Page 51

“Congratulations.” Liekki gave the male a sincere response, saying that the Thunder needed more younglings and that every pregnancy was a reason to celebrate. “I’ll tell him.”

Yeongi nodded, his markings a vibrant violet as he stepped back, giving Liekki the room to exit.

Liekki stepped onto the platform and launched himself into the air seconds later.

In an instant, a royal-Egyptian-blue dragon was soaring in the pale-lavender skies.

“Liekki, there better be a damn good reason you’re banging on my door so early in the morning,” Aodh demanded twenty minutes later as he yanked open the Mckenna suite door to find Liekki standing there.

He didn’t tell his older brother that it was technically late, only about an hour from noon.

Liekki didn’t bat an eyelash at spying his brother bare-chested wearing a scowl and pants that were pulled up, zipped but not buttoned with some fruit preserve that was smeared on the lower part of Aodh’s torso and disappeared beneath the unfastened pants.

A hundred times Liekki had been lounging round his place the same way, sans the fruit curd, when he had a satisfied female in his bed waiting for the next round of coupling.

However, once the morning hit, it was typically the time Liekki was trying to get them out of his home and headed somewhere else. But, of course, he didn’t have a mate like Aodh.

Avalore . His beast growled.

Liekki kept from rolling his eyes and making his brother think it had something to do with him; instead, he sighed and ignored his beast.

“Yes, there is a good reason. You probably want to be sitting down for it.” Liekki’s nose twitched, his stomach tightened in hunger. “Do I smell food?”

Aodh’s scowl deepened as he arched a brow at him when he didn’t say more. “Are you suggesting I let you in? Invite your ass to our morning meal?”

Liekki just shrugged.

He allowed Aodh to make his own decision.

Hell, the male ruled an entire Thunder, Aodh could figure out if he should slam the door in his face and go back to fucking his mate or get this discussion over with first. Also, Aodh knew the place of the Second, Liekki would only bother him if it were essential.

Part of Liekki hoped Aodh would shut the door, it would give him a bit more of a reprieve before he confessed.

Hell, it had already been too damn long.

Avalore was running around the Thunder currently.

All it would take was for Aodh to allow his beast to raze the walls to the common-bond of the Thunder for a status check and he’d hear the chatter of the other Drahk, because after Liekki’s spectacle at the dining hall, Liekki was sure their big, lizard asses were talking.

As Second, Liekki could only feel that everyone in the Thunder was well, not speak and hear from the entire Thunder simultaneously.

“Come in,” Aodh growled when he stepped back and pulled the door wide, allowing Liekki to see Kai seated at the heavily-laden table across the room. “You can eat but don’t touch the peach compote, unless you want to lose a hand. It’s Kai’s, the offspring is craving it right now.”

Liekki strutted by him. “Trust me, I won’t touch a fucking fruit in this place.”

“Hello, Liekki.” Kai smiled at him from her seat, dressed respectably in a closed robe, prepared to bite from a roll slathered with orange glop. And just as much was on the tip of her nose and the curve of her chin.

Liekki smirked. His mind was nefarious enough to see the picture the two of them were painting, and it had nothing to do with the chunk of bread Kai was shoving into her mouth.

The door shut behind him.

“Hey. Sorry I’m interrupting, Aguya.”

“It’s fine.”

Liekki sat across from her at the table and grabbed one of the two plates that didn’t have a single crumb on them even though the food was more than half eaten.

He snatched two pieces of pepper-smoked jerky and chewed on them.

He scooped item after item onto the plate before him, not caring what he dished out.

When he couldn’t get anything else piled on, Liekki grabbed a fork and started digging in.

The two were silent as they stared at him, practically inhaling the food.

“Is part of the reason you are here, brother, because Idalia or Admani sent a report that we were out of food?”

“Damn reports.” Liekki rolled his eyes this time but took two more forkfuls before responding, “As far as I know the reserve is high.”

In his peripheral, he could see that Kai had stopped eating her roll and gaped at him.

Standing beside his mate, Aodh folded his arms over his expansive chest. “Then why are you eating like I have no food in the hall downstairs?”

Liekki didn’t want to discuss the hall. However, he paused halfway through his plate of food. “If you would just hold your questions for a moment longer, I promise to tell you everything.”

He didn’t want to run the risk that once Aodh was informed, his brother would kick him out before he could finish eating. His beast was all about filling one need right now.

Since Liekki wouldn’t let the dragon have what it hungered for, the beast settled for the satisfaction of sustenance.

Done. Liekki sighed, leaned back in his chair, and let the fork go.

It clattered on the empty plate.

“Speak,” Aodh commanded.

“The preternatural meeting has been moved up to an emergency status. We all need to be in place by dawn.”

“What? Why?” Aodh lowered his arms and took a step closer but didn’t sit in one of the empty chairs at the table.

“All I know is that Iskah explained it had something to do with the wolves and vamps.”

Kai sat up. “My sister?”

“I’m sure she’s fine. I’d wager a guess the humans.” Liekki shrugged as he poured some water from the pitcher into a cup.

“Most likely,” Aodh grumbled absently.

