Knights-of-Stone-Bryce Read online

  “Piss off!” she screamed as she bolted away from him.

  He reached out and grasped her wrist, but she’d already initiated flight and wings burst from her back. As she ascended, she slipped from his hold.

  “Fuck!” he shouted.

  She was airborne. Free! She’d escaped.

  A mighty arm grasped her by the waist and yanked her down. He wrapped both arms around her as she struggled once again to break free, but he pinned her in a tight grip, this time from behind.

  She was trapped.

  Again.

  She squirmed and kicked and used her wings as a weapon, beating them against him. She wouldn’t submit to him.

  “Let me go!” she cried.

  Who was she, and what was she doing on the Isle of Stone? She had no business here.

  Spying. That’s what it had to mean. And after all Bryce and his brothers had gone through in recent weeks to protect the island, he bloody well wasn’t going to let an intruder foul up their progress.

  Or, could she be connected to the rumors in the Highlands?

  “Stop fighting me, damn it!” He shouted at the gargoyle shifter struggling to escape his grasp and beating at him with her silver-tipped wings.

  At first, he thought he’d imagined seeing a woman in the forest. One with dark red hair fit right into his fantasies. When he’d approached, he caught her scent. Gargoyle. And an alluring one. Oof. Since only he and his brothers were the gargoyles who’d remained on the island, this meant one thing. Trouble.

  She wasn’t part of his former clan. How did she end up on the Isle of Stone?

  She must have followed them back from the Highlands. The magical veil wouldn’t keep out other supernatural beings, only deter humans. It muddled their senses and technology so they couldn’t find the isle.

  Pinning her on the ground was one thing. Holding her in the air was far more difficult. Especially since she had a gargoyle’s strength and was feisty as hell, thrashing and kicking at him like a trapped animal. He’d never met a female gargoyle with such fire.

  Or desperation for freedom. Whatever it was, it had the unexpected side effect of turning him on. If he wasn’t so damn concerned with getting information from her, he might have taken a different course of action.

  “Let go,” she insisted, kicking back and trying to claw him.

  He’d caught her from behind, which wasn’t easy with her wings between them. If her hands reached him, she’d claw his eyes out.

  Her skin changed texture beneath his fingers. Fuck. She was shifting to gargoyle form. Bryce and his brothers could shift into different states—human, which they spent most of their time as; stone, which they often transformed to rest or observe; and gargoyle form. This last form, in which they had the toughest hide and most strength, they typically reserved for combat. If she shifted to this form, it likely meant she wasn’t about to submit.

  Not good.

  “If you’re shifting to fight me, I warn you, it will not end well.”

  Her muscles tensed as she listened to him. Her heart pounded against his arms wrapped around her ribcage.

  “I’m stronger than you, and you’re outnumbered,” he continued, lest she try to continue with a sudden plan of attack. “My brothers are all nearby. One rash move, and I warn them about an intruder. You’ll have to face much more than me.”

  For several seconds, the only sounds were their quickened breaths after the struggle.

  She conceded with a terse reply. “Fine.”

  Her toughened skin softened back to human texture. He ran his fingers over it. Smooth, silky, feminine flesh. Whenever he bedded a lass, he loved to touch their soft skin. His reaction was inappropriate considering the circumstances, but he couldn’t resist.

  “Will you let go of me?”

  “No,” he snapped. Was she insane? “We will descend together.”

  She ground her teeth. “All right.” Like she had any other choice with him pinning her wings.

  “One. Two. Three.” He led their descent at a cautious pace, maneuvering through the canopy of the trees until they reached the fern-covered ground below. “Now, once again, tell me everything.” He released her torso, but kept one wrist in his grasp. “This time, I’m not letting you go.”

  She cast a scathing look, which might whither a weaker being, his way.

  He smirked, amused at her attempt to intimidate him. “All right, hellion. Speak. Why are you spying on us?”

