?Chapter 334:

    The impact came sharp and sudden, mming into my arm. Pain tore through me, white-hot and blinding. I stumbled, clutching the spot where the wound bloomed—a silent gunshot.

    “Fuck,” I muttered, my voice a low growl as the world around me sharpened. “Jasmine!” Ryder’s voice—the only thing I heard—before my eyes closed.

    Ryder’s POV

    The moment I saw Jasmine in that sleek ck dress, by the goddess, my body reacted. It wasn’t just her beauty—that would have been too simple. No, it was her presence. She walked into the room, and everything else seemed to shift, as if the universe had decided she was its new center.

    Goddamn, she was breathtaking. Not just beautiful, but powerful. Regal, even. Like she belonged up there, taking that oath, with every eye on her. She didn’t just look like a queen; she was one. And yet, as proud as I was, it didn’t stop the raw, territorial rage that twisted in my chest every time some asshole in the crowd dared to gawk at her.

    I clenched my fists at my sides, barely resisting the urge to storm over and rip their heads off. Didn’t they know? Didn’t they see? She was mine.

    My queen. My mate. My wife.

    “Breathe,” Kade muttered from beside me, his sharp voice cutting through my thoughts.

    I ignored him, my focus fixed on Jasmine as she stood there, all poise and perfection. It pissed me off, the way she held herself like she didn’t feel the weight of the stares—or maybe she did, but she wouldn’t let it show. That was Jasmine for you. Always strong, always pushing forward, no matter how heavy the burden.

    Still, it didn’t stop the primal part of me from wanting to drag her out of here, away from the eyes, the expectations, and the danger that came with this damn pack.

    Fuck, I hated this.

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    I didn’t hate her being here—not entirely, anyway. She deserved to know her roots, to be respected for the badass woman she was. But this… this public disy, this spotlight on her, made my stomach churn. It wasn’t safe. The Viper pack was strong, but not invincible, and Jasmine? She was the kind of woman people would kill to control.

    And she didn’t even realize it.

    My jaw clenched as she delivered her oath, her voice steady, her words hitting me like a gut punch. She meant every word. That was the thing about Jasmine—she didn’t half-ass anything. She wouldn’t just be a figurehead for this pack; she’d fight for it, bleed for it if she had to.

    And that scared the living shit out of me.

    “She’s holding her own,” Kade said again, his voice low and measured. “You should be proud.”

    I shot him a look. “Proud? Sure. But it doesn’t mean I trust this.”

    He raised a brow. “What part? The pack? The oath? Or her?”

    I didn’t answer. Couldn’t. Because as much as I trusted Jasmine, I didn’t trust the people around her. The ones whispering behind her back, the ones plotting in the shadows. Of course, we all knew this was politics, and now that she’s brought herself into the limelight, she’d have a thousand enemies. Almost every pack had an eye on the Viper pack, the strongest of all packs, waiting for a moment of weakness.

    And then there was Jasmine herself. She had this way of diving headfirst into shit without thinking about the consequences. It was part of what made her so incredible—but also part of what made her so infuriating.

    When the crowd finally started to disperse, I exhaled, my shoulders easing for the first time all night. She looked like she was holding up okay, smiling politely at the endless stream of people congratting her, but I could see the cracks in her armor. She was tired.

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