Lachlan: Knights of Stone: Highland Gargoyles, #2

By Lisa Carlisle

He's the gargoyle alpha. She's the wolf pack beta.

Sworn enemies. 

 

But a bigger threat forces them to join forces.

 

As the new alpha of his gargoyle clan, Lachlan attends the peace talks between the shifters and tree witches. Cooperation is crucial to their survival, but unity is hard to achieve when tensions are running high. So is Lachlan's concentration when a sexy wolf shifter rushes to the talks.

 

Raina has her hands full with pack problems and the source of them is clear—gargoyles. If they hadn't lured the humans to the island, she wouldn't have to deal with the fallout. She wants nothing to do with them, especially their alpha. But, his not-so-surreptitious glances are hard to miss.

Nope. Not the kind of attention she needs.

 

Yet when humans come to investigate the wolf attacks, Raina must work with Lachlan to coax them off the island. 

And the attraction to her enemy becomes more difficult to resist...

 

Shifters in kilts and forbidden love.

 

"If you like shifter books, romance, and hot alpha men, you have to read this series. These magical creatures will bring a smile to your face and maybe put you in a happy place."~ 5 Stars from Alpha Book Club!

 

Escape to a mystical Scottish isle with five shifter brothers today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lisa Carlisle
• Release date: Jan 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781519938725

Lisa Carlisle

USA Today bestselling author Lisa Carlisle loves stories with dark, brooding heroes and independent heroines. For much of her professional career, she’s written non-fiction — but she’s discovered writing romance is the most fun. Her romances have been named Top Picks at Night Owl Reviews and All Romance Ebooks. When she was younger, she worked in a variety of jobs, moving to various countries. She backpacked alone through Europe, and lived in Paris before returning to the U.S. She owned a bookstore for a few years as she loves to read. She’s now married to a fantastic man, and they have two kids, two cats, and too many fish. Visit her website for more on books, trailers, playlists, and more: Lisacarlislebooks.com   Sign up for her newsletter to hear about new releases, specials, and freebies: http://www.lisacarlislebooks.com/subscribe/ Lisa loves to connect with readers. You can find her on: Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram Goodreads If you enjoyed reading this set, I’d greatly appreciate you leaving a review. It means a lot to authors. Thank you!

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

R eady to head to the peace talks? Lachlan asked his younger brother, Bryce.

It was the second night of the talks with each of the island’s three main groups—gargoyles, tree witches, and wolf shifters.

Aye, Bryce replied. We’re flying to the moors, right? Or, would that be too much of a spectacle?

Lachlan snorted. After the trouble at the concert, I don’t think that will shock them.

A few young wolf shifters had lost control during the full moon two nights prior and had trespassed into gargoyle territory. Lachlan and his brothers had been performing a concert with their band, the Knights of Stone, and the wolves had attacked some humans. The incident had forced the three groups to put their differences aside to discuss how to address the situation, after the humans had left the isle.

Good luck with that, Gavin teased, arching his brows.

Lachlan grunted. Last night, he’d had a taste of how difficult it would be to make progress. Still, it had been a start.

He turned to his youngest brother. Calum, make sure Gavin stays on watch.

Calum pounded his right hand over his left pec. Will do.

Hey, Gavin protested. I’m older than he is.

You also tend to wander to wherever the lassies are, Bryce teased.

Gavin’s face broke out into a grin. We all do that.

Lachlan and Bryce exchanged glances. They unfurled their wings and flew out of gargoyle territory into the moors, the neutral area on the Isle of Stone.

When the three groups divided the island into territories after a great battle twenty-five years prior, they designated the moors as the neutral zone. Spotting the ancient stones standing vertically amid the tall grass and swaths of purple heather below, Lachlan and Bryce descended. They were the first ones to arrive.

Within minutes, Ian, the alpha of the wolf pack arrived, followed by two elder tree witches, Matilda and Claire.

After they’d settled in with initial greetings, Lachlan brought up the first matter they needed to address. We don’t have much time before the humans come to investigate.

How can you be certain? Ian asked.

Although two representatives were invited from each clan, today Ian attended alone. Lachlan had no complaints there. The arrogant young beta who’d joined Ian yesterday had rankled Lachlan.

I’ve been around enough humans to know, Lachlan replied. If they hear reports of wolves attacking humans, they’ll look into it.

His statement stirred up the tree witches.

Here we go again.

Your fault having those concerts, one said pointing at the gargoyles while the other muttered something that sounded like, Damn wolves.

