She searched through the clearing. “Where are the others?”
“Mason is likely with Kayla in the moors.”
“Kayla?”
“She’s a tree witch. He spends much of his time with her.”
She raised both brows in question. “To protect her?”
“Aye. You know how the call to protect affects a gargoyle, right?” Different clans might have different characteristics, but since they were all the same species, he expected many similarities.
She nodded. “Especially when you’ve found your mate.”
A mate. Something he never pictured him nor any of his brothers taking on, yet Mason and Lachlan had each committed to partners. He was not about to become the third. Could that be what was going on with the odd sensations rippling through him, luring him closer to her by the minute?
He pulled back to create some distance. He’d ignore them. He wouldn’t even admit he had those feelings to anyone—not to her and definitely not his brothers. He just had to make it through tonight, and then she’d be gone. With distance, whatever that drive was would fade, and he’d forget her.
Something about the way she watched him made his skin heat under the scrutiny. “Lachlan will be with Raina, a wolf shifter. So there’s plenty of room if you’d like to rest up here with the rest of us.” He motioned to the stage. “Unless you prefer another location.”
She continued with the inquisitive stare. “Here is fine.”
He climbed on stage and offered her a hand. When she took it, a smoldering heat pulsed between them. He released her hand as soon as she was steady, yet the warmth where they had touched lingered.
His reaction to her was far too uncomfortable. He clenched his jaw as he came up with a plan. Once he left her with the Calder clan, he’d fly down to Inverness where there was never a shortage of bonnie lasses in the pubs. Aye, that’s what he could use—a strings-free night with a female to take off this edge. Maybe that’s all the discomfort was—a buildup of sexual tension that needed release.
He nodded to himself, satisfied with his plan. It would make resting by her more tolerable. He’d fantasize about a woman—any woman beside the stunning red-haired one, who’d begun to creep under his skin, at his side. With that goal set, he took his favored position at the edge of the stage, one which had a view of both the island and the ocean beyond.
Mairi scanned their surroundings. The higher positioning permitted a vast vantage point. Some of the taller trees in the nearby forests obstructed their view, but not enough so they would be blind to danger.
“It’s beautiful up here,” she pointed out. “So peaceful.”
Peace? They hadn’t had much of that as of late. “Let’s hope it stays that way,” he muttered.
Bryce initiated the shift from man to stone. She focused her gaze on him during the transformation and widened her eyes. After he’d taken position in stone form, he sensed her shift beside him and fixed his vision her way. His stone eyes had excellent peripheral vision, more so than his human ones, and took in a vast panorama of the scene before him. As her soft human body transformed, he watched transfixed.
When her lustrous auburn hair retracted into her head, he followed the transformation, captivated as the silk hardened to stone. Her beautiful features reshaped. Wide almond eyes lost their jade green hue and grayed. Soft lips no longer appeared pliant, begging to be kissed. He stifled a silent groan as her feminine shape contorted to a distorted version of herself. Her dress didn’t fall to the stone floor, much to his chagrin, but vanished, as had his kilt. It was one time he wished gargoyles didn’t have that ability—he’d sneak a glimpse of her soft naked body.
Enough.
He hadn’t shifted more than ten seconds before fantasizing about her naked.
With her transformation complete, she perched in stone at his side on the stage.
Rest well, he communicated telepathically.
Would she be able to hear him? He’d never communicated to a gargoyle from a different clan before.
And you.
A moment of elation filled him, knowing they shared this intimate link.
It was shattered a few moments later when Gavin and Calum flew in and assumed their stone positions on stage for their repose.
Try not to wank off. We have a lass here, Gavin smirked at Bryce and Calum.
Brilliant. Gavin had to ruin it with some sodding comment. Typical.
Bryce ignored him and entered the meditative state gargoyles took on at rest. They didn’t sleep like humans did as they always had to be aware of their surroundings, on watch for danger. The way humans shut off their senses to the outside world terrified them. No wonder humans needed gargoyles to protect them.