  “Don’t call me that,” she spat. “I already told you my name. It’s Mairi.” Her bottom lip trembled. “And I’m not spying on you.”

  “Like hell you aren’t. I saw you watching us from the forests. Which means you must have followed us here.”

  She raised her chin, but didn’t say anything.

  “Who asked you to spy on us? What clan are you from?”

  Dropping her gaze to the floor, she shook her head. “I’m alone.”

  She didn’t answer his question. “Was it Duncan? Did he ask you to keep an eye on us?”

  He wouldn’t put it past his former alpha to send a sentry back.

  She glanced up and furrowed her brows. “Who?”

  Damn. Who could it be? “Humans?”

  Humans had been their most recent threat with their investigation after the wolf attacks.

  “I’m not spying on you,” she said, “But I did follow you.”

  “Why?”

  “I saw two beings flying over the Highlands and thought they might be gargoyles. So I followed.”

  “Why would you follow other gargoyles?”

  “I-uh-I don’t know,” she stammered. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

  Who would follow someone without a reason? “Why not?”

  “My clan—” her bottom lip quivered. “Is gone.”

  Gone could mean any number of things. “Meaning?”

  “They were killed. In the Highlands.”

  Shite. A twinge of empathy flickered within. “All of them?”

  “All of them.”

  She was alone—if she was telling the truth. His protective instincts flared. No, now wasn’t the time. Not with an intruder who had followed them to their home. He took a deep breath to regain control. Act on cool rational thought. Don’t respond to strong gargoyle instinct. He couldn’t drop all his suspicions just because she’d spun a sad story. He’d met many manipulative females who’d lie to get whatever they wanted.

  “What happened to them?”

  “Some kind of—” she bit her lip while appearing to search for the word. “—demon or something. They attacked us.”

  Fuck. The whispers in the Highlands rang of truth. He’d never encountered a demon and guessed he wouldn’t want to. Especially if they were capable of destroying a clan of gargoyle shifters. He had to get all the facts. “Where?”

  “The north coast of the Highlands.”

  That was where the rumors of incidents had taken place. The wild and rugged coastline took shape in his mind. Waves crashing against unforgiving cliffs. “So you’re alone?”

  She bit her bottom lip when it quivered again. Her eyes glistened and she turned her head. “Aye. My clan is gone. Family—all dead.”

  The gargoyle drive surged through him again, this time with renewed vigor, demanding he take action.

  Intruder. Remember?

  He tamped down the overwhelming instinct. “How did you escape?”

  “Two of the demons had captured me. They said they wanted to—” She squeezed her eyes shut. “—play with me. Before they did it. Before they killed me.”

  Fuck. Fuck. And Fuck. Rape? Or some other form of torture? His body warmed from the core out, consumed with an inner fury. He clenched his hands into tight fists, gritting his teeth. With a slow, deep breath, he regained composure. “How did you escape?”

  In an almost inaudible tone, she added, “I slipped away when they were distracted.”

  He grunted. He’d encountered how slippery she could be when she’d fou
ght to escape his grasp.

  “Then what happened?”

  “I returned to find my clan mates. When I found them, it was too late.”

  The implication was clear, but he had to be sure. “Dead?”

  “Aye.” Her voice came out soft and wounded. The haunted expression in her eyes tugged at him—what he’d do to make it disappear.

  What was coming over him? She was a stranger. He had no business being swept up in her story. Not with his problems to deal with. As beta in a new clan still trying to establish itself, he had to come to terms with the tree witches and wolf shifters on the isle. If they came to an agreement, he hoped to resurrect the Knights of Stone, the band in which he’d formed with his brothers. Its future had become uncertain after an incident with the wolf attack during the last full moon. Without an audience, there were no shows.

  He took a mental step back to assess her story from a distance. “Why did the demons attack your clan?”

  “I don’t know. Retribution?” She threw her free hand up. “My clan had destroyed demons in the past to protect the human clans in the Highlands.” Her shoulders sagged. “But they’re demons. At least, that’s what I think they are. Pure evil. Who knows why they do what they do?”