Lachlan paid no attention to the repetitious tirade. The humans had already discovered the Isle of Stone after the magical veil thinned; all they did was make the best of the situation. This endless banter will get us nowhere. Each side must be able to talk without interruption or else we may as well just go back to our corners of the island. He bowed toward the two elder witches, and, through gritted teeth, added, Ladies first.

The white-haired witch named Matilda spoke about injustices done to them during the battle, pointing a bony index finger that protruded out from the edge of her frayed gray cape. "Many talented witches were killed by gargoyles and wolf shifters during the great battle.

Lachlan raised his eyebrows. The gargoyles had a different version of that story, one in which the tree witches were the perpetrators.

Bryce caught his eye. Leaving isn’t a half bad idea, he communicated silently. I don’t see how we’re going to make any progress with the witches if they’re just going to reiterate what happened in the past.

Agree. Although he shared the skepticism of the plan to work with the others, it was their only chance to save the island. But this is what we must do.

For Mason?

Mason had started this mess. No, Lachlan was being too harsh on him, the second youngest of the five gargoyle brothers. Just because Mason had fallen for a tree witch didn’t mean the wolf attack was his fault. The wolves were responsible—they couldn’t even control their pack. And the young ones, no willpower at all. They’d lost all self-control from something as natural as moonlight. Pathetic.

In fact, Mason and the witch Kayla had opened the lines of communication between the different groups on the isle with their illicit affair, which had been critical. Better the island’s natives work together than let humans intervene and make things worse.

For all of us, Lachlan answered. If we want to have a future on the Isle of Stone.

He inhaled to clear his harried mind, taking in the fragrance of wildflowers and heather as he gazed over the rolling slopes of the moors. The land exuded a sense of tranquility and hope under the soft light of the morning sun. The peace between the Isle of Stone’s natives, however, had lasted only minutes before the cacophony began with ceaseless bickering. Agreeing to work together might have been a mistake.

Not that he had much of an alternative.

When Matilda stopped to take a breath during her speech, Lachlan seized the moment to interrupt her. We all know of the injustices done to each of us, which led to the division of the island. Time to move beyond the past and address the current situation.

Part of what led to the schism is poor communication, Ian added. By meeting together to discuss the future of the island, we can avoid making the same mistakes our predecessors did.

Predecessors! Matilda said. It was only twenty-five years ago. I was there and remember it well.

My apologies, Ian said, bending forward. With your experience, you’ll be valuable in ensuring we don’t make those same errors in judgment.

Lachlan had been a young gargoyle during the battles, but he remembered fragments with vivid recall. Battles with magic and bloodshed. Countless deaths. A senseless tragedy.

The sound of movement through the tall grasses made him turn. A female ran toward them, dark hair blowing behind her like the mane of a wild filly. Her red dress blazed like a siren, but he didn’t notice the pattern until she’d slowed her pace—similar to the one on Ian’s kilt.

What the— Bryce said at his side, adopting a defensive stance.

It’s all right, Ian said. She’s my daughter.

Lachlan didn’t recognize her, but that wasn’t a surprise. The wolves had kept to their territory on the isle for over two decades. Around what he’d guess her age to be as he scanned her nubile body with soft, supple curves.

A wolf shifter. With storm blue eyes like the ocean at dusk.

And the daughter of the alpha wolf.

Damn.

Sorry, I’m late, she said through quickened breaths, drawing his attention to her parted lips.

She dropped her hands to her knees as she panted from the run, and her hair fell forward in tempting disarray. Her movement offered him a glimpse of her cleavage, breasts rising and falling with each deep breath.

I was held up by— She glanced at her father before adding, pack matters.

You haven’t missed much, Ian replied before addressing the crowd. This is Raina. Second-in-command in our pack. He then introduced the others to his daughter.

Lachlan widened his stance and narrowed his eyes at Ian. You introduced your beta last night. That wolf shifter’s pride had bordered on arrogance; nothing like his alpha, Ian.

Aye, Ian acknowledged. Seth and Raina share duties.

The tree witches exchanged glances. Claire, the younger of the two, whispered, Inconsistency.

Raina assessed him through inquisitive eyes, making Lachlan forget what he was about to say.

Straightening to his full height, he forged ahead. We all need to be in human form when they come.

Claire snorted. Some of us are always in human form.

Lachlan addressed his brother: Here they go again.

But now we have a bonnie lass to improve the view. Bryce glanced at Raina.

