She could debate it back and forth, but something inside told her to take a chance. She cut off her internal argument with a decision. “Okay, Lachlan. I’ll help you—if I can.”
“You will?” His eyes brightened. “Thank you, Raina.”
He crushed her in a hug that made her entire body tingle with excitement. When he released her, his absence hit her with a sudden sting. Maybe she was making a mistake, but it was too late now, she’d made her choice.
Would her pack agree with her decision?
Raina would help him learn shifter magic. How, he wasn’t exactly sure, but the bigger surprise was that she’d agreed.
A flock of birds flew out from one of the trees, as if startled. Lachlan turned back, searching for his brothers. No sign of them, but that didn’t mean they weren’t watching from somewhere, maybe hiding among the foliage of the trees. Picturing the kiss he’d shared with Raina, he scowled. More like spying on them so they could rib him again later.
“Let’s go down to the shore,” he said. “I know a spot where we can talk uninterrupted.”
One area on the island he considered his own; where he could sit alone on one of the large rocks as he watched the tide move in and out. Odd that he invited someone else into his private space.
Neither spoke much while traversing back into gargoyle territory, but the meditative sounds of the forest kept any uncomfortable silence at bay. The steady backdrop of insects whirring was occasionally punctuated by a strong breeze ruffling the leaves.
The trees receded and the land sloped down to the rocky shore, the fragrance of the salty ocean permeated through the heady pines. Petrified tree branches poked out from a narrow inlet forming aesthetic arches over moss-covered stones. Tide pools emerged amid the rocks, brimming with seaweed and tiny crabs and other sea creatures and their shells.
She marveled at the scene around them. “So romantic.” With a sudden shake of her head, she added, “I mean, it’s a good place to, ah, work on magic.”
Lachlan smiled, thinking of other things they could do alone there together on the soft ground cover.
“So.” She sat on one of the rocks and planted her hands on her lap. “How do you summon your magic?”
Right down to business. His fantasies would have to wait. Just as well—he had much to learn and little time to accomplish it.
Lachlan considered her question. “I don’t know. I don’t think about it; just do it.”
“Okay.” She bit her lip. “Like when you shift to stone or unfurl your wings, it just happens, right?”
“Aye.” He cleared his throat. “I think about shifting and it happens. Same as if I want to walk or raise my arm.” Or fuck.
Damn it. Stop thinking about sex, and focus on the problem. She’s helping you, after all.
“I wonder if you can summon this magic from within, too.”
“How so?”
“Like it’s untapped potential inside you.”
He raised his hand and then dropped it. “I don’t know. My mother said something about that.”
She leaned forward, eyes widening with excitement. “What else did she say?”
“That the witches provide the barrier, similar to what they do in their territory. She wasn’t sure about the wolves. And for us, she thought we provide the overall protection.”
She nodded, biting her lip, again. He tore his gaze away from her mouth so he could concentrate. “Protection makes sense since you’re a gargoyle. That’s what you do, right?”
“Aye.”
“Brilliant!” She clasped her hands with excitement, adjusting her position on the rock. Only that movement revealed an inch or two more of her thigh, which fueled his imagination with possibilities.
He closed his eyes and focused. When he reopened them, he asked, “How do you control your magic?”
“With shifting, I do the same way you explained. I think about turning into wolf form—or vice versa—and the change begins.”
Envisioning her transformation from wolf to beautiful woman fascinated him. “Does it hurt?”
She shrugged. “No, not really. It did at first, when I was a young cub. Back then it was scary as hell, and I tried to resist it. I could feel my body parts moving and reshaping inside and fur sprouting on my skin. Terrifying. But now, I’m used to it. Does it hurt you to turn to stone?”
After reflecting on a young, scared Raina, he focused on her question. “I wouldn’t say so, no.”
“But you feel something, right?”
“Aye. A sort of discomfort accompanies the change. I find it invigorating, though. If I shift to a winged form, I know I can fly. In human form, I can maneuver better in some ways.” Especially in bed.
Shite, he had to stop thinking that way.
She watched him, listening with an intense expression that did nothing to alleviate his aroused state.
After a few heated heartbeats, she tore her eyes from him. “Back to the matter at hand. So shifting is rather natural, but when I want to summon another type of magic, it’s not so easy.”
“Will you tell me what you do?”
She tapped her thigh, staring out to the sea for several seconds, which made him think he’d gone too far.
“We work together to generate enough magic to cover the isle. Our senses are strong, much more acute than humans, and we can create a powerful spell to muddle their senses. So they can’t detect it, even with technology.”
Lachlan listened intently, searing the details to memory. With how privately the wolves lived, even a brief revelation was astonishing. “And you do this together?”
“Aye. Generating enough magic to hide the entire island requires much energy.”
He tried to picture it. “How does it all come together?”
“We hold hands to create a physical connection. As the magic courses through us, it grows and becomes stronger as it joins with that of others.”
That made sense, but the more questions she answered, the more came up. “When will you do it?”
