Knights of Stone: Mason (Highland Gargoyles Book 1)

by Lisa Carlisle

  She spent the rest of the flight marveling at the sights. The Highlands appeared below. Even through the darkness, she discerned the majestic peaks sloping to vast valleys. Lochs shimmered under the moonlight. They soared past the dark shapes of animals, grazing in the fields.

  “What are they?” she asked.

  “Sheep,” Mason replied. “I once heard someone describe them as floating like clouds across the hills.”

  His voice was like warm, rich caramel. “Poetic.”

  They landed on a patch of tall grasses with scarcely a thump. She circled to capture the magnificent silhouettes of the peaks around her.

  “It’s breathtaking,” she said.

  He stepped beside her and turned her way. “Aye, it’s even more beautiful by day.”

  She furrowed her brows. “I thought you slept by day.”

  “In a way,” he replied. “We typically rest in stone by day, but it’s not the way most species sleep.”

  “So you’re not strictly nocturnal?”

  He paused for a moment. “No. It’s difficult to describe, but I’ll try. When we’re in stone, we are not shut off from the outside world, which would make it more impossible to observe for danger. My brothers and I can still communicate. The sun shines on us, restoring our energy, but we’re not locked in stone, like as in a spell. We’re able to change to human form at will.”

  The idea of sleeping while awake fascinated her as much as his ability to fly and shapeshift. “That’s amazing. I’m not even sure I fully can grasp how you do it.” She pictured the first time she’d seen him shift at the concert. “But on stage you seem to come alive from the light of the moon.”

  He winked at her and grinned. “Part of what makes our shows different. We’ve learned some tricks from human rock bands.”

  She laughed. “I’ll say.”

  *

  Although the Isle of Stone was his home, Mason missed the scent of the Highlands. He often came here when he wanted to be alone, reconnect with his ancient roots. He held Kayla’s hand as they walked through the tall grasses. She spun her head often scanning the scenery by night. “It really is spectacular. Your clan is from here?”

  The awe on her face with her appreciation for his homeland delighted him. “Aye.”

  “Why would they ever leave?”

  “To find peace in a new land. Make a new start.”

  “They fought in the Highlands?”

  The sparkle in her eye distracted him from the question. He repeated it in his head and nodded. “Much gargoyle blood has tarnished this soil.”

  “And now you said they’re back?”

  Every word she spoke was melodious. Being alone with her in his sacred space filled him with a sense of completeness with a woman like he’d never experienced. How odd it was with a witch. “The arrival of the humans provided the incentive they needed to return.”

  “You didn’t go with them?”

  “My four brothers and I are the only ones who remain on the Isle of Stone. We grew up there and we remain there, protecting it. The opportunity to play for a human audience was not a threat to us. We enjoyed playing as ourselves, not hiding who we really are, the way we had to do when we went to play in human cities.”

  Mason took her hand in his as they traversed the inclines of the Highlands, through tall grasses and past bracken. The gentle, earthy scent of heather greeted him, a different variety than that which grew on the Isle of Stone, and one that refreshed him in a way that nothing else could.

  Except being near Kayla.

  A worry line appeared between her brows and he had an urge to ease her discomfort. “What can we do about the situation with the wolves?”

  “I’ve been thinking about it on the flight here. When we return to the Isle of Stone, we need to talk to our clans.”

  “Convince them it’s time to work together.”

  “Exactly.”

  “What about the gargoyles here? Are you going to talk to them?”

  He shook his head. “The clan has left. My brothers and I make the decisions on how we live there now.”

  “That won’t be much of a problem, then, will it?”

  He cocked his head. “You haven’t met my brothers. We’re a bunch of stubborn and impulsive fools.” Not only did he have to convince them to work magic with the wolves, but to accept his relationship with a tree witch. If they only knew what she was like, they wouldn’t be able to resist her charm. Beyond her beauty lay her good nature. Whenever he was around her, it took all his self-control not to touch her and wrap himself in her scent. Not that he wanted any of his lust-filled brothers getting too close to his Kayla.

  His Kayla, he repeated it to himself.

  “Oh.”

  He scanned her from head to foot, feasting on her physical presence like a man starved. “I’m happy you came here with me.”

  “I’m glad you brought me.”

  He moved closer to her and her sweet fragrance greeted him. “I like us being together.” He took a step closer. “Alone.”

  His eyes dropped to her lips. They’d parted slightly. Her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths.

  “I like it, too.”

  He stroked her soft cheek and ran his finger over her plump bottom lip. His heart hammered in his chest. Something about being so close to her, touching her, animated a new type of energy inside him. “Stay with me awhile.”

  For a long moment, he heard nothing but the sound of their breathing. Even the sounds of the breeze rustling through the grasses of the Highlands had disappeared.

  Finally, she responded, “Aye.”

  He bent down to kiss her without any more delay, capturing her delicious mouth. For days and nights, he’d thought about much else but her. Her taste, her touch. How he wanted to bury himself deep within. The ache inside had become almost unbearable. He took her in his arms and claimed her as his own.

