Page 229 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

RION

Standing at the entrance to Kiarra’s room, I watch as she glances in the mirror at the silver dress she has on.

It reaches just below her knees, the tight fit accentuating every one of her delectable curves.

She’s beautiful…stunning. A siren that will always call to my mind, body, and soul. The way she moves, speaks, and commands the attention of the entire room simply by walking into it is breath-taking.

She has no idea the power she wields over us all.

It was Jax’s idea to all go out, but one we all agreed on. She needs to be reminded that there is more to life than pain and suffering.

We could all see the dark shadows across her face. She still hasn’t told us everything that went on while she was at that facility, but it was still early days. We had the rest of our lives to help her heal.

A small frown puckers her forehead as she glances at the silver dress. I want to reach out and kiss it away, to make sure she always feels safe and happy and, most importantly, loved.

She spots me staring and gives me a small tentative smile. I can see from the look in her eyes that she’s still too lost in her own thoughts. I want to know those thoughts, every little thing that crosses her mind, every single emotion she feels. I want to know how to fix any and all of her troubles.

“Something wrong?” I ask her, hoping there’s something I can help her with. Maybe then it will ease the tight ache building in my chest.

She laughs, the sound warming me. “I can’t reach the zipper.” She glances at me with those stunning green eyes and draws me to her. “Could you?”

“Of course.”

She pulls her long dark waves to one side as I move closer. Stepping up behind her, I swallow hard at the sight of her bare back.

Reaching out, I run the back of my fingers down her spine, hearing the quick intake of her breath. I smile and continue to drag my fingers down to the middle of her back, where the zip is open.

I love how easily she settled back in with us. And even though we have a long way to go to learn about each other’s pasts, and everything that comes along with it, I know we can get through anything now that we’re together.

Dragging the zip up slowly, I lean in and brush my lips against the top of her back, hearing a gasp as soon as my lips touch her.

“Rion…”

“Yes, Siren?” I place another kiss on her shoulder and then another on the curve of her neck.

She tilts her head to the side, giving me better access. I run my nose up the length of it, placing a kiss beneath her ear. She shivers, leaning back into me, the warmth of her delicate body heating my own.

I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her tight against me and let the feeling of being whole and part of something bigger than myself wash over me.

“I’m here, Siren, for whatever it is you need. I may not be the most vocal of our family, but I will always be here to listen or help you with whatever it is.”

Twisting around, she looks up at me, biting her lip. She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

There are some things I instinctively know, but other times, like right now, I can’t get a read on what it is she needs. I reach out with my senses, trying to get a feel for it, but all I sense is a mixture of emotions swirling around one another.

The first and largest emotion is…love.

Something that has always been there between us all. I felt it when we were just children, though I didn’t understand it at the time. But now it’s grown into something more. Something I never thought I would have.

The next emotion ishope. A lightness that swirls around her love, protecting it and keeping it safe.Worryslithers through it, trying to push past her swirl of light and then next to it sits…pain. It coils around every other emotion, taking root deep within it all.

I wish I could take it away. Along with every other negative emotion she feels.

She shakes her head, glancing down at the dress. “It’s silly where your mind goes…”

I take her hand and kiss the top of it, beseeching her with my eyes to share her thoughts with me. I will always treasure and protect them, keeping them safe.

“I never got to pick what I wanted to wear…” She bites her lip again, looking down at the dress. Shame and embarrassment pulses among her emotions now.

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