bChapter /b69

Give her to me, bI /bsay, my voice barely human as I move.

Fury gently transfers her into my arms, and I hold her like the’s made of ss. She’s so small, so light–like if I squeeze too hard, she’ll disappear

“What about him, bAlpha/b?” Fury growls behind me.

I don’t even nce at the bastard on the floor.

“Drag him along too,” thiss through clenched teeth. “But don’t be gentle.”

Fury nods once, and I hear the satisfying thud of Khaos being grabbed.

I don’t waste another second, thead straight for the hidden corridor narrow, overgrown with wines, known only to those of Alpha blood. It leads directly to the private pack clinic, tucked deep into the forest like a secret we try to forget. No gossip. No eyes. No fucking questions.

Imindlink the doctor as I move, “Get to the private clinic. Now. Discreetly.”

He doesn’t ask why. He just replies, “Already there.”

By the time I burst through the doors, the doctor’s standing bready/b.

to the bed.

“Put her down,” he says quickly, moving to guide me to

I hesitate–just for a breath–before bI /bset her down as gently bas /bpossible. Jasmine’s skin is ghostly pale, her breathing shallow. Her body–still wrapped in Fury’s jacket–is trembling, even unconscious,

I can’t do this. I can’t look at her like this.

I storm out the door, and the second I’m in the hall, I m my fist into the wall.

CRACK

Pain res through my hand. I don’t stop. I do it again.

And again.

Until the drywall is smeared with blood and my knuckles split wide open. I deserve every blow, every drop of pain, every scream I failed to hear–every warning I ignored.

I should’ve known.

my forehead against the cracked wall, breathing hard, jaw clenched so tight it aches.

I rest my

The door creaks open behind me. The doctor steps into the bhallway/b, wiping his hands with a bloodied towel. His face is pale band /bgrim.

“Alpha,” he says carefully. “Physically, she’ll recover. Her wolf is already healing the bruises and cuts. But…”

I lift my head bslowly/b. “But what?”

bHe /bexhales, “It’s the mark. That’s what’s draining her–emotionally, mentally. She was… forcefully marked, That kind of vition–it’s not something a wolf just walks away from.”

I feel the blood drain from my face.

bChapter /b69

(didn’t bwant /bhim,” I whisper, more to myse

She never wanted to be

?that’s why the yer

bThe /bdoctor nodi bonce /b“And now that the bond is formed against her will, it’s poisoning her from the inde

I’m still trying to process those words when Fury walks into the hallway, dragging Khaos by the arm like a broken rag doll. The bastard’s messia Jaw swollen, one eye purple and sealed shit. And yet, somehow he’s fucking smiling

I march bup /bbe him, grab his cor, and m him against the wall hard enough to shake the clinic.

“You forcefully marked her?” I snarl, my voice so low it vibrates through my chest.

Heughs, wheezingb. /b“You should’ve heard her scream, Alpha….. Begging me not to crying that she was rejecting me.” He grins, teeth bloodstained. “i had to punish her. Had to show her who she belongs to.”

Тупар

I throw him to the ground, every bone in my body screaming for vengeance.

“And you know the best part?” he groans, coughing, “I never ept her rejection. She’ll always be mine. She’ll carry my mark forever, and there’s nothing you can bdo /babout it, bJack/b”

Irake a hand down my bface/b, fingers trembling.

This bastard nned everything. He knew the bond would keep him alive. He bknew /bI wouldn’t kill him if it meant hurting her. He’s hiding behind that bond like a coward. And Jasmine… she’s the one paying for it.

The doctor speaks again, hesitant. “bAlpha/b… if I start treatment on him, it may ease her condition. It’ll help her recover faster.”

My teeth clench so hard I taste blood

I should let him rot in ba /bcell.

But Jasmine needs him aliveb. /b

“Do it,” bark, “Start the damn treatment

The doctor nods band /bmoves toward Khaos, whoughs again, like he’s won.

“Fury,” I grit out

“Alpha?”

“Get five of our strongest warriors. I want them guarding him around the clock. No bone /blets him out of their sight. Lock him in a secured room, breathes too hard, I want to know.”

“Yes, Alpha,”

I turn and head back into Jasmine’s room. Her breathing is steadier now, her frame curled under warm nkets. But she still looks fragile.

I sink down beside her bed.

My hand finds hers, trembling and cold.

bShe /bused to be the bone /bwho balways /bsmiled. Climbing treesb, /bmaking up wild stories, dragging me to the treehouse even when I was too exhausted from training to move,

But I left her behind when I took the Alpha title. And now… this is what she’s be, What he turned her into

My bthoughts /bdrift to Kali–and her faint scent that clung to Khaos‘ house. I hadn’t paid much attention to it at first, not with Jasmine lying broken, but

b2/5 /b

Now bit /bbhit /bnie like ba /bstep of cold nin

Kital was bthere/b.

She must’ve be /bback home to unexpectedly find Jasmine and see what that monster did. Maybe she confronted him. Maybe she didn’t bwait /bfor me because she couldn’t. Because she cared enough to act..

But if that’s true if she did face him–where is she now?

