He left his room and slowed his sharper breath. This winging it business wasn’t easy. How did people live this way, jumping from one situation to another? It lacked security, stability, all the things he craved.
Well, he’d have to do so for one more night. And try to avoid running into anyone. Veda’s scent might be alluring to him, but if others detected it, their stay here could be cut short.
He prowled through the castle like an invader in his own home.
Chapter 9
Veda removed her cape and draped it over the edge of the bed. She glanced around the room. How much time did he even spend here? Probably not much. He perched outside under the sun and flew at night.
But here she was on his bed. Alec’s bed.
She ran her hands over the soft white fur blanket, picturing him sleeping there. Compared to the nights they’d spent out in the forest and cave, his room was luxurious.
Would she be staying in his bed with him? Or, would he show her to another room after they ate?
Damn, she hoped not. What a way to waste what might be their last night together.
Minutes later, Alec entered with an ice pack, which he placed on her ankle, and a canteen of water.
He handed her the canteen. “Be right back with food.”
After she sipped half of the canteen, he returned carrying two bowls with steam wafting from the surface. The savory scent of broth and succulent stew piqued her appetite.
“That smells delicious.”
“One of my favorite meals,” he replied.
He placed them on the table. She hobbled over from the bed.
“What are you doing? I’ll carry you.” He helped her into the chair.
“I’m not helpless. Besides, it’s only a few feet.”
He pulled a flask from his pouch and placed it in front of her. “Some wine.”
“This is great.” She opened the flask and took a sip. The fruity, full-bodied liquid flowed down her throat like liquid rubies. She offered it to him. “It’s so rich.”
He took a large gulp. “Ahhh. I could drink several of these after our ordeal.”
He probably could handle it, too, with his large frame. She’d have to pace herself, though.
She took a spoonful of the stew and blew on it before tasting it. Simmering spices mingled with beef and vegetables coating her tongue with rich flavors and welcome heat that warmed her. “Mmm. Delicious. Nothing like the comfort of a hot meal.”
They ate with minimal conversation. The nurturing meal was too decadent not to savor.
After they moved on sharing the flask of wine, she said, “Please thank your clan for letting me stay the night. Am I going to meet any of them?”
Alec’s expression darkened. “It’s probably best we stay here for now.”
“What is it, Alec?” she studied him. “The guards weren’t exactly welcoming. Is there a problem with me being here?”
He stared at the metal flask like it was a crystal ball that would reveal the future. “Don’t worry about them.”
She stiffened and leaned back in the chair. “It’s because I’m a witch, isn’t it?”
Alec spun the flask, still avoiding eye contact. “Forget them. Who cares what they think?”
Her wariness heightened. “Alec—perhaps we shouldn’t have come here.”
He reached across the table and stroked her hand. “Don’t say that. This is my home, my room.” He fixed his gaze on her. “There’s no one I’d want here more. I want you to stay.”
The dark intensity of his gaze left her throat dry. She swallowed. Her pulse quickened in a pitter-patter as loud as her echoing heartbeat.
Alec stood and walked over to her. He offered his hand. After she took it, he helped her up as she kept her weight off her injured leg. He scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bed.
“Last night, you helped me. Tonight is all about you.” His honey eyes gleamed with decadent promise as they bore into hers. “Your ankle. Your healing. Your—” He took her arm and kissed her palm. “—Pleasure.”
She gulped as the oxygen whooshed from the room. Anxiety that had camped out in a nook inside her since running from Kai lifted. A sudden, overwhelming awareness of Alec took over. The way he could unleash a torrent of need in her with just a look, as he was doing now. The way he touched her, setting all her senses on fire. The way his scent drew her to him, so she could inhale more deeply. Everything about him announced powerful masculinity, igniting a desire in her that was primitive and wild.
He placed her onto the bed and climbed on top of her. He lowered his lips to hers and stroked them with a touch as soft as a summer breeze.
His fingers were as light as his lips as he ran them down the sides of her body and she sighed. He brought them back up, traveling over to her breast and cupping it. Pulling his mouth from hers, he trailed soft kisses along her jawline and down to her neck. She tipped her head to grant him more access, and he circled a spot with his tongue. It zipped through her as symbolic somehow, a mark.
With his thumb and forefinger, he teased her nipple. It peaked into a bud eager for more attention, like a flower reaching for the sun. He pulled her dress down and captured one hard pebble with his mouth. She moaned in pleasure and ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. He caressed the other breast and then slid a hand under her dress to stroke her bare thigh.
He captivated all her attention with his hand edging higher. She began to pant as she waited for more. When he finally touched her sex, she moaned.
“You’re so wet. So hot.” He moved his mouth back up to hers and captured her lips in a much more demanding kiss. No feather-light touches this time. Everything about it was raw and intense and screamed sex.
As he stroked her, she writhed beneath him. It was amazing how quickly he stirred her need from a simmering awareness to an all-consuming desperation.
She touched the hard muscles in his biceps and over his back. Then reached down and stroked his erection. A primitive growl ripped from his lips.
“That feels good,” he murmured.
“I want you,” she said. “Now.”
