Page 4

T uri glanced at Aodh , the Beta bear-shifter’s brows stitched as confusion weaved through his features.

Morlie sat in the chair where she was deposited. But while Turi was distracted, Morlie saw the opportunity as a chance to escape. However, as soon as she moved to get up and run, one of Turi’s paw-sized hands came down on her shoulder to hold her in place.

“Don’t move, marked one.” Turi gave her a stern look and wagged a finger at her.

Morlie shot daggers at the Ursine second-in-command.

“I thought they weren’t bringing us a marked one,” Iskah said, curious as she stood before her chair like everyone else.

“Not sure what happened to this transport.” Turi shrugged. “But thankfully, I found her.”

“Where did you find her?” Dov placed his palms on the table, leaned forward, and sniffed.

“On my territory.” Aodh clenched his hands. He needed to devise a diplomatic way to get them out of this situation.

“Yes,” Turi smiled. His usual, jovial demeanor kept him from comprehending the intensity of Aodh’s statement. “I was headed here through the wolf-shifter territory, which, according to the council treaty, was permissible without prior authorization, when I spotted her by a vehicle. Lost and alone.”

“I wasn’t lost! I wasn’t alone, you bully.” Morlie struggled against his hold to no avail.

Aodh's chest swelled with pride at seeing how his mate’s sister wasn’t cowering in fear but was using her anger as a defense.

He hoped it remained long enough to get her out of there.

If she were alone, Aodh would have a harsh conversation with his sister, who should have been with Morlie, particularly since he was trying to avoid this situation.

He knew he could not keep Morlie with his Thunder forever, but he wanted her there long enough to claim Kai and make her his.

Morlie meant everything to his mate. If he had brought the young woman to the council, Kai would have left, too, and he would not have allowed that.

“Who’s mark is she?” Marceline asked, her eyes so red her pupils were gone.

Morlie looked over at Marceline and gasped. Turning, Morlie pinned her gaze on him. “Aodh...help me.”

The sound of his name coming out of her mouth caused pure pandemonium.

“You know her?” Iskah glided around the table as the tree receded behind her, but the wind picked up, blowing through the wall-less structure.

“How is this possible?” Armaros shot him a stern look.

“Have you been hiding marked ones from us?” Chanin slammed one of his fists on the table. “Are there others?”

“Is she yours to claim?” Dov growled.

Aodh vaulted over the table and landed before her. With the setup being what it was, he could not shield her from all sides. “This can’t happen now.”

Liekki joined him, standing at Morlie’s back.

“What is the meaning of this, Aodh?” Iskah crossed her hands over her chest and leaned back against the table. “Explain yourself.”

“I’m all ears for the answer to this one.” Dov set his hands on his hips and cocked his head toward Aodh.

“She was extremely sick when I came upon her.” Aodh refused to tell them how long ago it was.

“They’re always ill. We expect it.” Iskah waved a hand in the air.

“Why didn’t you call an emergency meeting?” Armaros inquired from his position on top of the table, but he transported himself before it in a blink, tendrils of black smoke in his wake. Closer to Morlie.

Aodh grounded his teeth. He hated fucking explaining himself to anyone. More than that, he despised bringing Kai’s name into this situation. “She was with another—”

“There are two marked ones?” Dov glanced over his shoulder toward the forest on the other side of the clearing as if he expected someone to come walking out.

“No. Not marked,” Aodh's voice rumbled. He wanted to make it clear that Kai was not up for grabs. The last thing he needed to do was have Edjer set sentries along both sides of the border to keep random wolves, bears, vamps, and Fae from sneaking in and trying to find her. “She didn’t know her family was marked, and she pleaded for my help in healing Morlie.”

Aodh could feel the vibrations in the air as Morlie began to tremble behind him. The fortress surrounding her fear the young woman had attempted to bolster through had evaporated.

“I was waiting for Morlie to get better so I could speak to them about bringing the marked one here. This was an unprecedented situation with someone else bringing a mark beyond the Wall.”

Aodh ignored the small gasp behind him. He was sure his words had shocked his mate’s sister, but he needed to be as straightforward as possible with the other alphas.

Otherwise, they would say he violated council laws.

If they sanctioned him, the council could force him to forfeit part of his Thunder’s land or at least provide reparations to the mate of the marked one.

He’d prefer the latter than the first. High above in the distance, he spotted a lone dragon.

