Page 323 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

Soren splutters, his eyes growing wide. “He… He hasallthree heads?”

“He only recently grew into his third.” Jax shrugs, as if it’s no big deal.

Soren ignores Jax, turning to the rest of us. “How does he have all three heads?”

“Is that a bad thing?” I glance back at Kai as he moves toward the gates.

“What does it matter?” Kai is stronger now, harder to kill. That has to be a good thing.

Soren exhales a long breath. “It matters because it means he’s a lot closer to Cerberus’ bloodline than we thought.”

“Is that good or bad?” Luka asks, frowning.

“It’s neither. Just tell me how he—”

Axel cuts him off. “Kiarra gave us an upgrade. Once we completed the bond, we all grew more powerful.”

“That so?” Soren’s gaze veers to me, his eyes piqued with interest. He nods to himself as if answering his own question.

“Let’s hope this works.”

Let’s.

I turn to watch Kai as his beast moves closer to the gate.

* * *

KAI

Like a magnetic pull,I’m drawn to the gates, wanting to protect them like they’re something precious. My legs move as if on their own, closer and closer, until I’m standing right in front of them.

As if by instinct, I close my eyes and focus on the energy the gates are emitting. The energy snaps out before slithering around me. It tests my energy, only pulling back a moment later, satisfied by what it finds.

Opening my eyes, I watch the two large black snakes on the gates begin to move as if alive.

“What the—” I hear a familiar voice but stay focused on my task at hand.

The snakes slither up and over to the other side, disappearing before my eyes. The two gates morph to become one translucent gate with dark shadows slithering throughout it.

“Quick, before it closes again.” Another familiar voice calls out, reminding me of my family. I look down and watch as my brothers and mate move through the shadowy gate.

I start to follow them but stop when instinct that comes from bloodlines before me rises up and demands I stay and guard the gate.

Stay. Protect. Guard.

The command rings inside my beast’s heads, urging us to stay and protect the gate. I turn to stand guard against all who dare enter.

“Kai.”

I pause. That voice. My mate. I turn and glance down. So small from up here. She looks fragile, but I know she’s anything but. Her power is vast and still something we don’t understand.

Nevertheless, I need to protect her, to protect them all. If I stay here, I won’t be able to do that. I move to follow them when a pulse of energy shoots through me, trying to anchor me to stay where I am. I pull back from it, but it’s like moving through thick quicksand. I only get so far before I have to stop the pull drawing me back. I glance over at the gate and then back down to my mate and brothers. I’m frozen on the spot, like I’m stuck between two worlds.

Stay. Protect. Guard.

The pulse shoots through me once more, the need to stay by the gate growing the longer I stay here.

I glance back down at my mate, her green eyes the beacon I need that draws me to her, holding nothing but warmth and patience.

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