He sensed Mairi’s presence beside him, blanketing him like a comforting cloak. With her here, he’d shield her from harm. He wouldn’t let any demons—nor any other threats—get by him.
Get some control, he warned himself. Create some distance.
Foolish to grow attached to someone for such a short time. He steeled himself to ignore his feelings. Still, her presence continued to tug at him, making the struggle more difficult.
Trying to rest wasn’t such a good idea, after all.
CHAPTER FIVE
Although distracted by Mairi, the hours under sunlight energized Bryce. All of him. When the sun began its descent over the horizon, he initiated the change to human form. All that blood that had been dormant while in stone rushed through him, invigorating every cell with life. He turned from her so she wouldn’t see his arousal in case his kilt didn’t cover him in time.
When he faced her again, she’d shifted. She may as well have hit him with a blow to the solar plexus since she bloody well sucked the air out of his lungs. Her eyes now shined with more blue than green, the way those shades often blended in the ocean. She wore a different dress; a golden tone that brought out the brilliant colors of her hair and eyes. Her dress hugged her curves, fueling his imagination as to what treasures she hid beneath.
“You can change your clothing?”
She tilted her head while perusing him. “Sure. Can’t you?”
He shrugged. “Never tried. We shift with our kilts.”
“Have you ever tried to shift into something else?”
“No. This is what we always wear.”
When her eyes traveled from his torso down to his kilt, he straightened and pushed out his chest in an instinctive response. Her lips parted. He hoped she liked what she saw.
The sound of movement nearby made him turn. Gavin and Calum had shifted as well. Bugger. Bryce wished he was alone with Mairi.
For what? This isn’t some romantic interlude.
True. They’d be leaving the Isle of Stone, soon. Time to get his head out of his arse. His gaze swept over her again, wanting to memorize every detail of her. The way the V neckline gave him a glimpse of her cleavage. The way the fabric clung from her rounded breasts to her waist and then flared out into a feminine line. Had she chosen this dress for him; to tease him?
He groaned. He needed to stop thinking with his dick.
“I guess we should get moving,” she said, interrupting his thoughts.
So soon? He cleared his throat. “I’ll check in with my brothers.”
Lachlan, Mason, you awake? Bryce asked.
Aye, Lachlan replied. Flying back, now.
Mason said, Be right there.
“I’m going to splash some water on my face.” Mairi treaded down to the shore.
He watched her walk away, her silhouette gliding before the splendid pinks and orange strokes of the sunset—her flame-colored hair the most striking of the colors. A melancholy sensation swept through him at her departure, as if a part of him ached at the sudden absence.
He gritted his teeth. Stop it, you bloody fool.
When all his brothers had gathered at the amphitheater, Lachlan said, “We should all fly to the Highlands as soon as possible.”
“All of us?” Bryce said. �
�Why?”
“We don’t know what this threat is or where they are. We’re safer if we fly together.”
“But—” Gavin began, with his eyes wide. “With all we have going on here, how can we all leave the isle?”
“The peace talks can wait,” Lachlan said. “Mum and Da are in that clan. If they’re threatened by whatever attacked Mairi’s clan…”
The brothers exchanged glances.
“You’re the alpha,” Bryce said.
Lachlan blew out a harsh breath. “Trust me, I know. As soon as we tackle one situation, another comes up.”
Bryce mentally adjusted to the plan as Mairi approached.
“Lachlan thinks we should all fly to the Calder clan, tonight.”
She scanned each of them. “You’re all coming?”
“Aye,” the others replied.
She began to say something, but her voice caught in her throat. What caused it? She appeared moved in some way. Because strangers would help her?
“You okay?” He moved closer and squeezed her shoulder. Being near her again provided some comfort. Touching her skin did something else he couldn’t pinpoint. Almost as if his insides had warmed and softened.
“Aye.” She forced a smile. “I’m fine.”
