Page 115 of Reluctant Rebel

It was so out of character that everyone stopped to stare at him, including Brax and Styx. Jinx tilted her head curiously, studying her new mate for a moment before realisation hit her.He’s jealous!she thought to herself. She still had an arm wrapped around Luca’s waist.

“Demons are sexy when they’re jealous, don’t you think?” Luca mock-whispered before releasing her. “And, yes, a medal would be lovely. Especially since I’m about to be a grandfather.”

Jinx listened with half an ear as Sabre explained what transpired in Hell with Lucifer. She was beyond relieved that Styx would be around to play with his hellpups, but she was also worried about another cherished male.

She stepped close to Mikhail and then steppedintohim when he opened his arms wide. She drew in his scent, her tiger finally relaxing fully since the fight.

“Are you hurt?” Mikhail asked, pulling back to look over her from head to toe.

Jinx shook her head. “Not a scratch.”

Mikhail’s eyes darkened with pain. “Zagan. He made you …”

Jinx covered his mouth with her hand. “No. We aren’t going to do this. Zagan didn’t damage me in any way. I swear to you. Besides, he couldn’tmakeme do anything. I was playing along, biding my time until I had an opening.”

“Yeah, about that …” Brax’s voice boomed across the small space between them. “How did you evade Zagan’s powers?”

Jinx scratched her head, feeling more than a little awkward. “I’m thinking it has something to do with my powers—mylegacies,” she emphasised.

“What legacies? You never mentioned anything to me,” Eric said, looking confused.

“I didn’t know about them. And I still don’t. I’m just guessing,” Jinx explained, probably not making any sense.

“Fiadh!” Mikhail shouted abruptly. He startled some soldiers dealing with the fallout so badly that they raised their weapons, looking for danger. Mikhail quickly apologised before turning to Jinx. “Your last name, Fiadh. I know why it felt familiar. It was one of the names on Zagan’s list. Fiadh was the name of theshifter Forefather,” he exclaimed. “You are a direct descendant of a Founding Father.”

Jinx shrugged, wishing everyone would stop staring at her like she’d just grown a second head. “Yeah. That’s my conclusion, too. I admit when I saw the name on the pedigree in Zagan’s room, I was a little baffled. I assumed it was a coincidence. But when Zagan’s voice did nothing to me …” She shrugged helplessly again. “My best guess is that it isnotrandom and directly related to how I was able to withstand Zagan’s legacy. Because I have myown.”

“But he captured you before. Didn’t he get into your brain then?” Eric questioned.

“He didn’t try. I don’t think.” Jinx frowned, thinking back. “Except when I was running away, and I blocked my ears. I thought that was why it didn’t work. But maybe not.”

“Or,” Draven interjected quietly, “when Zagan killed the fox shifters, it was enough death to disperse the powers between the surviving descendants, granting you new abilities.”

“Oh,” Jinx breathed. She hadn’t considered that. The thought made her feel a little sick. Mikhail’s large hand landed on her stomach, moving in slow, soothing circles. She smiled at him gratefully.

“Whatever the reason, I’m grateful for them. You saved us all,” Brax said, his expression a mixture of pride and sadness.

“By killing your brother,” Jinx said softly. She moved out of Mikhail’s reach but kept her eyes on him, hoping he would see her sincerity. “If you need time—if you can’t stand to touch me or look at me—I understand. I’m so sorry.”

“Why wouldn’t I want to touch you? You’re my goddam hero, Jinx,” Mikhail told her gruffly. “You saved us all. Not to mention a universe full of souls.”

“I killed your brother.”

Mikhail stepped right into her personal space, cupping her cheeks. “The person who died wasnotmy brother.”

A single tear of relief escaped when he kissed her like a man in love. She melted into him, her hands clutching at his shirt, desperate to hold on to the moment of unexpected grace. He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. “I love you,” he whispered, and she believed him.

“So, is that it? Is it over?” Eric piped up from somewhere behind her. “It seems a little anticlimactic.”

“Everyone is in one piece, and the bad guy is dead,” Sabre commented, gesturing widely. “It’s the best win we could have asked for.”

Eric nodded. “I know. But we saved the eternal life of all souls, right? I kind of expected a bit more …more.”

“If you think the gods are going to come to Purgatory to shake your hands, you’ll have a long wait,” Lucifer said dryly. He patted Styx on the head. “Come on, take me to your mate. I want to see what you’ve done to her.”

Styx’s ears flattened against his head briefly, making him look pitiful. The second Lucifer apologised, Styx danced around joyfully, his booming bark echoing across the graves. He took off a moment later, Lucifer hot on his heels.

They were all quiet for a time, lost in thought, reconciling their fates, offering thanks and condolences to the universe in equal measure. A naughty pixie broke the sombre, respectful mood.

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