Shunned By An Alpha, Cherised By A Lycan

Chapter 242:

But even as he said the words, I knew it wasn’t true. We weren’t safe. Not yet.

A cold, shallow laugh cut through the fragile moment.

“Leaving so soon, Ryder?”

I stiffened, dread washing over me like ice water. I knew that voice. Luna Anna. The woman who had shaped my entire life. The woman who had destroyed it.

I felt Ryder’s muscles go rigid beneath me, a low growl vibrating through his chest. His arms tightened protectively around me. “She was never yours,” he snarled, his voice laced with venom.

Luna Anna’s laugh was brittle, sharp as broken glass. “We’ll see about that.”

The clash of wolves, the snarls and screams, filled the night air. Ryder handed me to Kade, his eyes meeting mine for a heartbeat, an unspoken promise shining there.noveldrama

“I’ll come back for you.”

I wanted to tell him to stay, to beg him not to leave me. But the strength to speak had left me. My body felt like it was made of stone, cold and heavy.

Kade’s arms were steady, his voice calm. “We’re getting you out of here, Jasmine. Just hold on.”

I let my head fall against his shoulder, my vision blurring. The sounds of the battle faded, replaced by the pounding of my heart, the desperate whispers of my own mind.

Survive.

That was the only thing left now. I had to survive. For Ryder. For Layla. For the chance to reclaim my life, my love, and everything that had been stolen from me.

Even if I was broken, even if I was lost, I wasn’t gone. Not yet. And I’d fight my way back—no matter what it took.

Ryder’s POV

The taste of blood lingered on my tongue, bitter and metallic. The air was thick with the stench of fear, sweat, and betrayal. My wolf, Ace, was a raging storm in my mind, snarling and thrashing, barely contained. Every fiber of my being screamed for vengeance, but vengeance was a luxury we didn’t have time for. Not yet.

𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕝𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖: gⱯ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝕖𝗅𝕤⧽ⅽ𝗈𝗺

I tightened my grip on Jasmine’s trembling form as I passed her to Kade. Her eyes, glassy and haunted, flickered up to meet mine. There was pain there, so much pain, and a fragile, desperate trust. I leaned in, pressing a kiss to her forehead, my lips brushing her cool skin. “I’ll come back for you,” I promised, the words a vow etched into my very soul.

Kade’s jaw was tight, his eyes cold as steel. “I’ll keep her safe.”

I nodded, swallowing the knot of dread in my throat. The hardest part was turning away, feeling the warmth of her slip from my arms, but I didn’t have a choice. This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

I turned back to the chaos, my eyes locking onto the source of it all. Luna Anna stood there, a portrait of twisted elegance, her eyes glinting with malice. She looked at me like I was a pawn who’d slipped out of place, an inconvenience to be handled.

“Leaving already?” she taunted, a smile curving her lips. “I thought you’d stay and play a while longer.”

My jaw clenched so tight I thought my teeth might shatter. Every instinct screamed to tear her apart, to let Ace have his way, but I forced the rage down. Killing her now, as satisfying as it would be, wasn’t the answer. Not yet. She needed to pay, but she needed to pay the right way.

“Your game is over, Anna,” I said, my voice low and lethal. “You won’t win this time.”

She tilted her head, her smile widening. “I already have, Ryder. You just haven’t realized it yet.”

Breathe, I reminded myself. Think. Ace was snarling for release, but giving in to fury wouldn’t help Jasmine. It wouldn’t undo the damage that had been done.

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