How To Lose Your Billionaire Alpha Husband In 365 Days (Or Less)!-Chapter 66: The Ritual...

JASMINE’S POV

Something was... off.

I stood in the hallway of Heart Enterprises, halfway to the elevator, when it happened again.

A ripple of colour moved across the receptionist’s body; at first, it was soft blue, then it turned to pulsing orange around her hands, like fire flickering beneath her skin.

She smiled politely as I passed, but all I could think was fear.

That’s what orange meant. I didn’t know how I knew that, but I did.

Ever since that symbol appeared on my palm last night, the world has been... glitching. It was like a curtain had lifted, and underneath it was something alive, shifting, watching me.

Sophia’s aura had shimmered this morning; pale green laced with pink when she teased me, then flared bright, violent red when she read Vale’s message over my shoulder.

People were colour now.

Feelings. Flickering energy trapped in skin and bone. And I couldn’t shut it off.

I’d broken two coffee mugs and a pen just from holding them too tightly.

Glass cracked when my fingers brushed it. Steel trembled under my hands.

And when I tried to visit the foundation site earlier, alone, I couldn’t even get within fifty feet of it.

I felt a surge of energy in the air. My heart raced, and it felt like something heavy was pressing against my chest. My skin tingled, almost like it was alive and moving beneath the surface.

So I turned around and I left.

Now, sitting in my parked car just outside the old clearing, I stared at my hands. They were shaking.

Not from fear. Not exactly.

From something that felt older. Wilder. Like something else was moving under my skin. Watching the world with me.

I tapped my phone screen, my fingers cold against the glass as I dialled Alara.

She picked up before the second ring. "Jasmine."

"I’m ready."

A pause.

Then: "Are you sure?"

"No," I said truthfully. "But it’s time."

A beat of silence passed between us, heavy with things unspoken.

"I’ll alert the circle. Come at dusk."

I hung up.

Next to me, Sophia exhaled slowly. "Jazz. Think about this."

"I have," I said without looking at her.

"You don’t have to do this just because he says you should."

"It’s not about him anymore," I said. My voice was soft, but firm. "It’s about me."

Sophia leaned back against her seat, arms crossed, watching me with that intense best-friend-stare that always made me squirm. "You’re glowing."

I looked down.

She wasn’t exaggerating. My skin shimmered faintly under the setting sun, like the light couldn’t decide whether to bounce off or pass straight through me.

"Guess I’m becoming a walking glow stick."

She snorted. "Please don’t joke your way into a spiritual coma."

I smiled, faintly, and reached over to squeeze her hand. "I’ll be okay."

"You better be. Because if you die, I swear to God, I’ll resurrect you just to kill you again."

"Fair," I whispered.

She didn’t let go of my hand until I opened the door.

—

As I entered the clearing, the moon was just starting to rise. It looked big and bright above the trees, filling the forest with a soft, silvery glow. The air was rich with the scents of pine, sage, and a hint of smoke.

Aiden was already there.

He stood motionless, dressed in black, just at the edge of the stone circle. His hands were behind his back. His expression was unreadable.

When his eyes met mine, I felt that pull, that aching thread between us.

But tonight... it didn’t drag me down.

It lifted.

"Jasmine," he said quietly.

I nodded once. "Let’s get started."

Alara stood at the altar, an ancient slab of stone carved with symbols I couldn’t read but somehow understood.

Around her, runes were drawn in concentric rings, glowing faintly under the moonlight. Sagewood smoke curled upward, wrapping the circle like a protective shroud.

Silver candles flickered to life, one by one, at a whispered word from her lips.

Four pack elders stood at the perimeter, one in each cardinal direction, chanting softly in a language that made my bones vibrate.

Alara stepped forward. "This ritual will awaken what has been sealed. Once begun, it cannot be stopped. You must speak your true name under the moonlight. The wolf will answer."

My chest tightened.

I stepped into the centre of the circle.

The instant my foot crossed the outermost rune, I felt it.

A pulse.

Like a heartbeat under stone.

The air changed. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Denser. Quieter. Sacred.

Alara raised her hand, her voice ringing out. "What is your name, daughter of Graham and Kaelyn? What name does the moon call you by?"

The wind fell quiet, and everything seemed to pause.

I took a breath and said, "Jasmine Kaelyn Heart."

Suddenly, the runes around me lit up with a bright, white glow. The full moon rose above the trees, shining down like a bright spotlight, heavy with magic.

In an instant, time seemed to fold in on itself.

Then, I heard a howl. It was sharp and raw, ancient in its sound. But it didn’t come from Aiden or any of the wolves nearby. No, it echoed from deep inside me.

I dropped to my knees as a fierce pain shot through my spine, like a storm raging within.

I gasped for air, my hands slamming onto the ground. I felt the earth tremble beneath me.

Alara shouted something, but her voice sounded far away, like I was submerged underwater.

The sky swirled, the candles flickered out all at once, and the moon glowed even brighter.

My skin felt like it was on fire, like my blood was too hot.

"Jasmine!" Aiden shouted, his voice strained and filled with worry. He was getting closer, but I couldn’t respond. I couldn’t even move.

I let out a scream.

Suddenly, the runes around me glowed fiercely, brighter than fire. The wind picked up, spiralling into a tornado above, ripping leaves from the trees and making a noise like a thousand voices crying out.

My body convulsed.

And then—

Silence.

My arms collapsed under me, but I caught myself just before hitting the earth.

My heart pounded like war drums. My lungs stung.

When I looked up, I saw Alara take a step back, her eyes wide with surprise.

Mine were glowing—not just faintly, but with bright and intense silver light.

I could feel a presence within me... it felt... familiar, like it’s always been a part of me.

But this time, it was no longer dormant; it was awake and craving something.