That connection had almost made falling into this cave worth it. She’d felt the energy flowing between their bodies. She couldn’t have imagined anything so vibrant. Never had she felt so in touch with her body. The magic would work while he rested. All they could do at this point was wait. She tried not to think of negative things. Like being stuck here. A lack of food and water. This cave being a grave after a slow and untimely end.
Stop. It’s not helping anything.
She leaned into the warmth of his body and replayed last night, instead.
Several minutes later, Alec stirred behind her. He made his presence known with his erection against her rear.
“Good morning, my bonnie lass,” he murmured. His voice was heavy with sleep.
“Morning.” Without wanting to sound too impatient, she asked, “How do you feel?”
“I know you feel really good against me.” He pressed his body closer and cupped her breast.
She sighed and leaned back against him, eager to join with him again. But, more practical matters needed to be addressed first. Survival.
“I mean, your wings,” she clarified.
He exhaled. “Right.”
He pulled himself to a sitting position. When the space behind her was replaced by cold emptiness, she almost immediately regretted her words. She pulled herself to sit facing him.
“I felt something last night. Now to see what that means.” He inhaled deeply and winced as if bracing himself for pain.
Black tips of his wings emerged behind him. He stood. His wings further unfolded, reaching above and around him almost to the walls of the cave itself.
“Oh gods, they’re magnificent. They look —”
“— almost healed.” He glanced over his shoulder in one direction and then the other. “The burns, they’re almost gone.”
That’s when she noticed some scorched areas. They were much smaller than they had been, but still must have hurt.
He pulled his gaze to her with a wondrous look. “You did it.”
Her heart sparked. “We did it.”
He offered her his hand. “And your ankle? Can you stand?”
Oh right. She attempted to put her weight on it. An intense flash of pain fired, and she gasped.
“That doesn’t sound good.” Alec said. “Stay there, and let me have a look.”
She sat back down. “It hurts more than it did yesterday.”
He examined it. “It’s quite swollen. We’ll get you some ice once we get out of here.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “Are you going to be able to fly? They’re not fully healed.”
“Let’s find out.” He scooped her into his arms. “Ready?”
She nodded.
“Although I will have the fondest memories of this cave, let’s get the hell out of here.”
She smiled. “I couldn’t agree more.” She glanced up at the hole above and a flicker of fear fluttered through her. His wings might fail. They could fall. He could drop her…
“Stop thinking,” he said.
“What?” she peered at him.
“I can see the worry spelled on your face. Just hold on to me. I won’t let you go. No matter what.”
She swallowed. Of course, he wouldn’t. She had to trust him. She wrapped her arms around him, clutching him with the relentless hold of a constrictor. Bad image. It reminded her of her fear of snakes.
“Can we go? Now?” she pleaded.
“Ready. Steady. Go.”
In the next heartbeat, she was off the ground. She gasped as he carried her to the gap above.
Alec cried out and sputtered in flight, jarring them sideways.
Her heart plummeted, falling back to the cave floor. “What’s wrong?”
“Still not 100%.” He winced.
Oh shit. “It’s only about ten more feet. Can you make it?”
He gritted his teeth. “I’ll do it, Veda. I’ll get us out of here.”
His wings flapped behind him at a slow, pained pace. She held her breath as she glanced up at the light, their chance of escape.
“Just about five more,” she encouraged him.
Drops of sweat formed on his temple as he strained under the effort. Her added weight didn’t help matters.
“Three more.” They were so close now, they absolutely couldn’t fail. She closed her eyes and focused on sharing her energy. Sure, they weren’t connected sexually like they had been last night, but they still had a physical connection, and if what she suspected was right, they’d forged an emotional one as well. She sent a surge of her essence through him hoping to provide the last bit of strength he needed to get them out of there.
They pierced the opening. She grasped at the earth with one hand while keeping the other clutched to him. “We’re out!”
He fell on top of her with a giant exhale. He crushed her with his granite weight. She gulped for air. He pulled himself back, pressing his weight onto his forearms.
“Sorry. Are you all right?” Worry creased between his eyebrows as he searched her eyes.
“Never better.” She reached up and kissed him.
*
What a relief to be out of the cave. Veda attempted to walk, but her ankle wasn’t cooperating.
“Once I’m able to fly, I can carry you,” Alec said. “But, I need a bit longer.”
She patted the grass next to her. “Guess, we need to stay put a bit more.”
Alec sat next to her. She leaned on her forearms and stared up. Misty clouds drifted by overhead. A quiet morning in the Highlands.
His stomach growled, piercing the quiet.
She laughed. “I hear that. Food would be nice.” Hunger clawed at her, but she attempted to ignore it.
“I could search for something and bring it back.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh, yes.”
He frowned and he shook his head. “No. That was a bad idea. It would mean leaving you.”
Her stomach rumbled. “Only for a bit.”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Alec, come on.”
“I’ll get you food as soon as I can, but I’m not leaving you alone out here.”
“Don’t be stubborn.”
He fixed his gaze on her and repeated, “I’m not leaving you.”
