Chapter 261

Chapter 261:

“We’ll figure it out,” he said quietly. “Together p>

Ryder’s POV

I stood by the window, staring into the darkness, my fists clenched so tightly my knuckles had gone white. The night was quiet, too quiet, but inside me, a storm was raging. Hearing Jasmine whisper his name in her sleep had shattered something inside me. Her screams, her fear—it was all because of Jason. The bastard who haunted her even now, who’d left scars I couldn’t erase. My mate, broken because of him. Ace was snarling in my mind, his fury a wildfire that matched my own.

“We should’ve ended him already p>

I knew he was right. I had promised Jasmine time, promised myself I’d wait, that I’d find the right moment to make Jason pay. But to hell with waiting. The sound of her crying out for that bastard was the final crack. I couldn’t stand by any longer. Jason had taken enough from her, from us. No more.

My jaw clenched, the muscles aching under the pressure. My vision blurred with red-hot anger. Ace paced, barely restrained.

“He hurt her, Ryder. He did this. And he’s still out there, breathing.” I could feel my chest tightening, the rage suffocating me. My entire body buzzed with a need for action, for vengeance. I couldn’t just sit here, watching her suffer, knowing the man responsible still walked free.

Turning on my heel, I stormed to the bed where Jasmine lay. Her face was peaceful now, but I knew it was only temporary. The nightmares would come again. They always did. My heart twisted painfully in my chest.

I crouched beside her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. She didn’t stir. Her lashes rested against her cheeks, shadows beneath them telling stories of too many sleepless nights.

“I swear I’ll end this,” I whispered. The promise tasted like iron on my tongue.

I stood up and took a steadying breath. My mind was clear now. The hesitation, the restraint—it was gone. I wasn’t going to wait for another perfect moment. The moment was now.

𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖘𝖙 𝖘𝖊𝖊𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝖘𝖎𝖙𝖊: ⳑ𝗮𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⧼ⅽ𝗈𝗺

I walked to the door, opening it quietly. Seraphina was waiting just outside, her eyes sharp, immediately sensing something was off.

“Watch over her,” I said, my voice low and hard. “Get her dressed in the morning. We’re leaving p>

Her brow furrowed, but she didn’t question me.

“Where are you taking her p>

“Silverclaw p>

Her eyes widened just a fraction. “Ryder p>

“I’m done waiting,” I cut her off, my tone cold as steel. “He did this to her. He’s going to answer for it p>

Seraphina nodded once, understanding in her eyes. She knew better than to argue. The fire burning inside me couldn’t be extinguished.

I turned and walked away, my footsteps heavy with purpose. The halls felt suffocating, the walls closing in on me. I needed to get out, to breathe, to move. My pulse pounded in my ears, the need for vengeance a drumbeat in my veins.

By the time I made it to my office, I was shaking. Not with fear, but with barely contained rage. I slammed the door behind me and leaned against it, trying to steady my breathing. It didn’t work. Ace growled, his fury bubbling over.

“We’re wasting time p>

He was right. I moved to my desk, staring blankly at the papers scattered across it. The responsibilities, the duties—they meant nothing right now. How could they when my mate was haunted by her worst nightmare?