Page 398 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

Soren smirks. “My skills come in many forms. Just ask Rielle.”

Rielle murmurs something about insufferable men as she tries to ignore him, but all it does is make his smile grow.

“What would have happened if we didn’t have those shortcuts?” I really did feel like we walked right into each realm. The worlds just… shifted around us.

“It would’ve taken you a lot longer to get through each realm and you would’ve run into a lot meaner-looking demons than the ones you met.”

“Sounds like fun.”

I whip around just as Jax comes from the side of the staircase. He rushes forward and pulls me into a tight hug.

“Fuck, I missed you.” Jax breathes me in, holding me tighter as if he never wants to let go.

I grip him just as tight, feeling the same.

“Kiarra!” Luka comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around us both.

Jax pulls back a bit, just as Luka does the same. “Told you I’d find her.”

“Never doubted you for a minute, brother.” Jax and Luka share a smile before looking at me.

“Where are the rest of the guys?”

“Right here.” Axel comes around the staircase, a smile on his face when he sees me. It’s soft, not his usual alphahole smile. He rushes toward me, just as quick as Jax did and twirls me around.

“Hey. Stop hogging our mate. I found her first.” Jax frowns at Axel.

Soren rolls his eyes. “Technically, we were on our way to you.”

Jax gives Soren a bland look. “You still here, old man?”

Soren glances behind him before looking at Jax with a mock confused expression. “I don’t know who you’re talking to. The onlyoldperson here is Rielle and she’d prefer you call hermature. Think of her like a fine wine or… aged cheese depending on the day.” Soren winks at Rielle just as her twitch reappears .

Jax narrows his eyes on him, but his lips tilt up, giving himself away. “You’re just lucky you brought our mate to us.”

“Well, after you threatened to gut me, rip my soul to shreds and feed what’s left of me to the demons, I thought it would be in my best interest to carry out your…request.”

Jax nods like it’s an acceptable answer. He opens his mouth to reply when Rion and Kai show up.

“Siren.” Rion pulls me from Axel, earning a glare from him but he barely notices, his entire focus on me as he pulls me closer.

I glance over Rion’s shoulder to find Kai standing close by with his fists clenched by his side, his entire body stiff. Just as Rion pulls back, Rielle steps up beside me.

“Let’s take this to the lounge. Kiarra should still be resting.” Rielle gives me a worried look, but I feel fine. More than fine. Especially now that all my guys are all safe.

I don’t get a chance to voice my opinion before Kai steps forward and sweeps me off my feet and moves in the direction they came.

“I can walk,” I tell him, attempting a glare, but he cuts me a look. His dark eyes full of pain and anger.

“You died. You don’t get a say in how overprotective we are right now.”

“It’s not like I wanted to die,” I mumble, more to myself than him. But still, I let him have his way. If it was the other way around, I’d be all over him, too.

“No, but it doesn’t change the fact that you did. Just let us take care of you.” I nod, leaning into him and letting his presence soothe every part of me.

We take a couple of sharp turns before we come to a large lounge, the decor of brown and creams similar to the rest of the house. There’s a large fireplace with a brown ornate design of roses in the middle, and a small library to the left.

Kai sits down in the middle of the large cream sofa set with the guys taking the seats around us. I go to move to the seat beside him when he stops me. I look up at him and he shakes his head.

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