Chapter 243

Chapter 243:

Then there was Jason—the bastard who’d touched her, who’d tried to claim what wasn’t his. He was sprawled against the wall where I’d thrown him, his chest heaving, blood dripping from his mouth. His red eyes flickered with hatred as he…

Jason struggled to rise. His lips curled back in a sneer, but there was fear in his gaze now. He knew the tables had turned.

I stalked toward him, each step deliberate, my muscles coiled with restraint. He scrambled to his feet, swaying, his confidence shattered.

“You think you can take me down, Ryder?” Jason spat, blood flecking his lips. “You’re nothing without her bond. You’re weak p>

I didn’t bother answering with words. My fist shot out, connecting with his jaw in a sickening crunch. He staggered back, a choked cry escaping him, but I didn’t let up. I grabbed the front of his shirt, lifting him off his feet. His eyes went wide with panic.

“Look at me, Jason,” I growled, my voice dangerously calm. “You thought you could break her. Thought you could own her. But you don’t own anything. And you never will p>

I dropped him, and he crumpled to the ground, coughing, clutching his jaw. His eyes burned with hatred, but his body shook with fear. He was done, and he knew it.

A cold, familiar voice cut through the chaos.

“That’s enough p>

I turned slowly to see Jason’s father, Alpha Thane of the Silverclaw Pack, standing at the edge of the clearing. His silver hair glinted in the moonlight, his face carved from stone. His eyes, pale and calculating, swept over the scene, lingering on his son’s broken form. There was no pity there, no fatherly concern. Just cold, hard assessment.

“Pathetic,” Thane muttered, his lip curling in disgust as he looked at Jason. Then his gaze shifted to me. “This has gone far enough, Ryder p>

I didn’t flinch under his stare. “You’re right. It has p>

m𝓸r𝓮 𝓾ρda𝓽es 𝓲𝓷

He raised a brow, his face betraying nothing. “You want vengeance? You want justice?” His voice was dangerously smooth. “You’ve made your point. Take your Luna and go p>

A bitter laugh bubbled in my throat. “You think you can just wave me off? After what your son did? After what she did?” I jabbed a finger toward Luna Anna, who stood there, still as a statue.

Thane’s eyes flicked to Anna, and something dark passed over his expression. “Her choices are her own p>

It was a careful statement, but it told me enough. He was washing his hands of this mess. Of her. The betrayal was fracturing, the alliances crumbling.

“Your son is just as guilty,” I snapped.

Thane’s gaze hardened. “And he’ll face the consequences. But you and I both know spilling more blood tonight won’t change anything p>

My hands shook with the need to fight, to finish this, but deep down, I knew he was right. If we fought now, it would spiral into a war we weren’t prepared for. Jasmine needed me more than I needed vengeance.

I took a slow breath, forcing the fury to the back of my mind. “This isn’t over, Thane p>

A thin smile touched his lips. “It never is p>

I turned away, my chest heaving. Kade was waiting near the treeline, Jasmine cradled in his arms. She looked so fragile, her skin pale, her eyes half-closed with exhaustion. My heart ached at the sight of her.

I strode toward them, my steps quickening until I reached her. Kade shifted her gently into my arms, and I held her close, feeling her warmth against me. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she gazed up at me, her lips trembling. “Ryder…” she whispered.

“I’ve got you,” I murmured, my voice raw. “You’re safe p>