Chapter 245
Chapter 245:
Ace snapped at me again. Do something. Fix this!
But what could I do? No amount of vengeance, no deal, no battle would wake her up. I’d give half my pack, my life, anything—just for her to open her eyes.
The door creaked open behind me, and I turned to see Kade standing there, his eyes weary but determined. He walked in silently, his gaze flicking to Jasmine and then back to me.
“Enzo’s arriving tomorrow,” Kade murmured. “He says he’s bringing the DNA results p>
I barely cared. What did it matter now? Whether Jasmine was Enzo’s sister or not, none of it changed what had happened. What was still happening.
“I don’t give a damn about the results,” I said, my voice flat. “I just need her to wake up p>
Kade’s expression softened. He stepped forward and put a hand on my shoulder. “She will, Ryder. She’s fighting. You know she is p>
I swallowed hard, my throat raw. “And what if she doesn’t?” The question slipped out before I could stop it, a dark, ugly fear that had been gnawing at me since the moment I carried her back. “What if she doesn’t wake up, Kade p>
He didn’t answer right away. The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating.
“She will,” he said finally, but his voice was thick with uncertainty.
He left me alone again, the door clicking shut softly behind him. The room was quiet once more, the only sound the faint hum of Jasmine’s breathing machine.
I turned back to her, my heart clenching painfully. I knelt beside her bed, taking her cold hand in mine.
“I need you, Jasmine,” I whispered, the words cracking like glass. “Please, come back to me p>
The tears I’d been holding back finally slipped down my cheeks, hot and blinding. I bowed my head, my forehead resting against the back of her hand. My shoulders shook, and I let the grief bleed out, let the guilt carve deeper lines into my soul.
I didn’t know how long I stayed like that, lost in my silent torment. But then— a soft, almost imperceptible movement.
I ¢♄₳þŧëяŞ ¡η gałnøνεlŞ.cø₥
Her fingers curled around mine.
I froze, my breath catching in my throat. Slowly, I lifted my head, my heart pounding so loudly I could hear it in my ears. Her eyelids fluttered, a faint crease forming between her brows.
And then, with a soft, trembling breath, Jasmine’s eyes opened.
A sob broke free from my chest, raw and wild. Relief crashed over me like a tidal wave, stealing my breath. Her eyes met mine—confused, pained, but alive.
“Ryder…” she whispered, her voice fragile, but it was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard.
I clutched her hand tighter, pressing my forehead to hers. “I’m here,” I choked out. “I’m right here p>
Jasmine’s POV
Darkness swirled around me, clouded and suffocating. I drifted weightlessly, the edges of my consciousness fraying like fragile thread. I knew I was trapped in a dream, but it felt more real than anything I’d ever known. My body was still, paralyzed in the waking world, but here… here, my mind was free to wander.
And then I saw her.
A woman with dark hair and haunted eyes, eyes that shimmered like molten amber. Her hands trembled as she held a newborn swaddled in a thin, white blanket. Her face was streaked with tears, raw and desperate, fear etched into every delicate line. I felt a strange, inexplicable pull toward her, my chest aching with a fierce sense of recognition. I couldn’t explain it, but my heart knew before my mind did.
This was my mother. My real mother.
She looked around frantically, the walls of the small room closing in on her. Shadows danced from the flickering candlelight, but no warmth reached her face. Her breath came in shallow gasps, and her hands clutched the baby tighter—me.