Aodh assumed the news of Morlie's abduction made it through his Thunder, and his head of security had tracked her here.

Aodh hoped Edjer would keep his distance and only observe.

The dragons’ sight was keen even from such a distance, so Edjer would know Morlie was with him. On top of not bringing a marked one to the council, the last thing Aodh needed was for it to look like he would attack the other members.

“Well, she is here now,” Dov stated.

“Let us have a look,” Armaros added.

Still, Chanin remained unusually silent, but he hadn’t taken his gaze off Morlie, his head tilted to the side as if analyzing her.

Aodh cock a brow at the Lupine’s response.

“I will bring her back—”

“Aodh.” Iskah’s soft lilt cut him off. The wind settled around them. She didn’t say anything else until he turned and met her gaze.

Aodh’s shoulders tensed. He didn’t like what he knew was coming. Locking his eyes on the council judiciary, he waited.

“By treaty law, she, Morlie...” Iskah tipped her head toward the young woman. Iskah’s thick, glossy brown curls slid over her shoulder as she waited for him to confirm her name. After his nod, she went on. “Morlie must be appraised fully. She is too important.”

Aodh could read between the lines. What Morlie represented was important, as was their ability to ensure their resources by adding to their numbers.

Aodh wanted to deny the Fae queen’s words.

He turned and faced Morlie. The younger woman had a family resemblance to Kai, but other than that, she was very different.

She was slim instead of having Kai’s mouth-watering curvaceous frame, which he loved.

Morlie sat in a sleeveless midriff tunic, and her low-riding pants left her hipbones bare.

Her dress was on par with the young females in his territory, but here, at this moment, the outfit revealed too much skin, especially since he knew what was coming for her.

He wanted to remove his business shirt and drape it over her shoulders, not caring about council etiquette, but he couldn’t. However, his Drahk scent was too powerful. His clothing would mask or disrupt the traces in her mark. He crouched before her.

Her large, watery gaze stayed on him. “Aodh, I want to leave.”

“I know you do.” He exhaled. He wished the notes in her mark had been Drahk linked.

Then, none of this situation would have happened.

Once Morlie was better, he could have called a meeting and presented her before his Thunder.

The Drahk whose dragon responded to her would have claimed her, and there wouldn’t have been a need for her presence here.

“But Morlie, right now, this has to happen.”

“Why—?” She reached for him, but he quickly moved back, avoiding her grasp. She frowned.

Aodh saw the hurt in her eyes at his rejection. Morlie was his mate’s sister, therefore, a sister to him. Quickly he explained, “I can’t taint you with my scent.”

She shook her head, showing she didn’t understand.

“You know my kind are dragon-shifters. Well, there are others,” Aodh pointedly looked at the leaders over his shoulder.

Fixing his eyes back on Morlie, he continued, “When you were ill, your people placed a mark on you with a blended serum. All humans have a genetic makeup that links them with a preternatural entity. Usually, it is dormant and buried so deep in your DNA that it’s never engaged, and doesn’t emerge unless someone crosses paths with their mate. ”

“Like Kai,” she whispered.

His scales heated at the mention of Kai’s name, but he resisted his natural response. “Yes. For you, the trace amount of serum has forced your Were match to the surface.”

“And it doesn’t match your kind.” Morlie glanced down at her lap.

“No,” Aodh answered her, even though he knew there was no need. Morlie wasn’t asking a question. He could see in her posture that somehow she knew there wasn’t a connection to his people for her. “None of the leaders on this council will harm you, but they have to come close.”

She nodded but still didn’t look up.

At that moment, she looked so young. Her trembling had subdued some, but it was still under the surface.

“Be brave.” He started to rise.

“Will I go back to your territory after this is over?” she asked in a low voice.

Aodh much preferred the fighter Morlie than this resigned side of her. “We’ll see,” he answered, unable to make her promises. He stood and glanced over her head at his brother.

Liekki gave a sharp nod. Just like him, his brother knew this had to happen.

“Are we ready to proceed?” Iskah looked at him.

Aodh stepped back, and Liekki did the same on the other side. “Yes.”

Iskah entered the clearing toward Morlie as she began, “By treaty directive we have with the humans, this offering now sits before us.” She walked a slow circle around Morlie, her hands out and palms up as she spoke.

“Her appraisal to determine which herd, coven, Pack, sleuth, or...Thunder she is a part of will now begin.”