Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 257: Hateful Mother Astrid's POV Giselle's words hung in the air, heavy with accusation, yet I stood my ground, the storm of emotions swirling around us. "Witnesses? They sawjump in to save him, not to harm him! Don't twist this into something that it's not!" I met her gaze with unwavering resolve, my expression hardening at her words.

People began to turn their heads, drawn in by the rising tension. Whispers spread like wildfire, eyes darting between us as Giselle's fury spilled into the air. "You don't get to turn this around on me! You tried to drown my son, and I won't let you twist the truth to escape your punishment!" Just then, Killian's loud voice erupted, slicing through the chaos. "What's going on here?!" He strode forward, positioning himself between us, his expression a mixture of confusion and concern. He glanced fromto Giselle, the intensity in his gaze sharpening as he tried to assess the situation. Behind him, Alpha Damien and his wife, Vanessa, followed closely with concerned expressions etched on their faces.

"Killian, I'm so glad you're here!" Giselle exclaimed, her voice dripping with urgency as she approached him. "Astrid pushed Ryker into the pond, and he almost drowned! You have to help us," Giselle spoke grievously, tears forming in her eyes and amplifying her desperation.

Killian's eyes widened, and a wave of worry washed over his features as he turned to look at his son, who was trembling in the cold and dripping wet. "Is he okay? Was he hurt?" His voice trembled slightly, a crack forming in his usually composed demeanor. No one had seen him this distressed before.

"Ryker wasn't hurt," Giselle answered. "Luckily, I arrived on tor else..." Giselle's lips quivered, and a tear escaped her eyes. "I would have found him dead, not knowing what had truly happened." With that, tears flowed freely down Giselle's face as she finally sobbed, her anguish spilling out like a broken dam. The sight of her grief tugged at the hearts of those watching, drawing sympathetic murmurs from the crowd.

Even I nearly felt bad for her plight.

"Astrid, is this true?" Killian asked, his tone cold as he turned his piercing gaze on me.

I tightened my arms around myself, fighting off the chill that seeped into my bones. I wanted to answer him immediately, but my teeth chattered so violently that I could barely form words.

I welcomed his cold gaze as I stood there, dripping wet and shivering in front of them.

"I knew this was going to happen. I've been expecting this all along!" Giselle interjected, her voice gaining momentum.

"I tried to warn Killian about you, but he really believed that you've changed. We gave you a second chance, and we willingly accepted you back into our pack. This is how you repay us!" Giselle spoke up, using every opportunity to frme.

"Tell me, Astrid. What should I do for you to forgive me?" Giselle asked, feigning innocence, her expression so pitiful it nearly drew gasps from the onlookers.

Murmurs swirled around us, and I felt the tide of discontent as I felt the stares of the crowd piercing into me, their glares sharp and accusing.

I scoffed at Giselle's words, the sound cutting through the tension like a knife, surprising everyone into silence.

I leaned over and picked up the floating toy from the pond that had caused Ryker to lose his balance.

"Ryker was trying to reach for his toy that fell into the water," I said, holding up the kite for all to see. "That's what made him lose his footing, even jumped into theto save him. I couldn't believe that I was being accused of harming him instead." Seeing that I had evidence, a ripple of confusion spread through the crowd as they processed my words. I could see the flicker of doubt in their eyes, the realization that maybe Giselle got it all wrong.

Giselle's face paled, her carefully constructed facade beginning to crack. "You're twisting things!" she shouted, frustration lacing her voice. It was as if she was trying to convince the crowd to take her side.

"The moment I saw you at the Shadowfang Pack, I already knew you were planning something," she continued, her tone accusatory. "You think you can just waltz in here, acting like a hero? You can everyone except me! you're still clinging to the past. I know you didn't chere to help, you chere to ruin my life!" "Ruin your life?" I laughed, the sound sharp and defiant. "You've done that all on your own! You're the one who took everything from me, and now you paint yourself as the victim?"

"You're a monster!" she yelled, her voice rising in a pitch. "You've always Even been a danger to my family! before my son was born, you've been trying to kill him and almost causedto miscarry!" At that moment, something clicked inside me. I could still remember that day when Giselle had purposefully fallen down the stairs and accusedof pushing her.

Killian was so worried, seeing her bleed on the ground. To punish me, he didn't letleave, causingto miss my chance to talk to my grandmother before she died.

It was clear now that she didn't care about her child's life at all. All she wanted was to make Killian hate me. She was even willing to put her unborn child in danger for her own twisted agenda.

I stared at Ryker, then at the toy that I was holding - the very object that had led to this chaos. Giselle had done the sthing today; she had gone so far as to harm her own son to frme. What kind of mother could hurt her own child for her personal gain? I turned my attention back to Giselle,

fury igniting withinas I glared at her. "Danger? Look in the mirror, Giselle!" fired back, m back my heart om c pounding in my chest. "You've made a life out of lies and manipulation. I'm not the one who should be scared of the truth." Giselle's expression faltered.