Page 55 of Smoke and Moon

“Will do, Alpha.”

He turned and faced his friend.“Did we lose anyone?”

Bleddyn set his fists on his hips.“None.A few injuries but nothing that will not heal soon enough.”

Chanin nodded.“I’m entrusting the teams to your leadership.I want Valko in the warehouse.”

Bleddyn went quiet for a moment.He arched a brow and assessed him.“Are you going out alone to search for Farkas?”

“No.”Chanin began his journey down the side of the mountain.“My cousin can’t hide for long.But now there’s another matter I need to handle.”

“What’s that?”Bleddyn called after him.

“Seeing about my mate.”Chanin shifted into his wolf and took off.

~YH~

She disliked the way her sister smelled.

In the last hour or so, something shifted inside of her—things seemed different.

When it came to Kai, it wasn’t that her sister stunk, per se.Kai’s scent wasn’t utterly offensive; it was definitely overpowering.In the way, some people were bothered and oppressed by flowers and grass due to allergies, Morlie’s olfactory was assaulted.The aroma around Kai smelled like her sister had stood next to a raging fire for too long, and the heavy smoke clung to her.

It wasn’t that Morlie didn’t think her sister had bathed.No, she could pick up the herbal notes of the body wash and moisturizers on Kai’s body and hair.However, it was that soft smoke undertone that grated.Kai’s scent wasn’t all that different than Eilidh and all the dragon-shifters Morlie came in contact with.It was stronger except for the varied sulfuric blends of the shifters like Tana, Eilidh, and the guards outside Morlie’s door.Kai was mated to Aodh, it made sense he literally rubbed off on her sister.Morlie would have laughed at the mental image but was more perplexed at her acute ability to recognize scents.

When Tana came to bring food, as the older shifter crossed the room, Morlie made a mental list of everything in the bowls and platters before going to the table and seeing the items.It was jarring.

She wondered if being cloistered in her room for so long had made her more aware of things around her, and she felt hyper-focused on everything.

The woods.

Especially the woodland area that interwove through the territory.If someone asked her about the fascination, Morlie couldn’t explain it in words.The urge to escape into the trees as if something beyond was calling to her.

Morlie didn’t think anyone was out there.Not once during all the time she stared at the view outside her window did she see anyone.Only the Drahks coming and going, laughing and talking, working and living their routine?

So, what is it?

She shrugged and forced herself to turn away from it.Even though she felt if she didn’t look, she would miss something.Someone.

But he wasn’t coming.

Her mind wasn’t confused about whohewas because of images of the man with long, blond hair that appeared carelessly tussled by the wind.It gave him the aura of someone wild and untamed.A frisson of heat ran along her spine and caused her to shiver.A shiver that the fire in the suite could not quench.

She didn’t need to close her lids to remember the depth of his eyes.His gaze stole her breath, and his intense look drew her in.During their brief meeting, she’d fought the desire to lean in closer to him and stare into the liquid, turquoise-opal pools and lose herself.

Aodh and Liekki’s size made her feel besieged.But Chanin, even able to stand practically shoulder to shoulder with the mountainous dragon-shifters, made her desire to feel the strength his muscular, lean arms seemed to promise.

She sighed and rubbed her hands up and down her arms to calm the quivering in her blood at the thought of the wolf Alpha.

Even with the intense response he appeared to have for her, he wasn’t coming.He couldn’t come.

The council’s edict made sure the wolf was put on a leash.Hell, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to see him again.Yes, there were questions she had for him.So many things she didn’t understand.She could indeed ask Aodh or Eilidh to explain things to her, but she didn’t want to get answers from them.

Gazing at the bed, she considered lying down.Her body had a level of exhaustion as if she’d exercised for too long.At the same time, she felt restless.

She shook her head and went to the front room.Her body was an oxymoron right now—nothing made sense.Not even the things she had encountered in the past.

In the sitting area, she looked at the blazing fire.Initially, when she awoke after being sick, the long-lasting magic flames removed the chill from the suite and comforted her.It was still a mesmerizing sight, but hot.Internally more than externally she felt her temperature increasing.She considered getting a glass of water and dousing it for a moment.However, that would only cause the smoky dragon scent to fill the room.She wasn’t sure what sort of reaction that would create in her, so she nicked that plan.

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