A ghost of a smile tugged at Kamon’s mouth, sad and soft.“We told them everything.We thought our father would want to fly here and kill you himself.”
Klarissa inhaled sharply, her hand going to her chest.Fuck, of course he would—they would hate her.
“Shit, no,waan jai,” Kamon said, his face a mask of horror, his hands out in appeal.“He was never thinking that, never.In fact, it was the exact opposite.”
Rune gave a short, broken laugh.“He said we were fools.That you’re a good girl, and that the blame is only Caruso’s.They were more intelligent than their sons, Klarissa.They told us not to come home without you.”
Kamon’s voice cracked.“They said they want their daughter-in-law to come home to them, so they can spoil you.Be there for the parent that you lost and the one you never had.”
Klarissa’s lips parted, her breath shaky.“And you think ...after what was said, after what was broken between us, we can just step back into that future?”Her arms tightened around her chest as if holding herself together.
Rune shook his head hard.“No.We don’t expect you to just forgive and forget,suuway.We expect to earn it.To prove every day that we are not those men who lashed out in pain.That we’re the mates you deserve.”
Kamon added, his voice low and urgent, “We’ll crawl if we must, beg if we have to.We’ll never stop trying to convince you we’re worthy of standing beside you.”
Her throat burned.“But how do I know you won’t look at me one day and see him again?How do I know I won’t always be a reminder of everything you lost?”
Rune stepped forward another inch, eyes glistening.“Because when I look at you, I see the woman who survived hell, who fights for everyone else even when she can barely stand herself.I see strength I could never dream of.You don’t remind me of him, Klarissa—you erase him.”
Kamon’s hand lifted, hovering mid-air, aching to touch her.“And when I look at you, I see my future.Our future.If you’ll let us.You asked if we know what hurt you most—we do.And we’ll never use those words again.Not even in anger.Not ever.”
She drew in a ragged breath, tears threatening.“You’re asking me to risk everything again.My heart.My trust.My soul.”
Rune’s reply was a whisper, raw and sure.“Then risk it with us.Because we’ll stake everything we are on giving it back to you tenfold.”
Klarissa stared at them, torn between fear and the flicker of hope, her pulse a storm in her ears.For the first time, she wondered if forever wasn’t as impossible as she’d always believed.
Her knees nearly buckled, the weight of their words crushing and lifting her all at once.For the first time since the rooftop, she let herself breathe.To actually take in a full breath.
She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, voice shaking but firm.“I don’t want to regret losing you.”
With those words, she stepped forward.Rune and Kamon moved at once, wrapping her between them, holding her where she belonged—safe in their arms.Klarissa tilted her face up and kissed Kamon first.His lips trembled against hers as he whispered, “I’m sorry.I love you.”
He turned her gently, and Rune’s mouth claimed hers, pouring his emotion into the kiss until she felt consumed.When he pulled back, his voice was raw velvet.“I love you too.”
Her breath shook as she looked between them.“So...what now?”
The twins shared a look, wry smiles tugging at their mouths.Kamon huffed a quiet laugh.“Well, now we go see if a lion wants to let a couple of tigers come play.”
Rune snorted, pressing a last kiss to her temple.“And hope he doesn’t bite our heads off.”
Hand in hand, with Klarissa tucked between them, they left the dojo together.
****
Walking downstairswith Klarissa between them, Kamon’s chest felt like it had been split in two, and was tenuously being held together with duct tape.The mate bond was still absent, that invisible thread severed earlier by their actions in the dojo, but he clung to her presence at his side.If the cost of their betrayal was the bond itself, he would learn to live with it—so long as Klarissa never left them again.He would give his last breath to keep her safe.
They reached the bottom floor, and the others had moved to the living area.Kieran stood apart from the others, his gaze locked on them with an intensity that made Kamon’s tiger prowl just beneath his skin.The lion inside the Alpha was dangerously close to the surface, his presence radiating dominance and fury.Kamon’s tiger paced restlessly, but there was no hunger for a fight, only the deep, instinctive urge to submit.To pledge.To belong.
Klarissa stiffened beside them, but Kamon gave her hand a quick squeeze.Then he kept his chin lifted, though his pulse hammered in his ears.He knew what was at stake.
Kieran’s voice was low, lethal.“You think you can walk down here, after what you did, and expect to stand in my Pride’s house without answering for it?”
Klarissa opened her mouth, eyes flashing, but Rune stepped in quickly.“Not you,suuway.Not this time.We broke trust with you, Alpha.Which means we broke trust with the Pride.That’s on us.”
Kamon nodded, shoulders squared.“We don’t deny it.We were reckless.Cruel.We let our pain drive us, and we failed her.We failed all of you.”
Violet snorted, arms crossed.“Well, look at that—two tigers admitting they screwed up.Mark the calendar, boys, I didn’t think I’d live to see the day.”
