Knights of Stone - Lachlan Read Online Free

Lachlan’s expression turned somber as they approached the land, but then his sudden change surprised her.
    “Hello,” Lachlan greeted the three humans aboard the boat with a friendly smile. “Can I give you a hand?”
    Although, she knew it was posturing, she’d never seen that dazzling smile. Utterly disarming. Was it part of the whole rock star persona the gargoyles had perfected?
    “Aye,” a male with dark hair and glasses replied. “Thanks.”
    Two others climbed out of the boat, a man with dirty blond hair stuffed under a wide-rimmed hat and a female wearing sunglasses, her brown hair pulled into a loose ponytail.
    Lachlan helped them pull the boat in to the dock. When he bent forward, the muscles in his back stood out. The curves of his shoulder blades shifted under the taut bronze skin. Was that where his wings emerged when he changed? The skin was so smooth. She stifled an urge to touch it.
    Something caught her attention. One had a gun. She scanned the three humans now stepping onto the Isle of Stone, and a defensive streak flared. Humans didn’t necessarily bother her; they lived far from here. But their weapons did. A painful reminder of what they’d torn from her family welled, spreading the familiar ache of loss. She struggled to regain control of her emotions.
    “Why are you armed?” she demanded.
    Lachlan shot a look back in her direction all but commanding her to cool it.
    She ignored him. Humans were notorious fools with weapons. They’d killed many wolves, not for food, but for sport. The ache of her mother’s death washed through her with a reminder as insistent as the waves before a coming storm. She swallowed, now wasn’t the time to drown in grief.
    “We heard of an incident here with wolves. Some people got hurt.”
    Raina opened her mouth to speak, not sure she could control the torrent of emotion welled up by witnessing the gun. Luckily, Lachlan beat her to it. “We know about that. Not sure how those wolves got here, but we took care of them. They’re gone.”
    “What do you mean gone?” the female human asked. “You killed them?”
    “Aye. There weren’t that many.”
    The humans exchanged glances before the female asked, “Can we see their bodies?”
    This female had to be some sort of sicko. Maybe what the humans called a scientist. Why else would she want to examine a wolf’s corpse?
    “No,” Raina declared, regaining a grip on her heated emotions. Focus on the plan . “We got rid of them. Threw them out to sea.”
    The female tilted her head. “Why?”
    “We didn’t want to attract all the insects. And frankly, it was easier than burying them.”
    “You live on this island?” the blond man spoke.
    “Aye,” she replied.
    “And others?”
    “Sure,” Lachlan added.
    “Was this the first time you’ve seen wolves?”
    “That’s right,” Lachlan replied. “Like I said, not sure how they got here.”
    They volleyed rapid statements back and forth, and Lachlan didn’t miss a play.
    “It’s quite a distance to swim from another island,” the man mused while he scanned the island. “Mind if we take a look around?”
    “This is a private island.” Lachlan stepped forward.
    “What’s your name?” the male squinted at Lachlan. “We don’t have any records of ownership of this island.”
    “Who are you?” Lachlan responded, avoiding the question. The island hadn’t been detected by technology for decades for good reason—to keep it from prying human eyes like these.
    “Kirk Brymer.” He flashed a badge, identifying himself as an investigator of some bureaucratic-sounding agency from Inverness. “We’ve had reports of wolves attacking people. We must investigate it.”
    Lachlan glanced at the badge.
    She knew nothing about how humans handled these types of matters, but had to trust he’d take appropriate steps to get these investigators off the island as soon as possible.
    “I’ve already told you the wolves are no longer here. Lachlan’s tone