Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 319: Innocent Astrid's POV Killian's arms wrapped around me, warm and secure, like a shield against the storm inside me.

For the first tin what felt like forever, I didn't feel so exposed. His embrace was steady, strong, and I could feel the tension in my chest start to unravel as he held me.

His presence alone was enough to quiet the fears that had been raging in my mind, but it couldn't drown out the truth that lingered between us - truth that had remained buried for too long.

He pressed his forehead gently against mine, his breath warm as he spoke softly, "You don't need to worry anymore, Astrid. I've found a lead." I pulled back slightly, looking up at him with confusion. "A lead?" Killian nodded, his expression darkening with seriousness. "The Pack that helped us... they caught one of the attackers as he was trying to run. He didn't get far, and they managed to extract information from him." A pit of dread settled deep in my stomach. My voice barely cout as a whisper. "What did he say?" Killian's grip ontightened, his jaw clenching as though he was bracingfor the worst. "He confessed. They were acting under Giselle's orders." My blood turned cold at the sound of her name. Giselle. Of course.

Even now, after everything that had happened, she was still trying to tear us apart, still plotting our destruction.

"She's behind this... again," I whispered, my voice trembling with disbelief. "She's already in the dungeon. I thought it was over." Killian's face hardened with regret. "It should have been over. But she found a way. She ordered them to kill Ryker." His voice broke slightly as he continued, the weight of those words too heavy for him to bear. "She was trying to take him from us, Astrid." The breath was knocked out of me, the realization hittinglike a punch to the gut.

"Giselle... she wanted to kill Ryker?" My voice shook as I forced the words out, horror sinking in.

Killian nodded, his eyes shadowed with guilt. "Yes. And the poison they used on you - it cfrom her. They don't even know what it was. She wanted you gone, and she was willing to do anything to make it happen." I felt a violent surge of anger and disbelief rising in my chest. Giselle. The woman who had been at the center of so much of our suffering, the woman who had manipulated and twisted everything.

She had tried to take away my son. My son.

"I should've dealt with her sooner," Killian muttered, his voice cracking with guilt.

"I should have killed her the moment I had the chance. I should have seen what she was capable of, but I didn't. And because of that, we've all suffered. I'm so sorry, Astrid." I looked up at him, seeing the torment etched into every line of his face. The regret. The self-blame.

He felt responsible for everything that had happened, for the danger that had stalked us, for the pain I had carried for so long.

Part ofwanted to be angry, wanted to blhim for not seeing through Giselle's lies sooner, but I knew better.

Giselle had deceived us both.

She had twisted the truth, manipulated every situation to her advantage, and neither of us had been immune to her manipulations.

"This isn't your fault," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

"You didn't know. None of us did. She's been planning this for so long, twisting everything. It wasn't your fault.' Killian shook his head, refusing to accept my words. "No, it was my fault," he insisted, his voice breaking. "I let her into our lives. I was the one who allowed all of this to happen T should have protected you better, and I didn't. I can never forgive myself for how much I hurt you." en Hearing him say that made my heart ache. For so many years, I had thought he was happy with her, that he had chosen her over me, and that he had gotten exactly what he wanted.

I had no idea he was suffering more than I was. He had been trapped, manipulated, living in misery under her lies.

Giselle had played both of us, and I had been too blind with hurt to see it.

"All this time," I whispered, my voice trembling, "I thought you were the one who hurt me. I thought you had betrayed me. But it wasn't you. It was her." Killian's eyes softened, a deep sadness filling them as he cupped my cheek gently.

His thumb brushed away the tears that had started to fall. "I never m never betrayed you, Astrid. I never stopped loving you. Not once. I only ever wanted you." Tears welled up in my eyes as the truth settled over me. "I hated you," I admitted, my voice breaking.

"I hated you so much because I thought you had chosen her.m thought you had leftbehind... but now I know the truth. I know how much you've been suffering too." "I was trapped," he whispered, his voice raw with emotion. "Forced into a life I never wanted. But I never loved her. I never shared a bed with her, Astrid. You were the only one. You've always been the only one." QUMS I broke down in sobs, the weight of all the years of pain, misunderstanding, and bitterness crashing over me.

Anya, his trusted omega had also toldthis before, but I didn't listen. I thought she just got it all wrong, but it waswho got everything wrong.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I'm sorry I believed the worst of you. I'm sorry I didn't fight harder to find the truth."