He slid her dress up over her hips. She arched up and helped pull it over her head, removing her garments and then reached for his kilt. Naked, she desperately needed the same from him, too, eliminating the barriers between them.
He kneeled on the bed and unfastened his kilt. She bit her lip as he revealed more flesh and his promising erection. He fixed a smoldering gaze on her and crawled on top of her. She pulled him closer, aching to make contact.
He slid the tip against her folds and then slipped it in. She gasped as he drove his massive girth deeper, but then relaxed her inner muscles to accommodate him. Finally, he was inside, filling her completely.
He moved in and out slowly, and she joined his rhythm. As the pace increased, she lifted her hips, finding that delicious friction. He held her aloft and pumped into her with a harder, frantic pace that echoed her need.
She was climbing. Desperate. Grasping for him.
“I’m right there,” she exclaimed.
The magic. She had to remember to focus all her energy on healing her ankle. It was almost impossible with the way Alec enraptured her so that she was a hot mess of need.
“Come for me,” he coaxed, his voice a low, sexy rumbling burr, demanding her release. And gods, as if she wouldn’t comply.
“Magic,” she said with a desperate edge, reminding herself to focus as she lost herself to such pleasurable heights.
Need drove to a peak. “Alec,” she cried, and splintered on him, sending all that powerful energy to her injured ankle.
Colors exploded behind her eyes like the vibrant hues of the Northern Lights. They swept across her mind like dancing, sparkling constellations. A heated glow followed, increasing as it filled her. It was Alec’s energy joining with hers, connecting in some sort of yin and yang to make the powerful, unparalleled union.
The magical energy danced th
rough her like fluttering fairies. It floated to her swollen ankle, wrapping around it like a fairy tying a ribbon around flower stalks.
“Oh my God, this is incredible.” Her voice came out with a wondrous rasp.
“You feel so good. Too good.” He drove into her with deep thrusts. Grasping her hips, he lifted her off the bed and pounded harder.
She yelped and wrapped her legs around him. With a feral growl, he hammered into her with a wild thrust and stilled. He pulsed within her with hot, throbbing jets.
He dropped his head. “Veda,” he whispered like an oath. He lowered himself onto her, settling in the crook of her neck. His hair was as damp as their heated bodies.
Her breathing leveled out as she traced her fingers over the small of his back.
Alec rolled onto his side and pulled her in to spoon her.
“Rest,” he whispered into her ear. His warm breath tickling it.
“Yes.” Exhaustion tugged at the fringes of her mind, lulling her to sleep.
Under the sensual, magical spell they’d created, she heeded the call and slipped into a realm of sweet dreams while warmed by the comfort of his embrace.
A sliver of sunlight passed over her eyes, waking Veda. The warmth of Alec’s arms reminded her of the night they’d spent together. A wonderful night. She replayed the moments. What magic.
A knock pounded on the door.
Alec jolted up, and she rolled off his arm back onto the bed.
He turned to her with eyes wide. “Get dressed. Quickly.” He pulled on his kilt.
She jumped out of bed and yanked the dress over her head. Alec’s gaze darted to her feet. “Your ankle.”
That’s right. She’d just landed on both feet on the stone floor, a movement that would have caused agony had she tried the night before. “Better.”
Alec smiled. A flash later, his expression turned grave. “Stay there.” He headed to the door.
Another knocked followed, louder this time. “Alec, open up.” The man’s voice was deep and insistent.
Alec opened the door a crack. A man as burly as Alec, but with graying hair pushed the door open.
“What is going on in here?” He pinpointed his gaze on Veda.
She gasped at the unwelcome glare. Who the hell was this?
“Da, this is Veda. She’s the one who helped me.”
Alec’s tone was tinged with uncertainty.
His father turned to Alec and curled his index finger. “A word, Alec. Now.” He spun and disappeared down the hall.
Chapter 10
Alec’s gut churned and fell.
“I’ll be right back.” He gave Veda a reassuring grin, lacking confidence to back it up. His father was pissed, and no doubt it was because he’d discovered Veda’s identity.
Alec exited the room and closed the door. His father stormed ahead and led them to his room. Alec’s pulse pounded as he paced over the paved stones.
Once they entered, his father pointed to a chair. “Sit. Explain.”
Alec sat on the hard wood chair. “I brought her with me. She needs our help.”
His father paced. “I got the gist of that from Duncan. I want to hear the entire thing from you. Starting from the beginning.”
Alec blew out a low breath. Here goes. He summarized the encounter with the wizard. His father leaned forward, listening intently.
“No, we can’t help her.” His father waved his arms down. “I don’t trust witches. After what they’ve done…”
“She saved my life. She risked everything, including her own life, and expected nothing in return.” Alec clenched his hands into fists.
“She’s a witch! You’re betraying your mother.”
“No.” Alec forced himself to relax his hands. “What happened to her was the action of one witch. One. The clan has been blaming an entire group of people for all these years, when the younger generation have nothing to do with it. It’s not right.”
“What’s not right is you going against your clan!” His father pointed an accusatory finger at Alec.
