Chapter 258
Chapter 258:
And the worst part? I didn’t even know I was still fighting for her. I thought the battle was over, that we were on the road to healing, to fixing what was broken. I thought Jason was finally out of the picture, just a ghost fading into nothing. But no. He’s still there, his shadow wrapped around her like a chain.
The bond, his mark—it’s still clinging to her. Because she didn’t reject him.
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to make sense of it. Was it fear? Was it something deeper? Did a part of her still want that bond? The questions eat at me, each one more poisonous than the last. I don’t want to doubt her, don’t want to think that she chose him over me. But the evidence is staring me in the face, mocking me.
I thought I could protect her, thought I could save her from the nightmares, from the pain. Instead, I’m standing here, useless, while Jason’s grip still lingers on her soul.
Ace lets out a low, guttural snarl, the sound vibrating through me. He’s as lost as I am. His pain is sharp, raw.
“She’s ours,” he whispers. “She was always ours p>
But was she? If she didn’t reject him, does that mean I’ve already lost? I force my eyes open, my vision blurry. Dr. Lee is watching me, her face a mask of quiet concern. I can barely meet her gaze. I feel… defeated. And I hate it. I hate how powerless I feel right now.
“How do we unbind her?” I ask, my voice rough and brittle. It feels like it’s costing me everything to speak, but I have to know. I have to fix this.
Dr. Lee sighs, her expression tightening. “You’ll need the help of a full-breed witch,” she says, the words careful and hesitant. “It’s the only way p>
A full-breed witch.
I almost laugh, but the sound dies in my throat. Full-breed witches have been gone for years, driven into hiding, maybe even extinction. Finding one will be like chasing a ghost. Impossible. But what choice do I have? What choice does she have?
“We’ll find one,” I mutter, more to myself than to her. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, how much blood I have to spill, or how many doors I have to kick down. I’ll find a witch. I have to.
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Dr. Lee gives a small nod, but I can see the doubt in her eyes. The kind of doubt that says she doesn’t believe it’ll be that easy. I don’t blame her. I don’t believe it either.
I turn away before she can say anything else, my feet heavy as I walk out of the office. The hallway feels longer than usual, the walls pressing in on me. My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts, each one darker than the last.
Jasmine’s still sleeping when I return to her room. Seraphina is sitting nearby, her eyes flicking to me, searching my face for answers. I don’t give her any, I can’t. I just nod, and she gets up, silently leaving the room. Kade follows, a knowing look in his eyes, but he doesn’t press.
The door clicks shut, and it’s just us now. Just me and Jasmine.
I walk over to the bed, my chest aching as I look at her. Her face is peaceful in sleep, but I know better. I know the battles she fights behind those closed eyelids. I reach out, my fingers ghosting over her cheek, careful not to wake her.
She didn’t reject him.
The thought drills into me again, and I feel like I’m standing on the edge of a cliff, the ground crumbling beneath me. I was so sure we could move past this. So sure that we were healing. But now… now I don’t know what to believe.
I drop into the chair beside her bed, my elbows on my knees, my head in my hands. Ace is quiet now, the pain too heavy for either of us to carry.