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“Liekki.”

“Did you enjoy the training session at the arena?”

She lifted a brow. “I didn’t realize you saw me.”

Liekki nodded. “You’re hard to miss, mate of my brother.

” He folded his arms over his wide chest, and the hue of his scales was a light violet.

His grin exhibited the same playfulness he offered Tana.

“Besides, another skill a Drahk warrior must learn is oppositional awareness. Know where an attack can come from, not simply what is before them.”

“Do you expect me to attack you?” she teased.

“As the Mckenna’s second, I have to see even the things he misses.” His eyes, similar to Aodh’s in coloring, were clear and flameless.

It made it hard for Kai to decipher his meaning. However, there was a bit of tension now in the atmosphere she could not ignore.

“I’m sure you are good at your job,” she told him, not knowing what else to say to his comment.

“Very.”

“Nice of you to finally pull yourself off the skills turf.” Aodh’s presence filled the door.

His warmth caressed her, but she didn’t look back at Aodh.

“Only for you, Mckenna.” Liekki addressed Aodh while he kept his nonchalant stance and held her gaze.

Another example of how Liekki was watching his brother’s back, she understood.

“I’ve kept Aodh long enough. I’ll let you two get to work,” Kai informed him.

Liekki’s lips curled up into a slow grin.

Accepting the big, cunning Drahk’s challenge, Kai glanced at Aodh and let every ounce of her desire for him fill her gaze as she smiled. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Aodh growled.

Ignoring the second in command, she followed Tana down the oversized steps.

Liekki’s barking laughter filled the space behind her.

There was a smile on her face as she caught up to the older woman, but she couldn’t help but wonder how Liekki believed she would hurt Aodh.

Right now, she concerned herself with what sat at the forefront of her mind: why did Ninki take her rings? Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough until she could get her jewelry and answers.

~YH~

“What’s with the shirt?” Kai lay naked on her side in the bed, where she had been for the last twenty minutes since Aodh had dragged her into the shower with him after their morning meal.

She had plans of sleeping a bit longer once he left for work.

After another night of sex and lessons, her body ached, and her mind was full of new words and phrases.

He’d taught her things she could use outside the bedroom this time, common courtesies and ways to ask for assistance or a particular item.

Kai knew her pronunciation was terrible, and there was no way she could perfect the rough, rumble-like articulation. However, she comprehended more words when he spoke them. She was happy about that.

Aodh finished shrugging into a light-blue shirt that made the turquoise-opal of his eyes radiate brighter. “There is a preternatural council meeting I must attend.”

“A preter what?” Kai watched him button up his shirt from the foot of the bed and tuck it into his trousers.

She found it odd to see Aodh dressed in a business casual way.

It was not hard for her to imagine him in the human corporate world making deals.

With his scale-like markings covered, Aodh could be any other tycoon in the images she’d seen.

Dressed, he left the top two buttons below his collar open as he smiled at her. “Preternatural. It’s the council of the other shifters and supernatural entities on the continent.”

“Those on the map.” They had not discussed much about the other territories on the map, but the knowledge of them had not gone far from her mind. She was too focused on understanding the area she lived in with the dragon-shifters to give space mentally for others.

“That’s correct.” He rested his hands on his hips and observed her.

“Will they have issues with your markings being out, or is it some dress code?”

“Yes and no.” He crossed the space and stood at the foot of the bed.

“Since we, shifters and such, established the council, it gave us the freedom to come out of hiding and live in our territories as we see fit. We all agreed that since we discussed and decided on significant situations that affect all our kind, we would treat the meeting like a diplomatic occurrence.”

“Hm. Like a paranormal G7.”

“In a sense. However, we only control this continent and communicate openly with the other councils. We don’t hide information from our people.

” He placed his palms wide on the bed and leaned forward, resting his intense gaze on her.

“The honest communication helps us keep track of human activity since they came out of their holes.”

She sat up, resting her back against the headboard. Kai was becoming more comfortable being naked in their suite with him. “You say that like you all do not trust us.”

“We don’t trust the human governments. For centuries, they have done everything they can to be on top, force the preternatural community into hiding, and subterfuge existence. We know it chafes their asses to be at the bottom, subject to our laws and rules. They’ll try something. We know it.”

