Alec glanced at Veda after she’d fallen asleep. She appeared even younger as she slept. And she appeared at peace. Her dark hair flowed down her back and over her arm where she rested her head. Her chest rose and fell in a rhythmic manner. With her eyes closed, he missed being able to glance into them.

He would watch over her, just as he promised. The instinct to protect her grew stronger as she was in such a vulnerable state.

Her pale lips were parted. So tempting.

Before she’d gone to sleep, there was a moment in which Alec thought he would kiss her. Then reason stepped in. He couldn’t kiss her. She was a witch. He couldn’t betray his clan that way.

Especially his mother.

Alec had been a kid during the great war on the Isle of Stone. Although he’d heard that witches were to blame, as he’d grown, he’d discovered such stark attributions of who was right and wrong weren’t as he’d been led to believe. He wouldn’t state that everyone in his clan was “good”—they were as flawed as anyone. So, how could all witches be evil?

But, what was he supposed to do? He couldn’t abandon her out here leaving her alone while a dark wizard likely stalked her.

Right, if he looked at it that way, he wasn’t betraying his clan since he was protecting someone from darkness. And she didn’t seem evil at all. How could she when she’d risked her life to free him?

How long would he debate right from wrong? As the forest darkened, he let it whisper him under its spell to rest.

In the early morning, sunlight dappled through the foliage above warming his stone. He tried to communicate with his clan once again, but nothing happened. Alarming. He hoped it was what Veda had thought with the dark magic still lingering. If so, there was nothing he could do about it for now but wait.

He spent the next few hours basking in the sun’s warmth as it restored his energy. The rest might have aided in his wings healing. He braced himself for pain before he shifted to human form and then unfurled his wings. The second they emerged from his shoulder blades, he winced with a hiss.

No, they still weren’t ready. He retracted them. It was best that he didn’t attempt to use them while they healed. When he’d left the clan for a night flight over the ocean, he hadn’t anticipated any situations like this.

Veda stirred. Her eyelids fluttered and then opened. She glanced around with a confused expression, but then her eyes caught his. Locking his gaze on her again, his breath caught. Something about her affected him. How, he wasn’t sure, but strange sensations raced through his body. His heart danced in a quicker rhythmic beat as a low simmering heat filled him. Strange. It was like how the sun had just energized him as it warmed his stone, but this time it was brighter and spread deeper.

She blinked, breaking their stare. “Oh, right. I wondered where I was.” With a small grin, she added, “it’s all coming back to me now.”

“Aye. We should probably start moving.” The implication didn’t have to be mentioned—just in case he’s looking for us.

She pulled herself up to her feet. “I’m awake. Ready when you are.”

They continued their journey through the forest.

“How did you sleep, um, rest?” She asked.

“Not bad. I checked on my wings. There still damaged. I was hoping they’d be in better shape this morning. We could move much quicker if I could fly us, but they’re not ready yet.”

She frowned. “I’m so sorry. I feel responsible since you are helping me.”

“Don’t blame yourself for it. I’m the one that made the decision, and he’s the one who attacked.”

She pursed her lips and tapped them. “So then, what do we do today?”

That was a good question. “Right now, we keep moving. We’ll figure out a plan as we go.”

Yet, that was a problem. What kind of plan could he come up with to help her? With his wings damaged and communication with his clan still ineffective, his abilities as a gargoyle were limited. For now, they would have to walk on foot.

After they walked a mile, hunger rumbled in his stomach. Not knowing where their next meal would come from exacerbated it.

“Are you hungry?” he asked her.

“Yes. I’ve been keeping an eye out for anything edible.”

“And we should find another water source. Getting dehydrated will not help us move any quicker. There’s a freshwater stream in that direction.” He pointed ahead.

Twenty minutes later, Alec spotted the stream where they cupped water in their hands and drank. Damn, he wished he had some sort of canteen on him.

After they continued, she pointed at a bush. “Here are some berries.” She picked one and held it up to her face for a close examination. “Blaeberries. These are safe to eat.”

They ate a few handfuls each. The succulent juice left a ruby hue and bright shine to her lips. So kissable…

He snapped his gaze from staring and resumed walking.

Once they fell into a comfortable pace, she asked, “If you don’t live on the island anymore, where do you live?”

“Inland. South of here. I’d wager it would take a day or two to walk it.”

“What were you doing when you found us?”

He took a deep breath and let out a measured exhale. “I was out for a flight. Searching, I guess.”

“Searching? For what?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know why I said that. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular.”

She eyed him with a keen look. “There must be something behind it.”