“We never stopped,” she said. “For years, we’ve tried to keep the veil up, but there have been holes. That’s where we figured the other magic comes in. We figured the witches provide the barrier that forms the shield. You confirmed that earlier with what your mother had told you.”
“Aye.” Recalling the barrier around the witches’ territory, he said, “You can still see through their barrier, though. And the humans have been able to see the island, even with the wolves’ magic.” The pieces rushed together in his mind, as he tried to fit them in their proper position. “So we must mask the island—make it invisible—the way we do in flight.”
She tilted her head, eyes gazing off as she thought. “Maybe as part of the overall protection you provide.”
Lachlan’s right leg fidgeted as his mind raced. “We’re getting closer to figuring out how it all comes together, but I still don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”
“I think you’re spot on with the invisibility part. How do you manage that when in flight?”
Lachlan shrugged. “I don’t really do anything. Just will it to happen, and it does.”
She rubbed her lips together and made small noises as she thought things through. He could practically see her mind racing through various scenarios.
“So it must be something already inside you,” she declared. “Sit down, and relax.” She motioned before her.
When he’d sat on a dry flat rock, she directed him to close his eyes. She took his hands in hers, sending warm sensations coursing through his body. For a moment, he thought it was her magic, before realizing it was simply his reaction to her touch.
“Inhale while you count to five,” she said. “Now exhale the same way.” After he’d taken several breaths, she said, “When you’re completely relaxed, go deep within yourself. Try to tap into a place where you feel your energy. Focus on that place. Make it grow. Then project it out.”
Lachlan spent over twenty minutes trying to find a
place within which he was sure was a myth. “Nothing’s happening.” He had the urge to kick a rock near his foot, but stifled it. No sense looking like a frustrated toddler.
“It would be amazing to get it on the first go. I can see you’re getting discouraged,” she said. “I doubt we’ll get anywhere if you have that sort of mind block.”
She was helping him, and he was screwing it up with his impatience. “I’ll try harder.”
“No,” she said. “Get some rest, and we’ll try again later. Maybe try to work with your brothers. I need to bring the potion back to the pack anyway.”
Damn, he’d screwed it up, and now she was leaving. “You’re right. I haven’t been getting much rest lately with all this happening.” He needed a few hours in stone under the sunlight to restore him. “Come back at sunset?”
He couldn’t read the look she gave him, but caught a hint of longing in it. Was it possible she didn’t want to go, either? His heart pounded as he waited for her reply.
With a radiant smile that made his heart stammer, she said, “I will.”
Lachlan returned to his brothers after Raina had gone, her absence leaving him with an emptiness. Funny he would feel that way since they’d only just met.
“So how did your talk go?” Gavin asked with a knowing edge to his voice that matched a teasing glint in his eyes.
“Listen up,” he commanded, cutting any more of their natural ribbing before it could continue. “We need to work together if we’ll even have a chance to generate enough magic.”
His tone snapped them into a serious mode, and they listened with intense expressions as he explained what he’d been working on with Raina—omitting the part where they’d kissed, again. They might have seen it, but if not, he wasn’t going to point it out.
“But you didn’t feel anything?” Bryce asked.
“No,” he admitted with reluctance. “I’m going to rest—see if it will help me restore my energy. Then we need to try.”
Lachlan climbed onto the stage and transformed to stone, letting the waning sunlight bathe him as he entered a state of rest. Even in his repose, thoughts of Raina crept through. Raina and Seth to be more precise, thoughts that drove him crazy. Thoughts he tried to push aside, but couldn’t.
She shouldn’t be with Seth. He would never care about her the way he would.
Wait, where was he going with that? His feelings for her were lust, pure desire. His protective side had to be going into overdrive, getting confused by them working together. Thoughts of her continued to interrupt him as the sun rejuvenated him. He was almost overwhelmed by her patience and willingness to help him. Her caring nature touched a part of him no woman had reached before.
These intrusive thoughts had to stop; they’d get them nowhere. He had to focus on his task, or they might as well all leave the Isle of Stone due to his failure. Besides, she was committed to her pack and to another male. Seth. The very name left an acrid taste in his mouth.
That was why she was helping him. To help her pack stay on the island. It had nothing to do with him. Just a means to her end.
He had to let it go. Work with her to restore the veil and then walk away.
Resting in stone just long enough to restore his energy, he connected to his brothers.
We have work to do.
CHAPTER EIGHT
After spending time trying to help Lachlan, Raina didn’t return to her pack until much later than she’d expected. A simple trek to the moors had stretched on through the afternoon. The morning mist was long gone, replaced by a gray fog hovering overhead. Mixed emotions swirled through her; she couldn’t shake the notion she’d been doing something wrong. She hurried past many of her pack mates through the clearing where most had built modest cottages.
“What’s your rush, Raina?” her friend Eden asked.
Raina stopped and glanced around. A few wolf cubs played at the fringes of the woods, rolling over each other in tumbles of gray and white fur.
“I’m looking for my father.”
“I think he’s home.” Eden stepped closer. “Something wrong? You seem—anxious.”
Anxious could be one of the many words she’d use to describe both her physical and mental state. Lachlan had the most disconcerting effect on her, one she couldn’t quite identify.
