?Chapter 94:

Ryder’s gaze softened, and he stepped closer. My heart performed a double flip. “Would you like it?”

My jaw dropped. “What? No, I mean yes… Ryder, you can’t be serious. This is… priceless.” I let out a mirthlessugh, one he didn’t reciprocate. Could he be serious?

His brows arched, and he shook his head like I’d said something absurd.

He probably didn’t know how much these things cost, but he could shake his head all he liked. “‘You can’t just give me something worth that much!”

Ryder let out a soft yawn, a bored expression crossing his features. “Why not? You appreciate its beauty and history. I’d rather see it with someone who truly values it.” He shrugged.

I was speechless. I couldn’t even think of an answer before I blurted out a silly response. Ryder strode across to the other end of the hall.

He only stopped to speak with a middle-aged man dressed in a ck tailored suit and brown oxfords, probably the curator. They both backed up so I couldn’t see their faces, but their conversation was brief, and before I knew it, Ryder returned to my side.

“It’s yours,” he announced, his voice low and husky as he stared at me intently, his ocean eyes never missing a single movement.

“Really?” Was he joking? I mean, I’d never known him to pull silly pranks, but today…

My vision blurred, and I blinked hard, a failed attempt to push back the tears that threatened to spill down my face. I pulled him into a hurried hug.

“Thank you, Ryder! Oh my God, thank you!” His arms wrapped around me, pulling me close.

When he switched from being sweet to being a jerk by ruffling my hair, I stepped back and pushed his arm away.

“Ouch, just when I was going to show you something else,” he whimpered.

“What?” My eyes bulged with excitement. Ryder dipped his hands into his pocket and fished out a piece of paper.

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“For punching me, you’re going to have to snatch it from me,” he smirked, and I gave him the middle finger. After several minutes of hopping, I finally managed to snatch it from him.

“Asshole,” I hissed under my breath, my eyes quickly scanning the paper. Something caught my attention. Holy shit! “Jasmine, Owner of the Lunaris Amulet.”

I felt like I was dreaming. This couldn’t be real. Every doubt I had, along with thoughts of it being a prank, vanished.

“Ryder, seriously, this is…” I trailed off, overwhelmed. It was one of those rare moments when my brain couldn’t think of a single word to say.

He leaned in, his voice whispering against my ear. “I wanted to see you happy, Jasmine. You deserve it.”

Without a single care, I crashed my head against his chest and pulled him into a bear hug, holding onto him tight.

“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice muffled against his chest.

“This is a lot,” I said with my head still buried in his chest.

“Not as much as seeing you throw one of your tantrums, no thank you,” he chuckled, and a warm smile curved the sides of my lips.

Was there such a thing as being too grateful? If so, I was drowning in it tonight. As Ryder and I drove away from the Lycan museum, I couldn’t stop thanking him. It was like the silence between us needed to be filled with my gratitude, though I was half-surprised he hadn’t gotten annoyed yet.

“Thank you for tonight, Ryder. It was… amazing,” I sighed, leaning back against the seat, trying to calm the storm of nerves brewing inside.

His eyes stayed fixed on the road, but his lips curled upward, and his hand found mine, his rough palmpletely engulfing mine. “You’re wee, Jasmine,” he murmured, his voice low. “But if you’re feeling that grateful, maybe it’s time you thanked me properly. Seems like words aren’t enough.”

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