Knights of Stone - Lachlan (13 page)

He reached for the sac and grinned.

“I have something for you.”

“What is it?”

“Just a wee way to thank you.” He reached into the sac and pulled out a handful of treats. “Dessert.”

“Chocolate,” she said, clasping her hands in her delight. “Where did you get that?”

“One of the agreements we had with the humans for our concerts was for them to bring over food. We have stores of human food. And it’s easy enough for us to get more when we return to the Highlands.”

“I don’t get there often enough, myself.” She scanned the shiny wrappers with a decadent gleam in her eyes. “So many varieties…”

He opened a caramel-filled one and popped it between her sensuous lips before handing her the rest. She closed her eyes and moaned as the chocolate melted on her tongue. A piece of caramel dangled on her lip.

“You’ve got something there.” He reached for her lip and wiped the caramel off before licking his finger.

“Delicious.”

Watching her eat the chocolate excited him far too much. Never had a woman made a simple act of taking a bite of chocolate so damn tempting.

After they’d finished eating, she dropped her hands to her thighs. “That was a long break. Ready to get back to work?”

He forced himself to tear his eyes off her mouth. “Aye.”

For the next couple of hours, they worked together as the candle burned lower. He attempted to tap into and harness his energy, trying not to think about how close her body was. The things he could do to her if they didn’t have the damn human threat to deal with.

Then again, they wouldn’t have a reason to work together.

Time was limited, and he had much to learn. He forced all from his mind except the task at hand.

By the time another hour or two had passed, he was able to pinpoint where the magic originated deep within and control it.

Raina stifled a yawn. It had to be around midnight.

“You should get some rest,” he said.

“I’ll be fine.”

“I can continue to practice while you get some sleep.”

She searched the cave floor. “Okay, I’ll take a quick nap, but I’m not going anywhere. Not when we’re making progress.”

He couldn’t have her sleeping on the hard dirt. He pulled out the blanket he’d used for the food earlier. Too bad he hadn’t stashed a pillow to make her more comfortable.

She lay on her side on the blanket, head cushioned by her arm, and closed her eyes. Her face appeared so calm, her torso rose and fell with each breath. An urge to lie at her side surged through him. Hold her close. Or let her rest her head on his chest.

He tore his eyes from her to focus. Within a couple more hours, he was able to project the energy out. What an accomplishment! The process tapped into all his resources, though, and fatigue weighed him down.

Raina appeared so peaceful; she must have settled into a deep sleep. He lay behind her on the blanket, resisting the urge to press himself against her body and hold her. Heat from her body blanketed his chest as he settled into a restful state.

He lay there longer than he’d intended, cocooned in her warmth and trying to ignore a raging erection. Beyond his arousal, was something deeper. Being with her felt right. He didn’t know how to explain it, but it filled a hole inside he didn’t know existed until now. He could be alpha, play in the band, and have everything he thought he wanted, but still be incomplete.

The earliest rays of light drifted across the mouth of the cave, stirring him to rouse. She soon followed.

“It’s morning,” she said, staring out the cave. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

Because he didn’t want that moment to end. “I needed to get some rest, too,” he said. “It took a lot out of me.”
Shite
, would her pack be out searching for her? “Am I going to have some angry wolves looking for you?”

“Doubt it.” She smiled. “They’ll probably think I spent the night out in wolf form.”

That was a relief. Lachlan offered her the sac of food and a bottle of water. While they snacked on trail mix, he told her about the progress he’d made. She asked him questions, nibbling on a piece of chocolate, before asking him to show her.

Summoning the energy like he’d done earlier, he projected it out. It wasn’t visible, but the vibrancy was palpable in the confined space of the cave.

“You’re doing it!” She exclaimed, clasping her hands together with clear joy.

“Enough to earn a reward?” He stole a quick kiss on her bare shoulder, too tempting not to touch. He might have been pushing his luck, but he’d held his primal urges in check all night.

“Just a quick one,” she said with a smile.

