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T he smoke that shot out of Aodh’s nostrils before he could halt it was thick, white, and cloying. Around a human, it would have ignited a coughing fit, but with dragon-shifters, it didn’t faze them. It was part of their physiology.

Driving a hand through his hair, Aodh momentarily ignored his brother’s taunting and spoke to Hugo.

“Keep me posted on any changes. The magistrates meet soon, and I’ll present the topic.

” Aodh continued and addressed his security leader, “Edjer, I saw you submitted a report on the border. I have not had time to get into it. Why don’t you brief everyone while we are here. ”

As Hugo lowered himself into his seat, Edjer rose. “Mckenna...leaders. At approximately zero two hundred hours, one of my patrol men conducting perimeter flyovers of the North-West spotted a pack of wolves.”

“Were they simply passing through?” Admani leaned forward against the table and stared at Edjer.

“Crossing another’s boundary isn’t an issue.” Idalia, who managed the growers, tossed in before she glanced at Hugo. “Did they send in notice of their entry?”

Hugo frowned as he shook his head. “No. We didn’t have a record when Edjer contacted my team for verification. We still do not.”

Aodh listened to the exchange of his leaders around the table.

With limited vehicles that moved around the world, as shifters frequently kept a tight rein on any environmental harm, one group would often have to venture through another’s territory for various reasons.

It was not just customary but mandatory to signal such intention.

Preternatural entities made up the entire world, and every last one of them was territorial as fuck.

The world now existed on a slim edge maintained by order supported by mutual respect.

An entry without regard was cause for an attack.

“Did your team engage?” Aodh balanced his upper body on his elbows on the table.

“They did not.” Hugo met his gaze. “To keep my personnel from random acts of authority which could lead to conflicts and possible violations against your word. It is our protocol to observe until further instructions.”

“What was it the team observed, specifically?” Aodh wasn’t asking because he was inquisitive. A slow-burning flame was growing in his gut as several scenarios about why the wolves had entered flooded his mind. “It was clear by the two goats they took off our land.”

Shit! There had not been such occurrences since they raised the preternatural council and agreed on dividing the continent’s remaining land.

“Bastards! Those thieving bastards.” Admani’s growl exploded in the room as she shot to her feet.

Her short, sandy-blonde curls usually resembled the bright, glossy appearance of the little human girl from the mid-1930s.

However, now, the commander of the livestock division looked nothing like the iconic Shirley Temple’s cuteness and was more like Marvel’s Thor.

Others hissed and snapped their jaws in agreement.

Pissed at himself for allowing his thoughts and time to be distracted by Kai and not taking the time to look at the security reports earlier, Aodh ground his back teeth.

The woman had only been with them for a few hours, yet she was already altering his regular schedule and behavior.

If not for her and her sister, he would have continued his surveillance flight and been in his office early to review the work that still awaited him on his desk.

A situation like this could have quickly developed into an all-out war if the wolf-shifters had attempted to steal again or if more than a small band broke the boundary lines.

Kai . Just the thought of the human gave him the impression of her traveling fast and touching every organ in his body, like an infection in his bloodstream.

Even now, images of her flooded his brain as he recalled her soft, sweet smell.

He flexed his toes in his boots to keep the others around the table from seeing the response, even if his assembly would have no clue.

It had to do with Kai as much as the wolf-shifters’ encroachment.

Hugo rose and touched Admani’s shoulder to keep her in place.

The red flames flashing in her gaze and thick, white smoke billowing from her nostrils were proof she was two steps away from shifting and taking to the sky.

In her state, Admani could start blazing any outsider in her path and biting off heads.

“Everyone, resume your seats and calm yourselves.”

At Aodh’s order, the room returned to a silent, settled atmosphere, but the fight in his leadership assembly rolled on a simmer beneath the surface.

It was evident it had been too long since their dragons engaged in battle, and even though they lived in a civilized world to keep peace, they would never be but a breath away from the internal beasts they held tight reins on.

