Shunned By An Alpha, Cherised By A Lycan

Chapter 241:

Pain was a constant now, a dull throb that echoed through my body, my mind, my very soul. It wrapped around me like a shroud, seeping into every corner, draining away what little strength I had left. The poison of the Veilroot was like ice in my veins, making it hard to think, hard to breathe. Every movement, every shallow breath, felt like I was pulling shards of glass into my lungs.

But none of that compared to the hollow ache in my heart—the betrayal, the loss, the feeling that my entire life had been a lie. Luna Anna’s cold, calculating eyes haunted me, her indifferent voice echoing in my mind. “You can wallow in self-pity later.”

How could she say that? How could someone I loved, someone I trusted, dismiss my entire existence as if it meant nothing? As if I were nothing more than a pawn in her twisted game?

“You planned this all along,” I thought bitterly, my vision swimming. “You never cared for me. Not really.”

A part of me wanted to curl into myself, to let the weight of the betrayal crush me. Maybe if I gave in, the pain would stop. Maybe I could just… disappear.

But then his face flashed in my mind. Ryder.

Ryder. My mate.

His name was a whisper in the darkness, a flicker of warmth against the cold void threatening to swallow me whole. The thought of him gave me something to hold onto, even as despair clawed at me. The bond we once shared was severed, a jagged wound that still bled inside me. But love—the love I had for him—wasn’t bound by that thread. It was still there, burning in the depths of my heart, refusing to be extinguished.

I closed my eyes, a tear slipping down my cheek. “Ryder, please…”

The cold fingers of despair gripped me tighter. I felt Jason’s breath hot on my neck, the sting of his grip on my chin, the bile rising in my throat. My wolf, Layla, was a faint whisper, too weak to fight, too poisoned to rise. I was trapped, chained, and helpless.

But somewhere deep inside, a tiny ember still smoldered. A stubborn, defiant part of me refused to be snuffed out.

Then the door crashed open, and a voice, fierce and furious, sliced through the haze. “Get away from her!”

𝓥𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓯𝓲𝓮𝓭 𝓫𝔂 𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓮: 𝗀𝖺𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀﹒ⅽ𝗈𝗺

That voice. His voice.

My eyes fluttered open, disbelieving. My head lolled to the side, the world a blurry mess of shadows and shapes. But even through the fog, I felt him. The pull of his presence, his scent—woodsmoke and pine, sharp and wild and achingly familiar.

Ryder.

Relief, sharper than any blade, cut through me. For a moment, the pain receded, the chains seemed lighter. He was here. He came for me. Jason’s grip loosened, his smug confidence shattered by Ryder’s fury. In a flash, Jason was torn away from me, his body colliding with the wall. I heard the sickening crack of bone, but my eyes were locked on Ryder. He knelt in front of me, his face a mask of anguish and rage. His hands shook as they brushed the tangled hair away from my face, his touch achingly gentle. The fierce Alpha, the unrelenting Lycan, was gone. In his place was just Ryder, the man who loved me, the man I’d loved for what felt like a lifetime.

“Ryder?” My voice was a whisper, weak and broken.noveldrama

He swallowed hard, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “I’m here, Jasmine. I’m so sorry. I’m here.”

His words cracked something inside me. A sob escaped, my chest heaving as tears streamed down my face. “I thought… I thought you wouldn’t come.”

His jaw clenched, his expression tortured. “I will always come for you. Always.”

The chains holding me seemed to vanish in that moment, replaced by the warmth of his arms as he pulled me against his chest. His scent enveloped me, grounding me, anchoring me to the world. I buried my face in his shoulder, my body shaking with sobs I couldn’t control. The fear, the pain, the betrayal—it all poured out of me in a flood of tears. He held me tighter, one hand cradling the back of my head, his lips brushing against my temple. “I’ve got you. You’re safe now.”

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