He glanced at the trees ahead. “Aye, I suppose. I often head to the ocean.”

“Well, there’s something.”

“Perhaps. My clan didn’t leave the island until last year. We moved here to the Highlands where our ancestors lived. Only it hasn’t felt right to me. It hasn’t felt like home if that makes sense.”

“Sure, it does. It isn’t your home. Not for long, at least.”

“Right. I grew up on the water. Whenever I have time to myself, I fly up to the coast to be near it again. It might sound silly because my home should be wherever my clan is. But, something is missing.”

“Of course. All your interactions, your knowledge, your memories were formed on the isle.”

He peered at her with wonder. How did someone whom he just met seem to get it? “True.”

“Why did you leave it?”

“My clan decided to move. So, I had to go with them.”

Her brows furrowed with question. “Why? You’re a grown man. Shouldn’t you be able to go where you please?”

He assessed her. What was she talking about? “My clan left,” he repeated more slowly.

“I understand that.” She pursed her lips. “What I’m seeing is that you don’t seem happy with that decision.”

He rolled his shoulders back as if shaking off the discomfort. “I’m not exactly. But, it wasn’t up to me. I’m not alpha.”

“Do you need to live with your clan?”

“Of course. I was born with them. Naturally, I’d die with them.”

“Sure.” She shrugged. “If that’s how you want to live your life.”

Her tone indicated she didn’t agree with his explanation. “What do you mean?”

“I was born in the mountains, I grew up in the coven.” She motioned with one arm. “I’m not there now.”

“And look at how well that’s ended up for you so far.” His tone sounded harsher than he’d intended. But, her observations were creeping under his skin, questioning his decision. He didn’t like it.

“Ouch.” She mouthed with an exaggerated O.

“Sorry, you’re right. I didn’t mean to be an arse.”

They were talking in circles. He had to refocus on the task at hand, not his jumbled thoughts.

“I can escort you where you’d like to go, but then I must return to my clan.”

She pursed her lips and turned away. “I understand.”

A tightness churned in his gut. Something about leaving her didn’t sit right.

Although they traveled many miles on foot that day, it didn’t appear like they had a destination. Veda’s goal was to get as far from Kai as she could. Maybe that meant leaving the Highlands, and then she’d lose Alec as her guard. But, he was more than that, a companion who made the hours pass more quickly as they killed the time with observations about their surroundings and revelations about their lives.

As the time passed, she considered her options. “Although I’d hate to leave Scotland, I need to think about what’s my best move. I can’t stay here knowing Kai might come after me.”

Alec’s face fell as if he was disappointed with her decision. A glimmer sparked inside her. Would he actually want her to stay?

No, she was being foolish. Why have crazy fantasies of traveling with one man while recovering from a mistake from another? She’d just be asking for more trouble. What was best was going back home. Sure, it would admit she’d failed in her journey, but what other choice did she have? Trekking on her own here in the Highlands? That was a preferable option, even with all the uncertainties.

“Maybe I should head to Inverness and figure out my transportation options from there,” she said.

Alec nodded, his expression revealing nothing.

Dusk fell again soon enough, which meant they’d have another night sleeping under the stars. At least the moon loomed brighter, not as blanketed by a mist, and they weren’t smothered in the darkness of the forest.

But, that also made it easier for Kai to see them. She circled around. No signs of him so far. Perhaps, she could start to relax.

“Do you mind if we stop for a minute?” she said. “My feet are getting tired.”

“Sure. We can stop to rest and eat,” Alec said.

They’d eaten berries they’d gathered along the way and had collected nuts in their pockets to sustain them. They sat on the grassy plain under the moon and ate. Hundreds of stars soon flickered overhead, like a tapestry of fireflies dancing across a dark violet night.

“My mother knew all the constellations,” Alec said. “That one is Taurus. She said our clan can trace itself to the guardians of Taurus. And since I was born in May, she called me a Taurus from a Taurus clan, exacerbating the traits.”

“Funny,” Veda replied. “My coven is in the Taurus Mountains.”

“What sign were you born under?”

“What do you think?” She flashed a flirtatious smile.

He studied her. “Tough to tell. I don’t know you well enough yet.”

“Well, it looks like we’ll get to know each other a bit more on the journey to Inverness.”

“Maybe by then, I’ll figure it out.” He winked at her and glanced back up to the stars. “Do you believe there’s anything to them?”

“Yes. My coven studies planetary alignments to guide us. We refer to them to decide when to perform spells, host rituals, and so on.”

Alec sighed. “My mother would have understood that.”

“Tell me more about her,” Veda said.

