CHAPTER 24 : HIS RETURN

The next morning, Kira was woken up by the sound of her cell gate opening. She opened her eyes softly, trying to see who it was.

"Good morning, Luna", The figure bowed. "I have come to get you, by the Alphas order."

Kira rubbed her eyes, getting her head in order while she stood up.

"Good morning", she responded softly, "Are you the one who came yesterday to give me the blankets on the Alpha's order?"

"Yes, Luna", the man who is also a guard answered.

"Thank you," she said to him.

"It is my pleasure, Luna."

Kira went on to pick up the blankets and arrange them, but the guard stopped her.

"Someone will take care of it," he informed her.

"Ohh, okay then," she said, dropping the blankets and other stuff back on the ground.

As they left the dungeon, Kira could not help but be curious.

"Do you know why they sent for me?", she asked the guard, still adjusting her eyes to the sunlight.

The guard shook his head, "Alpha Bryan and Alpha Aiden didn't disclose any information."

"Ah!… okay", she nodded and muttered under her breath.

Getting to the mansion, Bryan and Aiden were already outside waiting for her. As she and the guard got to where they stood waiting, the guard gave a short bow and left.

Bryan and Aiden looked at her, as if trying to examine her body. Those eyes might even be able to examine her insides. Oh!

She gulped and tried averting her gaze from theirs. They were doing a fantastic job of making her nervous. 

"Good morning Alphas", she uttered softly, after giving herself a morale boost.

"You will address us by our names", Aiden declared to her.

"Go freshen up, breakfast will be ready soon," Bryan said to her. His voice was calm and soft.

They didn't give her much time to talk or react, and went inside.

Kira stood outside for some minutes before she finally went inside herself. 

"It did feel good to be back, even if it was just for a few hours, but so much better than a dungeon", she muttered under her breath.

She headed straight to her room for a nice shower while thoughts ran through her head, especially about her mates' behavior.

"So does that mean I am now allowed to address them by their names? I don't recall learning my place though, maybe a little but what is with the change of heart?", Kira thought to herself.

She remembered clearly what they told her the last time when she referred to them by their names. They had told her to learn her place, and maybe they would let her call them by their names. Emphasis on the maybe. 

Getting into her room, she let out a breath of exasperation as she fell on her bed.

"They really confuse me. I don't know what to do, and I have no one to talk to about this."

"I most especially can't believe how his words cut through me. Now I wonder if I am doing things right, but it is not my fault! The pain they caused me, the pain this pack caused me, was just unbearable. They had no idea what my life has been like all these years", Kira muttered to herself.

She ruffled her hair and got up from the bed abruptly, not wanting to get it dirty.

"So in my head, that I forgot myself." She whispered.

Instantly, she went to shower and in about five to ten minutes, she was done and heading downstairs for breakfast.

Before she reached she said to herself, "It might take some time to heal and forgive, and I don't have to trust them yet, but perhaps I could observe from a distance, maybe keep an open mind, but don't open my heart… Yet. Potentially... I don't know… ", she sighed, "but let's see."

She joined them in the dining room, shortly after she was done with her thoughts and decision-making.

She was going to try and see if she can truly see them in a new light or not.

"I suppose there is more to solving problems than just force."

"Kira, did you sleep well?", Elara asked her, immediately she came into the dining room, "Come sit. Delicious meals are waiting to be eaten."

"I did, thank you, Ma," Kira answered with a small smile.

She greeted Orion politely as she took her seat. 

He smiled warmly at her and even helped pour her a glass of juice.

"Thank you, Sir," Kira said gratefully, and a bit surprised. 

Bryan and Aiden's father, Orion, was not much of a talker, but he seemed to also want to make things right with Kira. His actions and all said quite a lot. 

Then Kira proceeded to serve herself some food, all the while acting oblivious to the fact that Bryan and Aiden kept looking at her and watching her every move anytime she moved.

Not many talks were exchanged as they all had breakfast together. Just a few brief talks about some pack stuff, personal stuff and so on.

Soon, the calm atmosphere in the dining room was interrupted by the heavy footsteps of someone approaching.

Kira glanced up just as the dining room doors swung open.

Ryker Hayes strode into the room with ease, his dark hair slightly tousled, his eyes sharp and alert, and a faint smirk played on his lips.

Dressed in a black jacket, he looked as if he had just come back from handling a business. His confidence did fill the room.

Bryan's expression shifted from neutral to one of relief as he caught Ryker's eye, a smirk tugging at his lips, while Aiden leaned back in his chair.

"About time you showed up", Aiden chuckled and said, his voice carrying a playful edge.

Bryan laughed softly, agreeing with his brother, "Thought he never would."

Ryker smirked as he approached the table, giving a quick nod to Bryan and Aiden. "Missed me already?"