  Despite his attempt at detachment, a part of him reacted to her story. Let her go, it shouted at him. She’s already gone through being captured and you’re making it bloody well worse.

  Oof. He wanted to slap that soft side of himself. He knew women. She could be playing him, lying to escape a sticky situation. He’d met plenty of females who’d brought down men. How many had slept with him while they left their lover clueless at home? No remorse for their deceit. A singular purpose to get what they wanted no matter who they’d hurt in the process. He wasn’t fool enough to be one of those swayed by a lass with a pretty pout.

  He studied her closer, assessing her body language. Eyes, movements, position. Nothing triggered any alerts. He closed his eyes and inhaled to get a better read on her. He detected fear and a hint of desperation. And a very alluring feminine scent with notes of jasmine.

  She was telling the truth. He’d bet on it.

  “So, assuming you’re not lying to me, why did you follow us here?”

  “I told you—I didn’t know what to do. One part of me thought I should hide, but then, if the demons are hunting me, it would only be a matter of time before they found me. Another part had a glimpse of hope when I saw gargoyles. You and another, I assume?”

  He waited two steady heartbeats before answering. “One of my brothers.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe I thought you could help me.”

  His internal antenna tuned in, wary of what she might mean. “Help you how?”

  “I don’t know.” She shook her head, conflict raging in her eyes, before she fixed her gaze on him. “I want to destroy the demons for what they’ve taken from me.”

  “So you are—” he tried to follow what she was saying. “Looking for help?”

  She threw up her hands as if exasperated. “What am I saying? I don’t—don’t even have a plan. They’re dangerous. What they’ve done…” Her voice trailed off and the haunted look returned as she gazed out with a lost expression into the forest’s depths.

  Since they’d surged forward, he tried to slow things down. “Let’s start with the present. How do we know you haven’t led them here?”

  Her eyes widened, gaze darting around. “I don’t think I did. They would have caught up with me by now, don’t you think?”

  Bryce formed a fist and squeezed, considering the likelihood based on what she’d told him. “Perhaps.” On an exhale, he relaxed his hand. “I’m guessing you need a place to stay.”

  She snapped her focus back to him. “Aye. See I haven’t even thought that far ahead. I was focused on escape.” A hopeful glint shimmered in her blue-green eyes. “Would you—let me—stay? While I figure out what to do next.”

  What a surprising turn of events. He’d only come out here to question the intruder he’d spotted while watching from his stone repose. Instead, he’d found a gargoyle who needed a place to stay. Not what he’d expected.

  A sensual scene played out in his mind. One in which he and this female spent the night exploring each other’s bodies under the stars. He gritted his teeth and shoved the fantasy aside.

  “I’d have to run this by my brothers.” He loosened his hold. “First, tell me everything. I need to know what happened with your clan.”

  “I will,” she conceded. “But please—do you have any food or water you could spare?”

  Her look of desperation tugged at him. “When’s the last time you ate?”

  She bit her lip. “I-I-uh—can’t remember. Much has happened since then. None of it good.”

  Mairi tried to wiggle out of Bryce’s grasp as he led them out of the forest, but it was fruitless; he was too strong. Once she gave up the struggle, he readjusted his hold. Not as much a restraint, but gentler. Something about it seemed intimate, warm and oddly pleasant.

  At the forest’s edge, the earth sloped down and the fern gave way to shore vegetation with rocky terrain. He led her to an area with flattened rocks and pieces of driftwood with seaweed clinging onto them. The distinctive scents of the coast pushed away those of the pine forest.

  Releasing her arm, he gestured to the rocks. “Have a seat.”

  She stepped forward, free to move on her own. An odd sensation. It was the first time she’d been free of his touch since he’d captured her in the sky. This time, she didn’t have any urge to flee.