“She believed in the magic of the stars and planets affecting our destiny, and told me stories as we sat under the stars, like this.” His voice took on a wistful edge as he spoke of her. “My clan mates often came to her to listen to her observations.”

“Is she with your clan?”

He shook his head.

When he didn’t say anything more, she wondered if she should tread further. Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, “Where is she?”

He fiddled with a blade of grass. “She died.”

“Oh.” She shouldn’t have brought it up. The despondent look on his face called to her. She wanted to pull him close and brush the sadness away. “I’m sorry.”

“It was a long time ago. I was ten. After she died, so did all talk in our clan about the stars. But, every time I look up at them, I think of her.” A strangled sound escaped him. He cleared his throat. “And how she was killed.”

“Oh.” She covered her heart. “What happened?”

He fixed his gaze on hers. “It was during the battle on the isle. By a witch.”

Oh damn. Guilt smothered her like a heavy fur blanket although she had nothing to do with his mother’s death.

“You must hate witches now.”

He pulled his gaze from her and stared back at the constellations. “I thought I did.”

When his met hers again, they were filled with sadness and something else. Desperation? A bit of longing? She couldn’t read all the conflicting emotions they seemed to convey.

He leaned toward her and took a lock of her hair, watching it as he ran it through his fingers. “Until I met you.”

Her soft gasp stirred the sudden, palpable silence. When his gaze caught hers, she couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. Her heart pounded in her ears. His eyes drew her in, capturing her in such an intense look. For a moment, it was as though all their walls were down and they could see each other—truly see each other. Her soul felt bare, exposed to him, just as she could somehow sense his.

Blood rushed through her veins with tremulous heat. What the heck was going on? She’d never experienced anything like that before.

His gaze dropped to her lips and her mouth fell open.

“You’re so bonnie, Veda.”

Her spirit soared to the heavens, shooting among the stars on an otherwise calm night. She waited, frozen with anticipation, while her pulse hammered.

“Alec…” She spoke in a husky whisper in between hitched breaths. What was she going to say? Please? Beg him not to pull away this time.

“I’ve been torn with what’s right and what’s wrong,” he said. “Maybe I’m not the best one to judge. All I know is that I’ve wanted to do this for a while, and nothing has ever felt more right.”

He closed the distance between them, brushing his lips against hers. Thousands of sparks danced along her body, like the stars had fallen from above and lit her with a warm, luminescent glow.

 As they tentatively explored each other with this kiss, time vanished. It didn’t matter where they were, nor why. All that came through in that moment was that no kiss had ever felt like this. Nothing had ever felt like this.

Alec didn’t want the kiss to end. The taste of her lips was too enticing with the sweetness of the berries still on her tongue. And her scent. It had a vanilla tinge to it that drove his beast wild.

He ran his hand down her back settling at the small of her back as he pulled her close. The press of her body against his seared him with heat. Wild hot need surged through him. An urge to take her right there on the plain consumed him.

As his lips caressed her jawline and over her neck, breathy sounds escaped her that fueled the fire within. He wanted to taste her. Touch her. Claim her.

If witches were the enemy, why did this feel so right? Was it the allure of the forbidden temptation? It could be. But still, didn’t explain the strange sensation of fulfillment that filled him once he had her in his arms.

She pulled away. “We shouldn’t,” she said, her voice raspy. “It will complicate things.”

His body tightened, muscles clenching taut. He gritted his teeth, urging himself not to let frustration take over. He’d promised to protect her while he escorted her to safety. Where this safe place was after she traveled from Inverness remained a mystery, but it sure the hell wasn’t sitting out here in the middle of the Highlands.

“You’re right,” he said. “Let’s get another mile or two in before we stop for the night.”

Besides, he shouldn’t be stopping to kiss someone he had no business kissing. If his clan learned what he’d just been doing with a witch, it would lead to outrage. He could practically hear the accusations: How could you do that, Alec? Betray your clan and your mother’s memory? Have you forgotten what happened to your mother?

Was he betraying her memory? His mother had been so gentle. She hadn’t harbored ill feelings toward anyone.

When he resumed walking with Veda, he strove to keep a few feet of separation between them to resist the temptation of drawing closer to her. His hand twitched a couple of times with an urge to reach out and take hold of hers. But, that wouldn’t help matters, it would only confuse them both.

Do your task, get her someplace safe, and get the hell back home.

Right, that was the sound thing to do. Not getting himself wrapped up with someone who’d only be a fleeting part of his life.

And a major cause of contention between him and his clan.

She shrieked. In the next heartbeat, she’d fallen and disappeared. A crack sliced across the ground where she’d vanished.

“Veda!”