“It’s a much larger clan. They should be able to help you. Come on.” He led her to one of the food storage containers where his brothers had gathered, raiding it for food. While they ate trail mix and protein bars, Bryce stole glances at her. She appeared invested in the conversation as they planned the journey, but he often caught her expression darken. Was she nervous? Scared? Damn gargoyle trait, being able to mask emotions with a stony demeanor.
“We better be careful with what we tell Mum and Da,” Lachlan said.
“Aye,” Bryce agreed. “We haven’t even told them about restoring the veil.”
“Why not?” Mason asked.
“The talk with Duncan went longer than we’d expected. We weren’t ready for a second round with our parents,” Lachlan said.
“Didn’t want to deprive you of that conversation,” Bryce added with a grin.
Calum cocked a pretend gun with his fingers and pretended to shoot it. “Thanks, bro.”
Mason blanched. “I’m in for it.”
Gavin appraised Mason with a look acknowledging it. “Let’s start with that good news,” he said. “Ease them in slowly.”
They cleaned up the array of wrappers—beef jerky, protein bar wrappers, and empty trail mix packets.
Lachlan glanced out to the darkening sky. A sliver of sunlight remained at the edge of sea and sky with tendrils of colors slashing out from its center. “Time to go.”
Lachlan and Mason had already unfurled their wings and were the first to ascend. Gavin and Calum followed.
“Can you shield yourself?” he asked Mairi.
“Of course. It’s a gargoyle trait, isn’t it? Allowing us to fly unseen.”
“Different clans may have different magic,” he replied and gave her a once over. “Such as your magic with changing your dress.”
When he winked, she responded with a knowing grin while her gaze traveled down to his kilt. “I don’t want to wear the same thing every day.”
Wings unfurled behind her. Magnificent silvery gray ones that framed her like a shimmering halo. She hovered off the ground, an angel with a mane of fire.
The striking vision stunned him. Bryce recovered and cloaked himself with invisibility before stretching out his wings. He hovered beside her in the cool, evening air. The breeze off the ocean was tangible, leaning toward brisk, yet not uncomfortable.
His brothers had already flown ahead, dark silhouettes off in the distance. Although gargoyles could shield themselves from humans, they could see through their magic. Bryce wasn’t in any rush and lingered with Mairi. Her expression appeared troubled, nervous.
To distract her from what lay ahead, he said, “Fancy a race?”
She raised a brow at the challenge. “Aye. I’m in.”
“Whoever catches up with them first.”
She smiled and soared forward. A surge of adrenaline rushed through him as he followed in pursuit, reaching for her wings. Each time he’d almost caught up to her, she’d laugh and bolt forward. She was fast and slippery, heightening his excitement. The chase pumped him up; it was exhilarating. For a few moments, he forgot the reason for flying to the Highlands—his entire focus shifted to catching Mairi.
When they neared his brothers, she slowed. He caught her by the ankle and slid his hands around her waist. “Got you.”
She laughed. A musical sound that rippled through him with bolts of pleasure. He’d made her troubled look vanish once again.
“Thought it was a race,” she pointed out.
True. He’d become so consumed by the pursuit, he’d forgotten the original goal. “The rules changed.”
She raised a brow again, and in a flirtatious tone said, “In that case, perhaps I let you catch me.”
It was the second time he’d caught her in the air, but how different from when he’d thought he was detaining an intruder. He hovered before her, face to face in the starlit night as their breaths quickened. Her eye sparkled with a decadent gleam. Maybe what she’d said was true—she’d wanted him to catch her as much as he’d wanted to do so.
His gaze dropped to her parted lips, so tempting. An urge to kiss them made all his muscles tighten. Anticipation had him pinned on the edge of a cliff as he pondered whether to take the leap forward.
“Well, look at this,” Gavin interrupted.
When Bryce turned ahead, Gavin lingered close with a knowing smile.
“Get a room,” Calum teased, joining him.
His brothers barked with laughter and flew ahead.
Bryce reluctantly pulled away from Mairi. “Just having a little fun with a race.”