Without waiting for her to change her mind, he dropped her back to the soft earth on the cave floor and rolled on top of her. She stared at him, eyes wide with surprise but didn’t push him away. When he touched her lips, his tormented body and mind found respite from the longing. She tasted of the chocolate she favored. Sensual. Sinful. Delicious.

He wanted to devour her, taste every bit.

He penetrated her sweet mouth, tangling his tongue with hers. Wanting everything she could give him.

His beast woke and roared for more. To
claim
her. As his.

The sensations were overwhelming. He couldn’t hold back any longer, wanting to touch every part of her soft curves. Her breasts, her hips, her thighs. His cock ached, growing harder with an insistent urge to bury its way deep within.

Reaching under her dress, he moved his hand over her soft inner thighs. She gasped as his fingers rose. He plundered her mouth again before she protested and he reached higher to seek her wet folds. When he stroked her, she emitted soft moans of pleasure, encouraging him to continue. He buried his fingers into her slick heat with a low moan.

“Lachlan.” Her breath came out ragged. “We shouldn’t.”

Although she protested with words, she pulled him down closer, crushing him to her. He was all too willing to follow her down that path.

Lachlan, where are you?

The voice of his brother in his head interrupted him. Although ready to shut him down with a mental block, he caught the sense of urgency.
What is it, Bryce?

I was patrolling over the sea, flying as far as the Highlands. What we thought might happen is happening.

Lachlan’s gut tightened. He pulled himself off Raina.
What exactly?

“Is something wrong?” She turned to her side, leaning on an elbow. Her hair was tousled and lips puffy from kissing him.

Utterly sexy, and he had to stop. Damn timing. “It’s Bryce.” He raised his hand. “Hold on while I find out what’s happening.

Humans. On board a ship, headed in this direction. And they’re armed.

His stomach dropped. Right when he’d begun to make progress. On two fronts.
How much time do you think we have?

Two, maybe three hours.

Quick, get the others together to the stones. Notify Kayla to tell the witches. We must all do what we can to get the veil restored, now.

After ending the mental link with Bryce, he turned to Raina. She’d adjusted the dress back to where it covered all the delicious parts of her he wanted to kiss, but he couldn’t think of that now.

A worry line etched a notch between her eyes. “What is it?”

Lachlan explained what happened. She bolted up. “I need to tell my pack.”

“We’ll all meet at the ancient stones.”

She rushed to the cave entrance, but stopped when he touched her elbow.

“Raina, I need your help.”

Facing him with a confused look, she replied, “With what?”

“My brothers,” he explained. “I don’t think I can do our part without them.”

Her eyes darted with racing thoughts. “How close are the humans?”

“Bryce guessed it would take two or three hours to sail here.”

“Okay. I’ll meet you at the stones.”

With that statement, she exited the cave. Gods, he hated to watch her leave.

He followed her out of the cave in time to catch her tearing off her dress. His mouth dropped open as he gaped at her luscious nudity. He took in every soft curve, her round breasts with pink nipples he wanted to lick, her slim waist flaring out to her womanly hips, and the dark thatch between her legs. He groaned, longing to explore and bury himself deep within her.

She flashed him a sweet yet naughty smile that leveled him before she rolled the dress into a knot and clasped it to a necklace. In another second, the beautiful woman was gone, replaced by a shimmering transformation from two legs to four and a body sprouting fur. Like a mirage. Or a dream. She turned to him and stared through vibrant blue eyes. Before he could blink twice, she’d bounded off through the forest.

To see the sleek female body he’d been playing like a seductive instrument shift into a wolf before him left him gaping with disbelief. And he was a shifter—he knew how it worked. Gargoyles could hide their clothing when they shifted forms. After that vision, he was grateful wolves didn’t share that same ability.

Snapping into action to follow her lead, he extended his wings and flew into the slate morning sky.

The rains had stopped, but dark clouds remained. Lachlan flew to the moors. When he landed at the stones, he was alone. No sign of his brothers. No sign of Raina.

No matter what progress they’d made today, he still had no clue how to save the island.

