to say, but didn’t.
Ashina peered down and deftly removed the inch-long sliver of wood. Next, she cleaned the cut using the wash and gauze Sonja had prepared. She reached for a bandage. The wound should heal in a matter of minutes…then again, it should have healed in the time it took Caine to get her here. “So, unknown species…what’s her name?”
“Alina.”
“What?” Ashina’s eyes snapped to Caine. Her breath left her lungs on a whoosh.
“Alina,” he answered, but the words sounded as if they were coming across a chasm.
Alina.
A bomb may as well have exploded in Ashina’s heart. Her jaw dropped in blatant shock, and the paper wrapper of the bandage fluttered to the floor. Alina. Could it be? “A-Alina?”
“Yeah.” Caine narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you okay?”
Can it really be her?
Ashina tore off her gloves, sending the tweezers clattering to the tile. With shaking hands, she grasped the supine female’s fingers between her own.
And was rocked by a connection born in love, forged in family and destiny, and given wings by heart-wrenching sacrifice. All before she even knew the full impact of what those four things would come to mean.
Family.
Destiny.
Love.
Sacrifice.
It has to be her.
“Ashina!” Sonja stood next to her, hand on her arm. “Are you okay? You look pale.”
Caine wheeled a rolling chair over. “Sit. Is it lingering magic, making you feel…” He waved a hand up and down in front of her. “What exactly are you feeling? Should I call Raniero?”
Ashina sank into the chair, still clutching the woman’s hand. Through the mate bond she shared with Raniero, she willed him to get down there immediately. “He’s on his way,” she murmured.
Sonja laid a cool hand on Ashina’s forehead. “Your temperature feels normal.” She placed two fingers on Ashina’s wrist. “But your heart’s doing a samba. I think you should lie down.”
“I’m not letting go of her.” Ashina shook her head.
“Who is she?” Sonja asked.
“You know her?” Caine asked at the same time.
“My kin. My khali .” Ashina’s voice broke on the last word, and a tear trickled down her cheek.
Both Sonja and Cain stared at her like she had spoken Latin rather than the Demonish word for granddaughter . She ignored them, studying the girl’s hand. Short fingernails. Some scrapes that could’ve happened at the club. Ashina turned it over to look at her palm. Whatever she did for a living, it wasn’t manual labor—
The doors burst wide and her mate charged in, wide-eyed. Sheena?
Love and concern flowed from him. And in that moment, Ashina felt her life come full circle. Seeing her mate as she held the hand of this woman, her own blood. “Come here.”
Raniero stalked across the room, and both Caine and Sonja took three steps back. Raniero took her face between his hands and kissed both her cheeks. “What is it, love?”
Folded in her mate’s love, Ashina drew on his strength even as her tears increased. “Caine found her,” she whispered.
“Found…” Raniero turned to the female, confusion in his dark eyes.
“Her name is Alina,” Ashina whispered.
“Holy gods above.” Raniero’s voice was a reverent hush as he looked at their hands joined. He folded his big hand around both of theirs. “You feel the connection you felt with the others?”
Ashina nodded. When she’d met Alina’s three sisters, the same surge of love had swelled her heart. It’s her, I know it.
Raniero gently smoothed Alina’s hair, then knelt at his mate’s feet. I’m humbled and honored and Gods, I love you so much. He kissed her free hand. You were so brave, love, all those years ago.
Tears splashed onto their joined hands, as memories of their tiny baby filtered through her mind. Decades ago, they’d sent her to Earth for safety. And though their child no longer lived, she’d birthed four beautiful and vastly powerful daughters. Ashina and Raniero had ached to find the youngest one,
Ashina peered down and deftly removed the inch-long sliver of wood. Next, she cleaned the cut using the wash and gauze Sonja had prepared. She reached for a bandage. The wound should heal in a matter of minutes…then again, it should have healed in the time it took Caine to get her here. “So, unknown species…what’s her name?”
“Alina.”
“What?” Ashina’s eyes snapped to Caine. Her breath left her lungs on a whoosh.
“Alina,” he answered, but the words sounded as if they were coming across a chasm.
Alina.
A bomb may as well have exploded in Ashina’s heart. Her jaw dropped in blatant shock, and the paper wrapper of the bandage fluttered to the floor. Alina. Could it be? “A-Alina?”
“Yeah.” Caine narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you okay?”
Can it really be her?
Ashina tore off her gloves, sending the tweezers clattering to the tile. With shaking hands, she grasped the supine female’s fingers between her own.
And was rocked by a connection born in love, forged in family and destiny, and given wings by heart-wrenching sacrifice. All before she even knew the full impact of what those four things would come to mean.
Family.
Destiny.
Love.
Sacrifice.
It has to be her.
“Ashina!” Sonja stood next to her, hand on her arm. “Are you okay? You look pale.”
Caine wheeled a rolling chair over. “Sit. Is it lingering magic, making you feel…” He waved a hand up and down in front of her. “What exactly are you feeling? Should I call Raniero?”
Ashina sank into the chair, still clutching the woman’s hand. Through the mate bond she shared with Raniero, she willed him to get down there immediately. “He’s on his way,” she murmured.
Sonja laid a cool hand on Ashina’s forehead. “Your temperature feels normal.” She placed two fingers on Ashina’s wrist. “But your heart’s doing a samba. I think you should lie down.”
“I’m not letting go of her.” Ashina shook her head.
“Who is she?” Sonja asked.
“You know her?” Caine asked at the same time.
“My kin. My khali .” Ashina’s voice broke on the last word, and a tear trickled down her cheek.
Both Sonja and Cain stared at her like she had spoken Latin rather than the Demonish word for granddaughter . She ignored them, studying the girl’s hand. Short fingernails. Some scrapes that could’ve happened at the club. Ashina turned it over to look at her palm. Whatever she did for a living, it wasn’t manual labor—
The doors burst wide and her mate charged in, wide-eyed. Sheena?
Love and concern flowed from him. And in that moment, Ashina felt her life come full circle. Seeing her mate as she held the hand of this woman, her own blood. “Come here.”
Raniero stalked across the room, and both Caine and Sonja took three steps back. Raniero took her face between his hands and kissed both her cheeks. “What is it, love?”
Folded in her mate’s love, Ashina drew on his strength even as her tears increased. “Caine found her,” she whispered.
“Found…” Raniero turned to the female, confusion in his dark eyes.
“Her name is Alina,” Ashina whispered.
“Holy gods above.” Raniero’s voice was a reverent hush as he looked at their hands joined. He folded his big hand around both of theirs. “You feel the connection you felt with the others?”
Ashina nodded. When she’d met Alina’s three sisters, the same surge of love had swelled her heart. It’s her, I know it.
Raniero gently smoothed Alina’s hair, then knelt at his mate’s feet. I’m humbled and honored and Gods, I love you so much. He kissed her free hand. You were so brave, love, all those years ago.
Tears splashed onto their joined hands, as memories of their tiny baby filtered through her mind. Decades ago, they’d sent her to Earth for safety. And though their child no longer lived, she’d birthed four beautiful and vastly powerful daughters. Ashina and Raniero had ached to find the youngest one,
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