She shook her head. “What could they do being trapped in a small, paranormal lockbox?”

He offered her a slow smile that curled at the sides of his mouth and shadowed his eyes before she saw the small, tangerine flame. The material of the shirt hid any colors his markings may illuminate.

The cunning smile aimed at her sent chills along her spine.

“Attempt to multiply their numbers rapidly.”

She frowned. “What?” Kai recalled what she told him about the government’s incentives for those who got pregnant. “But that only—”

He tipped his head left as her words fell away.

Kai couldn’t come up with a reason for her government’s indiscriminately offering stipends placed in account books for babies without a cutoff of how many births a person could have. Those who delivered twins or multiple births received a bonus before they left the breeding center.

“Regardless.” She waved her hand away. “They can’t beat you all. You’re too fast and strong.”

She recalled that during their tour, she’d watched the manufacturing team lift heavy boulders that dragons picked off mountainsides or dug out of the earth.

They moved them around with ease as they set boulders on top of other big rocks to build structures or break them into smaller pieces with their bare hands to create things. No, the humans didn’t stand a chance.

“Humans bested us many times before because they caught us off guard. We believed their lies of peace. Never again,” Aodh growled.

She linked her fingers together tight in her lap. She didn’t want to be on the receiving end of Aodh’s wrath. Kai could only imagine that the other entities’ indignation was akin to his.

“Where will you all meet?”

Aodh exhaled. His shoulders relaxed, and the tension banked for now. “Not too far from here. The council meeting grounds sit on the Drahk and Fae territory border.”

“Will you be gone long?” She pulled her legs up and leaned forward to place her folded arms on her bent knees.

“I’ll be home before the evening meal. What concerns you?” His brows furrowed.

Kai had hoped to hide the worry. She shrugged and kept her silence. She shook her head but said, “Nothing. It’s still okay for Tana to take me to get my rings back, right?”

He slid his hand up the bed and wrapped it around her ankle. Aodh’s thick, long fingers caressed her skin, offering strength. “Yes. Get what’s yours. If Ninki has them, I don’t anticipate her giving you issues.”

She shrugged. Kai wasn’t sure about that. Especially if the other woman knew that Aodh wasn’t here, Ninki may give pushback. Not that Kai thought the woman would attack her or attempt to set her on fire, but she didn’t know how people would act knowing Aodh was away, representing the thunder.

Aodh held her in his gaze as if assessing her. “You are my main priority, little flame. I can direct Yeongi or Khuzaimah to accompany you if you’d feel more comfortable. Liekki will be with me.”

Gasping, she shook her head. “No. No.” She forced a broad smile on her face. The last thing she needed was for him to worry about her. “It’ll be fine, just like you said.”

One thick brow angled high. However, Aodh dropped the conversation. “Alright. I must get to my office building to meet with Yeongi before Liekki and I go.”

“Be safe. I hope your meeting is productive.” She stared at the hulking man.

Even with the clothing concealing his bulging muscles and the illustrious markings decorating his skin, the man was still imposing and handsome.

The heat of his hand on her caused warmth to spread through her body from a simple touch. She’d miss him while he was away.

When Aodh remained balanced on one hand pressed into the bed, caressing her with his eyes, she asked, “What are you waiting for?”

“To have my good-bye kiss.” A wicked smile graced his lips. “I’m trying to decide if I want to come up and get it or bring you to me.”

His rough tone made her breathless. She lowered her voice to a level she hoped would come out seductive as she ran her hands over her wild curls. She slowly fluffed her hair and arched her back to allow the tips of her breasts to peek above her knees. “What did you decide, God of Fire?”

Cerulean flames leaped into his eyes. He growled as he tightened his hand on her ankle before he gave a firm yank.

“Aodh!” she squealed as the quick movement caused her to flop onto her back. She waved her arms out and grabbed at the covers, but it did nothing to halt her advancement.

Aodh dragged her down the bed toward him. He took hold of her other ankle with his free hand and pulled her further until her ass was almost hanging off the end of the bed.

“I’ve decided here is best.”