Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 318: Benefit of the Doubt Astrid's POV Tears welled up in my eyes again, a mixture of relief and guilt crashing over me.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice trembling.

Then my brows furrowed with concern as I looked at him. "But... what about you? Are you... are you all right? Did I hurt you?" He turned his head away as if he could avoid the question. His silence made my heart race with dread. Before he could get away from me, I pushed him to facefully and that's when I saw it - his right arm, the sleeve of his shirt soaked with blood.

A deep, jagged claw mark ran from his bicep to his forearm, and the sight of it made my stomach turn. "No..." I gasped, my voice barely a breath. "I did that... didn't I?" Killian glanced down at his arm, then shook his head, brushing it off as if it were nothing. "It's nothing," he said softly, but his jaw was tight, and I could see the tension in his body the pain he was trying to hide. "Killian, it's not nothing," I whispered, my heart breaking at the sight of the wound.

"You're bleeding... badly. You shouldn't have followedhere. you needed stitches. I-" My voice cracked, and I felt the weight of guilt pressing down on me. "I hurt you." His eyes softened as he leaned closer, his hand still resting gently on my arm. "Astrid, I'm alright. I could barely feel it there," he murmured, his voice low and steady. "What matters is that you're here, and you're safe." Tears slipped down my cheeks, and I shook my head, my voice breaking. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to - I would never -" He cupped my face with one hand, his thumb brushing away the tears that fell. "I know," he whispered.

"I know you didn't mean to. This wasn't you, Astrid. It was the wolf. And we'll figure it out. You don't have to be afraid." I felt relieved that he noticed it, that I wasn't the one in control of my body earlier. I didn't know how else to explain it if he didn't caught on it.

"But I am afraid," I confessed, my voice trembling as I looked into his eyes. "I don't know what's happening to me. This wolf... She's different.

She's not like my usual wolf. She's darker. Stronger. She wants control, Killian. She's angry, and she wants blood. She almost... she almost hurt Ryker." He didn't speak, but his gaze never left mine, steady and unwavering. He listened as I poured out the fear that had been consuming me.

"She keeps demanding to be let out," I continued, my voice breaking. "And I don't know how much longer I can keep her in.

She's dangerous, Killian. She's not afraid of hurting people... she was even demanding to kill you. I don't know what's happening to me, and I-I'm scared." Killian's eyes narrowed, feeling my worries. He heldcomfortingly and leaned in closer, until I could feel his breath warm against my skin.

"You don't have to be scared," he whispered. "Not anymore. I'm here, and we'll figure this out together." I closed my eyes, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall again. "I don't know how long I could be able to hold her back? What if I hurt you or Ryker, or-" "Astrid," he interrupted, his voice firm but filled with warmth. "You're not going to lose control. Not while I'm here. I won't let you. I trust you." I opened my eyes, blinking through the blur of tears as I stared into his. "How can you say that?" I whispered. "How can you trustafter what I've done?" "Because know you," Killian said softly, his thumb gently caressing my cheek. "I've always known you. You're stronger than you think. And I'm not afraid of you. I never was." His words wrapped aroundlike a lifeline, pullingout of the darkness I had been drowning in.

I had been aware of this monster inside orfor so long, but I just refused to acknowledge it.

Now that my son is alive, now that I have the reason to live, that's when this monster suddenly decided to take everything fromagain.

It madeafraid of the monster lurking inside. But Killian's words his presence, his unwavering belief in me... it madebelieve, if only for a moment, that maybe I didn't have to be afraid.

"We will figure this out, Astrid." Killian's breath ghosted across my skin as he whispered, "You deserve everything, Astrid. I'm not going to let you go not when Ryker and Care just starting to have our life with you." That's right... A life with them. A life that I have always been dreaming about. It's just starting to ctrue.

I gazed up at him, tears still brimming in my eyes. "And if I never figure it out?" "I'm here now, Astrid, and I'm not going anywhere," Killian's voice was low but filled with conviction. "I'm not giving up on you. I won't ever leave you again." Something insideshifted, the tight grip of fear loosening just a little more.

His words, his touch-they pierced through the walls I'd built around myself, walls V never thought I'd be able to tear down. His presence madefeel something I hadn't felt in so long. Safe. Loved.

Slowly, tentatively, I reached up and wrapped my arms around him. His warmth his strength they steadiedin a a way I hadn't realized I needed. For the first tin a long time, I allowed myself to believe him. To trust him.

He had letdown before, yes, but this time, something, felt different. I could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice. Killian had been a victim, too-manipulated and deceived by Giselle, just like I had been.

And though the hurt ran deep, I couldn't deny the sincerity in his gaze, the regret in his words.

He had been blind, yes, but he had also been trapped by her lies.

I took a breath, my body trembling slightly as I rested my head against his chest.

This time, I thought, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt. I wasn't sure if my heart could survive being broken again, but for now... I wanted to believe in him.

I wanted to believe that we could find our way back to each other.

And for the first time, I felt like maybe we could.