“Draven announced to everyone that if he’s to stay on as leader, he’s going to put his mate and family first from now on.”
I nearly choke on my coffee as I glance at Jazmyn. Her eyes sparkle with laughter at my shocked expression.
“What? When did he say this?” Draven seemed more focused on duty than anything else and went to extremes to make sure he upheld the rules in place. Even if they were old as hell and made no sense.
“Before everything went to shit.” She shakes her head. “The fucker announced it in his big speech right before we went out to fight.”
“To everyone?” As in the entire supe community.
She nods.
That was ballsy, but it’s about damn time he finally started fighting for her.
“Is that something you want?”
Jazmyn rolls her eyes. “I don’t know. In a perfect world we’d all be together, but the truth is he fucking hurt me when he picked his duties over his family. I can’t just forget that. If he wants this… really wants it. Then I’m going to make him work for it.”
I laugh at the mischievous look on her face. “Good. He deserves to work hard for it. How’s Kane and Malik?”
She smiles, her whole face lighting up at the mention of them. “Both are fine. Malik still has his episodes but they’re getting better. I made something for him that’s helping and Kane’s just happy to have his family around him. That’s all he ever wanted.”
Kane never gave up when Malik went missing. He’s always been there for Jazmyn and even me. I’m glad he got his family in the end.
Jazmyn gives me an unreadable look before she glances out at the city. “It’s crazy that it took the world ending for everyone to realize how fucking stupid they all are.”
I laugh at her thoughtful expression. “Want to elaborate on that?”
She smiles, shaking her head. “This whole divide among the supes, especially the demons and witches. I know not everyone thinks that way, but it took the end of the world for them to realize that the only way we can get through shit is together. Now most don’t want to go back to the way it was. They want change.”
Apart from getting King off our backs. If there was anything good to come from all this, it would be that.
“Change is good. It can be scary at first, especially for those that are not used to it, but it’s the only way we can truly grow. And the only way any of us will be able to move forward after everything.”
I doubt it’s all going to happen overnight, but it’s a start and that’s what we all need right now. A fresh start unhindered by useless rules made in the past.
Jazmyn takes a sip of her tea. “What about you? Now that King’s gone, what’s the plan?”
I lean back in the chair, a small smile on my lips. “I don’t know.” I glance out at the clear blue skies and the bustling city below. Such a contrast to Manhattan, where it’s desolate from the aftermath.
“I’ve lived most of my life in a cage and most of it has been about trying to escape… to be free. But I don’t think I ever really thought about what it would mean, because now that I have it, I don’t know what to do.”
Or I have too many things I want to do that I can’t just choose one.
I want to experience all the little moments I missed growing up. I want to go to a park and have a picnic with the guys. I want to walk through different cities and explore all they have to offer. I want to travel. I want to see the world. I want to make as many memories as possible with my mates. I want to carve out a spot in the world that I can call my own.
And I want to find me but with my mates by my side.
She reaches out and squeezes my hand, a soft look in her eyes. “Start off small and work your way up. And I’ll be here whenever you need me.”
Wait… “You’re staying?”
Jazmyn laughs at my excitement. “For now, yes. But even when I go, I won’t be far, and I’ll only ever be a portal away.”
“True.” I laugh, realizing my stupidity. Sometimes I forget just how powerful we all are and all the crazy things we can do.
A rush of unfamiliar energy enters the room making my smile drop. I and Jazmyn jump up just as a large portal appears. I pull my powers to the surface just as Rielle steps through, the portal closing quickly behind her.
I sigh in relief, as my racing heart starts to slow. Rielle opens her mouth to speak when she notices Jazmyn.
“Can we have a moment? It’s important.”
Jazmyn hesitates, looking at me. I give her a smile. “It’s fine.”
Jazmyn sighs, narrowing her eyes on Rielle before glancing back at me. “If you need anything, just call.”
She heads out just as Rielle walks over to me, a frustrated look on her face.
“What’s up?”
She starts pacing back and forth, as if she can’t sit still, before she turns back to me with a frown.
“Why hasn’t King been brought back to the Underworld to be absorbed? I thought I made it clear how important it was for the balance to be fully restored.”
Everything around me slows down and stops.
This can’t be happening. He’s dead. I know it. I was there… But I passed out before I saw him take his last breath.
But still… my mates, they would’ve said something. I just assumed…
My heart gives a heavy thump at the thought of King escaping once more.
He’s weak. If we find him soon, we can— The guys storm into the room, all wearing angry faces as if they’re ready for a fight.
They ignore Rielle and come straight over to me.
Kai pulls me to him. “What’s wrong?”
“Rielle said King’s not in the Underworld.” I pull back to look into his eyes. “Did he escape?”
Rielle sighs. “No, because he was never brought there.”
I frown looking at her. How is that possible? “What are you talking about?”
She gives my mates a pointed look. “Your mates never brought him there. I was in a different realm in the Underworld when you and your mates went to the core. I thought he was also absorbed when you released the energy back into it. But the balance is still off and that can only mean one thing… King is still alive.”
But the guys were there when he was dying, they would have… I glance over at them, and the blank looks they all wear. Most of them shuffling or glancing elsewhere.
It takes me a minute, but I finally catch it, the guilt. It cloaks the air around them, becoming stifling.
I pull away from Kai, glancing around at them all. “What did you do?”