  *

  Kayla leaned back when he pulled down the neckline of her blouse. How was it possible to want someone this much? Whenever she left him, she thought about the next time they’d meet. He bent down and doted each breast with patient attention. Soft kisses and gentle caressing moved to playful biting before devouring each in his hot mouth.

  Mason put her feet on the ground and lifted one of her legs up. She hitched it around his hip and held on to him. He reached under her long black skirt, grasping her panties. He ripped them off, the sound of tearing fabric sounded magnified in the quiet of night. She gasped; the sudden removal of the thin barrier left her vulnerable. When his gentle fingers massaged her slickened folds, she relaxed.

  “You’re so warm.” He inserted a thick finger inside her smooth flesh. “So wet.”

  “I want you,” she said, her voice sounded darker than normal.

  He kissed her lips, her earlobe, and her neck while he stroked her, increasing the pressure on her sensitive nub. She bit her lip as he drove her senses reeling, no longer caring what was around them or who might catch them. Then he dipped his head, pulling her skirt up higher. His warm breath tickled her sex. She ran her fingers through his dark hair, the strands as soft as the blades of grass in the moors. He licked the length of her slit, exploring every inch of her. When his hot tongue seared her most sensitive spot, she gasped. She leaned against the tree, her moans almost purrs. He increased the pressure on her clit, seeming to know intuitively what she needed. She grabbed the tree trunk with both hands, clawing it as she braced herself for the overpowering sensation building within.

  Moans escaped her, but she no longer cared who heard. He lapped her clit with an intensity that drove her to the edge of insanity. Powerful and possessive, he controlled all her senses. When she exploded, she cried out while white lights and bright colors flashed behind her eyes.

  As she came down from the intense sensation, he removed the fabric covering him and then rubbed the head of his cock against her opening. “You are protected?”

  “Aye.”

  She drank a potion e
ach month to avoid pregnancy, not that she’d had a lover for months after a short fling with a male witch ended. Their time together was more of satisfying curiosity and lustful cravings before it fizzled out. She didn’t have strong feelings, nothing like the commanding connection to Mason. An image flashed before her of having a child with him. What would the child of a witch and gargoyle be like?

  She chastised herself for thinking of a future with someone so forbidden. They had tonight, and she shouldn’t think beyond it. Sneaking unseen out of the coven was a difficult endeavor, one she could only pull off so many times.

  Mason brought her focus to more carnal desires when he pressed his erection against her. The head teased her opening, moving in and out an inch or two, before he finally entered her. Her channel tightened around him and he held back, waiting for her to grow accustomed to him. Once her muscles relaxed, he drove into her with agonizing slowness until he reached the very brink. Pulling out almost the entire way, he then drove in so deeply, she thought his cock would pierce right through her.

  She gasped and dug her nails into his back as he lifted her. She wrapped her legs around him as he pressed her against the tree, driving into her like a wild, untamed creature. He bucked into her, emitting a low roar like a fierce beast. She cried out from the pleasure and pain, but clung to him, begging for more. He paused, holding her aloft, before they fell onto the forest floor.

  He slid the skirt down over her hips and she kicked it off. Then he reached for her shirt and pulled it over her head.

  “I want to see you,” he said. “All of you.”

  She scrambled on top of him, mounting him and sliding down with a slow, steady movement.

  He gazed up at her. “You are so beautiful.”

  Mason caressed her breasts, his thumb and forefinger teasing the nipples with the deft hands of a talented guitarist. He then claimed one in his mouth, and she arched to grant him greater access. His tongue and gentle scraping with his teeth sent a new wave of pleasure floating through her. He used his hands and mouth to offer attention to her other breast. Pleasurable sensations soared through her.

  She slowly moved up and down his cock, savoring how every cell in her body responded to him. His hands and mouth covered her breasts while his thick shaft filled her almost to the point of pain. As she built up the pace, he grasped her hips, and raised his own with each thrust. By ramming into her most sensitive areas then increasing the tempo, he shot her to a rapturous height once again. She cried out his name as she came, her walls clenching around him and fluids drenching them both.

  He grabbed her shoulders with enough pressure to leave a mark as he pounded harder into her while her muscular contractions slowed.

  “Oh God, Kayla.”

  Hot liquid shot into her. He released his grasp, and she fell forward onto his smooth chest. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. His heart hammered beneath her ear. They lay panting for several minutes, neither uttering a word. She was in such a state of relaxation she thought she might fall asleep.

  Eventually, a dark thought crept into her blissful state. She had to return to reality, back to her coven at the Isle of Stone. If they knew what she had just done…

  “We have to leave,” she said with reluctance.

  “No. Not yet,” he said, holding her tighter.

  She lay on his chest for another minute, listening to his frenetic heart rate slow. “I have to,” she said. “They’ll come looking for me if I’m not there in the morning. And if they find out I’m with you—it won’t be good.”

  Mason took a long slow breath and exhaled. “If we must.”

  She stood and gathered her discarded clothes. After she dressed, he remained there naked still, hair disheveled, looking like the most delicious creature she had ever seen.

  “I could stay here with you forever.”

  She wasn’t sure which melted her heart more—his words or his devastating grin.

