With Tana’s offspring already in their positions and mated, she needed someone to focus on.
He shook away the memories of how often he’d found Tana crying for her loss when she thought no one watched.Aodh had seen and ensured she knew how much he needed her for support.
“Green is the perfect complement to your red horns,” Aodh teased his brother as he began to remove the large amounts of meat and fruit from the pack.
They sat in companionable silence for a few moments while they devoured the food, both seated on the fallen tree in their thoughts.
“You didn’t come and get me while I was with Kai.I assume it’s because this border has been secured.”Aodh sank his teeth into an apple.He would always prefer meat over any other food, but when he had to eat something else, apples were top of his list—kale could burn in hell.
“Yes.The security team tripled the patrols along all the boundaries connecting with the wolves and set up several new outposts.”Liekki shoved several pieces of meat into his mouth with one hand, squeezing fresh orange juice down his throat with the other.
Aodh nodded.Edjer his security leader knew his shit.Knowing Edjer, he was probably more pissed at himself because the situation had happened.
“Next week at the council meeting, Grady better have some fucking answers.”Aodh was still pissed that such behaviors were happening.If not for the situation with Kai and his Thunder needing him, he would have sent word and requested an urgent council meeting.“Anything new with the situation on the Asian continent?”
“No.”Liekki frowned.His shoulders drew high with tension as he hunched forward.
His brother hated inaction.If there was a reason they needed to cross the Great Heath of the Atlantic to fight back the humans, his brother would be ready and willing.However, Aodh didn’t see it coming to that.He had faith in Asia being able to handle whatever situation occurred in Siberia.Aodh was more curious, so he knew what to look out for when it came to the humans behind the wall on his continent.
Time and time again, the humans showed they couldn’t be trusted.
“Have they at least halted the forestry destruction?”Aodh began to shove the empty containers back into the bag.
“Yup.Their council does know one thing for sure.”
Aodh stopped his action and eyed his brother.“What’s that?”
“The humans are building up on their land fast.”
Aodh frowned as he leaned forward with his forearms on his knees.“What the fuck for?I know they have been trying to get their numbers up as we have, but could they have increased so soon, to the point of raising more structures?”
Liekki shrugged as he rose.
Aodh stood as well, but the ease he’d felt after his flight dissipated under the weight of his responsibilities.His dragon was resting soundly now that he’d soared and was full.Aodh could only pray to the Great Spirit that the stubborn beast within him would not take too long to claim Kai.His thunder needed him.
The only thought that took the sting from his guilt was that once his thunder could breed, it wouldn’t take long to increase their strength because dragon-shifters could produce multiple offspring simultaneously.And dragons grew faster than humans and lived longer.
“Let me show you the new posts.”Liekki started down a path in the thick forest.
Sliding the pack up one shoulder, Aodh followed his brother as he shoved the heavy concerns to the back of his mind to deal with later.But, hell, he was quickly running out of time.
