Free Web NovelChapter 24: Chapter 24 Out of Breath
Jade’s POV ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
I stayed on the ground for a long moment after Ronan walked away, my body trembling so violently I couldn’t tell if it was from the lingering pain in my chest or the words he’d thrown at me like knives.
He threatened to kill me.
The thought slammed into me over and over again, each time stealing more air from my lungs.
Ronan, my mate. One of them. Fated to me by a bond older than reason itself. The same Ronan who had once looked at me when we were young, like I mattered, who had laughed with me, who had sworn he would protect me like his own.
He had lifted me off the ground like I was nothing.
He had threatened to kill me
My fingers dug into my chest as I staggered upright, my legs wobbling beneath me. The world felt tilted, unreal, like I was walking through thick fog. My breaths came out broken and sharp, my lungs refusing to work properly no matter how hard I tried.
In. Out.
Nothing.
My throat tightened, my chest constricting painfully as if invisible hands were squeezing the air right out of me.
I bent forward, coughing, wheezing, my vision tunneling.
Breathe, Jade. Breathe, my wolf urged, her voice tight with fear.
“I am....” I gasped, clutching my chest harder, nails biting into fabric. “I am bloody trying!”
But my body wasn’t listening.
The panic rose fast and vicious, flooding me with heat and dizziness. My heart pounded so loudly I could hear it in my ears. Each breath felt thinner than the last, like I was breathing through a straw.
I staggered toward the nearest door, my shoulder scraping the wall as my legs threatened to give out again.
“Jade?”
The voice barely registered.
“Jade?”
I turned weakly, my movements slow, clumsy.
Mum.
She stood a few steps away, her worn out apron still on, eyes wide with horror. For a split second, she just stared at me like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
Then she screamed.
“Jade!”
She dropped everything in her hands and ran to me, catching me just as my knees buckled. Her arms wrapped around me tightly, one hand cradling my head, the other rubbing my back in quick, frantic motions.
“Oh Goddess, Jade, breathe,” she pleaded, her voice shaking. “Please, baby, breathe. Look at me. Look at me.”
She guided me inside the small room, half carrying, half dragging me to the bed. She sat me down gently, then knelt in front of me, pressing her forehead to mine.
“Slow breaths,” she whispered, even though I could hear the fear trembling through her words. “In through your nose. Out through your mouth. You have to breathe Jade"
I shook my head weakly, tears spilling freely now.
“I.... I can’t,” I wheezed. “Mum, I can’t....”
“Yes, you can,” she said fiercely, even as her hands trembled against my back. “You’re strong. You’re here. You’re safe.”
Safe.
The word felt hollow, but I clung to it anyway.
She kept rubbing my back in slow circles, counting softly under her breath, grounding me. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, the tight band around my chest loosened. My breaths grew a fraction deeper, less frantic.
The world stopped spinning.
My sobs quieted into shaky hiccups, exhaustion crashing down on me all at once.
“That’s it,” Mum murmured. “Good girl. Just breathe.”
She helped me lie down, tucking the thin blanket around me, her hand never leaving my back. I could still feel her fingers moving gently, steady and warm.
“You scared me,” she whispered softly, pressing a kiss to my hair.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured, my voice barely audible.
“Sleep,” she said. “I’m right here.”
I didn’t even remember falling asleep...
When I woke, the room was dim and quiet.
For a moment, I was disoriented, my head heavy, my body sluggish. Then the dull, stinging ache in my chest reminded me of everything.
Ronan.
The threat.
The panic.
I slowly turned my head, expecting to see Mum on the bed beside me.
She wasn’t there
My heart sank, but then I noticed the signs she’d been there all along.
A damp towel folded neatly on the bedside table. A small bowl of water beside it. And a folded piece of paper resting carefully next to them.
I reached for it with shaky fingers and unfolded it.
You had a fever throughout the night. I tried my best to bring it down. I also managed to sneak some food from the kitchen for you yesterday, please eat it. It’s okay if you can’t go to school today. Just focus on getting better. I’m already late and I don’t want the head cook calling for me again. Please take care of yourself, Jade. You really scared me last night.
My vision blurred.
Tears slid down my cheeks before I could stop them.
She’d been exhausted. I knew that. She always was. And still, she stayed up all night for me. Sat by my side. Cared for me like I was the most important thing in the world.
While I lay here breaking apart.
I reached for the flask of food she’d left behind and opened it. The smell alone made my chest ache all over again. I cried as I ate, quiet and messy, tears dropping into the food I forced myself to swallow.
This wasn’t fair.
None of it was.
My mum was working herself to the bone, enduring humiliation daily just so I could have a future. And here I was, falling apart over boys who didn’t even hesitate to hurt me.
Over mates who despised me.
This has to stop, I told myself as I wiped my face with trembling hands.
I couldn’t keep doing this. Couldn’t keep letting Ronan, Ryder, and Renzo exist in my head while my mum paid the price for my weakness.
I cleaned my face, shoved the flask aside, and stood up.
My chest protested, pain flaring briefly, but I ignored it. frёewebηovel.cѳm
I grabbed my hoodie and pulled it on, then stepped out of the Servant Quarters without looking back.
I didn’t hesitate as I crossed the grounds toward the Alpha’s mansion.
I didn’t stop until I reached the door to the boys’ common room.
My hand shook as I knocked.
“Come in,” Renzo’s voice called.
I opened the door.
They were all there.
Renzo leaned against the table, arms crossed. Ryder sat on the couch, one ankle resting on his knee. And Ronan stood near the window, his back straight, his expression unreadable as his eyes snapped towards me.
Three pairs of eyes locked onto mine.
“Are you here for your next healing session?” Ryder asked, a faint edge of mockery in his tone.
I straightened my back, even though my chest burned.
“No,” I said, my voice steady despite everything raging inside me. “I’m here for something else.”
They exchanged glances, confusion flickering across their faces.
I lifted my chin, meeting each of their gazes in turn.
“I want you to reject me,” I said.
