Knights of Stone - Lachlan

by Lisa Carlisle

“My wife and I will accompany you,” Lachlan said.

  Wife? The human word surprised Raina, yet was oddly pleasant as she replayed it in her mind. Peculiar. She brushed it off.

  Lachlan took her hand, grasping it in a protective hold. She sucked in her breath as the surge of heat swelled again; she glanced at their joined hands in disbelief at the unnerving effect. As they followed the humans, she pinpointed the sensation. His skin was warm and comforting, not cold and hard like she thought it would be. No matter how strange the occurrence, considering he was a gargoyle, the intimate gesture struck her as somewhat natural. Her wolf wagged her tail again, emitting soft sounds of contentment.

  She straightened her spine No, you’re wrong. You’re reacting this way because he’s new, different. That’s the only reason you’re curious. Remember, you’re simply playing a role.

  Sneaking a glance at his strong profile with his chin jutting forward, her gaze traveled down his chest. Was he thrusting it out for her benefit or did he naturally walk with such a proud bearing? Her mind became frazzled, conflicting with her body’s response.

  They retraced their earlier steps out of the gargoyle territory and back into the moors.

  “You can see across the island from here,” Lachlan said. “No need to continue.

  “Hold on now. There are trees over there.” He squinted. “With houses in them.”

  “Aye, some of the locals built shelter in the trees,” she interjected. She’d been silent for far too long while she fought to regain her bearing and snapped back into her role with renewed vigor. “Now, don’t go disturbing them. They don’t need strangers parading through their property. They like a simple, reclusive life.”

  The female removed her sunglasses. “We’ll just take a quick look,” she said, eyes brimming with curiosity.

  The humans quickened their pace across the moors, eager to see the houses in trees. Lachlan squeezed her hand, but she wasn’t sure why. They passed rows of rhododendron, azalea, and rose bushes as they left the moors and entered the forest. When the blond pulled out his gun, the others followed suit.

  She bristled, the wolf inside her rearing to charge at them. Lachlan’s voice stopped her.

  “All right, that’s enough,” he commanded, although his tone had a cautious edge. Did he have an aversion to armed humans as well?

  The humans ignored him and continued through the trees.

  “Put your weapon away,” Raina insisted, unable to keep the frost from her tone.

  “Shite,” Lachlan muttered.

  The blond male shrieked when propelled through the air, landing on the forest floor near her and Lachlan. The ground amplified the thud from the fall as the fallen foliage and pine needles crumbled under the force. Birds shot out of a nearby tree to seek refuge elsewhere.

  The female was launched next, landing in a heap on the fern below. The dark-haired male attempted to halt in his forward-moving track, but it was too late, and he was thrown back like the others.

  Raina stared at the three humans, now all unconscious and lying in a crumpled pile. “What just happened?”

  “It’s the border of the witches’ territory,” Lachlan said. “It’s a protective shield to keep intruders out.”

  The witches had mentioned that, but she didn’t know where it would be or what it looked like. Wolves respected territorial lines so she’d never attempted to cross into their land.

  She spotted the gun, which the human must have dropped when thrown. She picked it up, not wanting it loose anywhere near her pack. “You knew where the shield was?”

  “I have four younger brothers. Curiosity often overruled sense. When they were told not to cross into other territories, they couldn’t resist the temptation.”

  She glanced at the gun in her hand with a mix of fascination and fury. What was she going to do with it? The barrel was so small. Hard to believe a tiny piece of metal within it could cause such devastating damage, tear lives apart with such a simple movement of a hand. “So they’ve encountered the shield in the past?”

  “Encountered,” he repeated, appearing amused. “That’s one way to put it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  His gaze drifted off and his mouth twisted into a half smile. “I know it knocked one of them on his bloody arse!”

  Lachlan chortled at the memory with a mighty guffaw.

  Raina pictured the enormous gargoyle shifters launched into the air and joined in. The break was a relief amid the high tension.

