Page 14 of His to Protect
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Kaea felt her the moment she steppedonto their land. Ata was home. He ran to the window, watched andwaited.
“She almost here, love?”Xavier asked as he moved to stand beside him.
“Yeah, she is, and she’snot alone.”
Kaea’s heart swelled within him as Atastepped out of the shadows of the forest that surrounded the house,holding the hand of a large man that screamed powerful. Kaea tookoff, running out of the house, and heading right for her. As soonas she saw him, she dropped the stranger’s hand and sprinted forhim. They were both laughing, with tears streaming unashamedly downtheir faces. When she neared, Kaea braced himself for what camenext as Ata launched herself at him. He caught her and hugged hertight.
He felt the warmth of her tearsagainst his shoulder. “You waited.”
Kaea smiled, rocking her slightly fromside to side. “Of course, I did, Ata. You needed to be here, too.She would have wanted us all together for this finalmoment.”
He felt her nod rather than saw it.“Then let’s do it now. She’s waited long enough.” Ata pulled back,and he watched her gaze travel over his face. He wondered how longit would be before she freaked out. “I want to—what happened toyour face? You’ve been hurt?”
Gray’s claw had left a large scar thatran his right temple down his face and under his chin. It was stilla little red, but was healing nicely thanks to the handy benefit offaster healing, due to being Xavier’s mate. Who knew being mated toa shifter came with such cool side benefits?
Kaea lowered her to the ground. “It’snothing. I just have to learn to be a little quicker.”
He heard Xavier’s frustrated huff frombehind him. “Like hell you will. What you have to do is learn tonot put yourself in danger like that anymore. My fucking heartcan’t take it.”
Kaea sent a wave of warmth and lovedown the mating bond, something that was growing stronger betweenthem each day, and loved that Xavier immediately returned it inkind. His mate suddenly tensed when the air around them began tothicken. He watched the stranger pull his sister tightly beneathher shoulder, and the move looked a little rougher than he thoughtnecessary. Some of his anger leeched down the mating bond, and hefelt Xavier tense behind him. Trying to defuse the situation, withthe stranger seeming to swell in size, Kaea reached back to strokeXavier’s chest, to pet him until he calmed.
“Who the hell are you, andwhy the fuck are you holding my sister like you own her?” Kaea madesure every ounce of his distrust was clear in his tone
The man didn’t even blink. “I am hermate. She’s mine, and I do own her, just like she ownsme.”
Kaea held the man’s gaze, assessing.His sister needed a strong man to keep her safe, but one that wouldtreat her as an equal. It was clear after a moment that this manwas more than capable of protecting her, and Kaea knew his sisterwouldn’t stand for anyone who treated her as less than an equal.Coming to a silent understanding, they reached out simultaneouslyand shook hands.
“Glad to meet you. I hopeyou know what you’re getting into with Ataahua as amate.”
Taika grinned back at him. “That I do,brother, that I do. But I have it on good authority that I amexactly who and what she needs. Which is great, because she is myheart. She is my life.” The look Taika gave his sister reminded himof the way Xavier looked at him sometimes. “She is myeverything.”
Perhaps the two shifters had more incommon than just the ability to shift.
“This is my mate, Xavier.”He introduced his man, and was surprised when Taika stepped forwardand pulled him into a quick embrace.
“You and I are going to bebest friends,” Taika told a surprised but smilingXavier.
It was time. They allmoved off towards theurupa, where they had laid theirNanny-ma to rest.Aroha mai, arohaatuwere the only words etched onto thesimple headstone that marked the site.
He read the first line aloud. “Lovetowards us.”
“Love going from us,”Ataahua finished. “It’s what our Nanny-ma lived by. She believedthat if you gave love to the world, then you received it tenfold.”He saw her look up at her mate, and his heart swelled withhappiness for her. “I now know that that is true.”
Xavier wrapped his arms around hiswaist. “Me too, sis.”
The world exploded with lavender andvanilla when Ata reached out to hold his hand in hers, and Kaeaknew it was because she had connected all four of them togetherphysically. This was a final blessing from theirNanny-ma.
“Now, Kaea, do it now,”Ata whispered urgently.
He took a deep breath ashe reached for Nanny-ma’swairua,held safe within his own. He felt her slippingfrom him, not anything physical, more that he was overcome with asense of peace. He watched as a white mist seemed to drift over hergrave, then deep into the ground below. There was a moment ofsilence, and then the world shuddered before exploding into colorand sound as birds started to sing and, flowers burst into fullbloom.
Kaea saw their Nanny-ma, dressed inher working overalls, and carrying a basket of flowers, just as shealways was. She was staring to fade, and he knew that she wouldsoon be nestled safely in the arms of her ancestors, right whereshe belonged.
“Ko nui taku arohakorua,”she whispered the words as shedisappeared.
“Love you too, Nanny-ma.”He and Ata replied at the same time.
