Page 6 of Smoke and Moon

“Put me down, you brute!”

“Sorry, I’m late.”Turi's lumbering entrance with a screaming woman slung over his shoulder stunned everyone.

“A marked one!”Armaros vaulted up from his chair and crouched on the top of the table.

“Fuck!”Aodh roared as he rose to his feet.

“Shit!”Liekki was standing beside him.

They didn’t need anyone to identify the person the bear-shifter hauled into the pavilion.

“What the fuck, Turi?”Aodh growled as he watched the second-in-command bear-shifter drag his clawing, scratching bundle off his shoulder and dump her into the center chair.It only took Aodh seconds to realize the fuming woman sitting in the lone seat before the circle of alphas was Morlie.

Chapter Two

Turi 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.

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