  If they were alone, she’d ask for the whole story. She glanced at the humans, again. The plan to keep the humans suspicion from arising was clearly compromised. “Now what do we do?”

  The smile vanished from his face, replaced by an expression of deep concentration. “Not exactly sure. But first, let’s get them the hell out of here.”

  She stared at the weapon in her hand. Burying the guns was an option, but if they were found, danger could follow. But thrown deep into the sea, that might work. Let them rust into oblivion where they couldn’t hurt anyone.

  “And get rid of their weapons.”

  Lachlan stilled, not moving a muscle, and closed his eyes, appearing to concentrate.

  “What are you doing?”

  He raised his hand to stop her. “Calling my brothers.”

  Without saying a word aloud? “How?”

  “Shh. I can’t listen to you both talk at once.”

  The sounds of the forests magnified in their silence. She studied his still face, unobserved, wondering what they were saying to each other. Sure, she could communicate to her pack mates when they were in wolf form, but not as humans. Could they communicate both as humans and stone?

  With his eyes shut, he appeared untroubled, without the weight of the island’s problems resting on his hefty shoulders. The sunlight filtered through the trees, casting parts of his body in light and shadow. Where the light touched his black hair, it reflected the brightness, casting a halo-like glow. Caught up in her observations, she lost some of the tension that had lodged in all her major muscle groups. She took in a deep, relaxing breath to release more of the stiffness, but ended up drinking in his intoxicating musk.

  It had to be wrong for him to smell that good. She’d caught the scent of gargoyle on the island before but never in a way like it affected her now. With Lachlan, it was all-encompassing, pulsing with a reminder that he was male and she was female.

  Her eyes dropped to his mouth. Such sinful curves. Were they as soft as they looked? A desire to touch them came over her. If they were alone, she could lean on her tiptoes and move closer. Maybe even kiss them.

  Wait, what was wrong with her? She straightened. He was a gargoyle. Forbidden. Part of the reason they had humans flocked to the island to begin with. Nothing but trouble.

  Despite her admonition, her wanton gaze traveled down against her better judgment. Highlights and shadows on his torso defined the contours and the oh-so-enticing definition in his abs. Her eyes lingered for who knew how long.

  It was difficult to concentrate with such a powerful, male body distracting her. With reluctance, she tore her eyes from his abs and gave in to the temptation to look further down. Over his kilt her eyes wandered and stopped, speculating on the promising bulge beneath the blue tartan.

  “Hope you like what you see.” The smooth caramel drip of his voice snapped her eyes up to his face.

  He was watching her with amusement. Och, he’d caught her gawking at him.

  A slow burn reached her cheeks. She straightened. “I was just wondering what you were doing.”

  “From the looks of it, I’m guessing you were wondering what’s beneath my kilt. Don’t worry, many lassies do that. Some even wager on the size of it.”

  “Lachlan! I, uh,” she faltered. “I wasn’t staring down there.” She motioned between his legs while keeping her eyes averted. “I was looking at the pattern in the tartan.”

  He chuckled, indicating she hadn’t covered up her wanton speculation whats
oever. “So, I was communicating with my brothers.”

  She shook off the embarrassment. “About what?”

  “Telling them we need their help to get the humans out of here.”

  “And bring them where?”

  He shrugged. “We’ll figure that out next.” Glancing above the tree tops, he added, “They’re coming. We’ll fly them back to their boat.

  “Don’t you think you should discuss this with me first? After all, Plan A hasn’t gone well, so far.” Her words tumbled out, part of it to mask her earlier humiliation at getting caught. “And what about my father?” She added with a raised chin and haughty placement of her hands on her hips. “Shouldn’t he be here so we can discuss this?”

  “Hush, lass, we don’t have time to argue.”

  She raised a pointed finger, ready to speak her mind, but a smoldering glint in his eye distracted her. His curved lips still conveyed the earlier amusement, but it was his eyes that held her spellbound. And it terrified her.

  “Don’t look at me like that.”

  “Like what?” When his gaze dropped to her lips, he made his intentions clear.

