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“Y eongi, I have reviewed all the documents that needed my attention. They are on my desk.”

His aide stopped the work he was doing and glanced up. “I will get them and take care of everything.”

Yeongi had worked for him since Aodh had become Mckenna years ago. The efficient Drahk was familiar with Aodh’s system and how he designated the piles of signed reports and notes for the leaders. “I am headed to my McKenna building.”

“Okay. Any instructions?” Yeongi stepped from around his desk.

He knew what Yeongi asked. “Yes. Liekki is in charge now.”

The aide nodded, understanding that Aodh would be in his suites with Kai.

Appreciating Yeongi’s self-discipline, Aodh left his office buildings, his mind no clearer than when he’d arrived.

When he left his suites, his mind was full and bogged down by Kai and all the implications.

Things were pressing down on him after speaking with his assembly and discovering everything else going on for his Thunder.

Most things he could handle. He had no issue in taking care of whatever involved other shifters and border violations.

This wasn’t the first time they had to circumvent or navigate those things.

Even rising intercontinental situations didn’t trouble him as much as what was going on with Kai.

One that he was going to have to deal with quickly.

He wasn’t lying to his Thunder.

What he didn’t tell them was how he felt about her.

So, it wasn’t as simple as him seeing her as a mate.

That was easy and clear. The deep-biding feelings he was experiencing under his skin drifted up and around his dragon markings.

Those were the things he couldn’t put a voice to. He couldn’t speak aloud.

He delayed going to his suites further. He wanted to check in on Kai’s sister.

Not only because he wasn’t ready to fully address what he had to do and handle once he got into his place.

At the moment, his big issue was his concern for Morlie.

He’d never thought much about humans, even the few who lived among his Thunder. But he did now.

Self-reproach was what he felt, as well as concern for Morlie, an extension of the fact that Kai was his focus.

Whether his dragon recognized it or not.

Like all shifters and weres, he was compassionate regarding humans.

He wanted to see the best for them and knew that, in some ways, they could not manage the best for themselves.

Because of their greed. Because of their need to rule everything and submit to nothing.

It caused problems on a disastrous level.

But his heart had a tender feeling for this person helpless in the healing chamber. That was foreign to him.

Outside, he inhaled and relaxed his back muscles, which felt stiff from sitting so long at his desk.

The sun sat high, painting the sky violet.

Months after the Great Catastrophe, various shades of colors were seen worldwide, more spectacular than the aurora borealis.

It was vibrant and breathtaking in some aspects if your mind didn’t consider why it looked that way.

The second sun was what humans referred to it.

The weres didn’t call it the second sun.

They knew it for what it was. It wasn’t a different large star.

No, the reflection through the Earth’s atmosphere resulted from humans’ actions.

They’d released too many harmful chemicals during their global nuclear attacks, their violence amid an already fragile ozone layer from their mistreatment of the Earth.

It made the sun appear in various shades of purple.

Long gone was the bright-yellow globe in the sky.

Preternaturals were around to witness the transition from one to the other.

Humans would never know the variation of hues the sun and sky went through.

Or all the other things that happened. By the time most of it took place, the humans were either dead or buried deep in the Earth in their hidden colonies, moving underground like ants.

They missed all the wonders of the world.

How it altered, took on new formations, vegetation, and changing oceans, waterways, and land masses.

Forests grew wider, reclaiming land as mammoth trees stretched high to the violet sky, standing tall like ancient Egyptian pharaohs.

Nature had proven she was the ruler. Every were, shifter, mage, and Fae fully embraced Nature as the sovereign of this world. They all were gracious inhabitants.

Enjoying the dry heat and intense warmth of the sun on his skin, Aodh kept a steady pace toward his Mckenna building.

No one stopped him or offered more than a small greeting when he passed.

He wasn’t offended and knew it was because the leaders of his assembly had gotten out the word.

The message was that Aodh would not be disturbed, and Liekki was the acting Mckenna.

Everyone would know why, and if he wasn’t clear about that, the hope in his people’s gazes or the bright amethyst color gliding along so many of their markings was a bold indicator—joy, and hope.

When he arrived at his building, he made a detour and passed the main door for the one on the side.

Aodh entered the room and stood in the anteroom for a moment.

He stared at the healing chamber and noticed that the thick black smog of only hours had become a ghostly white cloud but still dense.

Human eyes could not see the young woman in the bed.

He pressed his hand against the thick glass door and firmly pushed it to step inside.

Once inside, he could see her clearly on the bed, even with all the smoke, but he stood there with the door sealed again behind him and listened.

He didn’t have to listen long. Her breathing had stabilized.

Healing was taking place. This young, weak one, this waif-like girl who lay stretched out on the bed, would make it.

She was transforming, not visually, but on a molecular level. Morlie was changing.

She would be stronger. Her body would be able to fight off sicknesses that plagued other humans. At that moment, Kai was weaker than her sick sister in bed.

He stepped closer, staring down at Morlie.

He didn’t touch her but observed. He could see she was not as pale as before.

The sour, grayish color of her skin was gone.

It was becoming more vibrant. She wasn’t in total health yet.

That would take some time—many days. But she was healing, she was strengthening, and that was important.

He could see now that Morlie resembled her sister.

But Morlie was younger. That was evident.

How young? He didn’t know. As he watched her, he noticed she was less agitated and doing well.

For a time, his mind played and thought and wondered if he would feel the same way towards his own young. He’d never really considered offspring or producing hatchlings. That was distant in the future, and he never knew where he personally stood on the subject.

With every fiber of his being, he was aware of the obligation that rested in his lap.

In his hands, he could control that. But he felt better pushing it off and not thinking about it.

More things concerned him: his Thunder, more significant border issues, and other paramount things.

Their safety, their nourishment, and the camaraderie among them, those types of things had been more important to him.

Perhaps it was because nobody had sparked.

Not even Ninki. Ninki. She was beautiful.

A lovely Drahk, who one day would become a Drahkelle and produce offspring.

Youth who were as powerful and gorgeous as their kind exemplified everything his people represented.

But she had done nothing except ignite his lust at the times.

Presently, he needed relief, but now that Kai had come into his life and entered his world, he couldn’t work up the desire toward another.

Things that changed were different for him.

And he was starting to think and imagine a life that would be outside of anything he’d ever considered.

Maybe that’s why he still stood by the bed, staring at Morlie, the sickly one.

He considered delaying the inevitable because it unlocked something profound inside him, buried and hidden by his dragon.

That pissed Aodh off.

But it being with Kai was something he could not put off.

Not only because what would happen with Kai had to be done, that was true, but what he actually needed to do with Kai he feared would not come about and his Thunder would suffer.

His desire for her ignited his lust on a level and a capacity that made not only his hands tremble, his thighs ache, but his cock was rising to an almost unbearable point if he let himself go there.

But he didn’t permit that right now. He held those reins so tight in his hands that his palms bled from the grip he kept on his lust at all times.

Regardless of what his dragon wanted to concede to, Aodh knew it.

And that his time had run out. He could no longer put off the moment.

And his response scared the shit out of him.

He exited the chamber, securing the heavy glass door before leaving.

In a few strides, he was out the door and taking the path along the side of the building to enter it, but this time closer to his suites.

At the bottom of the stairs, he saw Tana was coming down with a small basket full of laundry.

“Mckenna.” She greeted him with a smile.

The sight of her warmed his heart as it always did. No other female Drahk but his mother filled him with joy just by being around them.