Knights of Stone - Lachlan by Lisa Carlisle Page B

she’d meet Lachlan again.
    “Come on.” She waved her hand in a dismissive manner. “A wolf shifter and a gargoyle? You know that would never happen.”
    He gritted his teeth. “I hope not.”
    She considered telling him more. She picked up a stick and moved some logs, kicking the fire up with fresh oxygen. After several moments, she admitted, “I said I’d help him.”
    “With what?” Her father straightened beside her.
    “Tap into his energy, find his magic.”
    In the silence that followed, a thousand accusations battered in her mind.
    In a lower tone, he asked, “Why would you do that?”
    She shuffled some of the embers with the stick. “He has no one else to guide him. And it’s imperative we restore the veil. Without the gargoyle magic, it won’t work. We need them as much as he needs my help right now.” She rushed it out so quickly, she had to take a breath.
    Seconds stretched out, echoing the passage of time like her drumming heartbeat. He was going to disown her.
    No. Why was she thinking he’d react that way? They were close; she’d always been her daddy’s girl. He was a great father and a reasonable alpha.
    Her father punched into the earth, the grass flattening under the blow. “Damn it.”
    His unexpected reaction startled her, setting her off with a defensive string of sentences. “So I should help him, right? After all, the humans could be back any moment. And we saw what happened to the younger wolves during the last full moon.” The quick succession of thoughts echoed her own attempts trying to convince herself what she was doing was right, while the dark temptation that pounded through her body hinted at other motives.
    He closed his eyes and reopened them, staring into the fire. “I’m the one who went to a gargoyle and witch at first. Now, my daughter’s helping a gargoyle?”
    “I’m doing it for the pack, Papa. For all of us.”
    She always believed in pack before self. As much as she told herself that was her motive, her wolf sensed otherwise.
    Her father searched her face; his expression seemed to contort with a battle raging within. She guessed it included both loyalty to the pack and a love of family.
    “I know you are, Raina. It is best for the pack.” He nodded. “You’ll make a good alpha one day when I’m gone. With your wolf mate.”
    The way he emphasized wolfindicated he knew more than he may have been letting on.
    “Oh stop that. Let’s not talk about when you’re gone. You’re still young, and I hate to think of it.”
    “Aye, but we need to prepare for the inevitable. Without the next alphas lined up, many packs fall apart with those fighting for that role. I’m glad you will be the one to lead. With Seth.”
    She glanced over at the other pack members congregating near their homes. Seth caught her eye as if he’d been keeping watch on their discussion and she turned away. She was supposed to rule with him one day, mate with him. So why was she kissing Lachlan earlier and enjoying every forbidden second of it?
    Enough. Seth was her future. She didn’t belong with Lachlan. No reason to stray from her pack, away from her kind. Maybe she and Seth didn’t share that mystical connection that only existed between mates, but perhaps that was better. Her father still ached after losing his mate. All because of humans. And their weapons.
    That thought triggered a memory of her begging Lachlan to get rid of the weapons. How he’d looked at her with such compassion when taking on that task. How he understood what strong emotions they caused her, opening his arms to her.
    She closed her eyes. Don’t. You’re just making it harder.
    Opening them, she resolved to regain control of her wayward emotions, which served no purpose other than to mess up her mind. Sure, she may be helping Lachlan now, but if they restored the veil, they’d have no reason to interact again.
    “Of course.” She raised her chin to squelch the discomfort churning within. “My