Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 388: True Intentions Chapter 35: The Rogue King's True Intentions Astrid's POV The fire crackled softly in the middle of our camp, its flickering light casting long shadows across the weary faces gathered around it.

Rowena sat apart from the others, her posture poised despite the shackles around her wrists.

Her silver hair, neat and immaculate, caught the firelight, and her eyes-sharp, calculating-watched us with the kind of patience that only cwith age and experience.

Killian stood to her right, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. He hadn't said much since we brought her back, but the tension in his shoulders spoke volumes.

His mother, the woman who had caused so much pain, was now our reluctant informant.

Drystan paced nearby, his claws flexing as he glared at Rowena. Nova sat stiffly beside me, her hand gripping her knee as if to keep her emotions in check.

Andros leaned against a tree on the far side of the clearing, his presence like a dark shadow, a reminder of the betrayal that had fractured our family.

"You've told us what the Amulet does," Killian said finally, breaking the silence. His voice was low, controlled. "Now tell us how to stop it." Rowena raised an eyebrow, her expression calm. "You think you can just 'stop' it? This isn't a simple weapon, Killian. The Amulet is a relic older than any of us, tied to bonds stronger than any of us can fully understand." Her voice was soft, but there was an edge to it-a quiet authority that demanded attention. She wasn't mocking us, but neither was she rushing to give us what we wanted.

Drystan growled, his wolf barely contained. "Enough riddles, Rowena. If you know how to stop it, you'd better start talking." She turned her gaze to him, her expression almost maternal. "You're quick to anger, as always," she said, her tone even. "That's why you'll never see the bigger picture." "Try me," Drystan snapped.

Rowena sighed, the kind of exasperation that only an elder could convey. "The Amulet wasn't just made to suppress Almega abilities. It was created to sever Pack bonds permanently.

The Rogue King doesn't just want to weaken you-he wants to destroy the very thing that makes you strong. Without those bonds, wolves becnothing more than rogues, isolated and powerless." A heavy silence followed her words, the weight of her revelation pressing down on all of us.

Nova's voice was sharp when she finally spoke. "If that's true, then how do we destroy it?" Rowena tilted her head, studying Nova with a faint smile. "Destroy it? My dear, do you even know what you're asking? The Amulet is tied to a bloodline-its creator's bloodline. Only someone from that line can sever its power. And even then, the cost is... significant." I stiffened, my heart sinking. "What cost?" Rowena's gaze shifted to me, her eyes softening just slightly. "A bond must be severed," she said quietly. "Permanently. The person destroying the Amulet must give up their connection to their Pack-to their wolf." Nova's hands trembled, her anger barely contained. "So you're saying someone has to give up everything? The identity, their strength, their family? That's the price?" "Yes," Rowena said simply.

Drystan stepped forward, his fury palpable. "Convenient, isn't it? You've been holding this over us, and now we're supposed to trust you?" Rowena's gaze didn't waver. "Trustor not, it doesn't change the truth. If the Rogue King succeeds, none of this will matter." I clenched my fists, my wolf growling softly. "Why should we believe anything you say?" Rowena's lips curved into a faint smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Because, Astrid, I have nothing to gain. My life has been one of mistakes, many of which I've paid for. But this... this is bigger than me, than you, than all of us." Killian stepped closer, his voice hard. "Who is part of this bloodline?" Rowena's expression shifted, a flicker of hesitation crossing her face before she answered. "It includes Astrid's family. Your family, Astrid." I froze, the weight of her words crashing down on me. "You're saying... I could destroy it?" "Yes," she said. "But you're not the only one." She hesitated again, her gaze flicking to Nova. "The bloodline also ties to Liora's family." Nova's breath hitched, her face paling. "Liora?" Rowena nodded. "She must have known. That's why she gave her life-to protect the bloodline, to keep the Amulet out of the Rogue King's hands." Nova's voice broke. "She died for this. And now you're saying it wasn't enough?"

Killian's voice cut through the rising tension. "Enough. We need a plan. If the Rogue King is already using the Amulet, we can't afford to wait." "And what's the plan?" Drystan demanded. "Trust Rowena, the woman who's lied to us before? Or Andros, the man who betrayed his entire family?" Rowena's expression hardened. "I'm not the enemy here, Drystan. And if you're too blind to see that, you're a bigger liability than I am."

Drystan lunged toward her, but Killian stepped between them, his Alghan presence freezing them both. "Stop it, he growled. "We don't have tfor this." Later that night, I found Rowena sitting alone, her chains glinting in the moonlight. Despite everything, she looked... regal. Composed.

"You've always had a way of stirring things up," I said, approaching her cautiously. She smiled faintly. "It's a gift." I sat beside her, my wolf still uneasy. "Do you regret it? Everything you've done?"

Her gaze softened, and for the first time, I saw something genuine inher expression. "Regrety's luxury, Astrid. One I've had plenty of tto dwell on. But what matters now is what we do next." I didn't respond, the weight of her words settling heavily on me.