After everyone had gained control of themselves, Aodh took a moment to look into the faces of all twelve leaders and even added Yeongi. Until moments like this, his aide was one of the most zen-like shifters he knew.

Aodh allowed a rough rumble into his voice, “This is an offense—an egregious one. I will not coat this with sweetener. Understand my anger at such atrocities resides with yours.” He took a deep breath to ensure he resumed the composed manner of the Mckenna they needed.

“Even if the wolves are not following the PM’s treaty, at this time, I will allow their Alpha to answer for this situation at the next meeting. ”

A low roar slipped from Iki.

“However, we will not stand for any other violations. Edjer, have your teams double up their efforts around all the borders connected to them. I will address this with the magistrates when we meet next week.”

Only a few gazes held a tangerine flame. Most around the table could agree with Aodh’s decision or respect his authority.

“Does anyone need to bring forth other matters?” Aodh waited a beat to see if any leaders had an issue.

At this moment, his plate was more than full between Asia, wolf-shifters, and the two humans in the Mckenna building.

But it was his job to handle all concerns, and he would do just that.

Aodh’s position as head of his Thunder was the most important to him. Until several hours ago...

Kai .

When no one brought up anything, Aodh began. “Many of you have questions about the humans who came in last night. I will tell you all that I can.” He cautioned them before anyone spoke. With a pointed look at his brother, he stated, “I do not have many answers.”

Multiple yellow flames flickered around the room, but everyone held their tongue.

Aodh began to shove a hand through his hair but caught the gesture midway and brought it to his jaw. His leaders did not need to see how one of the two humans was affecting him already.

His dragon rested inside of him, but Aodh felt a slight shift at the thought of Kai.

I will maintain control . Aodh commanded silently and ensured his beast. Rubbing over his chin and feeling the short pricks of the hair there, he exhaled, less ruffled.

He continued, “The humans are women, sisters. One, Morlie, is sick. Her body is being ravaged and destroyed by the disease the humans call XD87867.”

“I assume she is the one in the chamber?” Idalia met his gaze. The female Drahk was not only a wonder when it came to handling and nurturing vegetation but was a deeply compassionate person with empathetic traits like her mother. “Is she going to pull through?”

He knew she wasn’t asking because she doubted the healing ability of their dragons.

The grower’s question had more to do with the status of the human.

His Thunder, along with other entities, had been presented with humans who were extremely bad off.

Most of them pulled through with care, while others took their last breath in transport.

“Time will tell. Morlie was close to death by the time I was able to create enough deatach glan heyl around her.” Now, Aodh dragged a hand through his hair, but he swallowed back the sigh.

It was a show of weakness, and he wouldn’t reveal that before his assembly.

“We will see what happens. For now, she is under my protection. I do not want anyone not cleared by me to enter that chamber or even the room. She will not become some spectacle for all curious individuals in the Thunder.”

“By your word, Mckenna.” The statement came from Edjer while all others nodded along.

Aodh did not doubt that his security leader and others in his assembly would ensure everyone followed his edicts.

The room fell silent for a moment. Aodh could practically feel the shift around the table and sense the growing tension.

He was not psychic even before the great catastrophe when his kind worked in the human world, hiding in plain sight.

Still, knowing what was coming next didn’t take extreme intelligence.

His people were internally debating whether or not to ask the question on each of their minds.

Aodh was ready to let them sweat it for a minute or two.

“And the other?” The question came from Anala, the head of textile manufacturing for the Thunder, which produced everything from bedding to clothing. She was a quiet sort, methodical in all things.

Aodh knew it was how Anala had won her position.

Not through brawn or lineage, she worked hard, long hours, studied everything about the craft, and stayed under the radar.

When the time came for Seon, the daughter of the previous leader, to assume the position, Anala challenged her.

For their Thunder, one had to know the job and win battles in both forms of their kind.

Anala shocked her rival, Seon, and the Thunder when she won.

She had not gloated but claimed her new title and position with a quiet grace.