CHAPTER 97 : LOVE'S GENTLE TOUCH

After Ryker left, the others began dispersing to their respective rooms. Orion and Elara were the second to leave, although before they left, they shared a brief but meaningful glance, their relief at having Kira back home and safe washing over them again. They bid the twins and Kira a good day and a good rest before heading to their room.

Afterward, Bryan, Aiden, and Kira made their way upstairs together. Exhaustion or was it relief was visible on their faces, but so was the comfort of being together again.

Entering the bedroom, Kira wasted no time as she walked straight to the large, cozy bed and jumped onto it with a soft bounce, landing in the middle. She groaned and turned around, then stopped turning and just sprawled out dramatically, her arms stretched wide, and a grin on her face.

Bryan and Aiden just stood close to the bed, watching her with a smile on their faces, before she patted the space on either side of her. "Come on, boys," she said with a playful smile and a wink, "Bryan on one side, Aiden on the other. Don't make me wait."

"Yes, my lady," Bryan answered and gave her a bow, laughing softly as he and Aiden moved to join her.

They climbed onto the bed in no time, lying on either side of her. The three of them stared up at the ceiling, just enjoying the moment and the worry of the night and day slowly melting away.

The room was quiet, only the sounds of their breathing and the soft rustling of the sheets as they settled in, was heard. Kira's lips curved into a small smile of relaxation, her facial expression showing how content and relaxed she was.

The silence was comfortable; it was soothing. They were not saying anything to each other but were heard by each other.

"I thought you both would have thought I ran away and would not come for me," Kira said after some moments, breaking the silence.

Bryan and Aiden both turned to look at her, their faces attentive but calm as she continued, "I did pray and hope, believing you would find me, but…" she paused, thinking for a second before admitting, "But it was also a possibility that you wouldn't."

Bryan reached out, and took her hand in his, his thumb gently rubbing over her knuckles as Aiden also moved closer, rubbing her hair softly.

"We will always come for you, love," Aiden said softly, his voice carrying reassurance and an unyielding conviction. 

"Always," Bryan muttered, nodding. 

"I am glad you found me," Kira whispered while smiling and then took a deep breath as the twins responded by leaning in—

Aiden pecked her cheek, while Bryan kissed her temple.

She giggled at the affection, her laughter soft and sweet as they shifted closer, and wrapped their arms around her in a warm embrace. Kira laid comfortably in the middle, letting their warmth, scent, and love envelop her completely.

After a few minutes of quiet cuddling and listening to each other's heartbeats, Kira suddenly broke the silence again, her voice carrying a hint of urgency. "Why didn't you both tell me you avenged my parents' deaths?" She blurted out, her head turning to look at Bryan and then Aiden. "Why?"

Her sudden question caught them off guard, and Bryan chuckled softly. "You do know you need to get some rest, right?" He replied, attempting to deflect. "You need rest. We can talk about it, later."

"After you answer me, I will rest," Kira said, not having any of it. 

It was no surprise to them how stubborn she could be, and they knew she would definitely not get any rest until her question was answered.

"You are right. We should have told you," Bryan admitted, giving her an apologetic smile. "We don't have any excuse. When we found out about what we did, we regretted it so much and made sure we brought you justice even when we had no idea where you were."

"And then…" Aiden chimed in, continuing from where Bryan stopped, his tone equally sincere, "Then we finally saw you, we did everything wrong didn't we? We thought we were protecting you, sparing you more pain."

"Yes you did do everything wrong in the beginning," she nodded, "If you had done things right, then maybe things would not have been so hard from the beginning," she whispered, her expression softening as she continued, "But still, seeing how sincere you both have been, how regretful and how you are willing to learn from your mistakes, makes me happy and proud."

The twins leaned in, kissing her forehead simultaneously. Hearing that from her was the best thing they could have ever imagined. 

"We intend to do better," Aiden said to her, "You have no idea how happy we are for a second chance."

"Okay stop now," Kira uttered and sniffed, "You both are making me emotional."

"Oh really?" Bryan laughed softly as he asked.

"We are feeling emotional too, you know," Aiden uttered, also laughing softly.

Then they went on to resume cuddling each other tightly.

"Mmmm," Kira groaned. "This feels so amazing."

"Agreed," both Bryan and Aiden muttered with their faces buried in her neck.

As Kira lay nestled between the twins, she let out a soft sigh, her breathing slowing as she drifted into sleep. Her lips were curled into a faint smile, a reflection of the comfort she felt in their presence as she drifted off.

Bryan, sensing that she was now asleep, gently pressed a kiss to her forehead, before letting his head rest against hers. He closed his eyes and soon his breathing evened out, his body relaxing as he also began to fall asleep.

However, Aiden was still wide awake, and noticed that Bryan was asleep but was not sleeping deeply. Aiden's gaze shifted to Kira, her face serene in sleep. He watched as her chest rose and fell steadily, and could not help but smile softly. She looked so peaceful, so at ease, and it made him glad, it filled him with a sense of fulfillment.

After a while, he carefully shifted his weight, moving his arm from Kira's body. He made sure to not wake her up and with slow movements, he sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

Aiden ran a hand through his hair, then pushed himself to his feet as he made his way to the door. Just before stepping out, he turned back for one last glance. 

Satisfied with what he saw, he quietly opened the door, slipped out, and gently closed it behind him.

It was time to teach someone a lesson.