Kira walked slightly ahead of her mates as they returned home together, her heart and mind full.Aiden was the first to take her hand, walking closer and slipping his hand under hers before curling his fingers around hers. His grip was gentle at first, and then he held her closer.As Kira felt his hold, she turned her head slightly, her brown eyes meeting his dark ones, and smiled softly at him before looking ahead again.Meanwhile, Bryan, watching them, walked closer. He decided to do the same as his brother and slid his fingers between Kira's, his hold warm. Kira smiled softly and turned to him, not surprised that he had followed Aiden, her eyes full of love.As they held her hands and walked back home, they didn't let go, and soon they reached the mansion. The house was quiet when they stepped inside, but they didn't stop. They walked up the stairs and entered their bedroom together, still holding hands.It was only when they reached the bed after shutting the door did they final
Kira smiled warmly and raised her hand to Aiden's cheek. She caressed his cheeks, her smile growing wider, before she leaned in and gave him a soft peck on the lips. "Let's go," she whispered, her gaze not leaving his. Aiden nodded and smiled back as he started pulling away to stand; his heart warmed from her gentle affection and soft peck. As Kira sat up and got ready to get out of bed, she glanced around, noticing that Bryan wasn't in the room. "Where's Bryan?" She asked Aiden, her brows furrowed slightly. "Did he go somewhere?" Aiden opened his mouth to respond, but before he could speak, the bathroom door opened and Bryan walked out. "I'm here," Bryan said in a casual, deep voice. "Missing me already?" Kira turned, a smile creeping up her face again. "Yes. As a matter of fact, I missed you so very much," she admitted as she got up and walked toward him before he could reach the bed. She stood close, Bryan looking at her with a playful smile and a raised eyebrow.
Kira's mouth dropped open. "You—!"But before she could even finish what she was about to say, Bryan, who was already close to her, leaned down and planted a quick peck on her cheek, making her eyes widen instantly.The audacity!Then, without giving her a chance to retaliate, he moved past her and took his seat at the dining table like nothing had happened.Laughing softly and shaking his head, Aiden stepped closer to Kira and stood beside her. "Bryan, I don't even know what to say to you," he muttered, while still laughing.Meanwhile, Elara and Orion looked at each other with amused expressions before turning their attention back to Kira."Well, at least he was honest about it." Orion said to Kira while chuckling, enjoying how his son teased her. "I'll get back at you, Bryan Tyrell," Kira threatened, narrowing her eyes at Bryan and crossing her arms. "Oh, I will!"Still laughing softly, Aiden leaned in and pressed a soft peck to the side of her head. "Don't mind him," he murmured a
Dinner was great as always—the laughing, the conversation, the playful banter, everything. It was no surprise that manners were forgotten at the dining table, hence the talking while eating, and now everyone was relaxed and chatting as they were all done eating."Dad, Aiden and Bryan are just… they just won't stop messing with me," Kira complained to Orion, gesturing to Aiden and Bryan, who were grinning at first but immediately kept their faces serious when she complained about them."What now?" Orion asked Kira after looking over at his twins. "What are they doing this time?""Nothing," Bryan answered before Kira could. "We are literally not doing anything to her except keeping her on her toes. She can't even stay still on those toes, you know. We are simply just having fun, father.""Exactly," Aiden said and nodded in agreement. "We are not doing anything to her.""Seriously?" Kira asked them, although she hid her smile and feigned annoyance, just so Orion could side with her."So
Aiden shook his head softly at his mother and sighed, "We were not pretending to be happy. We were genuinely happy." "Yeah," Bryan and Kira murmured, concurring with what Aiden had said. "That is what I don't understand," Elara said to them, the confused expression still etched on her face. "How can you be happy? This is very sad news. Extremely sad, and even I, myself, am still trying to wrap my head around the whole situation. So, how?" "Mum, I understand you completely," Kira said. "I also cried, then we cuddled and then at dinner everyone was together again. Even my emotions right now are inconsistent because I don't know if I should cry, be sad, be happy or think about it, as we have been given a specific time to be together and so cuddling with them, talking and laughing at dinner helped me realize that it was better to be happy and just forget about the sad stuff for the moment. Leaving you all is already sad for me; you have no idea. But staying… even if it is my last day
As instructed, they all remained seated and waited patiently for her. No one said anything, and surprisingly, the silence wasn't empty. It didn't have any tension; it was comfortable, but still had the feel of emotions that weren't spoken. Along with that, Kira sat still, maybe not too still as she kept tapping her feet on the ground and her fingers lightly on her knee while glancing around and often stealing glances at Bryan and Aiden, who would also look at her from time to time and wink, even though they were all seated on one couch.And then, footsteps.It was soft but firm, quick yet steady in approach.Elara walked back into the room holding books and pens. She moved quietly, her face not giving away anything as she walked toward them."Tear a sheet of paper and place it on your book when given to you," she said, giving all of them instructions as she stopped in front of Orion and gave him a book and a pen.Then, she turned and walked to where Bryan, Aiden, and Kira were seated
