Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 325: Future Hope Astrid's POV I stepped outside, the cold air biting at my skin as I tried to clear my head.

The sky was a dull grey, and the world aroundseemed muted, like everything had been drained of color.

Giselle's execution had already taken place by the tI arrived. Her body had been taken away, and there was no trace of her left-no lingering presence, no echo of her voice.

She was gone. And yet, the weight of her words, the darkness she had awakened inside me, still clung to my soul.

I should have felt relief. I should have felt free. But I didn't.

I saw Killian across the courtyard, his face lighting up with a smile the moment he saw me.

He ran toward me, his expression filled with joy, completely unaware of the storm that raged inside me.

I wanted to return his smile, to let his warmth melt away the cold fear gripping my chest, but I couldn't.

I felt... detached. Distant. As if there was a wall between us that hadn't been there before.

"Astrid!" he called, reaching out for me. His arms wrapped around me, pullinginto his warmth, but I barely felt it.

He pulled back slightly, his eyes searching my face, still smiling. "Where have you been? I was looking for you." I swallowed, trying to push down the dread that bubbled inside me, but the weight of the truth was too heavy to ignore. I forced a smile, but it didn't reach my eyes.

"I... I needed sair," I muttered, my voice sounding hollow, even to myself.

Killian's smile faltered for a moment, his brow furrowing as he studied me. "Are you okay? You seem... distant. Is there anything bothering you? You know you could trust me, right?" I tensed at his words, guilt clawing at me. He was so open, so loving, and here I was from him.

Hiding this dark secret that would destroy everything we had been working toward.

hiding the truth He noticed the tension in me, and his expression softened. "It's Giselle, isn't it?" he asked, his voice gentle, as if he had already decided that my mood was all her fault.

"You don't have to worry about her anymore, Astrid. It's over. She's dead, and she can't hurt us or Ryker ever again.

We can finally move on. We can build a life together, like we've always wanted. We're going to be happy. Forever. The sincerity in his voice, the hope in his words - it should have reassured me, should have madefeel safe. But instead, dread tightened its grip around my heart.

He had no idea.

No idea about the darkness festering inside me, the monster I was destined to become. There was no "forever" for us. Not the way he imagined it.

I wanted to tell him. I wanted to open my mouth and confess everything, but the words wouldn't come.

How could I tell him that I was cursed? That I was going to lose control, to becsomething that would destroy him and Ryker? How could I break his heart when he was so full of hope for our future? It's better this way. At least he and Ryker could still be happy as long as the wolf hasn't taken control of my body. This is a burden I have to carry on my own for their happiness, even for a short time.

Seeing the fear in my eyes, Killian reached for my hand, squeezing it gently. "Astrid, whatever it is, we'll get through it together. You don't have to face anything alone." I swallowed hard, but the weight of the secret pressed down on me, suffocating me.

His words of comfort only made the dread worse, and I could feel the space between us growing, even as he stood right there, holding me.

Just as Killian opened his mouth to say something else, a voice called out, shattering the tension between us.

"Astrid!" Both our heads snapped in the direction of the voice, and I saw Nova running toward us, her arms wide open, a huge smile on her face.

The sight of her was like a burst of sunlight breaking through the clouds, chasing away the darkness, even if just for a moment.

All of my worries, all of the fear that had been gripping me, seemed to melt away at the sight of Nova.

My expression softened, and without thinking, I returned her smile. For the first tsince Ibad left Giselle's room, I felt something other than fear.

Nova's presence had always been a source of comfort, a reminder of something good, something bright.

I moved toward her, my steps quickening as the distance between us closed.

When I reached her, she wrapped her arms aroundin a tight hug, her laughter infectious as she pulledclose.

For a brief moment, everything felt normal. Everything felt... okay.

"Nova, you're here," I muttered, still in disbelief.

My heart still raced from the earlier conversation with Killian, but seeing Nova brought a strange comfort I hadn't realized I needed.

She grinned at me, her arms still loosely wrapped aroundas if she was afraid to let go.

When I looked up, I saw Drystan standing a few feet behind her, his expression a mixture of relief and concern.

He gavea small nod, but didn't say anything, allowing Nova to be the one to break the silence.

Nova pulled away slightly from the hug, her hands gripping my shoulders as she scanned my face, her brows furrowing in worry. "Astrid, are you okay?" she asked, her voice soft, but laced with concern.

Her eyes flickered over my face, searching for any sign of what I was feeling.

I forced a smile, nodding. "Yeah, I'm fine," I said, though I knew the words felt hollow.

It wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the truth either.

Nova didn't seem convinced, but she didn't push. Instead, she sighed and shook her head.

"I heard everything that happened, "} she said quietly, her voice lowering as if she didn't want to upset me.

"The news... it's spread across all the Packs."

I winced at that. Of course, it had.

Word traveled fast, especially when it involved something like Giselle and the chaos she had caused. I hadn't even had tto process everything myself, and yet the entire world already knew.

Nova's expression suddenly shifted to one of mock betrayal, and she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Why didn't you call us?" she demanded, her voice a mix of playful accusation and genuine hurt.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, as if she couldn't believe I hadn't reached out. "We're your friends! We should've been here for you. You didn't even call! The look on her face tugged at my heart. I hadn't meant to keep her or anyone out of this, but everything had happened so fast.

Now that she's here, I'll help her catch up on everything.

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