Knights of Stone - Lachlan (3 page)

Lachlan glanced at his brothers before focusing again on her. “True.” He took her forearm in a firm hold.

Unfamiliar tingles sparkled through her body originating from where he touched her skin.

“We’ll go together.” He addressed the others, “Fall back, out of sight. I’ll keep in touch.”

After recovering from the jolt of Lachlan’s touch, she looked at her father. He hadn’t yet responded to the makeshift plan. Why did her cheeks burn with sudden heat? She hadn’t done anything wrong, yet a wave of discomfort swept through her.

Her father stepped up to Lachlan and demanded, “Why are you taking my daughter?” He studied them both while awaiting the answer.

Lachlan grimaced, the first time she’d seen him in any sort of discomfort since she’d arrived. He’d exuded a confident aura suitable for a leader of a clan. Had he also experienced that—what could she call it—
charge
?

The unsettled look vanished, replaced by the more familiar, proud countenance. “So we appear to be a normal human couple living on the island.”

With his six plus foot muscular frame and long hair, she’d hardly call him the norm.

“Your daughter’s right,” Lachlan added. “Having a number of barefoot, shirtless men in kilts approach would make them think we’re a bunch of savages. Humans are quick to judge anything they don’t understand and consider it a threat.”

So he acknowledged her thoughts. That was a point in his favor—although he still came off as a cocky bastard.

Her father’s gaze drifted off toward the distance before he nodded. “I understand. Go with him, Raina.”

She hurried alongside Lachlan out through the long grasses of the moors. His long strides were difficult enough to keep up with as they rushed through the woods into gargoyle territory.

This close to him, she smelled his aroma, a hint of a dark, spicy musk, but all male and tantalizing. Her wolf inside ceased prowling and stilled, reacting to his scent.

A dizzying sensation made her body respond in ways it shouldn’t. Most distracting was the sensual tingling in between her legs.

Stop it!
She commanded herself.

She struggled to concentrate on other fragrances, hoping they’d overpower his. The distinctive pine, the dew that still lingered on the fern, the earthy mix from fallen leaves trampled into the soil below. With these distractions, she calmed that sudden primal reaction. Her wolf lay down and wagged her tail.

A relief. She didn’t need an attraction to a male who was off-limits to interfere with her life. Her future ruling the pack with Seth was already assumed. Sure, she didn’t get any tingles around him the way wolves did when they found their mate, but that didn’t mean it would never happen. And besides, it might be better if it didn’t. She’d seen how her mother’s death had almost destroyed her father, and the idea of being so intertwined with someone, heart and soul, terrified her. A practical mating would keep her from ever risking being hurt that same way.

They passed into an open area with a stone stage. It had to be where they held their notorious concerts. As she descended to the rocky shore, she shuffled to keep up with Lachlan’s quickened steps. A boat sailed in their direction with three humans aboard, as the other gargoyle had mentioned. Lachlan’s expression turned somber as they approached the land, but then his sudden change surprised her.

“Hello,” Lachlan greeted the three humans aboard the boat with a friendly smile. “Can I give you a hand?”

Although, she knew it was posturing, she’d never seen that dazzling smile. Utterly disarming. Was it part of the whole rock star persona the gargoyles had perfected?

“Aye,” a male with dark hair and glasses replied. “Thanks.”

Two others climbed out of the boat, a man with dirty blond hair stuffed under a wide-rimmed hat and a female wearing sunglasses, her brown hair pulled into a loose ponytail.

Lachlan helped them pull the boat in to the dock. When he bent forward, the muscles in his back stood out. The curves of his shoulder blades shifted under the taut bronze skin. Was that where his wings emerged when he changed? The skin was so smooth. She stifled an urge to touch it.

Something caught her attention. One had a gun. She scanned the three humans now stepping onto the Isle of Stone, and a defensive streak flared. Humans didn’t necessarily bother her; they lived far from here. But their weapons did. A painful reminder of what they’d torn from her family welled, spreading the familiar ache of loss. She struggled to regain control of her emotions.

“Why are you armed?” she demanded.

Lachlan shot a look back in her direction all but commanding her to cool it.

She ignored him. Humans were notorious fools with weapons. They’d killed many wolves, not for food, but for sport. The ache of her mother’s death washed through her with a reminder as insistent as the waves before a coming storm. She swallowed, now wasn’t the time to drown in grief.

“We heard of an incident here with wolves. Some people got hurt.”

Raina opened her mouth to speak, not sure she could control the torrent of emotion welled up by witnessing the gun. Luckily, Lachlan beat her to it. “We know about that. Not sure how those wolves got here, but we took care of them. They’re gone.”

“What do you mean gone?” the female human asked. “You killed them?”

“Aye. There weren’t that many.”

The humans exchanged glances before the female asked, “Can we see their bodies?”

This female had to be some sort of sicko. Maybe what the humans called a scientist. Why else would she want to examine a wolf’s corpse?

“No,” Raina declared, regaining a grip on her heated emotions.
Focus on the plan
. “We got rid of them. Threw them out to sea.”

The female tilted her head. “Why?”

“We didn’t want to attract all the insects. And frankly, it was easier than burying them.”

“You live on this island?” the blond man spoke.

“Aye,” she replied.

“And others?”

“Sure,” Lachlan added.

“Was this the first time you’ve seen wolves?”

“That’s right,” Lachlan replied. “Like I said, not sure how they got here.”

They volleyed rapid statements back and forth, and Lachlan didn’t miss a play.

“It’s quite a distance to swim from another island,” the man mused while he scanned the island. “Mind if we take a look around?”

“This is a private island.” Lachlan stepped forward.

“What’s your name?” the male squinted at Lachlan. “We don’t have any records of ownership of this island.”

“Who are you?” Lachlan responded, avoiding the question. The island hadn’t been detected by technology for decades for good reason—to keep it from prying human eyes like these.

“Kirk Brymer.” He flashed a badge, identifying himself as an investigator of some bureaucratic-sounding agency from Inverness. “We’ve had reports of wolves attacking people. We must investigate it.”

Lachlan glanced at the badge.

She knew nothing about how humans handled these types of matters, but had to trust he’d take appropriate steps to get these investigators off the island as soon as possible.

“I’ve already told you the wolves are no longer here. Lachlan’s tone was cordial, but his eyes took on an icy edge. “I doubt anyone on this island would appreciate strangers trespassing on their property.” Still he’d exhibited more patience than she had. Must be all those hours locked away in stone. What a waste of an existence.

The human’s gaze faltered under Lachlan’s searing one. “Sir, please allow us to conduct our investigation, and then we’ll leave.”

The tension grew so thick, Raina swore it would escalate to a dangerous impasse. Lachlan broke the silence with a welcoming gesture. “Make it quick.”

The humans paraded through the gargoyle territory near the shore and continued to the amphitheater, surveying the area as if taking mental notes.

“Is this where the musicians were playing?”

“Aye,” Lachlan said.

“So this is where the attack took place?”

He nodded. “Everything occurred here. This is where the wolves came. We searched the island ourselves for any others. We got them all.”

The three humans put on gloves and carried plastic baggies as they combed the grounds. Raina didn’t see any evidence of the attack. The gargoyles must have done a thorough cleanup after all had left.

“We should keep going,” the bespectacled human said to their others. “And make sure.”

Lachlan’s jaw tightened. “You must hurry. Those of us who live on the island will find strangers intrusive. If not threatening.”

“We will be as unobtrusive as possible.”

“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?