Liekki observed the shadows moving across his brother's features as Aodh’s intelligent brain began to work, trying to decipher all possible clues to what could be going on in the territories.

“Last I heard, the rogue had been caught. Probably have something to do with that situation.”

“You think the Lupine Alpha will bring him to council? I’d like to be the one to snap his neck,” Liekki tossed out.

Kai gasped.

Aodh growled.

Liekki smirked. “Sorry, Aguya.”

Shifters were violent, best she fully comprehend that now. They were at a pseudo time of peace, but in a heartbeat, that was always likely to change with one wrong move from anyone.

“Is that all?” Aodh picked up the cup before his mate and knocked the drink back.

Liekki was pretty sure his brother was about to dismiss him. If Aodh did, Liekki could take the out and wait until Aodh returned to Thunder business again. However, he wasn’t a coward.

“No.” Liekki sat up straight. “About the humans.”

Aodh cocked his head to the side, his brows pinching in the middle.

“One is among us.”

His brother glanced at Kai then back at him. “My mate? Are you asking for me to dismiss Aguya from the discussion?”

He spotted the low-tangerine hue along his brother’s markings.

“Fuck, no.” He waved a hand at his brother’s question. “I’m referring to the female somewhere in the territory between textile and my place.”

If Chumana had brought Avalore to the hall to eat, he figured she’d take her for more clothing next for no other reason than not to keep bringing Avalore something out of her closet daily.

Liekki winced as the silence around the table grew.

“Explain, Liekki. Who is this human?”

“My mate.” Fuck he’d said it. Shoving a hand through his long hair, more than a bit uncomfortable with his confession, but it was past time for it to be said.

“The short of it is that when I returned from patrol a few days back, my beast discovered her running through our territory. She got injured and I helped.”

“Hurt? Goodness. Oh my. Is she alright?” Kai pressed a hand to her chest and leaned closer to the table as much as her round belly would allow.

“Yes. No. Fully recovered for the most part.”

“Why the fuck are you just now informing me?” Aodh’s voice was too calm, but the color in his scales had darkened to a deeper tangerine, and there were now flames in his irises that matched.

Liekki knew he was now addressing the Mckenna, not his brother.

Chagrined, Liekki stood. He was wrong but wouldn’t answer to his disobedience while sitting down like a youngling.

“I take full responsibility for neglecting to tell you, Mckenna.” Liekki shoved his fist in his front pocket. “However, this has been an unprecedented couple of days in the Thunder with the death, ceremony, wedding.”

Aodh growled.

Quick, Liekki held up a hand. “Those are not fucking excuses, I know.” He attacked his hair again with his free hand. “I’ve been struggling.”

That was all Liekki was prepared to admit.

Aodh’s coloring blended down to canary for an instant then faded completely.

Not only as Mckenna and second did they know each other, but their connection as brothers ran deeper. Liekki knew without saying more that Aodh would understand.

“It was bound to happen with the exchange with the human government, since you’ve done your utmost to fuck every of age Drahkelle in the territory and haven’t discovered a mate or claimed anyone.”

Liekki shrugged. “There are more than a few still lingering.”

He didn’t admit it had been a bit since the last time he’d done more than flirt with a Drahkelle. He’d spent more nights on patrol than finding himself between thighs and on the verge of disappointment once the buzz of his climax wore away.

Aodh scoffed. “Is she marked?”

“Yes.” Liekki glanced over at Kai. His brother’s mate was an anomaly. The familial connection to Drahks made their situation fated.

“I want to meet her.” Kai pulled at the belt of her robe, tightening it.

“I figured as much.”

“What’s her name?”

“Avalore.” Liekki swallowed. The tightness in his body at the mention of her name both calmed and disturbed him.

Aodh stepped closer to him. “You know you’ll have to present her before the council. They’ll be pissed we didn’t call in her appearance immediately. Especially after the situation with Morlie.”

“Figured that, too,” Liekki grumbled. Answering to his brother was one thing, but having to volunteer information to the council for their opinion grated the nerves in his ass.

But that’s why Aodh’s position required diplomacy, not his.

“You are relieved of Mckenna duties, Liekki. I need to go in. Notify Edjer. There are things I must handle today if we're leaving a few hours before dawn since we'll need to walk all of it with a human in tow. Unless—”

“My dragon’s not carrying her!” Liekki barked, winced.

Shouldn’t I answer that?

Beastly fucker . Liekki bit out mentally as his dragon’s claws dug deeper into his core. Then swore aloud in Drahk.

Aodh’s brows shot up.

Kai laughed. Loud.

Liekki shot his brother’s mate a look, knowing that her connection with all dragons through the baby made her privy to uncensored conversation.

Since Liekki was agitated, he’d forgotten to block her out. Liekki stomped toward the door.

“When you get there, tell Yeongi congratulations. And, Mckenna, you may want your mate to finish un-jellying you, before you go in.” He sent a salacious wink their way.

Kai slapped her hands over her face.

Aodh roared with laughter.

Liekki opened the stone door and left.

An hour later, he was standing at his front door. He could feel Avalore’s presence inside, but he wanted to turn tail and run the other direction.

“But I’m no fucking coward.” With that declaration he gripped the door handle and went in.