  *

  As much as she wanted to spend her afternoon remembering the night with Mason, Kayla had to do something about the situation with the wolves. She procrastinated at first, spending a few hours in the vegetable garden. The tomato plants needed support so she added branches as stakes to help support the growing plants. The afternoon sun beat down on her. She wiped sweat from her brow, wishing she’d come out here in the morning when it was cooler.

  To clear the dirt and sweat from her body, she walked down to the shore. Stripping off her clothes, she entered the ocean, letting the cool waters refresh her. She toweled off and dressed and then wandered further down the shore, thinking about her next step.

  Several witches around her age sat on large flat rocks by the water, where they often gathered when done with chores. They often shared what they’d learned about the human world, especially fascinated by their entertainment.

  “Kayla, where have you been?” her friend, Mia, said. “We never see you anymore.”

  Guilt hit her square in the chest. Why did she come here? To see her friends or avoid her mother. She looked down at the sand. “Oh, you know. With all the summer growth, I’ve had more work to do and am usually beat by the end of the day.”

  “Ah,” Mia said. “I imagine it’s hot under the sun, too.”

  “Aye,” Kayla replied. “What’s going on?”

  While Mia gave her updates on an argument with her boyfriend, Kayla tried to follow the he did this, he said that dialog. She made the appropriate noises to show she was listening and asked a couple of questions to cover up her distraction.

  She hated lying to them, but if they knew where she actually had been—sneaking over to spend her nights with a gargoyle—they would probably turn on her.

  Or maybe not. Should she tell them what was going on? Maybe they’d be more receptive to Ian’s plea and they could go en masse before the elders.

  No, it was too risky. Because if they turned on her now, she’d have even more witches against her. Best off to start with her mother. At least she was family and wouldn’t disown her.

  Hopefully.

  “Well, I better get back to help my mother for dinner,” she said. “See you.”

  She headed back to find her mother after avoiding her for much of the day. Her mother was crouched down, tending a fire under a cauldron. The scent of cinnamon filled Kayla’s nostrils, reminding her she’d forgotten to eat in all her contemplation.

  “Can I talk to you about something?”

  “What is it, Kayla?” Her mother glanced up.

  “It’s about the other clans. I don’t think this division is healthy for any of us.”

  “It’s better than us fighting and killing each other, though, isn’t it?”

  “Who says we need to fight? We should live and work together in peace.”

  Her mother stood up. “Have you lost your mind?”

  “No.” She had to reveal the conversation with the alpha carefully since she couldn’t admit the part about meeting Mason. A flush rose in her when she thought of the time they’d spent alone, but she had to force it away to focus. “The alpha wolf approached me last night.”

  “In our territory?” Her mother’s mouth opened wide. “Where were you?”

  “No. In the moors.”

  Her mother responded in a lower tone. “Why would you venture beyond our borders?” Her mother than scanned her body. “Did he hurt you?”

  “No, of course not. Let me explain.”

  “All right.”

  “He told me the magical veil thinning has affected the wolves.” Kayla then summarized the conversation, leaving out the part about Mason being there. “He’s right. This division of our lands is ridiculous. And we can make them a potion to help them. The young ones need it the most.”

  “We will do no such thing, Kayla.”

  “Why not? What’s so wrong about helping the wolves?”

  “We’ve spent several years in peace staying apart from the other clans. Why would we destroy that by interacting with them?” />
  “You’re being extremely narrow-minded. I don’t see any harm in brewing a potion to help another creature. Isn’t it part of our nature to use our magic for good, not ill will? And didn’t you tell me I should start to have a voice in the future of the coven?”

  Her mother stared at her a long moment. After an audible exhale, she said, “I’ll talk to the elders.”

  Kayla hugged her. “Thanks. They wouldn’t listen to me. They think I’m just some kid with crazy ideas.”

  “Oh, well that’s somewhat true, don’t you think?” Her mother cracked half a smile. “Don’t thank me yet. And you think I’m narrow-minded.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  They only had so much time until they were caught.

  Mason knew this. But he didn’t want it to end. Their night together in the Highlands had been unlike anything he’d experienced. Over a week had passed since that night, and each time he met her, he fell a little harder for her. All those women he’d seduced in the past had been nothing like this. He’d lose interest after sleeping with them, but making love to Kayla had only increased his feelings. He thought about her all the time. Something about her touched him deep within, a place he didn’t know existed. He wanted to share his world and everything in it with her.

  He was playing a dangerous game getting entangled with a tree witch, but he was willing to risk it. As long as he could see her again.

  After he played at the concert that evening, he flew from the stage and treaded through the moors to meet Kayla. Visions of her sweet face kept him company while he had spent the day in stone. She sneaked out most nights to meet him at the copse, their special sanctuary in between their lands. The highlight of his day wasn’t the nightly concerts, the way it had been before he’d met Kayla, but knowing he might see her.

  While Mason searched for her as he crossed the moors, a twinge of panic rose the way it had every night. What if she couldn’t make it out to see him tonight? He knew how difficult it was for her to escape the coven each night. If she didn’t make it… A cold blackness descended through him. No, he wouldn’t think it.