Jax pastes a smirk on his face, and saunters over. “Don’t know what you’re talking about. How about we go do something… fun?” He wiggles his brows as his smirk grows wicked.
I narrow my eyes on the idiot. “How about… no. Tell me what you did?”
My question is met with silence. Rion and Luka avoid looking at me completely. Kai just stands there, looking pissed as hell, all aimed at Rielle. Jax tries to distract me by trailing his hungry dark eyes down my body. While Axel smirks between us like he’s ready to join him.
But I am not in the mood for their games especially when King is missing. I know they’re keeping something from me. But before I get the chance to pull them on it, Soren appears.
He frowns looking between us all. “Why wasn’t I invited to this little party?”
Rielle glares as she takes a step closer to him. “Where’s King?”
Soren glances over at the guys. “They still don’t know?”
I freeze and Jax steps back wincing at the look on my face, before glaring over at Soren.
“Don’t know what?” I try to get it out of Jax but he’s avoiding my eyes now, more interested in the fucking wall.
Soren sighs at Jax, shaking his head before looking to me. “Your mates decided it was best to pass their own punishment of sorts.”
Passing their… I glare around at them. “What does that mean?”
Rielle clenches her fists by her side. I feel a slight shift of energy in the room as she snarls at Soren. “And you allowed this?”
Soren chokes on a laugh, not one bit deterred by her temper. “I’m not about to piss off five of the most powerful supernatural beings for protecting their mate.”
Jax nods. “And that’s why we like you the most.”
“As you should.” Soren nods agreeing with his little assessment.
I share a look with Rielle before glancing around at each of my mates. “What are you talking about, protecting me? King was dead… or dying.”
At least he was the last time I saw him. “Where is he?” If I have to kill him myself here and now to be done with this, I will.
The guys frown, wincing at the look I give them but it’s Luka who relents.
“In the basement.”
I blink as if his words are hard to comprehend. “In the… Why?”
The guys grow quiet.
“Someone better fucking answer me or—”
Soren sighs, loudly, gaining everyone’s attention. “They’ve been torturing King… slowly each day. Bringing him to the brink of death before getting a healer in to heal him just enough to do it all again. They’ve also got the room spelled so time is immeasurable making his torture feel endless.”
My brain shuts off for a minute. When it finally clicks, I have so many mixed emotions bubbling up inside me that I don’t know where to start.
Until I decide violence is an option.
I cut each of my mates a hard look. “So instead of just being done with this once and for all, you what? Decide to go all alpha and create your own punishment?”
They all look at me like I’m the crazy one here. Jax’s eyes bug off his head just before they narrow, a glint of rage in them. “He fucking tortured you for most of your life. He stole years from you and us. It’s about time he got to feel that pain… but infinitely.”
Kai steps closer. “You didn’t think we’d let him get away with what he did to you, did you?”
I shake my head at them. “He’s basically human. And he’s going to Hell to be absorbed.”
Axel crosses his arms like a stubborn child. “Not fucking good enough.”
Rion raises a brow. “Not even close.”
Jax nods agreeing with them. “Hell was a walk in the park. He deserves to fucking suffer.”
Rielle sighs, rubbing her temple. “As touching as this all is, King really does need to be absorbed by the Underworld in order to fix the balance, or we could be in the same position all over again.”
Kai narrows his eyes on her. “With the core’s power returned, the balance is holding, is it not?”
“Yes, but–”
“Then the bastard can die a hundred different more ways before we let you have him.” Jax shrugs, giving her a crazy look.
I look at them, really look at them and notice the hurt and pain in each of their eyes. King hurt them too. He broke up our family and because of that, they suffered.
I release a sigh as the fight drains from me. They deserve to take their revenge but not if it’s for me.
Even though I can understand where they’re coming from, I want to move on from this… from him. I don’t want anything holding us back from the future we deserve.
I’m tired of always fighting for peace. I thought he was gone but as soon as Rielle showed up, my body and mind have been in a constant state of fight or flight, waiting for the worst to happen. I don’t want to live my life like this. Not anymore.
Not now that I have a future with my men.
“I don’t want to do this…”
The guys freeze at the raw vulnerability in my tone. They all look to me.
“I want him gone… for good. As much as I love you all for getting revenge for what happened, I don’t need it. I just need you all by my side and the peace that comes along with knowing King is gone from our lives for good.”
The guys quickly deflate, releasing the tense energy in the room. They all come closer, surrounding me, wearing guilty, resigned looks.
Kai takes my hand. “As much as I want to spend the next few years ripping him apart piece by piece. I don’t want it, if it’s going to hurt you in any way.” He glances around at the others. “None of us do.”
The energy shifts in the room as a new portal opens. We glance over as Rielle narrows her eyes on the guys.
“Make sure you bring him down to the core as soon as possible.” She gives me a soft smile before glaring at the guys once more. Jax rolls his eyes at her just as she leaves with Soren following close behind.
Axel walks over to me, wrapping his arms around me from behind.
Jax narrows his eyes on him before looking at me with a somber expression. “We were going to bring King to the Underworld… eventually.”
I give him a smile letting him know I’m no longer angry. “I know, but let’s just move on. I want a fresh start. One without all this hanging over our heads.”
Kai steps forward, placing a kiss on my head. “We’ll get rid of him tonight.”
