Highland Shifters: A Paranormal Romance Boxed Set Page 2

  Keira’s eyes flew from Lachlan to Iain and back. He didn’t know what she was thinking but he knew what she saw–he and Iain looked much alike, same shaggy blond hair, same blue eyes, except Lachlan was a bit bigger and taller.

  “A little busy here,” Lachlan said.

  Iain barely glanced at Keira, his focus on the tablet. “This is more important.”

  Lachlan’s voice dropped an octave. “Nothing’s more important than my mate.”

  Iain straightened, staring at Keira who still stood with Lachlan’s hands holding her in place. “Your mate? Really?”

  “Really. Now get lost.”

  Iain shook his head with a slight shrug of his shoulders. “Sorry, but I can’t. You really do have to see this.” He motioned with his head toward the tablet then touched the screen. A video started.

  Lachlan moved Keira in front of him, still holding her by the shoulders. All three of them watched the screen.

  The video bounced and jerked, the image grainy at times. But it clearly showed a large group of people bustling around gathering arms and soldiers in some sort of makeshift camp.

  “Brodie took this footage. He says Sebastian is getting close to being able to launch an attack on us.”

  Brodie was one of Lachlan’s wolves who had moved to London years ago to infiltrate the English pack and send back intel. He had become a trusted member of Sebastian’s inner circle, and the intel he’d sent back to Lachlan had been invaluable. But the info he’d sent in the past couple of months had been the most important.

  Sebastian was getting ready to start a war.

  “What is this?” Keira’s voice sounded...curious. Interested. Lachlan resisted the urge to brush her hair back and place a kiss on her shoulder.

  “My cousin can’t accept that I’m the UK Alpha,” Lachlan said. “For centuries, the English Alpha has been the UK Alpha, and they think it should stay that way even though I inherited the position by right.”

  “And we’re not bloody giving it up,” Iain added.

  One thing Lachlan knew for sure–his people were behind him. His Scottish people. Every one of them was thrilled the UK Alpha finally came from Scotland.

  “And they’re willing to go to war over it?” Keira said.

  “Isn’t that the sort of thing people go to war over?” Lachlan said. “Relations have been tenuous for a while, but escalated when I kicked Sebastian’s envoy out of a...” He stumbled. She might be his mate but he didn’t know yet if he could trust her enough to tell her about their plans. “...a conference.” It was shortly after that that Brodie started sending back reports about angry meetings with calls for “kicking that Scottish pretender’s ass” and worse.

  “Why did you do that?” Keira said.

  Lachlan squeezed her shoulders lightly, caressing. “He overturned a table and attacked my second. Then he refused–in front of everyone–to accept my rule. He’s lucky I didn’t do worse to him.”

  “You did do worse,” Iain said. “You left him in that dungeon over night. You know there are rats down there.”

  “What are you, a werewolf or a flea?” The rats in the dungeon had been a running debate between the brothers ever since Lachlan locked Iain down there for a whole hour when he was ten and Iain six.

  “I’m someone who doesn’t want to get bitten by a rodent.”

  Keira shifted her weight and he just knew she was looking to escape. He tightened his grip on her shoulders and leaned closer so he was practically whispering in her ear. “Ever seen a werewolf who’s afraid of rats? You have now.” He felt the heat of her body straight through his shirt.

  “Enough. This is serious, Lachlan.” Iain tapped the edge of the tablet. “We need to step things up. If Sebastian attacks and we aren’t ready--”

  “We’re mobilizing.” Lachlan breathed in his mate’s scent and wished his brother would go anywhere else. Just away.

  “Not fast enough,” Iain said. “We need a show of force.”

  “We’ve been over this,” Lachlan said. “I want to give diplomacy a chance before we kick Sebastian’s ass. I need to be able to lead his people after we beat them.” He moved his hands to Keira’s waist. Would she protest? Push his hands away? His cock was still just as hard as it had been the second he’d scented her. If Iain weren’t here...