“Sure. That’s what it was,” Gavin said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Sod off.” He reached them. “You’re off your heads, as usual.” Then he communicated to Gavin. Thanks a lot, cockblocker.
Gavin laughed in reply. Couldn’t help it. Seeing you both hovering there, breathless with lust, but not doing a damn thing about it. Just trying to spur you on.
Had the opposite effect, now, didn’t it?
Gavin nodded in Bryce’s direction. Guess you need to move quicker next time.
Bryce scowled at Gavin and returned to fly at Mairi’s side. Her face had turned impassive, probably due to embarrassment at his brother’s ribbing. During the rest of the flight over the Atlantic, he kept her within a couple of wingspans away, needing to be close to her. An odd mix of the need to protect and possess consumed him. The protective streak wasn’t new—it was ingrained in every gargoyle. The possessiveness that pulsed through his veins made him want to growl whenever one of his brothers flew too close. By the way Gavin and Calum snickered, he’d swear they were trying to goad him on.
When they arrived at the castle remains hours later, Bryce told Mairi, “We’re going to talk to my parents real quick. Wait here.”
Mairi nodded, taking a seat on one of the flat boulders. After greeting the guards and informing them of the reason for their visit, one notified their parents. His mother emerged first, practically at a trot, followed by his father, who wore his typical stoic expression. She wrapped each of them in an enormous hug.
Bryce quickly summed up Mairi’s situation, mentioning that she was now an orphan who needed a place to stay.
“That poor child,” his mum said. “I want to meet her.”
“Don’t bring up what happened to her clan,” Bryce said. “She’s gone through enough. We’ll explain more after we talk to Duncan.” Bryce led them to her. A moment of fear flickered inside him. He wondered if she’d taken off, struck by terror upon returning to the Highlands. When he spotted her on the rock, hair falling down her back like lava, a strange sense of relief filled him. As if each time he was in her presence was a gift. “Mairi, these are my parent
s, Aileen and Angus.”
Mairi stood. “A pleasure.”
His mum welcomed her with a warm hug while his da almost shook the life from her while patting her shoulder. The sudden, affectionate gestures surprised her, leaving her frozen. His brothers stood back, smirking or shaking their heads.
“Da, easy,” Bryce said.
“Bah,” Angus said. “She’s not a fragile human. She’s gargoyle. Like us.”
“He’s right, Bryce.” She recovered and grinned, hoping to convey she wasn’t as cold as she was afraid she’d come off. “I’m stronger than I look.”
Bryce’s mum smiled at Mairi before turning to her sons. “How’s it going with the veil?”
Lachlan stepped forward. “It’s done. We restored the veil.”
“You did?” Aileen said.
“Aye,” Lachlan replied. “Only by working with the tree witches and wolf shifters.”
His brothers all spoke at once, excited about how they’d tapped into their magic.
When Calum blurted out, “Lachlan almost died,” it killed all talk. Silence fell like a curtain drop.
Shut yer trap, ye total nutter, Bryce communicated to his youngest brother. Mum will lose her mind.
Mairi wasn’t sure he intentionally kept her in the conversation or not, but she tried not to laugh at Calum’s blanched expression. He looked like he’d swallowed a toad.
Aw, shite, you’re right, Calum replied. I got carried away.
Aileen’s eagle-eyed stare penetrated each one of her sons. “What do you mean Lachlan almost died?” Each word came in a low, serious tone.
Gavin elbowed Calum in the biceps. “Nice going, mate.”
“Easy!” Calum protested.
“I’m fine,” Lachlan said in an attempt to placate her. “Clearly not dead.”
Mairi watched Aileen fret over her boys. Mothers were protective by nature—and gargoyle mothers with the instinctual protective drive—forget it. Off the charts. A pang at her own loss echoed inside. What she wouldn’t do to have her parents back.
“Sit,” Aileen commanded and pointed at some nearby boulders. “Tell me everything.”
“Aye,” Angus added, with a bit of awe in the gruff tone. “I want to hear it all myself.”
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