“Mum wouldn’t agree. She saw the best in people. She wouldn’t judge Veda for being a different species, and neither will I.” Blood roared through Alec’s veins. “I’m not going along with our clan’s prejudices any longer.”
His father slammed his fist on the table. “How dare you betray me this way? My own son—over a witch?”
“Who saved me from being trapped in a stone prison. Whose bravery deserves the respect of all gargoyles. I won’t abandon someone who sacrificed so much to help me.”
“Damn it, Alec. I won’t yield. Not when it comes to witches. Not when it comes to your mother.”
Alec stared at his father. Through the anger flashing in his eyes, Alec saw the pain. His father’s stubbornness came from loyalty to his wife. But, Alec wasn’t his father, and Veda wasn’t cruel.
“Mum always said we are both the most stubborn of all Taureans, but I must do what I feel is right. The clan has clung to grudges for too long. It’s not the way I want to continue my life. Therefore, it’s time for me to leave this clan.
“Alec, don’t talk like that,” he admonished. “This is your home.”
“No, Da. This was never my home. My home was on the isle. I never wanted to leave it, but I followed the clan here. It was a mistake. I see that now. We should have discussed a way to work with the island’s witches, the way Lachlan and his brothers have done.”
A harsh laugh burst from his father’s lips. “You’re not saying you agree with those fools betraying our existence with their ‘rock band.’”
The five brothers played music for humans, something the clan abhorred. But, Alec couldn’t help admiring a part of their gumption. They followed their heart, even at great risk. Like Veda had.
“Maybe.” Alec struggled to keep his voice steady lest this turn into a shouting match with no winners. “They’ve made peace on the isle rather than holding onto grudges and hiding in a piece of crumbling rock in the middle of nowhere.”
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this. From my only son.”
“Living here has never felt right, and it’s time for me to find a place that is.”
His father’s nostrils flared, and his face contorted, crimson with rage. “With a witch?”
“Her name is Veda. And she’s the kindest, bravest, most amazing person I’ve ever met.”
His father slammed his fist on the table. “And. A. Witch!”
“No battle lasts forever. And peace must come at some point.” Alec stood. His muscles raged with heat that kept them taut. “Goodbye.”
Alec turned out of the room, feeling his father’s stare boring into his back. His father didn’t stop him, though. Not that Alec had expected him to.
After he closed the door, he closed his eyes. His heart hammered. He fisted his hands into tight balls. He pictured slamming them into the stone walls.
And shatter his bones? Not smart. Had anything he’d done in the last few minutes had a grain of sense?
What the hell had he done? He hadn’t planned any of what he’d said. It had all rolled out of him, like a snowball rolling downhill, gathering more mass with momentum.
In a way, his declaration felt freeing, like he’d shed the weight of stone wings off his back. Besides, this meant he was free to start a new life, on his own terms.
With Veda.
He rushed back to her, eager to announce how they could be together.
When he returned to his room, Veda walked over to him.
“What happened?”
“We must leave. Can you walk?”
“Yes.”
He led them down the hall and outside, ignoring the guards. Once they’d progressed down the hill, he turned to her, “We can’t stay here, but that’s fine.”
She shrugged. “I hadn’t planned to for more than one night.” She tilted her head. “It’s because I’m a witch?”
Alec grunted. “You think I’m stubborn? You should meet my father.”
“That’s all right,” she replied with an impatient wave. “I don’t need a stranger’s acceptance.”
Alec searched the sloping fields ahead under a misty gray sky. “Now we need to figure out where we’re going next.”
“We?” Her voice edged higher with surprise.
“Of course. I told him if he wouldn’t accept you, then I’m leaving.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Why would you do that, Alec?”
“Because it’s the right thing to do.” He raised his chin with pride.
Her face turned pale. “No. You can’t.”
His chest tightened with a wary heave. “Why not?”
She shook her head. “You can’t leave your clan for me.”
“It’s done.”
“No, Alec. You can’t. I can’t.”
His pulse quickened. What was she saying? And why? “What about what’s happened between us?”
“I know. It was wonderful. But, we never agreed to anything beyond you helping me get to safety.”
“I thought things changed last night.”
She rubbed her hands together, nervously wringing them. “No. No, Alec. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lead you on to anything more, but we can’t continue on.”
He stared at her, eyes widening. What the hell was she saying? “Why not?”
“Because I already made that mistake once, running off with Kai. It was a disaster.”
“But—” The verbal blow struck him right in the solar plexus. How could she compare him to that evil wizard after all they’d gone through? “I’m not him.”
Her eyes shined. “I’m sorry, but I can’t make the same mistake again.”
Regret flooded through Veda almost the moment that she heard herself reject Alec. After what he’d just done for her, she turned him down flat?
The hurt in his eyes as almost made her take it all back. And If she was truthful, part of her wanted to stay with him. After the time they’d spent together, it didn’t feel right to separate.
No, there was a reason. Exactly as she told him. After following Kai to Scotland, and discovering what a terrible mistake that had been, she couldn’t repeat it by following another man. She might not be wise enough, but she was well into her twenties now, which made her old enough to make decisions for herself.
Stone Cursed Page 8
