Page 104 of Land of Monsters

I stepped forward, bearing mine. Ash’s arm was instantly tugging me back as she lurched.

“Whoa, little viper.” The tattooed man pulled her into his arms, whispering something in her ear. She instantly quietened, but her glare stayed on me.

“Calm down,mroczny,” Ash muttered into mine, tugging me further into his warm body.

“She’s one of them,” I snarled.

“I amnotone ofthem.” Her lips curled, spitting outthemas an insult, forcing the man to hold her tighter.

“Istvan gave Hanna drugs, which changed her without her knowledge,” Ash spoke in my ear. “She is family. One of us. So back down.”

Grief flickered so quickly over the woman’s face I almost missed it, but it was enough to make me realize what she had become was painful to her. It was not her choice. Taking a breath, I eased into Ash, the dweller subsiding, which was not easy for me to do normally. No one else seemed to fire up and subdue the beast like him.

With the threat of a fight abating, the room’s silence altered, growing increasingly thicker, eyes no longer going between Hanna and me, but between me and Ash.

Surprise. Curiosity. Then shock.

“Holy shit.” The tiny blonde he called Birdie slapped a hand over her mouth. Dressed in all black, her eyes heavily lined, her lips red, she was a cross between an angel and some badass ninja. She stood in front of a tall, well-built man with brown hair and eyes. He looked nothing like Warwick visually, but there was something about them which made them seem related. “I’m in utter shock. And thatneverhappens to me.”

Ash shifted on his feet under their scrutiny, his grip dropping from me, stepping away. Hurt instantly rose to my cheeks, like he might be embarrassed or ashamed of me. I understood this was probably hard for him. He left his friends, mourning his lovers. Devastated over their deaths, full of revenge and hate, and now only a month later…

There was me.

Struggling to swallow, I drew up my walls, my chin rising, used to being aloof and composed under all circumstances.

Ash stepped to my side, his fingers lancing with mine, jerking my head to him.

“This is Raven.” He squeezed my hand, his green eyes catching mine for a moment. “My mate.”

I inhaled sharply along with the room, their eyes widening, eyebrows lifting.

“Raven, this is my family.” He nodded to them. “Birdie, Caden, Scorpion, Hanna, Wesley, and you’ve already met Warwick and Brexley.”

“Hi,” I greeted, my gaze shifting over all of them.

“Ummm… hello? Didn’t you forget someone?” Opie protested from the table where he had been busy pretending not to organize everything.

“Oh, right.” Ash dipped his head. “I can’t forget Kitty, Rosie, and Killian.”

Chirpchirpchirpchirp!Bitzy waved her middle finger in the air.Chirrrrp!She added the other, sticking it high up.

Brexley snorted. “I’m not sure how deep you should sleep tonight.”

A name on his list finally triggered in my mind.

“Wait. Killian?” I repeated the name. “You mean former fae leader, now President Killian?”

Ash coyly grinned. “I have friends in high places.”

“So do I, fairy boy.” I grinned back at him, getting lost in his heated gaze.

“Yeah, you probably win.”

“You’re fucking kidding me.” Caden peered around, wondering why no one else was freaking out. “Do you not know who she is?”

“No. Am I supposed to?” Wesley’s gaze went over me, trying to figure it out.

“Caden,” Ash warned.

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