After about thirty minutes, Bryan, Aiden, and Kira began making their way down the stairs. They had changed into something more comfortable, as Elara had requested, and honestly, they felt they should have done that a long time ago, especially when they got back from Morane's home. But well, they changed now and as they descended the stairs, something caught their attention.Music.It was a gentle tune, not too loud, that came from the living room, carrying an almost nostalgic feel."Do you both hear that?" Bryan asked Aiden and Kira, his steps slowing a bit."Yeah…" Aiden answered wonderingly. "Who is playing that?""Well, I guess we will find out when we get into the living room, which we might have all figured out by now is where it's coming from," Kira, who was in the middle, said. "And, I think we have an idea of who it could be.""Right," Bryan and Aiden laughed softly. "I wonder what she's planning." Reaching the end of the stairs, they noticed the house was too quiet, except
The energy in the room remained amazing from the wild dancing and laughter, even as everyone caught their breath when the song had finally ended. And after some seconds, another song started. This new song was much slower, much softer, and it felt like it settled over them, calming their movements.It was easy for them to switch from wild dancing to slow dancing, and Orion and Elara were the first to take the lead.With a knowing smile, Orion extended his hand, and without any delay, Elara placed hers in his. He pulled her close, one hand resting on the small of her back, and soon they began to move together as one, enjoying and swaying to the sweet melody.Kira felt immersive joy as she watched how completely lost they were in each other, and how their love still remained even as they had grown older. It was a warm sight to watch.It was proof of a love that had endured time. "And sadly for me…" Kira started thinking but stopped herself from going further with that thought. "No matt
Once again, the silence fell heavily on them after Lucinda was done talking, and Kira closed her eyes for a little moment, taking in a deep breath and letting it all out.Her chest rose and fell slowly as she absorbed everything, right from the pain she saw in Lucinda's eyes, the loss, her bloodline, and everything else. She didn't rush to speak. Instead, she let the silence stretch a few more seconds as she grounded herself and also wanted to find a way to reason with Lucinda.After the few seconds passed, she opened her eyes, her gaze locked onto Lucinda's, who was currently watching her with a blank expression. As for Kira, her eyes had no anger, just calm, and a deep, aching empathy.She couldn't lie, she understood why Lucinda was doing what she was doing, but for Bryan and Aiden to suffer for it also didn't seem fair to them."I am truly sorry that you both had to go through all this," she started, her voice warm and gentle. "I know my words aren't enough to heal you from that
Kira's face, which initially had the expression that she had guessed right, twisted to shock and from shock to visible confusion, her brows drawing together and her eyes darting over Lucinda's form as though she was trying to put the pieces together.There was a long stretch of silence between them, which Kira broke as she asked a question slowly and unsure. "I don't understand. Her twin sister?""Yes," Lucinda answered simply, watching Kira's confused state.Kira gave a short, humorless smile, not one out of amusement, but the one that was more like one of those reactions when something becomes too complicated to make sense."Even though you are her twin sister," she said. "I still do not understand how you are here. What exactly is going on? And why are you here?""I know that you know the answer to that question, and what you are thinking is right," Lucinda confirmed. "This is my revenge for my sister."For a good three minutes, Kira didn't say anything and just stared. Then she
At the first light of dawn, Kira's eyes opened, and she got up from her bed.The night before, after leaving the living room, she had headed upstairs, but then remembered she had to go get her weapons, and so, she made a quiet detour and went out to go see her horse."Hey," she whispered as she brushed her hand along his mane, smiling gently while looking at him.Kai responded with a low grunt and nudged her shoulder, happy to see his rider.Tied to his saddle, was a dark leather roll—her weapons pack.A warhorse like Kai didn't just carry a rider; he was also trained to carry a small arsenal for her, and Kira was genuinely grateful that no one had touched her stuff, as she rubbed Kai's mane for a little longer before taking what she needed.The leather roll was fastened to the side of his saddle, just behind the stirrup. It contained her bag of knives, her quiver of arrows, and her sword.Kira unhooked them carefully, one by one, checking each with her hands in the dim, stable light.
