended to ignore her.

"Finish your dinner and then you're coming with me to my room. Your friend will get a say in who she's awarded to from the men I choose, so long as you behave."

The look in his eyes was dark when he finally turned his gaze to her, and she didn't miss the tilt of his lips that said he doubted she could.

***This is the end of the sample. The full book is available now on Amazon and part of Kindle Unlimited ***