Chapter 199

Chapter 199:

I charged in, my wolf taking control as I tore through anyone who dared to come near Jasmine. My claws found flesh, my teeth sank into muscle, and the taste of blood only fueled my fury.

Jasmine held her own, moving like she’d been born for this. Layla guided her, every movement precise and deadly.

I’m in freaking awe. Can she just stop surprising me as the day goes by? I needed to focus now. We need to get this over with and then have time to talk about this.

I mean, how on earth did she outsmart a rogue? The fire in her eyes… The sudden aura that came from her… All of it made sense now. The Veilroot she’d been fed… There was definitely a connection.

And whatever it was, we were going to get to the bottom of it, I promise.

When the dust settled, the gallery was a mess. Broken glass and splintered wood littered the floor, but the rogues were defeated—scattered or subdued.

Jasmine stood in the center of the room, her chest heaving, her fur streaked with blood. She looked at me, her eyes still glowing with the remnants of her shift.

“You okay?” I asked, stepping closer.

She nodded, her lips quirking into a shaky but triumphant smile. “Told you I could handle myself p>

I chuckled, pulling her into my arms. “Remind me not to doubt you again.” I hugged her tightly, realization suddenly dawning on me. I could have lost her. The Moon Goddess knows, I could have died too—what would the world Without Jasmine. Without how perfectly she fits into my hands, her smile, how her body was made for me. My addiction. My obsession. My drug.

The second I saw Ryder through the glass, my heart clenched. His eyes were burning with barely contained rage, and I could feel his anger in the way his jaw tensed, how his fist clenched—even from here. But he wasn’t moving. Why wasn’t he doing anything?

I wanted to scream at him, to tell him to hurry, to save me. But I knew why he didn’t. The knife at my throat was a cold reminder of how delicate this situation was. One wrong move, and it would all be over. For me. For him.

The rogue leader’s grip was iron-tight, his breath hot and disgusting against my ear.

LΑτєѕτ chαρτєrs ιn

“Your Alpha isn’t coming, sweetheart,” he sneered. “Guess you’re not worth it p>

I gritted my jaw, the urge to spit in his face overwhelming. Even Layla wasn’t having it. Her growl said it all.

I flinched at his words, not because I believed them, but because I hated feeling helpless. Ryder wasn’t doing nothing; I knew he was holding back for me. His voice rang through the room—calm and icy—but I could hear the anger he was trying his best to hide.

“You don’t know who you’re dealing with p>

The rogue snorted, dragging the knife just a bit closer to my skin.

I gasped, trying not to look pathetic, but that didn’t change the fact that just a movement of his hand would send me to the floor, lifeless, under his feet.

“Oh, I think I do. The big bad Alpha, paralyzed by love.” He laughed, and it grated on my nerves. I could feel Ryder’s pain through the bond—his desperation and fury. It mirrored my own.

I’m trying to hide my pain, I’m freaking dying inside.

And then Layla, my wolf, stirred.

“This idiot has no idea who he’s messing with,” she growled in my head, her voice sharp and commanding. I felt her power rise, shaking under my skin. For the first time, she wasn’t just watching—she was ready to act. Even though I had told her to stay calm.

“Layla,” I whispered internally, trying to steady myself. “What do we do? We can’t make a mistake here p>

I was trying to be cautious, but by the Goddess, the knife was still pointed at my neck.