Page 9 of Smoke and Flame

Aodh glanced across the room to see his brother leaning casually against the wall by the door.“Liekki, what are you doing here?”

Chapter Three

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“Icouldn’t help butbe drawn by unfamiliar screams.”His brother continued to speak in the tongue of their beasts as he glanced over to the floor by the glass wall where Kai remained.

Aodh watched the unique beauty from the corner of his eye and realized she had crumpled to the floor at some point.Thump.Thump.His heart reacted to the palpable grief surrounding her.

She sat leaning against the glass, her face and one palm pressed to it as she stared into the darkness.“I’m sorry, Morlie,” she mumbled repeatedly.

“She fears for her sister.”Aodh continued in the same dialect as he met his brother’s gaze.“The magistrate didn’t meet.”

Liekki pushed away from the wall by the door and moved closer to him.“Then how have we come to gain such a...”his brother’s nostrils flared as he inhaled, “pleasurable diversion?Two at that?”

A low warning roar erupted from Aodh before he could stop it.

“Ah...”Liekki’s head tipped to the side as he assessed him.Eyes, a dual color of emerald and ruby compared to the tri-colors of Aodh’s, held him.Something unnamed flashed in the depth of his brother’s eyes as Liekki continued his silent perusal.

Aodh did not have to be one of the wise ones of their thunder to know Liekki recalled every time he’d refused to take an outsider and only satisfied the fierce desires of his beast with those who understood and accepted he only sought pleasure without binding.

Liekki broke his silence.“Have my ears deceived me, or has my brother made a claim?”

“She is mine.”Aodh indicated with his chin toward Kai to ensure his brother understood which female he was referring to.

“It’s about time.You have done well in bringing in several mates for those in our clan.We have long waited for our King to mate andbreed.So, others—”

“Spoken from someone who refused to let me match him.”Aodh folded his arms and eyed his brother.He knew where Liekki was going with his words.It was a conversation he refused to undertake at this time for many reasons.

His ears perked at the soft whimpers from Kai.

“I told you I would not claim anyone until you did, brother.It is the order of things.”

“An old order.”When their grandfather and the fathers before him were over the Thunder, they always mated as soon as they got their position and produced heirs.At one time, they took multiple Drahkelle, female mates, to ensure the expansion of their kind.It wasn’t until his father found his mate, one female he couldn’t live without, and refused any other.It was odd that Aodh and his two siblings were all from the same Drahkelle.Aodh always wanted that kind of connection.Not simply a warm, willing body.

Liekki shrugged.“Thank goodness mostDrahkin the thunder are not so selective.You have had time because we are many.We did not face extinction as other kinds after the humans almost destroyed the land.”

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