?Chapter 125:

I groaned inwardly. “I’m fine, Ryder. I can shower on my own.”

He ignored me, already heading toward the bathroom. “I’ll run the water. You need to rx.”

I sighed in defeat, the tension in my body too much to argue with. The warm water embraced me as I stepped into the shower. Thevender scent Ryder had prepared filled the room, calming my senses. The hot water soothed my aching muscles, the tension melting away. To think Ryder had set all this up… I didn’t know how to feel about it.

I stayed in the water longer than I had nned, letting the bath salts he’d added do their magic. When I finally stepped out, Ryder was there, waiting with a ck fluffy robe and a shy smile.

“Here, let me help,” he said, wrapping the robe around me.

“I can dry myself, you know,” I protested, reaching for the towel.

He pped my hand away with a teasing grin. “You’re sick, so no.” My eyes widened. He is sweet. Yes, I know. But this was new. I let out a chokedugh. “Fine, but only because I don’t want to argue.” His hands stilled as he looked at me.

His expression suddenly turned serious. “Sorry about that,” he muttered, catching me off guard. The sincerity in his apology made me pause, but I kept my face indifferent.

After I finished drying off, he handed me afortable shirt. “I called your workce,” Ryder added casually. “Told them you won’t being in today.”

My eyebrows shot up. “You did what?”

He shrugged. “You need rest. And I want to take care of you.”

A flutter stirred in my chest at his words. This was a side of Ryder I hadn’t seen in a long time. Thest time he was this attentive was before he’d turned into his wolf. The thought made me shudder.

“What about you?” I asked, my curiosity piqued. “Don’t you have meetings or pack business?”

His smile faltered for a second before he replied, “I cancelled everything. I want to spend the day with you.”

Feel the thrill at g α? ησ ν?? ??s

Okay… this was definitely new.

“Want to watch a movie?” he asked, gesturing to the TV. “I’ve got a few favorites lined up.”

I nodded, still processing his unexpected tenderness as we settled on the bed. Ryder wrapped his arms around me, the warmth of his embrace making me forget, if only for a moment, the walls I had built between us.

Ryder’s POV

It was nice to breathe in her scent again, to feel her smooth skin beside mine, to have her thick ck hair tousled against my chest. What more could I ask for? I pressed my nose into her hair, and a content sigh escaped my lips. Surprisingly, there wasn’t any struggle on her part, considering how hostile she had been since she woke up.

My arm wrapped around her waist, and I felt her stiffen before she moved away a bit, gently pushing her frame away from mine. She did all of this in silence, and for once, I didn’t mind. I didn’t even feel the urge to pin her against me. Ares let out a low howl, announcing his contentment as I rxed against the sofa.

It was crazy what two days of not hearing her voice, watching her lifeless body on that damn stretcher, and constantly monitoring her heart rate could do to me. Dr. Lee’s pessimistic looks didn’t help; they only left me filled with dread. I always prided myself on being fearless, but I realized it wasn’t the same with Jasmine.

I could hardly close my eyes. I’d abandoned everything I’d sworn to put first in my life just to be with her, and each day I prayed to the moon goddess frantically while I stared at her, hoping that she’d wake up, that myst moments with her wouldn’t be tainted with regret. The moon goddess must have been listening.

I’d spent every goddamned second pondering how I’d treated her, the way I’d left her feeling empty. She didn’t have to say much for me to know; it was all in her eyes—the held-back questions, the repressed emotions, the heavy sighs, and the tight-lipped smiles carefully structured as a coping mechanism.

The worst thought of all was taking her away from her family. You could say I was crazy, even insane. But it was also during those moments that I swore I would protect her with everything I had left, with my life if it cost me.

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