Page 60 of Loched in Love

I try. I really do. I take in a shaky but slow breath of the stale air, trying to anchor myself to the sweet scent of her hair. But then Callum slides his hand an inch closer and my inner beast snaps at the leash.

My pupils dilate, completely swelling past the blue of my irises as I lean forward and slide my arm across the table in a swift and silent blur.

I drop my forearm flat against its surface and create a solid and unmovable wall between Callum’s hand and Elena’s fingers. The heavy thud my arm makes the plastic table rattle loudly.

Callum flinches, his hand jerks back with lightning quickness as he finally looks up to face me, and the flirtatious smile dies on his lips.

I gaze directly into his eyes and let the full unbridled weight of my inner beast press down on him, as my expression turns to one carved from stone. “She isn’t traveling alone, Callum,” I say softly, the Scottish lilt of my accent turning dark and dangerous. “She’s with me, and while normally I can act like a civilized gentleman, you’re far too close and almost breathing her air. I strongly suggest you find another railcar to continue your journey.”

The blood rushes from his face as he goes entirely pale. His survival instincts are finally firing at full capacity, telling him that the man across from him could snap him like a twig.

He swallows hard, gulping, his throat clicking loudly against the quietness of our table booth.

Elena’s fingers tighten on my knee under the table, and I can sense her pulse racing. I can only hope she isn’t afraid of me, and is only afraid of what I’m about to do to this human in a very public place.

“Right,” Callum chokes out, his voice cracking as he scrambles to his feet and grabs a backpack up from the booth with trembling hands. “Right, sorry. Was just being friendly.”

He doesn’t look back and turns on his heel before practically sprinting down the aisle and pushing past a pair of travelers on his way to escape to the next car.

The heavy suffocating static in my ears begins to dissipate with his exit and I let out a long and relaxed breath, feeling my pupils shrink back to normal. I turn my head to look at Elena, feeling shame wash over me and extreme guilt at letting my monster slip out.

I just terrified a human in front of her, and I expect her to be horrified or at least angry that I caused a scene.

Instead, when I meet her gaze, her cheeks are flushed a deep and pretty pink.

Her hand still rests on my thigh, but her grip has softened to a lingering caress. She looks at the empty seat across from us and then slowly turns to face me. Her blue eyes are bright and dilated with a different sort of adrenaline.

“Lachlan,” she whispers, her voice just a little breathless and a little frayed.

“I’m so sorry, Elena,” I say gently, and quietly lean back into my corner to give her more space, tucking my hands between my knees so she can’t see how my fingers are still trembling with territorial and possessive energy. “I tried to be a gentleman. Truly I did, but he was far too close and in your space. I shouldn’t have frightened you.”

“Frightened me?” she says letting out a shaky laugh. She slides closer to me, ignoring how tight of a squeeze the booth, until her side is pressed against my torso. She reaches up, her small and warm hand cupping the side of my jaw. “Lachlan, look at me.”

I look down at her, my heart hammering a frantic pulsing in my ribcage.

“You didn’t frighten me,” she murmurs her thumb brushing over my cheekbone. A small smile tugs at the corner of her soft and kissable lips. “But hot damn, that was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

My mind goes blank at her words. “It was?”

“Yeah,” she whispers leaning in close so that her breath touches the skin at my neck. “You were magnificent. I think the girl three rows back even forgot to breathe, you were terrifying and protective and gorgeous.”

A massive wave of relief washes through me, and I know if I were in my monstrous form, my tail would be wagging.

The shame in my chest transforms to pure and undiluted affection. I drop my arm around her shoulder and tug her to my chest, elated that she’s not angry with me. I grip her to me in a strong hug, happiness swelling throughout my very limbs.

“You’re a strange creature, Elena,” I murmur to where only she can hear, speaking into her hair as a soft and genuine smile spreads across my face. “Most women would run from a monster like me.”

“Good for you that I’m not most women then,” she says and rest her head against my jacket, her fingers trailing little patterns on my knee.

We ride in silence for the next few miles but the victory of making the trip is a short-lived one as the train pulls to a stop at the next major hub and a huge tour group boards the railcar, flooding the aisles with even louder humans.

Two men stop right by our booth and lean against the headrest, looking down at Elena with immediate interest.

Elena catches my eye, her smile fading into a look of pure exhaustion and annoyance. I can handle one Callum, but an army of them in this metal cage?

“We need to get off this train,” she whispers.

Chapter 23