Page 266 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

“Fuck,” Axel breathes, his eyes wide as he glances around him. “Princess… I’ll give you anything you want if you go back to the penthouse and lock yourself inside it.”

The other guys look at me, their eyes pleading with me to take Axel up on his offer. But they have to know after everything that happened, I won’t leave them.

I know they are scared. I am too. But I also know this won’t be the end of us. We are going to have years of beautiful memories ahead of us. I know that deep within me, because I am going to fight like hell to get it and keep it.

I look at them all. “You said we’re a family.”

“We are.” Kai steps in front of me. His eyes flash with conviction.

“And that families stick together.”

“We do, but—”

I shake my head, stopping him. “No buts. I’m not leaving any of you, just like none of you would leave each other. We’re going to fight this thing and beat it, and then we’re all going to head home together.”

Kai pulls me into him. “You mean everything to us. I know you can heal, but these aren’t normal supes. They’re from the pits of hell itself. What if—”

I place my finger on his lips. “You can’t do that. You can’t think about what ifs every time something new or different comes along to threaten us. We’ll learn and adapt and keep moving forward.”

Kai kisses my fingers before nodding. “We keep moving forward.”

I glance around at the others. “Okay, what’s the plan?”

Jax steps forward, his eyes narrowed on the destruction in front of him. “What you said before: destroy the big ugly fucker, kill off the little shits wreaking havoc, and then head home so we can destroy our mate in a whole other way.”

His blasé attitude makes me laugh, easing some of the tension around me.

I give him a smile. “Sounds good.”

Savage smirks surround me as Jax rubs his hands. “Well, then, what are we waiting for? Let’s get this over with so we can get home.”

Luka smiles, shaking his head at Jax.

Axel walks up to me. “No heroics, Princess. Anything happens and you get out of there.”

I salute him, giving him a smile. He shakes his head, but I catch the small tilt of his lips.

He gives me a quick kiss and turns to the guys. “I’ll take to the skies and see if I can injure the demon enough to take it down. Watch out for the small beasts. They’re sly fuckers.” Axel turns and transforms. His crimson scales glisten against the burning destruction around us. Within seconds, he’s flying above the buildings, heading straight for the large demon.

My heart squeezes inside my chest as he gets closer to it, but I have to trust in him, just like they have to trust in me.

Closing my eyes, I reach down inside me and call up my ability. It flows through me like water, no longer too thick and heavy to drag up. It slides across my body like a second skin, and the air around me turns static with energy as the power thrums throughout my veins. The strength beneath it makes me feel like I can take on the world.

I open my eyes, seeing everything more vividly and clearly.

“That’s never going to get old.” Jax moves in front of me and slams his lips to mine, pouring everything he wants to say into the kiss. All the worries he never says, all the fears he never shows. I grip him hungrily, pushing my mouth against his and showing him with every thrust and swipe of my tongue and lips, how much I love him, how much I need him to come back to me too.

Pulling back, he leans his forehead against mine while catching his breath. “Be careful and leave the crazy stunts to me.”

Giving me a wicked smile, he turns to the guys, giving them each a look, telling them to be careful. Taking off into a run, he leaps into the air, twisting his body while he shifts, and lands on all fours. His beautiful dark mane mixed with his blue flames stand out among the destruction, making him easier to keep an eye on.

“Go. Help them. I’ve got this,” I tell Luka as he steps up beside me.

“I’m not leaving you. Don’t ask me to.Please.”

I glance up, finding his shadows swirling around his face, a sad look in his eyes.

I take his hand, giving it a squeeze, letting him know I understand.

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