Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 384: Rowena's Betrayal Killian's POV The Emberwood ruins were silent, but it was a deceptive kind of peace.

The air was thick with the stench of blood and ash, and every shadow seemed to whisper of danger.

Warriors moved through the wreckage with weary purpose, tending to the wounded or reinforcing what defenses we had left.

Nova rested in one of the makeshift infirmary tents, her pale face a stark reminder of how close we'd cto losing everything.

Drystan was at her side, his usual stoicism replaced by a quiet but fierce protectiveness.

Astrid was near the council chamber, her presence a steadying force as warriors gathered to plan our next steps.

The weight of the siege hung heavily on us all, but the real burden sat in the back of my mind: the Amulet.

We reconvened in the council chamber later that evening. The warriors who could stand attended, their faces etched with exhaustion.

The Amulet, I thought, would be the center of this conversation-our next move, our strategy. But when I stepped into the chamber, my heart sank.

The pedestal where the Amulet had been placed after the battle was empty.

"Where is it?" Astrid asked sharply, breaking the tense silence.

A ripple of unease passed through the room.

Drystan stepped forward, his gaze scanning the area like a predator searching for prey. "It was here after the battle. I saw it myself." "Search the room," I ordered, though dread had already taken root in my chest. The Amulet wasn't misplaced. It couldn't simply vanish.

Warriors began to check every corner, overturning tables and searching the surrounding areas, but I knew it was futile.

"It's gone," Astrid said, her voice grim.

"Who took it?" Nova's voice trembled with both anger and fear as she leaned on Drystan for support.

Before anyone could answer, a scout burst into the room, his face pale. "Alpha Killian," he said, his voice shaking. "It's Rowena. She's gone." We followed the scout to Rowena's cell, the tension mounting with every step. When we arrived, the truth was unmistakable.

The door hung ajar, the lock broken cleanly, as though by someone who knew exactly how to dismantle it. Inside, the shackles lay discarded on the floor, and the faint scent of blood and another wolf lingered in the air. Drystan's claws flexed at his sides, his wolf rising to the surface. "This wasn't an escape," he growled. "It was a plan. She knew exactly what she was doing." Astrid knelt near the shackles, her fingers brushing the cold metal. "She didn't do this alone," she said, her voice sharp. "Someone helped her-someone who wanted her free." My chest tightened as I thought of the Amulet. "If she's gone, then she has it," I said, my voice low and heavy. Drystan turned to me, his eyes blazing. "You let her live. You trusted her. And now she's taken the one thing that could destroy us." The scout handeda crumpled piece of parchment, his hands shaking as he did so. I unfolded it, recognizing Rowena's hurried scrawl: "You'll thankfor this, though I doubt you'll see it now. The Amulet cannot stay with you-it's too dangerous in your hands. I'll finish what needs to be done, even if it means doing it alone." "She took it," Nova whispered, her voice trembling with barely contained fury. "She took the Amulet and ran straight to him, didn't she?" "To the Rogue King," Drystan snarled. "This was her plan all along. She played us, and you let her." His words hit like a physical blow, but I couldn't argue. I had let her live. I had thought...

Astrid's voice cut through the rising tension. "Enough. We don't have tfor this. If Rowena has the Amulet, we need to find her before she reaches the Rogue King. We need her alive." Drystan's claws dug into the stone wall beside him, his fury palpable "Alive? She's the reason Liora is dead. She's the reason we're all in this mess. And now you want to spare her again?" Astrid turned to him, her eyes blazing. "Yes. Because no matter how much we hate her, she's the only one who can lead us to the Rogue King. And without her, we have nothing." The room fell silent, but the tension was suffocating. I could feel Drystan's anger radiating from him matched only by Nova's, but there was nothing I could say to ease it. They were right. I had let this happen.

The hours that followed were a blur of activity. Scouts were sent out in every direction with strict orders to find Rowena and retrieve the Amulet at all costs.

I stayed behind, sitting near the ruins' edge, staring out into the dark forest beyond.

Astrid foundthere, her presence grounding even as the weight of everything threatened to crush me.

"She betrayed us again," I muttered, the words bitter on my tongue.

"She's desperate," Astrid said softly. "And desperate people make dangerous choices." "She's going to get herself killed," I said, my claws digging into the stone beneath me.

Astrid placed her hand over mine, her touch warm and Maybe. But we can't focus on what we can't control. We'll find her, Killian. And we'll stop the Rogue King. Together." I looked at her, guilt and anger swirling in my chest. "I don't deserve you," I said quietly.

She smiled faintly, though the sadness in her eyes lingered. "Maybe not. But we don't have tfor self-pity."

By dawn, the scouts returned with grim news. Rowena's trail $ trail was faint, as though she had gone out of her way to cover it, but it led toward rogue territory. "She's heading straight for him," Nova said, her voice tight with frustration.

"To bargain," Drystan said darkly. "She thinks she can outsmart the Rogue King. That she can use the Amulet to save herself." "She's a fool," Astrid said, her tone cold. "But if she reaches him, we'll lose our only chance to destroy the Amulet."

I stepped forward, my decision already made. "Then, we don't let her reach him. We track her down, and n we stop her before it's too late." Drystan nodded, his anger simmering beneath the surface. "I'll lead the first group. We leave immediately." "I'm coming with you," Nova said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Drystan hesitated but nodded. "Fine. But you stay behind the front line." Astrid placed a hand on my arm. "And us?" "We lead the second group," I said. "If the first doesn't reach her in time, we'll be right behind them."