  Even worse was how her body pulsed with sudden excitement.

  “Like I’m part of your female human—” What was the right word? “—harem.”

  His brows drew together, and a puzzled expression stretched across his face. “Good.” He grinned. “I’ve had enough dealing with humans today.”

  His torrid stare turned downright predatory, raking her body. He exuded such confidence with a wild, masculine appeal. Luring her in with an irresistible dominance. Her body betrayed her mind, responding with a fiery heat where his gaze traveled.

  Her breaths shortened. “You’re still doing it,” she admonished. “Don’t forget—I’m holding a weapon.”

  He laughed with whole-hearted amusement. What a stupid thing for her to say. Damn him for getting her all flustered. He probably saw right through her, caught his desire reflected in her double-crossing body.

  “You don’t need that with me.”

  He trailed his fingers down her arm, sending fireworks exploding on her skin. When he reached for the gun, her muscles clenched, but then she relaxed her grip and let him take it from her.

  “What are you doing? Why are you taking it? What are you going to do with it?”

  “Shh.” He lowered the weapon and placed it next to his foot. When he rose, he bent down, moving closer to her face. His chiseled lips hovered above hers, leaving her paralyzed with anticipation. The warmth of his breath tickled her skin, waking every nerve with a surge of heated sensation.

  Stop him, stop this, she commanded herself. Reason floated away; she wanted him. If he walked away now, she might disintegrate into a pile of frustration as fragile as the leaves crumbling under foot.

  His lips touched hers, shooting electric shock waves rippling to her toes. Then he claimed her with a torrid kiss. Passion welled up from her core, overpowering all thought except her desires. She bent easily to his lead, a submissive partner in this sensual dance.

  What was wrong with her for reacting this way? She was a strong, female shifter who would one day be alpha, not another shiny toy for a promiscuous gargoyle rock star to play with. And they had three unconscious humans to deal with nearby. It was madness.

  Still, she couldn’t stop her carnal reaction, and when he slipped his tongue between her parted lips, she welcomed him in. A kiss had never reached her like this, never made her so aware of her inner desires.

  The deeper their kiss, the more her body drowned out the chatter of her internal arguments. The admonitions about them being different species slipped away, drowned out by her curiosity. The reminder she was an alpha’s daughter, responsible for the care of the younger wolves in her pack, was eclipsed by an ardent, urgent need. More.

  She ran her fingers over the nape of his neck and then through the long strands of hair. How soft it was, the texture fine, almost silky.

  One of the humans stirred, and Lachlan pulled back ramrod straight to observe him. The blond male relaxed back into position, settling back into sleep.

  “We need to get them back to their boat. My brothers will be here soon.”

  Her lips remained parted, and she panted, searching for a coherent thought.

  “Why did you do that?”

  “I had to call them. I can’t carry all three of them.”

  “No. You know.” A blush crept up to her cheeks. “Kiss me.”

  “Ah, that.” A wry smile spread from his lips and reached his eyes.

  “Aye, that,” she replied. “Well?”

  His stare turned downright decadent. A sultry heat simmered in her core.

  “I had to quiet you, somehow.”

  That was not the answer she was expecting. “Och!” Heat ignited her veins in frustration, which welled so quickly, she reacted without thinking. She pushed his massive chest, which was as effective as if she pushed granite. “What are you made of, bloody stone?”

  He chuckled, eyes full of mirth. “Sometimes.”

  What a stupid thing to blurt out to a gargoyle shifter. He was so frustrating, pushing her buttons. She counted to five, trying to regain some self-control.

  Grabbing her wrists, he pulled her closer. “I have to admit, I enjoyed it as much as you seemed to. Maybe we have time for another go.”

  He kissed her, again, but she tore her mouth away. Yanking her arms back was futile; his strength ridiculed her pathetic attempts to escape. Not willing to concede, she jerked up her knee and aimed right at his crotch. He must have expected that as he moved his hips in time, and her knee met a muscular quadriceps, instead.