His heartbeat quickened. He breathed deep and slow to control the rising dread and clear his mind of clutter. Panic wouldn’t help him in this situation.

Think rationally.

What he’d learned was that even though his attempt to summon his inner power was successful, it wasn’t enough. He needed to generate enough power to use his magic, and he needed his brothers to provide theirs as well. His alone wouldn’t be enough for the entire island.

Closing his eyes, he pictured Raina’s face. Raina, the beautiful woman; Raina, the sleek wolf. Although he couldn’t wrap his head around the transformation, he knew one thing for certain.

He needed Raina to help guide him.

Shaking his head with a cynical grunt, he squared his jaw and prepared for action. The humans were coming. Time was all but up.

While he waited for the others to arrive, Lachlan searched his soul for the impetus not to give up. Raina believed in him. Something not even the gargoyles in the Highlands did. She wouldn’t waste her time on a lost cause, would she? If she thought he could harness and control his magic, maybe it was possible.

Bloody hell, he wasn’t going to give up yet.

Many of the island’s natives gathered at the stones. When Kayla approached with Mason from across the moors, Lachlan rushed to meet them.

“My coven is coming,” Kayla said. “The potion isn’t quite ready.”

It was more than what he’d been able to muster. “Will it be enough?”

“It should be strong enough to have an effect. We can reinforce it later.”

“Lachlan,” Raina said from behind him. “Come with your brothers.”

Relief spread through him, her determined tone encouraged him. He turned to her and noted Ian and Seth flanking both sides. Seth greeted him with an icy glare. He wasn’t sure why, but he returned the hostile gaze. A low growl rumbled deep within, his distaste for the shifter rising.

Don’t be a nutter—you can’t fight her pack mates.

Regaining his sense, he ignored Seth and nodded in greeting at Ian.

“What about your pack?” he addressed Raina.

“We’re all set,” she said. “Our magic is ready. We projected it before we came over, hoping a fresh surge of energy over the island might throw the humans off course.”

He glanced around the island with astonishment, not sure what he thought he’d find. A shimmer in the air, or some sort of palpable vibrancy around him like what he’d felt in the cave. Then he shook off that impression. Most magic wasn’t visible.

Lachlan called his brothers over. When they’d gathered in a circle away from the others, Raina directed them to clear their minds, the way she had with Lachlan.

“Explain to them what you felt with me. How you connected to your power inside.”

Those were two very different things. Now wasn’t the time to think about that.

“It’s right in here.” He put his hand under his breastbone. “I reached a sort of meditative state, similar to one when we’re in stone. Only this time, I centered in on this energy inside. Once I was able to focus on it, I concentrated to make it grow. As it expanded, I directed the energy outward.”

“And it worked?” Bryce asked.

“It did,” Lachlan replied. “But, I know what I generated wasn’t enough. We all need to do the same thing.”

“How so?”

He wasn’t exactly sure, but he used what he learned from Raina and went with his gut. “Since we’re able to sense each other, we may be able to connect our energy. Project it outward so it protects the island.”

Four sets of eyes, similar to his own, stared back at him with worry and skepticism, but they followed his directions. For many long minutes, he guided his brothers in what he’d practiced with Raina, helping them tap into their energy within.

The sound of female conversation caught his attention. The tree witches had arrived with a heavy cauldron brimming with a sapphire-colored potion that bubbled and smelled like honeysuckle. An odd fragrance for such an impenetrable force. They repeated chants in Latin as vapors rose in wispy strands, disappearing into the thinning clouds above where clear blue skies broke through.

“The humans are approaching,” one of the young male wolf shifters said, running back from the shore. “I could see them in the distance.”

“We need to hurry,” a blonde witch replied.

The witches repeated the chants louder and in quicker succession while the wolf shifters prowled.

“Let’s go to the shore,” Ian directed. “See what we’re up against.”

“Good idea.” Lachlan nodded. He turned to the elder witches. “Are you going to stay here?”

“No, we should all stay close while projecting the magic. We’ll come.”

Lachlan nodded. The witches knew more about magic than he’d ever know. “Want us to carry that over?”