Chapter 253

Chapter 253:

I let out a shaky breath, my chest tight with frustration. If I marked her, it would kill her. The bond would ignite inside her, but instead of strengthening her, it would destroy her. The poison from the Veilroot was still in her system. I’d be watching her body burn from the inside out, and there wouldn’t be a damn thing I could do to stop it.

The thought made my stomach twist, rage and helplessness swirling together into a storm I couldn’t control. Ace snarled, his fury mirroring my own.

“It’s not fair,” he snapped. “She’s ours. We’re supposed to protect her, to claim her p>

I closed my eyes, my head pounding. He was right. Every instinct in me screamed that she was mine. The need to mark her, to bind her to me forever, was a primal force, clawing at my insides. But the fear of losing her, of watching her slip away because of my touch, was stronger.

I opened my eyes and found her watching me, her gaze uncertain, searching. Did she know how close I was to the edge? How close I was to shattering and giving in to the hunger that burned inside me?

Her scent thickened, and my pulse spiked. She shifted slightly, her thighs pressing together—a subtle move, but I caught it. My jaw tightened, heat flaring low in my abdomen. My eyes traced the curve of her neck, the spot where my mark should be.

Ace growled, deep and rough. “She wants us too p>

I knew. I could see it in the way her breath quickened, in the way her eyes darkened when they met mine. I could feel her need, her body calling out to me. And it was torture.

I took a step toward her before I could stop myself. Her eyes widened, her lips parting slightly, and I barely suppressed a groan. She didn’t even realize how much power she held over me. Every movement, every look—it ignited something dangerous inside me.

I stopped just in front of her, my hands trembling with the effort to keep them at my sides. My eyes dropped to her mouth, soft and inviting, and my heart pounded so hard I thought it might break through my ribs.

“Ryder…” she whispered, her voice breathless, uncertain.

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The sound of my name on her lips almost undid me. I leaned in, just a little, so close that I could feel the warmth of her breath against my skin. My fingers itched to touch her, to pull her against me, to lose myself in her.

But I didn’t.

I forced my body to stay still, every muscle screaming in protest. Ace roared inside me, furious, desperate. “She’s right there. Just one touch, one kiss p>

I clenched my fists so tightly my knuckles turned white. “I can’t risk it,” I shot back at him.

Jasmine’s eyes searched mine, confusion and longing written all over her face. I could see her trying to understand why I was holding back, why I was torturing us both with this distance.

I swallowed hard, my voice rough and strained. “I want to kiss you,” I admitted, my eyes locked on hers. “I want to do a lot more than that p>

Her breath hitched, and her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink. God, she was beautiful. Her innocence and fire, all mixed together, made me ache in a way I couldn’t explain.

“But if I do…” My voice cracked, and I took a shaky breath. “If I mark you, it could kill you, Jasmine p>

Her eyes widened, shock and fear flickering across her face. My chest tightened even more. I hated putting that look in her eyes. Hated that my love for her came with this kind of danger.