“It’s nothing,” she dismissed with a wave of her hand.
Eden wiggled her eyebrows up. “Restlessness. New twinges. Urges. You must be getting closer to mating.” She smiled with smug satisfaction. “Seth is going to be one happy wolf, very soon.”
Raina shot her a furious glance and instantly regretted it. Eden was simply teasing, the way many pack wolves speculated when a wolf came of mating age. She was right about the other things, though. The restlessness had been driving Raina mad in recent weeks, making her wonder about other possibilities in her life. Maybe she should travel, explore other opportunities before she accepted her fate on the island. Lachlan had traveled to different lands. What had he seen?
And the new twinges and urges. Och, she didn’t want to think about the source of that. She’d kissed Lachlan—again. She couldn’t chalk it up to a foolish mistake both times. And there was no question how content her wolf was when she was close to him.
She couldn’t tell any of this to Eden, though. Lachlan was out of her pack and not a wolf. Not part of her life plan.
“What about you?” Raina chimed back. “Any young, hot wolves making your tail wag?”
Eden exhaled with a sigh. “Sadly, not yet. Maybe I’ll have to leave the isle one day to find my mate.”
“Don’t say that.” Raina surveyed her bonnie, blonde pack mate. “Any wolf shifter would kill to have you as his mate. Besides, I don’t want you to leave. You’re my closest friend.”
“Let’s hope some sparks fly soon.” She grinned with a hopeful glint in her eye. “What’s it like with you and Seth?”
A scowl spread across Raina’s face, but she stopped it. Everyone assumed she’d mate with Seth. She assumed she’d mate with him. It was a natural pairing, perfect for the future of the pack. But sparks? None were flying—not even hovering—between them. “We’ll talk later. I need to find my father.” She continued past several more houses until she found him.
Her father sat before a fire in front of his home, his gaze lost in the dancing flames. Times like this, she wondered if he was remembering her mother, missing her. Wolf shifters discovered a new level of fulfillment and happiness when they met their mate. The downside was an aching, unfillable hole when they lost them. The way she’d seen her mother’s death impact her father had made her wonder if it was worth the risk. Chasing something that could lead to such pain didn’t seem like a wise decision. Her father had since thrown himself into leading the pack, living and sacrificing for it.
When she plopped down next to him, he snapped out of wherever he’d been. She inhaled the aroma of the burning wood; the odor of a fire that had always appealed to her.
“You’ve been gone longer than I expected,” he said. “How did it go?”
“Fine,” she replied. “Here’s the potion.”
He perused the contents of the bag. “No issues?”
“No,” she replied quickly. “The tree witch, Kayla, seems kind and helpful. And she must be brave to venture out of her coven to start a new life with a gargoyle shifter. I mean, that wouldn’t be easy for anyone. Especially on this island.”
She stopped abruptly. Why was she babbling like that? Her father would surely pick up the nervousness in her tone.
“Was he there?”
“Mason?”
“That’s the one.”
“Aye. As were his brothers,” she added with a twinge of guilt, turning her gaze to the fire.
Stop it, stop it. Why don’t you just spill how you kissed him next? Twice.
His brows twitched. “Doing what?”
“Moving logs for the house Kayla and Mason will live in.”
“In the moors,” he said. “
Which has been neutral territory all these years.”
She didn’t follow his tone so she turned to him. “Meaning?”
“I know I’m the one who approached Kayla and Mason for help. But it’s been a long time since our kinds have interacted, and it will take time to get used to. With the predicament with the humans, it all seems so rushed.”
Raina pursed her lips, carefully considering her words before she replied. “Change is always hard. But maybe we waited too long. And we needed a catalyst to make us act.”
His gaze flickered over her face with a thoughtful expression. “Maybe.” With a wave of his hand, he added, “Seeing you work with the gargoyle Lachlan made it real all too quick.”
Lachlan. Hearing her father say his name brought the guilt roaring forth.
“We had to,” she said. “That was the best option we had at the time.”
“I know, I know.” With a lift of his head, he asked, “Was he there?”
Oh no, she didn’t like this turn of the conversation. “Aye.”
“Did you talk to him?”
“Aye.” Her wolf raised her head, perking her ears. “Why?”
“Nothing, nothing.” He brushed it off. A second later, he asked, “What did he talk to you about?”
Not sure how much she should tell him, she kept it as general as possible. “He had a couple of questions about magic.”
“Oh?” Both his eyebrows shot up. “What exactly?”
“Just some tips on how to conjure magic.” When he continued to study her, she added, “He doesn’t have the elders of his clan around to guide him.”
“True, they cut and ran as soon as the humans came.” His voice had a bitter edge he didn’t often use. “Giving up the island a little too easily.”
“Truth be told, the humans trampled through gargoyle territory. They didn’t come to ours.”
“We didn’t give them reason to. Creating a spectacle like some human rock band.”
Raina opened her mouth and then closed it. No point in starting an argument that would give away her feelings about Lachlan—something she wasn’t sure she could identify herself.
Knights of Stone - Lachlan Page 8