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“Same here.” Leah nervously chuckles.
“I was always coming home, Mother,” Kayo tells her.
Nicole looks at him with sad eyes. “I wasn’t too sure of that, son.”
His brows furrow, but then his face becomes stern as Warzo approaches. “Father, I would like to introduce you to Leah.”
The concern is clear in Warzo's eyes, but he gives Leah a sincere smile, hugging her. “All my daughters are here now.”
“I'm honored to be so welcomed.”
His face matches Kayo's now with drawn down brows. “This is your home. No matter what, this is your home. Always.” Then he turns to Kayo. “A word, please.”
Kayo's mouth tightens as he nods. He leans over to kiss Leah's hair. I watch in a bit of awe as her eyes close, her body relaxing into him. I never thought I would see her so comfortable with any man, let alone a monster. Kayo must have earned every bit of trust for her to react that way to him.
As I watch all the males walk away, I hear everyone around us murmuring. I look up to find them staring at Leah. From what Linc told me about how serious they take their laws surrounding how a mate is claimed, I wonder what they're all thinking of her. Anger rises in me, ready to protect her, but I look closer at them. They have sympathy in their eyes, worry, probably for what will happen next with the humans. My shoulders lose some tension as I turn back to Leah.
“I will give the prying eyes something else to look at,” Nicole murmurs before hugging Leah again. “We will talk later, dear. I want to know everything about you.”
Then, she walks off, directing everyone's attention to the dessert she made for the feast.
“What happened, Leah?” I quietly ask.
She shakes her head though. “Not now. Kayo told me about how important this ceremony is. I don't want to take anything away from it. If we had known yours was today, we would have waited to come back.”
“But where were you?” Grace presses. “Where have you been hiding, because they looked high and low for you two.”
“A cave.” Leah chuckles. “I have no idea where other than that we were underground. And it took us a while to get here. Kayo was the only one who would go above ground to get us things.” She pauses. “And bring me back news of what was going on. How bad is it?”
I look at Grace, trying to figure out how much we should tell her.
“I don't need you to protect me anymore,” Leah voices, making me look back at her with raised brows. “Just tell me.”
Grace says, “Okay. Our government is threatening to come down to look for you, but I think they know the Grounders will never allow that. If you ask me, they're banking on just that. But if you believe their words, they want you back, you and Kayo both, really.”
Leah's eyes go hard. “I will never leave his side. And I won't let any harm come to him.”
I tilt my head, smiling at her. “So, you love him then?”
“More than I thought possible.” She blows out a hard breath. “He saved me, and then…he saved me. If you get what I mean.”
Grace and I nod. I certainly do. I feel Linc saved me, from so much. From my father before I ever even knew he existed, or that I was his mate to protect. He saved me from myself, from my anger and pride consuming me. He saved me from a life without him. I can never thank him enough for that.
Nor do you ever need to.His voice whispers in my mind. I look over my shoulder at him, and find him in a circle of his family, but his eyes are on me.
“I'm told I have a nephew that should have been born by now,” Leah says.
Grace startles, and then rushes away.
“We're aunts.” I grin. “Can you believe it?”
“It's the life we imagined for her on the day of your draft,” Leah says hoarsely. “She's in love, has a child, set to have her happily ever after.”
“We all are now.”
Grace must hear us as she approaches because she adds. “We're all together now. The three of us together, our mates, Warzo Nicole, this village, and…” She steps closer, extending a barely awake Bazin towards Leah. “Your nephew, Bazin.”
“Look at him.” Leah beams. “You're a mother, Grace.”
