Page 52 of Smoke and Lure

“Thank you.”Kai’s lashes fluttered as she rubbed a hand over her swollen belly.“I was shocked I could find something that fit me so well.”

Morlie frowned.“I don’t know much about pregnancy, but you appear further along than I expected.”

“To me, too.”She smiled and patted her stomach.“I think this is new for everyone.”Kai waved away the discussion of her oddly advanced pregnancy.“I was going to ask Aodh to radio the Lupines to tell you about what I discovered about our family...but now you’re here.Why?How?”

“Aodh.”Morlie declared.“He invited Chanin and me to come because you needed me.”She reached back and grasped Chanin’s hand.

She was grateful when her mate moved up beside her without hesitation.“This is my mate, Chanin, Alpha of the North American Pack.”

Kai smiled at him.“It’s good to meet you officially, Chanin.My sister seems happy; she must be treated well with you and your Pack.”

Morlie wouldn’t tell her sister how she’d been attacked or how she was being trained to fight for her place beside her mate.Before she had gone to live with the Lupine, she would have sought out her sister and asked her for her help or guidance in handling the coming violent situation, but now, Morlie knew she was not the young girl her sister had to protect.She was now a wolf, growing resilient and more confident in her abilities.

“She is adjusting well.I’m proud of my mate.”Chanin curled his arm around Morlie’s waist and pulled her closer.“And it's good to see you again without a broad sword at my throat.”Chanin teased, reminding them all of the day on the meeting grounds.

Chanin and Kai laughed.Morlie rolled her eyes.

“My baby sister is fierce and amazing.I pity anyone who underestimates her, " Kai said, holding her gaze.

Morlie’s heart swelled as she saw the pride reflecting in Kai’s gaze.It felt good to hear her sister’s praise.

“Can we talk here?”Morlie glanced around.Even though there was a crowd of people, Morlie was surprised to notice that others were talking amongst themselves as if they were waiting on something but not paying the two sisters much attention.“Speak about our Drahk connection?”

“Yes.Yes.”Kai rushed on, “There is so much I need to tell you.”

“How long have you known?Did you hide this from me while I was here?”Morlie’s chest tightened to think this was one more thing Kai had thought her too young and fragile to handle.“Is this why you brought us beyond the Wall...to come here?”

It’s alright, mate.Chanin’s supportive voice in her mind caused warmth to spread through her body.

“No.Not at all.”Her sister reached for her hand and then squeezed it.“I only found out this information this morning.Coming to the Drahk territory happened purely by chance when Aodh’s dragon was drawn to me.”A small smile curled the corners of Kai’s mouth.“Anyway, I was trying to discover the origin of these rings.”Kai lifted her free hand and showed the gold band around her thumb, their father’s ring.

Morlie lifted a hand to the match hanging on the leather string around her neck.“We know they came from our parents.Why were you searching for more answers?”

It wasn’t making sense to Morlie.

“There’s a reason I not only kept them when our parents passed but could never sell them, even when your health was failing.Suffice it to say that I discovered that the gold is a special kind.”Kai released her hand but remained close.

“Special?”Morlie arched a brow at her sister.“What do you mean?”

“They’re dragon’s gold.”When Morlie began to question her, Kai held up a hand.“I don’t know tons about it.Just that they were blessed and bonded by a Mage.”

“Blessed...bonded...what?”Morlie stared at her sister as her mind attempted to understand Kai.

“Yes.By a spiritual leader like Apophis.He’s only a quarter Mage and therefore only has access to a fraction of the Mage power that sealed the promise on these rings.”Kai aimed her ring at Morlie’s makeshift necklace.

“The rings are a sealed promise?”Morlie frowned.“Of what?”

“Love.Commitment.But mostly dedicating of the firstborn female child as a mate to a Drahk.”

Morlie’s brow had gone so tight her head was starting to ache.Only the firstborn?

“How?Why, Kai?”

Kai inhaled.“Drago.”Kai pointed toward the pile of cooling ash in the clearing and then toward the sky.“He was our great-great-great uncle.”

Morlie started to interject, but Kai’s hand forestalled her.

“Simply put, our great-great-great-grandmother Jaseena fell in love with a Drahk male.They were forbidden to be together, but Draig, Drago’s brother, was in line to be Mckenna before he passed in a terrible war.He refused to give Jaseena up and claimed her as his mate.There was a wedding because her human father wanted to ensure their union was blessed under the eyes of God.However, from what I heard, Mages can be tricky, and the one back then, generations ago, not only blessed their union but set a spell on the rings that would forever bind our lineage to the Drahks,” Kai recounted.

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