  “Let go of me!”

  His eyes glistened with a decadent gleam before he released her hands. “As you wish, lassie.”

  Free from his grasp, she stepped back, and crossed her arms. Then she wagged a finger at him. “You know, this whole mess is your fault!”

  He widened his eyes with mock innocence. “A wee man like myself?”

  “Och! If you and your daft brothers didn’t have your bloody concerts, no humans would have been attacked.”

  He grabbed her wrist, and his eyes sparked with such fury, she feared she’d gone too far.

  “And if ye could control yer pack of mad wolves,” he spat, “we’d still have our concerts.” His brogue thickened with his anger. He exhaled on a long breath and released her arm. “Trust me, I’d rather have some entertainment rather than pacifying ancient witches who harbor old grudges.”

  With their eyes locked in mutual frustration, the sound of her rapid breathing amplified in her ears. Something else passed between them in that moment, crackling with a rich, sensual undertone that left her frozen.

  “Are we interrupting something?”

  The amused voice from behind her made her spin back.

  Bryce and the third gargoyle approached in human form with their black wings shrinking as they retracted behind them.

  Resuming normal breathing, she couldn’t decide if she was grateful for the interruption or resented it.

  “Just your brother acting like an arse,” she replied, brushing hair out of her face with a frustrated wave.

  Gods, that was humiliating.

  “Oh, a typical day,” Bryce answered. His devilish smile reminded her of Lachlan’s before he’d kissed her.

  “What took you so long?” Lachlan asked.

  “When we saw you heading toward the witches’ territory, we flew to Mason and Kayla’s. “She’s going to warn the coven.” Bryce glanced at the humans on the ground. “Guess we weren’t quick enough.”

  “No,” Lachlan agreed. “Let’s haul them out of here before they wake.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Lachlan clamped his lips tight. Why had he kissed her? In such a precarious situation with the humans, he should have worried about them while waiting for Bryce and Gavin. Yet, in the heat of the moment, he’d stolen a taste of her pouty lips.

  They were too damn
distracting, occupying his mind since Raina had run onto the moors like an untamed filly. The bold way she’d stared at him, challenging him, had shot erotic impulses straight to his groin. Now that he’d had a taste of her, he wanted more.

  A poor decision.

  Time to get serious and think with the head above his shoulders, not the impulsive one beneath his kilt. Beating his skull a few times on the unyielding bark of Scots pine tree behind Raina might knock his libido back into check.

  Not only was he in the dark about what type of magic to use to restore the veil, what he’d hoped to avoid, happened. He knew the shield was up somewhere in the witches’ territory, but not exactly where. Now that the humans had hit it, another complication arose.

  “How are we going to explain what happened to them?” Bryce motioned to the humans, echoing one of the many questions in Lachlan’s head.

  “I don’t know,” Lachlan replied through gritted teeth. Admitting he didn’t have the answers was a particularly grueling task in front of Raina, a blow to his pride. He avoided meeting her gaze.

  “What is going on?” a female shrieked. “Kayla mentioned you were heading this way and then our shield was hit multiple times.” When she saw the humans, she asked, “Why are they trying to trespass into our territory?”

  Oh no, not a witch. They’d complicate the already troublesome dilemma.

  Lachlan glossed over what had happened, placating her. “We’re going to fly them out of here. Get them back to their boats.”

  “And then what?” Claire waved her hands, dropping them with a dramatic slap at her sides. “They tell more humans about odd occurrences here. Then even more humans come?”

  That’s exactly what he feared. “That might not happen.”

  “I thought you were going to take care of the problem.” She pointed at each of the gargoyles with a pale, accusatory finger. “Not bring humans to our territory!”

  Raina stepped forward. “We did what was best to avoid escalating the problem.” Her voice was calm and level. How did she make such a switch? A moment ago, she pounded his chest in frustration, but now she played it cool despite the escalating complications. “We didn’t know your shield’s location until they hit it. So now we need to adjust the plan.”