  “Wait here.” He kept his eyes pinned on her as he moved into the woods, disappearing from sight. Had he decided to leave her? Her muscles tightened as a sweep of panic surged through her, as unrelenting as the wave crashing against the rocky shore. Although he’d been her captor she’d been fighting to escape a short while ago, now he symbolized a sliver of hope in her desperate situation.

  He emerged from the woods a few moments later, carrying a satchel. She emitted a low sigh of relief. He’d returned.

  The sun beamed down on him, drawing her attention to the fine contours of his bronzed chest.

  He pulled the items out and named them as he offered them, placing them on the flat rock between them. “Trail mix. Dried fruit. Biscuits. Crisps.”

  From what she’d seen of the island from above, there were no markets from where to get this food. “Where did you get these?”

  “We bring plenty of food in. And stash them around.” He flashed a boyish grin with even white teeth. “We eat a lot.”

  It was the first time he’d smiled. It did something to her. Affecting a part of her deep within.

  He handed her a steel bottle. “Fresh water. We have a source here.” He motioned to the food. “Help yourself.”

  She unscrewed the cap and gulped. Never had water tasted so refreshing. When it quenched her parched throat, she eyed the food. She hadn’t realized how ravenous she was until she spotted it. So focused on survival, other basic needs had been pushed aside. She poured a handful of trail mix into her hand and devoured it, nothing lady-like about it.

  He eyed her with concern. “Guess you haven’t eaten in a while. I’ll get you more food.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “Wait, I don’t even know your name.

  “Bryce.”

  “Thank you—Bryce.” The name rolled off her tongue with a delightful sound. Bryce. It conveyed strength. Masculinity.

  She guzzled down more water, emptying her bottle. He offered his, and she took smaller sips this time.

  “You’re not eating?”

  “I’m fine, and you need it more than I do.” He motioned to what remained. “Please.”

  While she sated her hunger, her taut muscles relaxed. He’d given her food and water and no longer treated her like a captive, a spy. After she filled her empty belly with some nourishment, his earlier words returned. He wanted her to tell her story, yet all she’d done was wolf down the food as fast as she c
ould manage.

  “You wanted to talk?”

  He’d been leaning back on his forearms, watching her, but then straightened. “I want to know more about what happened with your clan.” Squinting his eyes, he added, “But I’m also curious about you.”

  What did he mean by that? Her skin felt taut. She became aware how she was alone with an eye-catching male who was half-naked. Muscular legs with fine hair extended from under his blue kilt. Her gaze traveled up, over the impressive contours of his sun-kissed chest. His hair now showed more red under the rising morning sun that bathed them in a warm glow. The stubble on his face was a shade darker. Rough or smooth? An urge to touch it rose, which she stuffed away. After all she’d been through recently, the last thing she should care about was an attraction to the opposite sex, yet her body instinctively responded to him on some level.

  “There’s nothing to know. Except what I already told you.”

  “Come now, Mairi.”

  It was the first time he’d said her name. Such a pleasant sound.

  “What’s your story?” he persisted.

  She pursed her lips. How much should she tell him? Trusting anyone after what she’d been through would be a difficult feat.

  Still, he was a gargoyle shifter and the closest thing to an ally, at this point. He might offer her shelter here—if his brothers agreed. Before they’d agree to give her refuge on this island, they had to know she wasn’t a threat herself. That started with him.

  While assessing what to reveal, she glanced into his amber eyes. The feral glint was gone, replaced by curiosity and a hint of concern. Nothing to fear. In fact, his intense gaze had quite a different effect this time, spreading a warm sensation over her skin.

  He was her best chance at survival. Something in her gut told her to take a chance. She inhaled to fortify herself and began her story.

  CHAPTER THREE

  “We lived close to the north coast, near Durness.”

  Bryce scanned Mairi’s demeanor as she stared at an unfixed point in the woods. The desperate struggle to escape appeared to have diminished. What had made her change her mind and stop trying to flee? Maybe she no longer saw him as a threat, but as someone who could help her. Which he’d decide after hearing her tale.