Knights-of-Stone-Bryce Read Online Free

these?”
    “We bring plenty of food in. And stash them around.” He flashed a boyish grin with even white teeth. “We eat a lot.”
    It was the first time he’d smiled. It did something to her. Affecting a part of her deep within.
    He handed her a steel bottle. “Fresh water. We have a source here.” He motioned to the food. “Help yourself.”
    She unscrewed the cap and gulped. Never had water tasted so refreshing. When it quenched her parched throat, she eyed the food. She hadn’t realized how ravenous she was until she spotted it. So focused on survival, other basic needs had been pushed aside. She poured a handful of trail mix into her hand and devoured it, nothing lady-like about it.
    He eyed her with concern. “Guess you haven’t eaten in a while. I’ll get you more food.”
    “Thank you,” she said. “Wait, I don’t even know your name.
    “Bryce.”
    “Thank you—Bryce.” The name rolled off her tongue with a delightful sound. Bryce. It conveyed strength. Masculinity.
    She guzzled down more water, emptying her bottle. He offered his, and she took smaller sips this time.
    “You’re not eating?”
    “I’m fine, and you need it more than I do.” He motioned to what remained. “Please.”
    While she sated her hunger, her taut muscles relaxed. He’d given her food and water and no longer treated her like a captive, a spy. After she filled her empty belly with some nourishment, his earlier words returned. He wanted her to tell her story, yet all she’d done was wolf down the food as fast as she could manage.
    “You wanted to talk?”
    He’d been leaning back on his forearms, watching her, but then straightened. “I want to know more about what happened with your clan.” Squinting his eyes, he added, “But I’m also curious about you.”
    What did he mean by that? Her skin felt taut. She became aware how she was alone with an eye-catching male who was half-naked. Muscular legs with fine hair extended from under his blue kilt. Her gaze traveled up, over the impressive contours of his sun-kissed chest. His hair now showed more red under the rising morning sun that bathed them in a warm glow. The stubble on his face was a shade darker. Rough or smooth? An urge to touch it rose, which she stuffed away. After all she’d been through recently, the last thing she should care about was an attraction to the opposite sex, yet her body instinctively responded to him on some level.
    “There’s nothing to know. Except what I already told you.”
    “Come now, Mairi.”
    It was the first time he’d said her name. Such a pleasant sound.
    “What’s your story?” he persisted.
    She pursed her lips. How much should she tell him? Trusting anyone after what she’d been through would be a difficult feat.
    Still, he was a gargoyle shifter and the closest thing to an ally, at this point. He might offer her shelter here—if his brothers agreed. Before they’d agree to give her refuge on this island, they had to know she wasn’t a threat herself. That started with him.
    While assessing what to reveal, she glanced into his amber eyes. The feral glint was gone, replaced by curiosity and a hint of concern. Nothing to fear. In fact, his intense gaze had quite a different effect this time, spreading a warm sensation over her skin.
    He was her best chance at survival. Something in her gut told her to take a chance. She inhaled to fortify herself and began her story.
     
     

CHAPTER THREE

    “We lived close to the north coast, near Durness.”
    Bryce scanned Mairi’s demeanor as she stared at an unfixed point in the woods. The desperate struggle to escape appeared to have diminished. What had made her change her mind and stop trying to flee? Maybe she no longer saw him as a threat, but as someone who could help her. Which he’d decide after hearing her tale.
    “We lived in peace for many years,” she said, “but a vicious murder in a nearby village set the humans on edge.”
    “What happened?”
    “The