She inhaled pain. Fire and brimstone.
She let him drink from her and gave Logan everything she could. In that moment there was nothing but the two of them. When the kiss finally ended, when that exquisite joining broke apart, they were both breathing heavily.
She slid down his body and stood on unsteady legs, her gaze wandering over a bruised and beaten face. Logan’s nose was swollen, as was his right eye. There were numerous abrasions on his cheek and jaw which several days worth of beard couldn’t hide.
“You made it, little Dove,” Logan said haltingly.
She nodded, a slight frown on her face . “What did they do to you?” she whispered, her fingers tracing his lips until she cupped his cheeks and gently kissed him once more.
“None of that matters,” Logan answered simply. His eyes were wet, heavy with emotion as his hand tangled in her hair. “I’m sorry. I got here as soon as I could. I had to deal with a family issue and then”—he took a moment—“I had to return a package.”
Kira shook her head. She didn’t understand and she didn’t care.
“You’re here. That’s all that matters.” Kira closed her eyes and settled against his chest once more.
The two of them held on to each other until a polite clearing of the throat caught their attention. Logan turned and Kira followed his gaze, blushing as the bartender grinned widely and pointed toward a door marked “Office.”
A woman stood there. A small, graceful creature. She was not unlike the bartender, full of sun and warmth. But as she moved closer, Kira noticed her eyes were ice blue. They were luminescent … iridescent. They were full of magick and—Kira’s mouth dropped open—they were strangely familiar.
“Mother,” Logan said softly.
The woman stopped in front of them, her eyes eating up her son, their depths filled with love and yearning and … hope?
“You look a little worse for wear, my son.”
Logan nodded, and though he grinned, there was no way he could hide his pain. “Family reunion in Hell will do that to you.”
Her features tightened and for a moment darkness colored her eyes a much deeper shade of blue. She quickly got control and exhaled.
“You’ve come to—” She paused as her gaze flickered over Kira. “You’ve come to stay?”
Kira felt Logan’s arms slip from her shoulders.
“Yes,” he answered simply.
The woman’s smile widened and she turned to Kira. “Welcome.” She kissed Kira on both cheeks. “I’m Cianna.” She hesitated, but then Logan scooped her into his arms and hugged his mother fiercely.
Kira stepped back, wanting to give them room, and it was nearly a minute later when Logan and his mother turned to her.
“Are you ready?” Logan asked, hand held out for her.
Kira swallowed and put her hand into his large one. She let him pull her into his embrace and giggled when he lifted her off the floor and held her against his chest.
This wasn’t the end for them. This was the beginning of something new and exciting, and for the first time in forever, it seemed, Kira was content.
She was safe and she was loved.
As Logan placed his palm against her belly and murmured, “I love you, little Dove,” Kira felt as if she’d already found her home.
Want more from The League of Guardians?
Keep reading for an excerpt from
KING OF THE DAMNED
Available in December 2012
From Avon Books