I felt Zaal tense beside me. He immediately heaved a sigh of relief when he saw his fiancée. The door opened and the stairs were brought to the plane by one of our males that worked at the airfield.

Valentin got to his feet, pressing his hand to Ilya’s shoulder. Ilya jumped to his feet, his fists braced to fight. Valentin didn’t flinch. Ilya blinked the sleep from his eyes and then relaxed his shoulders. His blue eyes immediately looked down to Inessa.

“She is okay,” Valentin told him in his gruff voice. He guided his thumb toward the window and announced, “We are home.”

“Home,” Ilya repeated and bent down to Inessa. “Did you hear that, moy prekrasnyy? We are home.”

Inessa didn’t move, still asleep under the medication. The doctor came from the back of the plane and began preparing Inessa to disembark. Valentin bent down to look out the window. His eyes closed momentarily, and he whispered, “Zoya.”

“Go,” Ilya said, seeing Valentin’s conflict. “She’s my female. I have her,” Ilya assured him. Valentin paused, then nodded.

Turning, Valentin headed toward Zaal and me. Not stopping, he brushed past us and turned to leave through the door. Zaal and I followed behind. Valentin rushed down the steps. When Zoya saw her male heading straight for her, she smiled the widest of smiles and ran to him. Valentin wrapped Zoya in his arms and held her close.

I couldn’t hear what was being said. Before I could listen in, I heard my sister’s excited shriek. Zaal flew down the steps two at a time. Talia jumped into his arms. When Zaal drew back, she began kissing him all over his face.

I glanced down the plane to see Ilya and the byki lifting Inessa onto a stretcher. Maya hovered at Inessa’s side. I could see by her face that she was terrified.

Leaving them to it, I stepped out of the plane onto the top of the stairs. As soon as I did, I saw Kisa smile in relief. Her hands were on her swollen stomach as I walked down the stairs. Zoya was hugging Zaal, checking her big brother was okay.

As I reached the bottom step, Kisa’s tear-filled eyes met mine and my heart almost split in two. “Solnyshko,” I whispered, and held out my hand. Kisa didn’t hesitate. She came straight to me and folded into my chest. I breathed in her sweet scent and simply held her close.

“You came home,” she said, sighing.

“Always,” I whispered. Placing my hands on the side of Kisa’s head, I drew her back and studied her beautiful face. “I have missed you,” I confessed, and wiped away a happy tear from her soft cheek.

“I have missed you too, lyubov moya.” She placed my hand on her stomach and laughed as our baby kicked. “We both have.”

My pulse thudded, and I pressed another kiss to her lips. When I drew back, I heard, “Am I gonna get a hug, big brother?”

I smiled as Talia pushed her arms around my waist. She squeezed me tightly and I laughed. When she pulled back, she looked up at me and asked, “Are you done now?” Although her voice was playful, I could hear the sincerity of the question in her tone. I could see it in her worried expression. Kisa’s hand took hold of mine and she squeezed. She wanted to know, too.

Inhaling deeply, I embraced the sense of peace that now resided in my stomach. “We’re done,” I said, and felt every last one of my residual chains break away from my corrupted soul. Valentin and Zaal moved behind me, and I met each of my brothers’ eyes. “We are done,” I repeated.

They nodded in response, and I saw the heaviness rise from their spirits.

“Good! About damn time!” Talia joked, and Zaal pulled her back into his arms. She laughed as he kept her trapped against his chest.

“Valentin,” Zoya gasped, just as I wrapped Kisa in my arms.

When I followed Zoya’s wide gaze, I saw Ilya standing on the top of the stairs. Kisa looked at me and asked, “Who is that?”

Ilya looked huge against the executive plane’s entrance. His assessing eyes were locked on all of us below. “That is Ilya Konev,” I announced loud enough for them all to hear. “He was the reigning Blood Pit Champion.”

“He’s huge,” Talia remarked.

“He is Inessa’s,” Valentin added when the group had gone silent.

Zoya looked at her male. “Inessa? She is okay? Safe?”

Almost on cue, Ilya began walking down the stairs. He turned his back to us as he helped the byki carry Inessa’s stretcher. Kisa’s worried eyes looked up at me. Without taking my eyes from the stretcher, I said, “Her master punished her. She had fallen in love with Ilya, and he had found out. He lashed her.”

“No!” Zoya cried.

Ilya stepped onto the tarmac, holding Inessa’s stretcher. He glanced over to us with wary eyes. Releasing Kisa, I walked to meet him. I placed my hand on his shoulder.

“You’re okay. We’re going to get Inessa into one of our vans and take her home.”

Ilya nodded. Valentin was suddenly at my side. “My home,” he insisted. Zoya came to stand beside him and looked down to Inessa. “Valentin,” she whispered. I could hear the thick sorrow in her voice. Valentin’s teeth clenched as he stared at his sister, then he looked up. Reaching for Zoya’s hand, he lifted it up and kissed her palm. “Kotyonok, this is Ilya. Ilya, this is my female, Zoya.”

“Nice to meet you, Ilya,” Zoya said.

Ilya nodded. “You, too,” he replied, then cast his gaze over all of us. I waved them over. Kisa’s arms came around my waist and Ilya stared at her, before looking to her stomach. His eyes flared.

“You are to be a father?” he questioned.

“Yes,” I replied. Ilya looked again to Inessa. I saw the hope in his expression.

“Freedom allows you to do whatever you want,” I explained. Ilya looked overwhelmed. “You will understand in time,” I told him. He slowly nodded his head. “Ilya, this is Kisa, my wife.”

“Hello,” Ilya said quietly.

“Nice to meet you, Ilya,” Kisa replied.

Zaal held Talia tightly. “This is my fiancée, Talia,” he announced proudly.

Ilya repeated his hello, then movement came from the stairs. Maya timidly began descending the steps, clutching the rail as her wide eyes surveyed the crowd.

“Who is that?” Kisa whispered. I heard Kisa’s maternal side rise to the surface as she watched Maya awkwardly reach the tarmac.

“Maya,” I replied. “She was one of the chiri in the pit.”

“A plague?” Zoya questioned, interpreting the Georgian term. Maya turned her head away at that point, and I felt Kisa stiffen. “Her face,” Zoya whispered, so low that Maya couldn’t have heard.

“The chiri were the lowest caste in the pit. They were the servant slaves. She was Inessa’s. They are best friends. Maya wouldn’t leave her side the entire way here. She helped keep my sister alive,” Valentin said to his female.

“She refused a guard taking her at a young age so Master ordered that acid be poured over her face. Then she was demoted from a mona to a chiri,” Ilya said. Kisa, Talia, and Zoya flinched at the information the champion supplied. “She is only sixteen,” Ilya added sadly. “But she defended my Inessa’s life like a warrior.”

Zoya immediately broke from Valentin’s side and approached Maya. Maya froze in fear. Zoya smiled and held out her hand. “Maya, is it?”

Maya lifted her head and timidly nodded. “Yes, miss,” she replied in Georgian. Zoya smiled again. “It’s a beautiful name.” Zoya spoke to her in Georgian, too.

Maya looked to the stretcher and asked, “Is Miss Inessa okay?”

Zoya held out her hand and nodded. “I am Zoya, Valentin’s female. Inessa and Ilya will be coming to our house.” She paused, then added, “You are welcome, too. You are Inessa’s closest friend, after all.”

Maya stared at Zoya, and her dark eyes filled with tears. “Really?” she questioned, as though she were being tricked.

Zoya edged closer and kept holding out her hand. “Truly,” she responded. “I am recently freed myself. I understand what it’s like to have this new world thrust upon you.”