Her friends who were seated at the table with coffee mugs scattered about looked up and froze.
Kira smiled and gave Hedori a little wave.
Then, a commotion exploded, and chairs dragged as her friends jumped up.
“Ki!” Echo screeched, darting across to her. “OhmyGod, ohmyGod! I’m so happy to see you! We didn’t know you were back!” she cried, squeezing Kira tightly, almost cracking her ribs. “We were so terrified when Jenna sensed that you were in danger and you disappeared. Aethan told us what happened. And we missed your birthday, but no worries, we will have cake today,” her friend’s runaway words ended on a promise, and she kissed Kira’s cheek.
Shae and Ely hugged her. At least they didn’t squeeze the air out of her lungs.
“It’s really good to see you,” Ely said. And Shae nodded as Darci pulled her into a warm embrace.
“You’re back early?” Kira blurted, easing back. Her friend appeared rested. Her sunflower-hued eyes glowed with an almost otherworldly light.
“Yes.” She stepped back. “Blaéz was convinced something was terribly wrong. He called Aethan, and we heard what occurred. Are you all right? Trapped in the Dark Realm must have been really frightening.”
Before she could answer, Jenna hurried into the kitchen, her auburn hair pulled into a single braid, a frown marring her smooth, pale brow. A smile lit her dove-gray eyes. “I’m happy you are back,” she said softly. “And safe.”
Man, Jenna was breathtaking when she smiled.
These people truly were her family, Kira realized. “Thank you. I’m fine, really.” She couldn’t believe that almost a week and a half had passed since Nicor took her.
“What happened?” Echo demanded as they all sat again.
Where to start?
Darci poured coffee and slid the mug to her as Kira relayed everything that had occurred from her first meeting with Riley a year ago, to him reappearing a few weeks earlier, to being taken to the Dark Realm, and about Wrath. “And we found Tomas,” she ended with a smile. “My brother took him to his house. Can you believe I have a brother?”
“Wait, what?Wrath?” Echo lifted a hand as if she’d grab Kira, her bi-colored eyes popping wide like saucers. “You tell us that one of the deadliest Sins is your father, and you’re more excited about having a brother?”
“Honestly, I must admit I wasn’t too happy about meeting my sire. He had me abducted for godsakes. It’ll probably take a little time for everything to sink in, but the truth is, I was dead-scared back there. Heck, I was so happy when Týr came.”
“Yes, about that? How did you keep such a huge secret from us, hmm?” Darci wiggled her eyebrows.
“There were no secrets.” Kira laughed. “We were still at each other’s throats, figuratively I mean, when you left on your honeymoon. Then, everything changed that night.” Heat stole across her face.
“Whoa—wait! Start at the beginning.” Darci leaned closer, her striking eyes bright with curiosity. “I go away for a few days and, boom, you and the most perfect-looking male ever created are a couple?”
Kira scrunched her face, but her stomach cramped painfully, recalling what Týr had endured because of his looks. She arched an eyebrow. “So, what is Blaéz?”
“My heart, and equally gorgeous.” Darci sighed.
All these women were destined mates to their warriors, except for her. But, heck, she loved Týr completely and irrevocably, and she refused to backslide with insecurities. It would only make her unhappy. And that would trouble Týr.
A little edge, Kira wrapped her fingers around her warm mug, her gaze drifting around the kitchen. “I missed this.”
Cooking or baking usually helped center her. She leaped up from her chair and made her way over to where Hedori was dicing a load of veggies. “Let me cook something.”
His mouth opened and then snapped shut. He gave a polite incline of his head. “Of course. Tell me what you want help with—”
“Nah. I got it.” She walked into the pantry to select what she needed, then just stood there.I’m okay—I’m okay, she repeated. And cooking did help get her mind off things she couldn’t control.
* * *
Týr walked out of the study much later than anticipated. He scanned and found Kira in the kitchen. Moments later, he opened the door and stumbled to a halt at the mess on the counter. Dishes and white dust coated the granite surface. And the scent of something—he couldn’t quite figure out what—but spicy enough to make his stomach twitch in hunger hung in the air. After the food in Stygia, he was quite ready for something homemade.
Kira looked up, and at her smile, he forgot the clutter. She glowed from the inside, a light that simply tugged at him.
“Hey, Týr,” the females greeted him.
