Page 43 of Smoke and Moon

Chapter Seven

Dammit.Kai wantedmore time to talk to Morlie about why she’d misled the council.Before the baby situation, talking to her sister about it was heavy on her mind.So much had happened since yesterday afternoon, and the sun hadn’t even cracked the deep-purple darkness.Now, an angry Morlie was on her plate.

However, she had no one to blame for this situation but herself.Kai sighed and followed her sister into the sitting area.

Morlie stood silently staring into the fireplace, where a small blaze flickered.Her sister had her arms folded, and Morlie seemed drawn into herself.

Kai figured Eilidh had set the flame in the hearth when Aodh’s sister had been here to visit Morlie.Kai was grateful that her sister had such a friendship here.Even if whatever the two discussed made Morlie aware of her actual age.

Kai watched her sister closely as she rounded the end of the couch to sit.Something was different about her.Just like Kai had changed since they’d arrived in the Drahk territory, Morlie had grown.Not just in age, Morlie had developed an air of maturity about her Kai hadn’t noticed.

How did I miss it?

Observing her, Kai wondered if the fire provided warmth to her sister or if Morlie was even aware of the blaze.Maybe it’s just something for Morlie to fix her eyes on.

“Why did you lie to me?”Morlie’s voice was low but strong as she spoke toward the fire, still not looking at Kai.

“Please come sit, Morlie.”Kai patted the couch cushion beside her.

There was a long beat before Morlie turned and moved from the fireplace.However, Kai noticed that her sister had claimed the single chair, not the seat beside her.

“Talk, sissy.”

Kai arched a brow at her little sister.She didn’t care how much Morlie had matured over the last few weeks since she awoke.Kai wouldn’t stand for a derisive tone.Sitting at an angle, Kai shifted to lean back against the arm of the couch as she assessed her sister.“Look, Morlie.I will start by admitting I was wrong for lying.”

Morlie shook her head.

Kai ignored the gesture.“Now that’s on the table, what do you want to know?”

“Why did you do it?”Morlie sat with her arms still crossed.She was talking, but she wasn’t open to Kai yet.

“Because—”

“Besides you not wanting me taken by the wolf guy.”

Exasperated, a rough, non-verbal sound came out of Kai’s mouth.“Not besides that fact...because of it.”Kai made a circle with her hand.“It is all that fact.The wolf guy is a Pack leader.A Pack that we don’t know anything about.”

Morlie slapped her palms down on her knees.“I get that may have been a problem, but you’re the same person who jumped in Dad’s truck and drove me outside the wall to a strange land.”

“You think I had a choice?”Kai shifted to the edge of her seat and leaned toward her sister.“You were sick, Morlie.You were so sick you were dying.Dying.”

Kai felt the tightness in her throat that still rose when she thought about how close she came to losing her sister like her parents.Her sister would never know that level of fear.

“I know.I am grateful you risked everything and sacrificed a lot to save me.You became the Mckenna’s...”

When her sister’s voice broke away, Kai just stared at Morlie.How did her sister see her?What did her sister think about her relationship with Aodh?Kai wondered as she waited for Morlie to continue.

“Lover.You became Aodh’s lover for me.”Morlie glanced away again.This time, her gaze returned to the wide, dark window across the room.

What did she see out there?From this angle, she couldn’t see anything but the tops of the trees, but something shadowed her sister’s features.

Morlie’s gaze returned to her.“I’ll forever be grateful to you.”

“I don’t need your gratitude.”Kai shifted in her seat.This time, she was the one who crossed her arms.“Yes, I agreed to be Aodh’s lover, but I am also his mate.”

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