  “We should--”

  “Enough. Put together a status on the mobilization thus far. We’ll review it later.”

  “Lachlan.”

  “Iain. I just found my mate. Get out.”

  Iain clenched his jaw but finally scooped up the tablet. “I’ll have it ready in an hour.”

  “Two hours. I’ll meet you in my office.” Lachlan turned Keira to face him as his brother headed for the door.

  “You know this isn’t settled,” she said. “You’ve distracted me with your excitement but it doesn’t change anything. My sister is out there tracking a dangerous dragon and I need to back her up.”

  His excitement. Did she mean the threat of war or the excitement of finding her? “Damon’s a good enough guy. Why do you want to slay him?”

  The door closed behind Iain and they were finally alone.

  She tried to step backward but his hands on her waist held her in place. “That’s dragon slayer business.”

  “If it’s your business, it’s my business.”

  Keira touched her tongue to her upper lip, just for a second. When it disappeared, he leaned forward, wanting to follow it into a kiss.

  This time when she stepped back, she succeeded. “Let’s not keep going around and around the same territory. We need to come to some sort of understanding, and fast, because I need to get out there with Gill.”

  #

  “Gill’s your sister,” Lachlan said.

  “Yes. My sister, and my partner. And right now, she’s all alone.” Keira paused a second. “How about if I promise to come back here after our current campaign is done? We can talk about this then.”

  Keira didn’t have any intention of coming back, but she’d say whatever she had to in order to get out of here. She hadn’t lied about Gill. If anything, she’d underplayed it.

  Dragon slayers always worked in pairs, and the connection was deeper than mere partners. Lachlan might talk about mates but Keira already had a partner. She had her sister. She didn’t need anyone else.

  More than that, when dragon slayers worked together, they were two halves of a whole. And when apart, they were just half. Without Keira, Gillian was at a distinct disadvantage against the dragon. If she were smart, she would have holed up and waited for Keira. Or come back. But she hadn’t come back. And truth was, Gill could be a little hot-headed. She probably went after the dragon by herself.

  Lachlan put his hand on her cheek, his fingertips tangling in her hair. “You’ll come back?” When she nodded, he said, “Why don’t I believe you?”

  So much for that. It was worth a try. “Fine. What do you suggest?”

  “If this is so important, why don’t I help you look for your sister? Then the three of us can come back here and you can stay with me while you and I work this out.” When his thumb brushed across her cheekbone she had to fight not to shudder.

  What the hell was this man doing to her? “So you’ll keep us both prisoner.”

  He laughed, his face transforming, all the edges softening. “You’re no’ a prisoner. You’re my treasured guest. And one day, you’ll take your place as my Alpha Female.”

  What if everything he was saying was true? What if she really was his mate? She didn’t know much about the whole thing, but she should still have a choice, right? She wasn’t a werewolf. “What if I don’t want to be Alpha Female?”

  He rubbed her cheekbone again, sending shivers through her just from his touch. “Lass, there are some things we don’t get to choose. Our mates, our role in life. Did you decide to be a dragon slayer?”

  He must know something about her race if he knew to say that. “Of course not.”

  “You dinn
a choose this either, but you must accept it same as you accepted that.”

  She didn’t think it was as simple as all of that. She and Gill traveled a lot. It didn’t take a genius to guess Lachlan would want her to stay put. So before she did any accepting she damn well needed to find out what would be involved.

  But first, Gill. “So we go find Gill and bring her back. How can I be sure you won’t lock us up?” She asked the question more for his benefit than hers. If she and Gill were reunited, they’d be able to do anything–even break out of his rat-filled dungeons, if they had to.

  “Lass, I’m trying to woo you. Why would I lock you up?”

  Ah. What was telling was what he didn’t say...he didn’t tell her he wouldn’t lock them up, he didn’t give his word of honor, he didn’t bring in witnesses so he could swear it in front of them. He was keeping his options open.

