Page 269 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

While Kai holds it in place, Axel creates another vacuum and aims it right at the demon. It gives Kai the extra push he needs to rip the demon’s head right off.

It drops to the ground, the loud thump blowing dust everywhere.

The fog starts retreating. I feel a pull from the flicker I connected with and sense it wanting to return.

I hold on to it a minute longer before pulling back and releasing it. The hybrid beasts immediately retreat into the fog, disappearing as if it they were never here to begin with. The only evidence is the destruction they left behind.

The adrenaline leaves my body all at once, my powers dropping the connection as soon as the last beast disappears.

Exhaustion settles over me, and I stumble forward, but Luka catches me before I reach the ground, grabbing my arm.

“Are you okay?” Luka’s worried look makes me smile.

“Just tired. You?” I check his injuries, but most of them have already healed. The blood running from his ears has stopped and is starting to dry.

“I’m fine.”

Glancing at Rion, I see him faring better with fewer injuries and already fully healed, the blood from his ears not as much as Luka’s.

Jax is… My stomach drops when I don’t see him by the crumbling cafe.

“What is it?” Luka’s eyes are wide as he checks over me for any injuries.

“Jax. I can’t—”

Arms wrap around me from behind, a woodsy scent that’s all Jax surrounds me. I slump back into him.

“I’m right here, baby.”

Just like he did with me, Luka checks his brother for

any serious injuries. I see the look of relief when he finds none, lessening my own worry.

Jax’s grip tightens on me as he nuzzles into my neck.

“Well done, baby. You kicked ass.”

I lean into his warmth, too drained to even laugh or reply.

Kai and Axel show up a few minutes later, having shifted back to their human forms. Kai glances at each of the guys as he heads straight for me.

“What happened?”

I shake my head, giving him a small smile. “Nothing, we’re fine.”

Reaching a hand out, he rubs a thumb across my cheek, frowning. “Are you okay?”

I nod, using Jax to hold me up at this stage. “Just tired.”

He glances behind me at Jax, doing that silent communication thing he does, before moving onto Luka and Rion.

Once he’s satisfied everyone is okay, he leans down and kisses my lips, lingering a moment before pulling slightly back. He gazes down at me, the look in his eyes full of relief and wonder, but there’s also a hint of worry that he tries to hide.

With effort, I reach a hand up and brush it down the side of his face. “I promise.” Letting him know that we are all okay.

He nods, swallowing hard before taking a step back, just as Axel moves toward me. He wraps his arms around me while Jax still holds me from behind, wrapping us both in his hug.

“This is nice,” Jax tells him.

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