My chest tightens, The Kali I knew, the one … miss – she wouldn’t just vanish. Not unless something went horribly wrong

And now I can’t even beat the truth out of bkhaos/b–not without putting Jasmine through more hell.

A soft croak pulls me hom my thoughts.

The door opens, and Fury steps in, wiping sweat from his brow. “Alpha, I’ve made sure ten of our strongest warriors are guarding him. He so much as blinks wrong, they’ll put him down.”

I nod faintly, giving him a tight, weary smile. Then I look back down at Jasmine. She’s still, too still. Hershes are dark against her skin. She sleeps like the dead. And it terrifies me.

Fury steps closer. “Alpha… what if we perform Drennoth–bSytha/b?”

The name hits like ice in my veins.

My body jerks as I turn to face him. “Are you insane?” I hiss, grabbing bhis /barm and dragging him to the corner of the room like Jasmine might hear. “That’s ck magic, Fury. That spell rips out her wolf You’re asking me to destroy her.”

“It’s a suggestion, Alpha.” Fury’s jaw is tight. “It kills me too, knowing that bastard gets to keep breathing while she’s bstuck /bsuffering. But what other bway /b

is there?”

“I’ll iste him. Lock him away forever. He won’t ever get to see her again.”

Fury shakes his head slowly. “bYou /bknow that won’t work. You know what the mate bbond /bdoes. What the mark does. She’ll want him. Her body will need him. She won’t be able to fight it.”

“I won’t let her go back to him,” I snap, more to myself than to Fury. “There has to be another way-

“I’ll do the spell”

Her voice is soft, raspy but it cuts through the air blike /ba dagger.

I spin back to the bed, my heart catching in my throat. Jasmine’s eyes are

Barely. But they’re open.

“Jas?” I rush to her, kneeling, grabbing her hand again. “bAre /byou are byou /bin pain? I bcan /bcall the doctor

“I’ve had worse, Jack.” Her lips twitch, not into a smile, but something bitter. “Pain is normal now”

Iflinch.

I’ve failed her.

“I want to do the spell,” she repeats, firmer now.

“No.” I shake my head. “bYou /bdon’t know bwhat /byou’re asking Jas, if you go through with this–your wolf–she’ll be bgone/b. Forever,”

Jasmine’s eyes meet mine. There’s something hollow in them. Cold. “I’d rather lose my woll than live one more second with his mark on me. I’m already

b3/5 /b

b13:41/bb. /bSat, b21 /bJun GE

deadb, /bJackb. /bI just haven’t stopped breathing yet”

I shut my eyes, clenching my jaw, willing the tears not to fall. I want to scream,

Want to tip Khoas apart. But this isn’t about ma

Fury clears his throat. “Alpha, you’ve forgotten the use… if she ever falls in love again–and the man returns her feelings fully–if he marks her, the gets her woll back.”

Jasmine sports. “Yeah, well, that’ll never happen. I don’t want anyone. Ever again.”

Inad slowly. “Fine,” I whisper. “If this is what you want… it’s the least I can do for you. As a brother who failed you

Jasmine’s gaze softens, just for a moment. “I’m doing this for Kali too,” she murmuri. b“/bbShe /bwent to him to protect me. And now she’s missing. He hurt her -I know it

My chest tightens again, but this time with Fire.

I stand, straightening my shoulders. “Let’s begin.”

The room goes cold as I draw the ancient sigil across the wooden floor with ash and wolf’s blood. The scent alone is enough to make me gag, but I push through. Jasmine stands in the center of the circle, wrapped in a nket, face pale but set with grim determination,

“Once we start, there’s no turning back,” I tell her.

w,” she says. “Do it.”

“I know,”

I bite my tongue and kneel. Then I begin the chant

“Xothi’en bdrah /bvel’sair… brekken mor’ta lubash…”

The words crawl like insects down my spine, thick and heavy, tasting like ash on my tongue. The air shifts–dark and oppressive as shadows flicker baround /bthe room.

Jasmine grits her teeth, clutching her chest. Her knees buckle but she stays up.

“I reject you, Khoas Rydell,” she gasps, voice raw and breaking. “As my mate. As my bond. I sever you from my soul, from my body, from my spirit. You are nothing to bme/bb./bb” /b

The lights flicker.

Then I see it her woll

A glowing, silver form flickering behind her, whimpering, trying to hold on. But the pull is too strong. as the final part of the spell echoes through the room.

“Shei’ron na bv/b… Xothalyn drakkor…” ollic. The spirit begins to drift from her, howling in agony /li/ol

Jasmine screams. Her back arches as her body seizes. It’s like bher /bsoul is being ripped apart. Fury looks away, unable to bear it, but I watch. I owe her that much.

Her wolf… disappears.

Just like that she copses.

I’m on my knees beside her in a sh, catching her before she hits the floor “Jasmine,” I whisper “Stay with me.”

But she’s out cold. Her breaths–shallow

I take out my de and slice my palm, Blood wells up fast and hot. I press it to her lips to heal

“Drink,” I whisper. “It’ll help. You’re not alone.”