Page 248 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

“I’ll get to that, but I need you to know that plenty of different supes have already made contact with me regarding what they witnessed or heard. Some want to know if they can use her, while others are looking for her to be…destroyed.”

The temperature in the room plummets. Each of the guys barely hold back their beasts upon hearing Draven’s words.

“They come anywhere near her, and they’re already dead.” Kai growls before continuing. “Not one of us will hold back when it comes to her. We’ll annihilate every last one of them before razing the ground they stepped on. Worry about your own family, Draven. You have no idea what we’re capable of or the lengths we’ll go to keep her safe.” The guys grunt in agreement.

“There’s no doubt that you take care of yourselves, but what happens when more come? When hundreds attack from all angles? All they need is one opening and your mate is gone.”

A crack breaks the silence as Luka snaps the small table behind him. A burning smell permits the air as smoke seeps from Axel’s hands. The metal on the chair he’s holding has begun to melt.

“You’re an idiot,” Kane mutters, looking at Draven.

Draven gives him a sharp look before watching each of the guys warily.

Jax and Rion aren’t fairing too well either. Rion’s eyes shift, and his body is taut as a bow, ready to attack. Jax’s eyes are glowing, and his hands turn into claws and back again as he tries to pull back a full shift.

I move to go to them, but Jazmyn grabs my arm, stopping me. “Not yet.”

“What do you want?” Kai asks, glancing at me before glaring at Draven like he’s a bug that needs to be squashed.

“I have a proposition for you,” Draven tells him.

Jax’s chuckle is dark, his voice full of promised violence. “Of course you do.”

“I can send word that Kiarra is under my protection and not to be harmed. Along with your power as alphas, they should back off until we can figure out something more permanent.”

“And in return?” Kai snaps, his voice like quiet thunder. “Kiarra helps me with our… demon problem.”

Of course, I was going to help. This was affecting the guys as well. But Draven coming in here and blackmailing us was not the way to go about asking for it.

“We already agreed to help you,” Kai tells him.

“Yes, but since then, that little problem has grown out of control. Staten Island won’t be able to hold them at bay for much longer.” Draven looks at me. “But now that Kiarra has potentially awakened, she may be able to help us.”

“What do you mean byawakened?” Kai asks, mirroring what I was thinking.

Draven sighs, still looking at me. “You’re not a supe.”

“What are you talking about?” What else can I be? I’m not human; my healing ability affirms that.

“You’re…more.”

“More, what?” I ask him, having no idea where he is going with this.

“More than what you are… what we are.” “You’re making no sense right now,” I tell him.

“Get used to that. He likes to talk in circles. I think it’s an alpha thing. They all like to hear the sound of their own voices.” Jazmyn smirks at me, ignoring the glares aimed at her.

“Okay, she can stay.” Jax nods, sending me a wink.

“I wasn’t going anywhere, but thanks for reaffirming what I already know.” She scoffs, folding her arms.

“What I wastryingto say was that you’re not a supe, human, or anything that has ever existed before.”

Everyone freezes and looks at Draven like he’s lost his damn mind.

“You can’t just drop a bomb like that without backing it the fuck up. What the hell are you talking about?” Jax gives him a murderous glare.

Draven sighs, cracking his neck. “When I took on the position of Demon Leader of Staten Island, I was made aware of the rules we had to abide by while we lived alongside the Underworld. I had to get up to speed on the history between both worlds and how I could ensure we coexisted among each other.”

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