Lachlan’s stomach hardened. An odd reaction. He and his brothers often pointed out fine lassies at their concerts.

Ignoring Bryce’s comment, he replied, We can’t let the squabbles deter us. The only way to restore the magical veil is if we work together.

I’ll follow your lead, Bryce said.

No need for snipe, Ian said to the witch. What Lachlan said is true—for most of us. When the humans come—I agree they most likely will—they’ll look for evidence of wolf attacks.

How should we explain what happened? Raina asked her father.

Matilda interrupted. "Aye, how are we going to cover up your attack?"

Lachlan agreed with the witch, though he kept his accusation to himself so as not to impede progress. What was done couldn’t be undone and pointing fingers didn’t change that.

He had no doubt humans would investigate reports of wolves attacking people at a concert. If government officials discovered supes, they’d likely capture them to study in some lab.

The gargoyles knew their unconventional rock concerts shows wouldn’t last forever; something was bound to happen. It seemed to end all too soon, though.

Too bad; it had been fun while it lasted. Not only did they have the opportunity to perform as their true selves for the first time, they’d seduced many bonnie lassies during those months.

No, we can’t hide what happened, Ian agreed. Too many witnesses. But we can say we’ve taken care of the problem.

Raina shot her father a skeptical look. And how will we do that?

Ian was on to something. Lachlan stepped forward and said, Say we’ve destroyed all the wolves.

Bryce caught on to where they were going with this line of thinking. Blame the attack on a few wild wolves that made it to the island. Say we shot them with bow and arrow.

And threw the bodies out to sea, Raina added.

At last, they were making progress. Coming up with ideas of how to fix things instead of casting blame on each other. Lachlan nodded to acknowledge her idea. The humans might buy it. If so, the locals might have more time to fix the problem with the veil.

As if reading Lachlan’s mind, Raina asked. Wouldn’t it be easier if we just repaired the veil as soon as possible? They’d never find the Isle of Stone to even question us.

True. The gargoyle clan, wolf pack, and tree witches had worked together decades ago to generate the veil for privacy, shielding the island from humans and their technology. Since the division of the island after the great battle, each group had kept to their territories, letting the veil disintegrate. Enough so that humans had recently discovered the Isle of Stone.

As the eldest gargoyle remaining on the isle, Lachlan shouldered the responsibility of helping to restore the veil. He had no idea as to what type of magic to use, let alone if he was capable of creating it. But he sure as hell wasn’t going to admit his lack of knowledge to the wolves and witches.

Especially in front of an attractive female, even if she was a wolf.

He skirted around his uncertainty. Aye, that’s one of the things we need to discuss. What do we each need to do to restore the veil?

Each species contributed a magical component in the past. Matilda narrowed her eyes. You do know it, don’t you? I mean, you are rather young to lead a clan.

Bryce shot him a quick, worried look, which he covered up by looking elsewhere. Then he communicated silently. I don’t. Do you?

No, Lachlan admitted. We need to figure it out. And fast.

Agree. It’s the only way.

Of course we know our magic. Lachlan stood straighter and used a confident tone to belie his lack of knowledge. It takes time to conjure enough to cover an entire island.

What are you going to do? Go to the clan? Bryce asked. After humans had discovered the island a few months ago, the Calder gargoyle clan had returned to their ancestral home in the Scottish Highlands. Lachlan had taken on the role of alpha in their small group of five brothers who remained.

Och, no. No way was Lachlan going to swallow his pride to beg them for magic they should have left him with anyway. Not after all the grief the other gargoyles had given them about their band, their concerts—an endless broken record. Plus, admitting he and his brothers needed help undermined any respect for their new clan, however small it might be at this point. As well as weakening confidence in Lachlan’s ability to serve as alpha. 

He would have to figure it out himself. He considered their abilities. Gargoyles could shift from stone to man to a creature in between. They could communicate telepathically. They could shield themselves in flight, making themselves invisible. Yet nothing came to mind about how to shield an island. His ribs tightened. He tried to concentrate despite the mounting frustration. I’ll think of something.

As does our magic, Matilda replied. We need two more days to prepare.

Lachlan resisted an audible exhale of relief. Two days should be enough time for us.

Two days? Bryce said. You think we can figure this out in two days?

We have to, Lachlan replied, not sure how they’d pull it off in such a short period of time.

Let’s meet here, two days from now, at sundown, Ian said. "In the meantime, what are we