Kira folded the small paper and slipped it into her trouser pocket before she took one last glance around the marketplace, which was now busy again.Everything and Everyone had returned to normal, and with nothing much to do there, she walked, leaving the place.The boutique door swung open, the chime sounding above as she stepped inside, her eyes looking for Elara, who she finally saw near a display of long coats, holding up a deep burgundy one and checking herself in the mirror."There you are!" Elara called when she turned at the sound of the door and saw that it was Kira. "I almost went looking for you," she said, half laughing and half worried.Kira smiled and walked toward her, leaning in as she gently pecked Elara's cheek, a soft, affectionate gesture."I'm sorry, Mum," she said sweetly, brushing Elara's arm. "I'll explain everything later. Promise.""That's alright," Elara nodded, although she was clearly curious. "As long as you're okay.""I am," Kira assured her. "Now let's
The first boutique Elara and Kira had gone to was a cozy one in a quiet spot tucked between two larger stores. It was the kind that smelled of fresh clothes, freshly printed tags and soft perfumes. It wasn't too big, but it was a lovely place to shop in.Elara was currently admiring a dress she had found, twirling in front of a mirror, while Kira, who had gotten most of what she wanted from the boutique, carefully folded the items into their shopping bags.As they rounded up, they made their way to the door, their hands full of what they had bought. Taking a deep breath, Kira let the outside air clear her head—the gentle breeze needed.She was about to close the boutique door behind her when something, or rather someone, caught her eye.She noticed that it didn't sit right with her and that someone was watching them, but she didn't let it show and pretended to know.She remained calm, not bothered, and was simply observant of the person watching them as she dropped the bags into the
Kira, who was already done with her meal and was taking the last bite, paused, her expression shifting."He's dead," she said, setting her fork down."But how?" Aiden inquired. "He was old but didn't seem like someone who could be easily killed.""Well, he was killed. Easily," Kira chuckled sadly and then went on to tell them everything from when she first met Baba Razz to how he died, how he was nice to her, and his role in her meeting the elves."I felt strangely comfortable around him," she admitted. "I'm not sure how to explain it, but I don't know. His death was painful, and I did blame myself, but I knew he wouldn't want me to do that, so… yeah.""I'm sorry," Aiden muttered as he and Bryan leaned in on each side and pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her head."May his soul rest in peace," Elara added quietly. "And I'm sure he will be very proud of who you are today."Blowing Elara a kiss, Kira agreed and decided to change the topic, not wanting their happy moments to be sour.
Stepping out of the room after getting dressed, Kira felt very comfortable in the oversized clothes Bryan had given her.She had also noticed the difference in the clothes—how the shirt smelled like Bryan, while the shorts were definitely Aiden's.She wondered if they had debated over if she would wear Bryan's clothes or Aiden's before coming to the conclusion of mixing them and giving it to her.The thought was so funny that she couldn't help but giggle as she made her way down the stairs, her hair packed in a messy bun."Sorry for keeping you all waiting," she said when she walked into the dining room, everyone already in their seats waiting for her."Oh, nonsense, sweetheart," Elara said, waving for her to join them. "It's completely fine.""Yeah, it's not like we were starving or anything," Aiden added with a smile.Bryan gave him a look and just smiled while shaking his head before turning back to Kira. "Come on, sit. Quit acting like a stranger.""I am not acting like a stranger
Kira, Bryan, and Aiden walked through the pack lands, accessing the pack to ensure that everyone was safe and everything was still intact or not too bad. It had been years since she had set foot around the pack, and as they moved, they could hear the whispers from the pack members. Elders, warriors, and even children stared at her in surprise before approaching."Luna Kira, child, how have you been?" An elderly woman with gray hair that was braided neatly asked, placing a gentle hand on Kira's arm. "It is so good to see you again.""I'm very well, thank you," Kira answered while smiling, her tone soft and warm. "And how about you? How have you been holding up? Are you okay?""Yes. Yes," the woman answered, smiling back at Kira as she patted Kira's arm. "And we thank Goddess for you coming today. Everyone has heard of how you helped. We are truly grateful, Luna.""Oh, please, you don't have to thank me. It is my duty as Luna," Kira said sincerely and rubbed the old woman's hand. "Take
As the elves disappeared into the portal, Kira turned to face Bryan, Aiden, and Ryker, giving them a small smile. She was going to miss El'fiannor, Lythari, the friends she had made, the trees, every single thing, but she was also happy to be back home."So...this is Kai, my horse," she announced as if she was introducing an old friend. "Say hi," she urged them."Oh yes, hi," Bryan said quickly, laughing softly right after. "Hi Kai, very fitting name," Aiden added, laughing as well. "You suit... your rider too."Ryker, however, eyed the horse, thinking about something. "Well, he will need a proper home," he said. "I'll take him to his new place. There's a building we can turn into a stable for him.""That sounds perfect," Kira accepted and extended the reins to Ryker, who took them with ease before leading the horse away.Watching as Ryker left, Aiden turned back to Kira with a warm, eager expression. "Come on," he said, "I'm sure Mum and Dad would be very happy to see you.""As w