Page 138 of Smoke and Lure

As the tears poured out of her eyes, blurring everything and everyone in the room Kai pressed a hand against her heart.The tender muscle beat so hard in her chest it was hard for her to catch her breath, let alone get words out.

“You are family, Kai.”Brenna took Kai’s hand.“You’ll not be alone in this, Kai.Tana and I will be here to help you through it all.”Brenna's markings matched Tana’s flames.

Her mother would be there with her on the day she delivered, and Viola’s spirit would stand alongside Brenna and Tana, two strong, brave women.Kai’s two worlds were converging into one.

Kai’s heart expanded from all the care and support they showered on her.She pressed a hand to her stomach as the child moved powerfully inside of her.“Thank you both.Knowing I have the two of you and Aodh to do all this with me is a gift.”

“You’re Drahk.We care for our own,” Brenna declared.

“I’m Drahk,” Kai repeated.

“If you are ready, I think some flowers are waiting for us.”Brenna reminded her.

“Yes, of course.”Kai swiped away the tears from her cheeks.

“And I want to go and help with the afternoon meal prep,” Tana declared, leading them to the door.

Brenna and Kai followed.

They all descended the stairs.

Soon, Tana broke off to pass through the arch leading into the Hall as Kai and Brenna strutted by the guard stationed at the bottom of the stairs of the building.

Kai barely noticed when Ladon fell in step behind them.

Ladon or the other two guards were Kai’s constant shadows when Aodh was not around.Kai accepted her role in the Thunder and understood it was not only for her security but for the protection of the Mckenna heir.

Aodh had explained to her one night when she complained about always having to have a guard that if something happened to their unborn child, it could send a ripple effect through the Thunder.

The same bond the Drahk shared that opened the pathway for female Drahkelle to conceive because the Mckenna’s mate did, could also strike a death blow to any child not born if Kai lost their child.

After speaking with Brenna and Tana, Kai began to understand things on a new level.So, Kai took the utmost caution when it came to her safety, ensuring nothing happened to the baby.

“Are you hungry now?Do you need to eat before I instruct you about gardening?”Brenna asked.

“I’m fine right now.Thankfully, Tana keeps me fed on an obscenely regular basis.There are always quick grab items in the suite kitchen and meals placed on the table constantly when I wake, when I return to the suite, and after...”

Heat filled Kai’s face as she swallowed down the next words ready to drop out of her mouth.The woman beside her was Aodh's mother, not Ninki, Avalore, or even Tana, with whom Kai discussed all kinds of things.

“Yes, Drahk males are very amorous when their claimed mates carry, and it’s the second thing a pregnant female desires after food,” Brenna commented, not missing a beat.

Kai smiled and relaxed as they continued across the clearing in the center of the territory but turned right, away from the direction that would have led to the Mckenna offices, and instead headed toward Brenna and Rhys's place.

Growing closer to Aodh’s mother was another layer to the new chapter of her life.

~YH~

“You asked me to come?”

Morlie stared at the male on the other side of the open door.By the Alpha’s order, he had been her guard for a while when Chanin wasn’t around, until today.

Now, she was claimed, and the full strength of her wolf and his were inside of her; her protection level didn’t need to be as high.Perhaps soon, not at all.

Chanin had relieved this shifter of his babysitting duty and had allowed Boris to assign Conri to her detail.

“Yes.Come in, Faolan.”Morlie stepped back and allowed the Fang Warrior leader to enter.

The half-wolf male with his lime-green bandana and faded jeans only paused a moment before strutting across the threshold, the mage power keeping him in his semi-shifted state.He didn’t enter further than the foyer area, but that was fine with Morlie.

---