  She’d do the same. She needed to get to Gill. If agreeing to this meant she could leave the castle, she’d agree. And if the situation changed, so would her agreement. “Fine. Let’s go.”

  Lachlan grabbed her around the waist before she could take more than a step. “There are preparations to make.”

  With her hands flat on his oh-so-hard chest, she pushed away from him. “The hell with your preparations. We need to leave now. Gill needs me.”

  Still holding her, he pulled his cell out of his pocket. “I want to bring some people with me. Plus, I think the fastest way to find them will be to ask Damon.” He messed with his phone one-handed and a few seconds later she heard the phone ringing through the speaker.

  Keira relaxed a little. He had a good point. Finding out what the dragon knew and where he was located was a good way to start.

  But when the phone picked up, a tinny-voiced message greeted them. After the beep, Lachlan said, “Damon? You all right? What’s happening? Call me back.” He hung up.

  “You didn’t say your name,” Keira said.

  “He’ll know my voice.”

  He’d better. “Let’s go.”

  Still, he hesitated. “I need to gather some people.”

  Keira took a step toward the door. “Fine. You go do that and meet me out there. I’m not waiting.”

  Lachlan grabbed her arm. “You’ll stay here until I’m ready.”

  Baring her teeth and putting her hand over the gun on her hip, Keira said, “You’d better hurry up or we’re going to have a fight on our hands.”

  Still holding her arm, he dialed a number on his cell and put it to his ear. “Iain. I need warriors to help me with a search. Have at least five meet me at the front gate in ten minutes.” He hung up.

  Lachlan headed for the door, pulling her along with him. “Happy, lass?”

  “I suppose.” She had to walk fast to keep up with his long legs. She couldn’t remember that ever happening before. “Am I allowed to use my phone?”

  “Allowed?”

  “I’m obviously your prisoner. But maybe we can clear all of this up if I can just call Gillian.”

  His hand tightened on her arm just a little bit. “Call her.” He continued walking.

  Keira pulled her arm away and paused to dial. As soon as it started ringing, she started walking again. Lachlan kept pace with her the whole way.

  “No answer,” she finally said.

  “I heard. We’ll try again in a little while.”

  He’d heard. Of course he had–he had that wolf hearing. She really needed to learn more about the wolves if this one was going to stalk her. She’d been so focused on the dragons her whole life she’d never bothered to learn much about the other species.

  Now that they were off, she didn’t know where to start. The Stronghold sat in the middle of the Highlands. Plenty of houses and other buildings sat within the castle walls but outside stretched wilderness for several miles, broken only by a two-lane highway leading to the nearest town.

  Their car. First she needed to see if Gillian had taken the car they’d abandoned just outside the front gate. At least it would be a clue. If the car was still there, then she had to have left on foot.

  Keira broke into a jog, not surprised to see Lachlan beside her, moving at an easy lope. The bailey between the castle and the curtain wall stretched a good three hundred feet, filled with driveways and walkways and scattered patches of grass.

  He slowed when they got to the open gate but Keira kept going. His fingertips grazed her back. “Stop.”

  The car wouldn’t be visible unless she was completely clear of the wall. She came to a stop just as Lachlan caught up with her. Down the road a bit, the roof of the car was just visible over a small hill, glinting red in the autumn sun. “Damn it,” she said.

  “You don’t give up.” Lachlan’s hand settled on her hip. “We need to wait for my people.”

  Whatever. Keira pointed at the red metal. “She didn’t take the car. She’s on foot.”

  His hand squeezed her hip, his thumb rubbing her through her shirt. “That’s a good clue.”

  A warmth spread through her at his words, which immediately pissed her off. She wasn’t this man’s mate. What did it matter to her whether he praised her or not?

  Keira pulled away from him, pacing a few steps. “Where are your people? I want to get going.”

  “They’ll be here, lass. Take a deep breath.”

  Her jaw clenched but she said nothing. How could she expect him to understand? Inside her, a rising panic clawed at her, a desperation she kept just barely restrained. “You don’t get it. I have to find her.”

