Page 251 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

Rion steps up to my side. “He’s right, Kiarra, and I think deep down you know that, too. You’re letting your fears and doubts get in the way right now, but you know that if anything makes sense,wedo.”

“You don’t understand,” I plead with them.

“Then tell us,” Kai says.

“I’m not whole. How can I be if I wascreated? How can I have a soul, Kai? And if I don’t have a soul, how can our bond—or any ofthis—be real?”

CHAPTER 25

KIARRA

Kai’s whole body turns stiff. It starts to expand as his eyes pulse a deep red. “You. Are.Mine,” he growls out, his voice more beast than man.

“Kai…”

He squeezes his eyes shut, hissing out a harsh breath as he tries to push back a shift. “Do you want to leave us, Kiarra?”

“Of course not.” I step closer to him, reaching a hand up to his face. His body releases some of the tension as he leans into it.

“Then what does it matter if you were born or created? Because it sure as hell doesn’t matter to me.”

“Or any of us.” Rion steps up my side. His whole body is taut, like he’s seconds away from reaching out and grabbing me.

I drop my hand to Kai’s chest and look at them both. “But I was created fromhell. How does that not bother either of you?” Hearing it from my lips makes it sound crazy.

Kai takes my hand, holding it to his chest. “I’m a descendant of hell. Does that change how you see me?”

My eyes soften as I look up at him. “You know it doesn’t.”

“Then why does it matter what you are? None of this changes anything between us.”

“I don’t know,” I tell them both as my stomach continues to twist and turn. “Nothing makes sense… My mom—”

“Lovedyou, Kiarra.” Kai’s grip tightens on my hand. His eyes plead with me to trust what he’s saying. “She loved yousomuch that she sacrificed everything to have you. She gave up her memories, her immortality and more, all because she wanted someone to love. If you werecreated, then you were created from herlove.”

I swallow hard against the lump in my throat. She loved me… Deep down; Iknowshe did. She’s never showed me anything but that. But the other side of me...

Kai takes my chin. “None of this matters, becauseyoubelong withus.”

But do I really? I was created, after all, and even if a big part of that was from my mother, my other side and the abilities that came along with it are unknown. Maybe I accidentally did something to form the bond with them. The thought alone sends a sharp spear through my heart.

“What if I did something to… form the bond when we were kids? What if I’m not—”

Kai slams his lips to mine, pulling me against his hard body. His lips move against mine, drawing a moan from my throat. I melt into him as my panicked thoughts come to a shuttering stop.

Fire and ash invade my senses. His scent, intoxicating as ever, pulls me under.

Hands slide around my waist as Rion’s warmth seeps in from behind me. I gasp into Kai’s mouth as Rion places soft kisses along my shoulder.

Kai pulls back, his eyes dark as they gaze down at me. He takes my hands in his, placing them above his heart. “Do you feel that Kiarra?” I feel the hard thump beneath my fingers.

“Look deeper. Can you feel the bond? Our bond? It’s right there. And no matter what way you look at it, that’s not going to change.” Kai is determined as he stares down at me.

The bond pulses between us, making me feel stupid for even questioning it.

Kai runs a hand down my chest and over the curve of my breast, making me gasp. His trail continues to my lower stomach just as Rion continues his trail up my neck.

“Does this feelreal, Kiarra?” Kai asks.

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