Chapter 244

Chapter 244:

As I carried her away from that nightmare, away from the darkness that had almost consumed us, I knew one thing for certain. This wasn’t the end. It was just the beginning. Luna Anna, Jason, Thane—they would all pay in time. But for now, the only thing that mattered was Jasmine.

And I would never let her go again.

Ryder’s pov

The room was dark except for the faint light filtering through the blinds, casting thin, fractured lines across the walls. Jasmine lay there, still and fragile, her chest rising and falling in a rhythm so soft it felt like a whisper of life. I didn’t move. I didn’t dare. I’d been glued to this spot for seven agonizing days, and still, she hadn’t opened her eyes.

Another scream tore through her lips, raw and broken, the kind of sound that clawed its way out of a nightmare and shredded what was left of my heart. My knuckles turned white as I clenched the armrest of the chair. Ace was a storm inside me, his fury barely contained. He hurled accusations, snarling, snapping at the edges of my mind. You failed her.

I knew I did.

My jaw tightened until the ache spread to my temples. The memory of her screaming, of her chained and helpless, seared through me like molten iron. The image played on an endless loop—the way her eyes widened in terror, how her voice cracked as she cried out my name. I’d been too late. Just a few minutes sooner and none of this would’ve happened.

“Ryder p>

The soft, tired voice of Dr. Lee pulled me from the abyss. She stood by the door, exhaustion etched into her features, a clipboard hanging limply in her hands. She was doing everything she could, but there was only so much medicine could fix. The rest depended on Jasmine—the strength she had left after everything they’d done to her.

“She’s stable,” Dr. Lee said quietly, “but the Veilroot has drained her. Her body is fighting, but… her mind has been through more trauma than anyone should endure p>

Her eyes softened as she took in the scene—me, hollow-eyed and broken, my hand hovering just above Jasmine’s, afraid to touch her for fear she’d shatter completely.

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“I don’t know when she’ll wake up,” Dr. Lee admitted, the words like shards of glass in my chest. “But don’t give up on her, Ryder. She’s strong p>

Strong. The word twisted bitterly inside me. She was strong, but she shouldn’t have to be. She shouldn’t have been dragged through hell just because of my delays, my weakness.

I nodded once, barely a movement, and Dr. Lee slipped out, leaving me with the crushing silence.

I leaned closer, my forehead almost touching Jasmine’s hand. Her skin was cold, far too cold, and it made something inside me snap. I let my fingers brush hers, finally allowing myself the contact I’d been craving. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice barely audible, as if speaking too loudly would shatter the fragile air around her. “I should’ve been faster. I should’ve protected you p>

Ace let out a low, miserable whine, the fight gone out of him. The only thing left was guilt—an ocean of it that threatened to pull me under. I could barely look at her, at the bruises fading across her wrists where the chains had cut into her, at the shadows beneath her eyes.

Her scream still echoed in my ears, haunting me even in my sleep. Not that I slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I was back there, seeing her chained, her wolf weakened, the fear so raw on her face that it clawed at my insides.

“I should’ve killed them,” I growled, the words bitter and sharp. Jason. Luna Anna. Marcus. They were all still breathing, and the rage inside me boiled like acid. I’d promised restraint, but restraint felt like betrayal when I looked at her now, pale and unmoving.

I stood, pacing the room because sitting still was suffocating. The walls closed in, the air grew thick, and I couldn’t breathe. Seven days of waiting. Seven days of hoping. Seven days of hell.