  He leaned toward her. “I may not get it but any fool can see how upset you are. Take a breath. We’ll find her.”

  People arrived at the gate and Lachlan waved them over. Four men, two women. Lachlan quickly introduced them. “Keira, this is Ross, Fergus, Niall, and Aileen.” He pointed at each one in turn, every one of them looking distinctly Scottish and a little bit wild. He pointed at the last two. “Colin is my tenth, and Mattie is his new mate from the States.” Lachlan slid his arm around Keira’s shoulder. “Wolves, meet my new mate, Keira.”

  Did he have to introduce her that way? Not just letting everyone know this foolish idea of his but stripping her of her identity as though the only thing important about her was how she was related to him?

  None of the wolves seemed to notice the slight nor her stiffness. They smiled and slapped Lachlan on his back, offering her congratulations. She shook hands with each one, anxious to get going but not ready to be rude. Not quite.

  “Keira’s sister is missing,” Lachlan said loudly as the congratulations died down. “We’re to find her.” He quickly filled them in on just what they needed to know–Gill had chased after the dragon and they hadn’t seen her since. When he finished, he said. “Let’s get to it, then.”

  Every single one of Lachlan’s wolves peeled off their shirt and dropped it to the ground. They didn’t even blink afterward, just went to work undoing their pants.

  Keira turned to look at the car. The wolves were no different from the dragons, needing to strip before they changed. Still, she never got used to people disrobing in front of her. Then again, she didn’t see it often. “I thought we would be on two feet,” she said.

  “You and I will. They can track better in wolf form. Have you anything of Gill’s they can scent?”

  “There are clothes in the car.” It had been a while since they’d come across a washing machine so she had no doubt there were clothes of her sister’s that smelled of her. Maybe more than they wanted.

  “Let’s go get them.” He put his hand on her neck and guided her forward.

  Why did he have to keep touching her? Each time, an electric current ran through her, her skin warming, not just where he touched her, but everywhere. Damned wolf.

  Keira jogged forward in order to break his hold on her. He let her go but kept up with her easily. When they reached the car, he stood too close as she popped the trunk and leaned into it to open up Gill’s luggage.

  Next thing, Lachlan�
��s hand curled around her waist, his pelvis bumping hers as he put his hand on the floor of the trunk and leaned over her. She froze. His fingers massaged her stomach and moved steadily lower as his chest came to a rest against her back. “I canna take this much longer, lass. Seeing you lean over like that...” His teeth nipped at her neck. “It’s a temptation.”

  Chapter 3

  Keira struggled to catch her breath. Being held and touched by a man she barely knew shouldn’t affect her like this. Yet she had to fight against the urge to press into him. It felt more than good. It felt right.

  “Say something,” his sexy voice whispered as his fingers worked their way closer and closer to her pussy.

  She didn’t want him to stop. And she couldn’t possibly tell him that. “Gillian.” Saying her sister’s name helped steel her against the sensations cascading through her.

  Lachlan groaned and buried his face deeper in her neck. “We’ll find your sister, lass, but it’s so hard to think of it. I just want to take you to my room and make love to you ‘til you can’t remember any name but mine. And then I’ll mark ye.” He growled the last sentence and the sound skittered over her body.

  “Will it hurt?” she said, voice thick. She didn’t even know why she asked; she wasn’t going to let him sink his teeth into her.

  “A little. But you’ll also have the most amazing orgasm you’ve ever experienced.”

  That pronouncement washed over her like a bucketful of cold water. All the orgasms she’d ever had she’d had to give herself. Men just didn’t seem to be very good at it. She straightened, pushing him to a standing position.

  But the damned man kept his body pressed all against the back of her, his arms around her while his hands played havoc. One hand continued to massage her belly, not quite touching her where she really wanted him to, while the other settled over her breast and kneaded.

  “Stop.” Her voice sounded horrifyingly hoarse.