The promise in his stare was intense. She swallowed. “Fine.”
He stood and scooped her up.
“What are you doing?”
“My wings might not be up to par, but my body is fine.”
As he carried her across the field, she sighed. “My stupid ankle. I feel so helpless.”
He smiled at her. “Don’t. I like holding you like this. I’d offer to do so even without your injury.”
The sun rose higher in the sky as the morning passed. They took a break whenever they found a water source to drink from or when they spotted fruit and nuts growing wild. At a loch, they cleaned off the grime from the cave before resuming their trek. Alec didn’t show any signs of exertion from carrying her. Gargoyle strength galore.
“Veda.” Alec’s eyes twinkled with optimism. “I think I’m ready to fly again.”
She cast him a quick glance. “Are you sure? You were under strain this morning.”
“A few more hours of letting the magic heal my wings and some food. We hadn’t eaten much.”
“True.” They’d subsisted on whatever they could gather since they’d left her cabin.
“You ready to fly?” He flashed her a mischievous grin.
“Yes.”
As he lifted her, Veda clutched on to Alec’s torso like a caterpillar fastened to a tree trunk. Flying was everything she thought it would be. Terrifying. Exhilarating. Breathtaking. Magnificent. As they soared over the Highlands, the scenery unfolded below like an emerald tapestry of undulating, grassy fields and canopied forests.
“I can communicate with my clan once again.”
She knitted her brows and pulled her gaze to Alec’s face. “What?”
“We’re with
in range. And, whatever magic Kai had used to curse me must have finally faded. I’m able to open a mental link to connect with them.”
“Oh.” She’d been so mesmerized by the experience of flying, she had to rein her thoughts back to the situation at hand. “That’s great news.”
“Let’s head there for a bit,” Alec said. “I want to warn them about Kai.”
“But, there’s a problem,” she pointed out.
“What’s that?”
“They don’t like my kind, remember?”
Alec’s jaw jutted out. “I’ll handle that. They should be more concerned with Kai than an injured woman who helped me.”
Would they? Alec’s descriptions of the gargoyles’ impressions of witches hadn’t been too favorable. Still, she didn’t have many options, not with an injured leg hampering her ability to travel.
“He won’t be able to get to you. Not with a clan of gargoyles to get through.”
Alec must have read the concern on her face as worry about Kai.
“That’s reassuring,” she said. No need to spell out her reservations about going to his clan when he’d already said he’d taken care of it.
A sparkling blue loch shimmered to the right. The bright morning sun shimmered in reflections on its surface. “But, the more time that passes gives me optimism that he’ll leave us alone.”
Alec grunted. “Never underestimate someone who feels betrayed. A thirst for vengeance can blind you to sensibility.” His face hardened with an unreadable expression. “We need to head to my clan. That’s the best option,” he declared.
“I’m not crazy about it.”
“Do you have a better plan?”
She grimaced. “No.”
“Then, it’s settled. We’ll be protected. You can rest your ankle. We can have a hot meal. And then, we can move on.”
Moving on most likely meant heading to Inverness or moving back to her coven. Not the route she hoped to take when she’d left the mountains to journey to new lands. But, she didn’t have another option, and she couldn’t expect Alec to protect her forever while she figured it out.
“Fine,” she agreed.
She marveled at the flight once again, all her initial terror gone. This might be the only time she had this experience, and she wanted to memorize every detail. The way the breeze ruffled through her hair. How clean the air smelled. The feeling of weightlessness and absolute freedom. With nothing tethering her to the earth, nothing could hold her back.
Right, that’s what she wanted. Her journey was the first step of a new beginning. She couldn’t head back. There had to be another way. A new start. Perhaps, a new coven.
Starting it alone was terrifying, but it was better than giving up on her dreams.
Would Alec be willing to take a risk with her?
No, of course not. What was wrong with her?
Right. She’d learned what could happen by tethering herself with a man to start a new life with him. She’d forgotten about taking care of herself as she catered to his needs and mood swings. At least, now, she was free—as free as the open air on this flight.
If she repeated her mistake, hitching up with another man, she couldn’t expect a different outcome.
And no way would Alec go for it either. He was clearly attached to his home, or at least his clan. Not once did he express the inclination to explore new lands, even when she’d spoken of her dreams of doing so. His desire boiled down to one thing—going home. That wasn’t where her path led.
No point in fantasizing about dreams that could never come to be.
The best part of this flight was being in his arms, pressed to his body in a warm embrace. The way he wrapped his arms around her waist had a possessive, sensual note to it, making her aware of all the hot, hard muscles that touched her. Even though they were dozens of feet above the ground, he had a way of making her feel safe. It must have been a gargoyle thing.
Or, maybe it was an Alec thing.
She glanced at his profile as he flew them over the Highlands. Gods, he was magnificent to look at, though. Perhaps not in traditional terms. His face had rough edges softened by his honey-hued eyes and sensual lips.
He caught her staring. “What is it?”
