Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 321: Victory or Defeat Astrid's POV As we neared the dungeon, the cold air wrapped aroundlike a warning, and my steps faltered.

The weight of what I was about to do settled heavily in my chest, making it hard to breathe.

I was nervous - no, I was scared. Giselle was down there, the woman who had torn our lives apart, and I had to face her alone.

Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly felt warm air fanning the side of my face. I blinked and turned, only to find Killian standing so close, his face inches from mine.

His breath was warm on my skin, and for a moment, the world narrowed down to just the two of us.

My heart skipped a beat. The closeness, the way he was looking at me-it madeforget, just for a second, about the darkness waiting ahead.

"Astrid," he whispered, his voice soft and full of concern. "Are you sure about this?" His eyes searched mine, his brow furrowed with worry, and for a brief moment, I wanted to say no.

I wanted to lean into him, let him shieldfrom everything. He always had a way of makingfeel safe.

"I can cwith you," he added gently, his fingers brushing against mine, sending a spark of warmth through me.

For a moment, I hesitated. His presence was comforting, but I knew I needed to do this alone.

I needed to face Giselle on my own terms, even if part ofwas terrified of what I might find.

I shook my head, offering a small smile. "No," I said softly, trying to steady my voice. "I need to do this by myself." Killian held my gaze, his eyes lingering on mine, as if he wanted to argue but couldn't.

His hand tightened briefly around mine, a promise in his touch. "I'll be right here," he murmured, his voice low and steady. "If you need me." His words were all I needed to find the courage. With one last look into his eyes, I turned toward the dungeon door.

As I stepped forward, I could still feel the warmth of him, the safety his presence gave me.

It lingered, steadying my nerves as I walked into the cold, dark hallway.

This would be the last tI saw Giselle, the last ther poison would taint my life.

The guard unlocked the heavy iron door, its hinges creaking as it swung open.

My eyes fell on Giselle, and I froze. The woman beforewas unrecognizable.

The once immaculate and graceful figure who had always held her head high now sat slumped against the stone wall, her appearance disheveled, her body worn and defeated.

smatted, her dress torn Her hair was and stained with dirt. She looked like someone who had been pressed into nothing, all the grandeur stripped away, leaving only a hollow shel of the person she once was.

Yet, even in her diminished state, a twisted smirk played on her lips, as if she hadn't yet accepted defeat, as if she still believed she held spower over me.

She looked up atthrough the bars, her eyes gleaming with a sick kind of triumph.

"Well, well," Giselle said, her voice hoarse but filled with mockery. "Look who's cto visit. Did you really think you could win, Astrid? Did you really think you'd get away with it? I told you before, you won't. You never wift Her words pulledback to that moment when the guards had dragged her away to the dungeon. She had screamed threats atthen, words I had dismissed as the ravings of a bitter, defeated woman. I had thought they were empty, but now I knew better. She had always had something hidden, something dark and cruel waiting to be unleashed.

Her threats had not been idle, and for a moment, I felt the anger surge in my veins, the reminder of how close she had cto taking everything from me.

Giselle's smirk widened, mistaking my silence for anguish, for pain. "Ryker is dead, isn't he?" she asked, her voice dripping with twisted satisfaction.

"That's why you're here. You've cto beg, to cry at my feet, but it's too late, Astrid. I told you, no one escapes me. Not you, not him." I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I fought to steady my breath.

She still believed her plan had worked, that she had succeeded in destroying us.

How pathetic. I stepped closer to the bars, meeting her gaze with as much strength as I could muster.

"It's over, Giselle," I said, my voice cold and steady. "Your plan failed. Ryker is alive. You've lost."

Her smirk faltered, her eyes narrowing in disbelief. She opened Seopened her mouth to speak but I cut her off гда before she could utter another delusional word. "After this conversation, the guards will cin to take you away. Your punishment is set. You will be beheaded for your crimes." For the first time, I saw a flicker of

fear cross her face. Her smirk disappeared, replaced by a mask of disbelief. "You're lying, she spat, her "You'relying, voice trembling just slightly."You can't-" "It's done," I interrupted. "There's no escaping this. You won't hurt us again." She stared at me, her expression shifting from shock to fury, and then, unexpectedly, she laughed.

A dark, twisted laugh that sent a shiver down my spine. "You think you've won? You think you'll be happy now, don't you? But you're wrong, Astrid." I frowned, my anger rising. "Your lies won't work onanymore, Giselle." "Oh, but it's not a lie," she said, her voice dropping into something more sinister. "

"You've been wondering, haven't you? About what's happening to you?m About that wolf inside you? She leaned closer to the bars, her eyes gleaming with malice. "You think you're free now? You're more trapped than you ever were. I know what's inside you, Astrid. I know what's coming. And it will destroy you." mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLliIofifl0&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1