Page 71 of Smoke and Lure

“No.Liekki didn’t say that at all.But there was no need.I knew it as soon as you were close to me.I sensed him on you.”Chumana shrugged as she lowered her arms.

Avalore waited a little longer for the lovely Drahk woman to say more, but she didn’t.

Inhaling, Avalore felt better.This situation was a misunderstanding.“It’s because he blew smoke all over me.It’s probably still in my hair from last night.Your kind has some pretty powerful smoke.Knocked the hell out of me.”

As she began to walk again, Avalore lifted her loose braid and brought it to her nose for a quick sniff.Oddly enough, she didn’t smell anything but the cleanser and light moisturizer.It smelled wonderful—like a unique field of wildflowers, she imagined.Avalore had seen many pictures in the archive center but never smelled any.

Evidently, the dragon-shifters had a strong sense of smell, and Chumana picked up some faint notes of the smoke.She dropped the hair and continued past Chumana, who stepped alongside her with a single stride.

“Nope.It’s not the faint traces of thedeatach glan heyl...his scent that indicates to all shifters you are his.”Some of Chumana’s words came out rough and booming when she said the words in a language Avalore didn’t understand as they rounded another gigantic place before guiding them through a clearing where a few other people were traversing in the same direction before them and entering the side of the biggest structure.

His.“Oh, no.I am no one’s.He assisted me when I was hurt, but I’m my own...”Avalore grabbed Chumana’s arm to stop her before they went inside.She felt the need to clear up the misunderstanding.

However, she didn’t need to try hard to stop the tall, toned woman; Chumana’s steps halted on a dime as she stared down at Avalore’s grip on her arm.

The scale-shaped markings, once black, were now tangerine in color.

Avalore frowned.Her hold was tight on Chumana’s forearm, but she was pretty sure she wasn’t hurting the woman.But when the dark-haired beauty lifted her gaze, the matching flames that blazed there made it clear to Avalore that her touch was not wanted.

Quickly, Avalore dropped her hand and stepped back.Shit.Did I do something wrong?Is this friendly woman about to torch me?Dammit, I left the rock at the house.

“Um...I didn’t mean—”

Just as fast, the flames were doused, and Chumana’s lips began to curl up at the corners.“No worries.Drahks do not allow touching except from mates and family or when Drahks agree to have sex.It is considered bellicose and instinctively incites our dragons to fight.”

What in the hell have I gotten myself into?

Run, Avalore.Run right now.

“Come on, let's eat.”Chumana’s smile was bright and as radiant as the rising sun now.

Eat.“Yes, I need food.”To run.

Unless their kind were mind readers, Chumana didn’t know that she was aiding her to get away from this place and that she didn’t want anything to do with these shifters.What else could set them off if a touch could inflame them?

I’m not sticking around to find out.

“This is called the Mckenna Building.”Chumana led her into a side door.

“Oh, my word.It’s huge!How many people can you fit in this place.”Avalore hadn’t noticed any windows along the wall beside the door and expected the windowless room to be dark, but it wasn’t.Not only was there a humungous fireplace, long enough to take up half of one of the side walls, with a detailed carving of a flying dragon, its wingspan appearing over sixty feet if it had been drawn to scale, and the lines of the body crawled up the wall more than two stories, stopping a few inches below the ceiling.

Avalore didn’t want to know what tool could scrape such an intricate stone design.

Another high ceiling.The room was full of about forty or so big, broad-shouldered men and women seated at long tables.Plenty of tables were still empty.The groups were scattered, but everyone seemed happy to gather at the occupied tables.

“All of the Thunder can fit if it was needed.However, unless it was for a special directive from the Mckenna to be here, we are never all together.This is nothing.Wait until you see how packed the Great Hall gets at dinner.A lot of the Thunder eat in their homes, but in the evening, meal can be festive.”

“Why is the building named after him if it is a food and meeting hall?”

Chumana guided her to a table close to the center with two empty seats.“This is part of his home.When it arrives, he and his mate and their offspring live in the whole upper level.”

“Oh.”

“You see that door over there?”Chumana pointed across the big room.

Following the gesture, Avalore spotted the wide archway where a man sat in a chair on the other side of the arch facing away from the hall.She supposed the handle of a sword hovered high above his shoulder for quick access.

Avalore nodded.“Is that man on guard?”

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