“I’m just—” Ugh, what could she say? She didn’t want to reveal that tidal wave of thought after thought that had just surged through her mind. “Just thinking.”
“I can see that.” He gave her a knowing smile. “Whenever you are, it’s practically spelled out across your face.”
She cringed. “Am I that readable?”
He laughed. “In a good way. I like it. So, what are you worried about? You don’t think Kai is following us, so what could be bothering you?”
“Uncertainty, I suppose,” she admitted. “I don’t want to head home. I left for a reason. Eventually, I’m sure I’ll find another coven. But, it’s the not knowing that unsettles me.”
“Oh.” The unreadable expression returned.
Why couldn’t he have his emotions spelled out over his face the way she did? “Oh, what?”
“Nothing.” He fixed his gaze ahead and raised his chin. “That’s where we’re headed.”
A castle appearing long since abandoned peered out from the top of a rocky hill. It appeared more like the remains of a castle than a place anyone inhabited.
“Does anyone live there?”
“Aye. Several gargoyles do.”
“But, it looks so—abandoned.”
“For good reason. It keeps people away. Who’s going to bother with what appears to be a pile of rock? We use magic on it, as well, that helps keep nosy humans away.”
The questions rose. “Where is everyone? Where do you sleep?”
“The castle is built into the hill. Once you step in, there are many chambers underground. And it’s well protected by guards.”
“Oh, okay,” she said.
“Ready to land? I’ll try to make it a smooth one.”
Her eyes widened, and he laughed.
“Just teasing. It will be fine.” He turned so they were in a standing position and then undulated his wings with tiny flutters rather than the sweeping wingspans. He slowly lowered them to the grass, keeping her in his arms. Graceful.
He carried her the remaining feet to the entrance. Two guards emerged.
“We heard you were coming,” the bulkier of the two said.
Both were as enormous as Alec; a gargoyle trait.
“Aye. This is Veda. We’ll be staying here tonight to recover.”
“Hello,” she greeted them with a smile.
They nodded but neither smiled nor spoke. Well, whatever, they were probably just doing their job as guards. It wasn’t as if they were hosts. They stepped aside, and Alec led them into the castle.
The suspicion in their glare spoke volumes. She was a stranger. And worse—a witch.
Alec rushed as he carried Veda through the candlelit passageway that led to his room. The sooner he got her away from being detected, the better.
“You’re hurting me, Alec.”
Damn, he was squeezing her body to his too tightly. “Sorry.” He loosened his grip.
“Why are you in such a rush?” She asked. “I thought you’d been dying to get here.”
True. He’d taken an island-sized risk by taking her to the clan. When he communicated to their alpha, Duncan, during the flight, he’d insisted on the haste of them returning to the castle before a dark wizard who had attacked them caught up with him. Naturally, Duncan agreed. Alec had mentioned he was bringing a woman who was injured helping him, and that she needed to be protected while she recovered. He had left out one small detail in that the person he was protecting was a witch herself.
That was why the guards had eyed her with such scrutiny. They could smell her scent. Why would Duncan allow a witch into their castle? But, he’d given the okay for Alec returning with an injured woman, and so Alec entered without impediment.
“It’s complicated,” he repli
ed. “I don’t want to deal with any of my clan mates, right now.”
She scrunched her face. “I thought you were going to tell them about what happened? That they’d protect us while we were here and keep an eye out for Kai?”
“I, I’ve taken care of that already. We will be protected here. The gargoyles on watch will look out for Kai. It’s just that some of them are a bit old-fashioned and stubborn.”
She raised her eyebrows. “More stubborn than you?”
He gritted his teeth. “I’d say so.”
Why did people call him stubborn when all he was doing was looking out for them? He strived to do the best for them, for anyone, for the situation at hand. And yet, they often called him out on being inflexible. Why be flexible when that was the glaringly right choice?
He hurried them down the passageway. Now that her scent was in the castle, word of her identity would spread as soon as it was detected. But maybe they’d leave them alone for the night. That’s what they desperately needed—one night under shelter in a warm bed without worrying that Kai would sneak up on them.
Once Alec convinced his clan that Veda was not to be feared—well, he’d take one night at a time. Starting with this one.
He wasn’t used to winging things like this. He liked to plan everything out, but since he’d met Veda, he’d had to adapt to changing situations, forcing him to be more flexible.
“This is my room.” He opened the door.
Veda glanced around the Spartan interior. The stone walls were unadorned. His bed was against one of the walls with a nightstand on the other side. Along the other wall was a dresser, chair, and a desk.
“It’s nice,” she said. “Quaint.”
He laughed. “That’s one way to put it. I don’t spend much time in here, so it’s the basics.”
“That’s all you need.” She smiled.
He placed her on the bed. His bed. She looked so right sitting there glancing at him with those unforgettable eyes that his heart sputtered.
“Make yourself at home.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll bring us some food. We can have some privacy.”
A quiver of guilt shot through him like a hunter’s arrow. It was the truth, but not exactly so. Yes, he wanted privacy, but the reason behind it was more than just wanting to be alone with her.
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