Page 11 of Smoke and Moon

“Get away from her!”Kai couldn’t spare a glance at her sister.If she saw fear light her sister's eyes or Morlie’s features twisted in pain from anything the man did to her before Kai arrived, Kai would go for the man’s head.

The man stood slowly.His height went up, up, up.He was as tall as Aodh but not as big.

“No one orders Chanin, the Alpha of the Omega Lupine Pack.”The man’s features were tight, and his eyes lost some of their bizarre colors and glowed less.

Kai noticed that even though he rose, he didn’t step away from her sister.

“And no one messes with my sister.”She swung the sword around and pointed the sharp tip toward the center of the man’s chest.She only left a few feet of clearance between them.“So, get the fuck away from my sister.Now!”

“Well, things have just got interesting,” a man somewhere on her right chuckled.

“She has quite the mouth on her,” a woman's elegant, controlled voice spoke from the same direction.

“I bet she does.”The man’s words came out of a low moan.

What the hell?Kai glanced briefly to her right at the man dressed in a red-and-black suit, sitting causally with his legs crossed on the curved table beside a beautiful, thin woman.For a moment, her gaze felt stuck by the two.She inhaled deeply and dragged it back to the man in the circle's center with her sister, Chanin.

Her parents had left Morlie in her care, and she would not lose her.It pissed Kai off that she let down her guard and allowed Morlie to roam free with others her age instead of keeping her sister at her side.If she had kept Morlie with her, being the protector she should be instead of just her sister, this situation would not have happened.She recalled what Aodh told her about the preternatural council, why they met, and how they discussed issues that involved them all, but she didn't know why they brought Morlie there.

Did Aodh know they’d bring Morlie here?If so, why hadn’t he told her?Did Morlie have to get the council's approval because she wasn’t a mate like Kai?Perhaps Aodh could find her someone in his Thunder if Morlie staying was a problem.

No fear showed in Chanin’s form as he began to take a step closer to the end of the sword.

“Back off.I don’t want to hurt you.”The quivering in her hand started in her legs and moved up, causing the sword to wobble.

Damn it.Kai’s eyes started to water and burn, matching the aching fire radiating through her arms.

Then, a hand gripped both of hers around the handle, helping her steady it.She felt Aodh’s heat along her back, shoring her up.

“Kai.”

It was the sound of her name on the heavy, sexy rumble that made her voice catch.Aodh always affected her in a way she couldn’t comprehend.She squeezed the sword handle and worked to get her bearings until she knew whether the massive man behind her played a part in this situation.

“Aodh, I just want my sister, and I’ll go.”Her gaze was still locked on the were.She didn’t trust him.Something in her warned that if she gave him a moment, he’d run off with her sister.The last thing she wanted to deal with was tracking Morlie down again.Kai doubted it would be as easy as it was this time.

“I know.”The warmth of his breath brushed her ear as he spoke in low tones.“But you need to lower the sword.It is considered an act of war in this place.”

His other hand curled around her hip, and heat danced along her skin from his touch.“I don’t want war, just my sister.”

“If you did, I would stand at your back.Always.”His hand was still around hers, but he wasn’t forcing her to drop the sword.Instead, he kept her stable.

There was something about his words that squeezed her heart.She’d never had anyone supporting her since she lost her parents.Rolling in her bottom lip, she decided to bring down the blade.The stone shook beneath her feet from the heavy impact when the tip struck the hard granite floor.

“Kai.”Her sister’s voice sounded strange, and it wavered.It beckoned her.

She stepped out of the circle of Aodh’s warmth.“Come, Morlie.We need to go.”

She gestured to her sister as she glanced over her shoulder to see if Eilidh was close behind her.However, she frowned when she didn’t see her.Kai glanced back toward the tree line to see if she had spotted the young woman there, but she still hadn’t seen her.Eilidh had led her there and pointed out the pavilion, but Kai only saw red before her as she spotted her sister amid the crowd.Kai had charged forward, expecting that Eilidh would follow.Now, Kai saw more leaders standing inside the circle—too close for her comfort.

“You can’t take her.”This comment came from a massive man inside the circle with a second man of similar bulk beside him.They both leaned on the side of the table, but the fierce stare he gave her was proof he wasn’t simply a casual bystander.

None of the alphas wore nametags or had any distinguishing signs to indicate their group, but she found it hard to believe that these men were not the bear shifters.For that reason, she despised them the most for taking her sister.

“Why not?”Still clutching the sword with one hand, she set a fist on her hip and turned to shoot the bear-like man a glare.

“She’s marked.”

Kai whipped around, prepared to raise the sword again, no matter that her wrists throbbed.She eyed a lean, muscular man who strutted around the table and passed her to stand beside the man before Morlie.There was that term again—marked.

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