Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 432: The Choice Astrid's POV The night stretched on, endless and suffocating. The dim glow of the bedside lamp cast long shadows against the walls, but the light felt hollow-cold.

The Packhouse was eerily quiet, the usual hum of distant conversations and footsteps replaced by an unbearable stillness.

I sat on the edge of the bed, my fingers twisting the fabric of my shirt, my thoughts a hurricane raging inside me.

Elara.

Her nwas carved into every thought, every breath, every aching second that passed.

She was out there, in the dark, in the hands of the man who wanted nothing more than to seebroken.

And I was still here. Waiting.

I had tried. I had tried to listen to Killian, to hold on to the logic that we could save her together, that there was a plan, a chance.

But how could I gamble my daughter's life on a chance? What if they were wrong? What if we weren't fast enough? What if she needednow? My throat tightened, the guilt curling aroundlike a noose. I had waited too long already. I had let Killian convincethat we had time.

But I knew better.

I had seen the way rogues worked. They didn't take prisoners out of mercy. They took them to make statements, to break their enemies.

And I would not let my daughter beca casualty in this war.

I inhaled sharply, my mind made up.

I was going to Ardan.

Alone.

The clock on the wall read 2:47 AM.

I had been sitting in silence for the past hour, listening. Waiting.

Killian was downstairs, still working with Ryder and the warriors. He hadn't cback to bed-not that I had expected him to.

He had been watchingtoo closely, afraid I would spiral again.

But he had let his guard down just enough.

I exhaled slowly, steadying my nerves as I pulled on a dark jacket. My hands trembled as I zipped it up, but I forced myself to breathe.

I couldn't afford to hesitate.

With one last glance at the door, I crept toward the window. The cool night air brushed against my skin as I pushed it open.

I was on the second floor, but that didn't matter. I had scaled walls higher than this before.

Swinging my legs over the ledge, I grabbed onto the gutter and lowered myself down carefully. My feet hit the ground with barely a sound.

No alarms. No guards spotting me.

Good.

I moved quickly, my pulse thrumming in my ears as I slipped through the shadows of the Packhouse, avoiding the patrols.

The warriors were stationed mainly near the entrances, expecting an attack-not an escape. They weren't expectingto leave.

I reached the treeline, my breath coming in shallow gasps. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, anxious, restless, warningto stop.

But I ignored her.

I was doing this for Elara.

And nothing-not even Killian-was going to stop me.

Killian's POV The room was colder when I returned.

Not physically-no, the temperature hadn't changed-but something was wrong.

The air felt off, too still, too empty. A sharp, uneasy sensation curled in my gut before I even stepped through the doorway.

I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply as exhaustion threatened to dragunder. I hadn't slept in days. It didn't matter. Elara mattered. Astrid mattered.

I had spent hours reinforcing patrols, sending out another wave of scouts, checking the security measures over and over again, trying to fix this.

But I couldn't fix it.

Not yet.

Not until my daughter was home. Not until I saw Astrid's eyes light up again, not until the ghost of grief that clung to her skin like a shadow finally lifted.

I sighed, rolling the tension from my shoulders. I needed to check on her. I had left her alone long enough, and after everything, I wasn't about to let her spiral again.

I stepped inside the bedroom, my boots making barely a sound against the wooden floor. The door was still slightly ajar, just as I had left it.

But the second I stepped in- Everything insidelocked up.

Something was wrong.

The air felt... hollow.

The bed was untouched.

The window was open.

My stomach twisted violently, dread clawing up my throat.

No.

No, no, no- I strode forward, gripping the window ledge so tightly my knuckles went white. My wolf snapped, raging inside of me, sensing the truth I already knew.

She was gone.

A sharp growl rumbled deep in my chest, vibrating through my bones as I scanned the darkness outside. Nothing. No movement. Damn it.

I turned sharply, slamming the window shut as I stormed out of the room. My pulse was roaring in my ears, a deafening drumbeat of panic and fury.

She left.

She left me.

I barely registered the startled looks from the guards as I passed. I barely felt the grip on my shoulder as someone grabbed me, trying to slowdown.

"Killian-what the hell is going on?" I turned, meeting Ryder's sharp gaze. His expression was tense, but the second he saw my face, the way my entire body radiated raw, untethered rage, his own breath hitched. en "She's gone," I gritted out.

Ryder's brow furrowed. "What do you-" Then, realization struck. His face paled, his body going rigid. "Astrid?" I exhaled sharply, my fists curling at my sides. "She went to him." Silence.

Ryder cursed under his breath, running a hand through his hair. His usual steel composure was breaking, just like mine.

I closed my eyes, forcing down the panic that clawed at my insides. The unbearable ache of knowing that she had walked into the enemy's hands-alone. "Gather all the scouts. Astrid must not have gone that far. Don't stop the search until you find her," I commanded.

I stepped forward, about to shift into my wolf to join the search whenm Ryder grabbed my arm. "Stay behind. I'll take care of everything. You haven't slept since morning." en when both my wife and my

I shook Ryder's hand away. "How can I even sleep daughter is now in m danger shot back at him, making him fall in silence. Just as I was about to shift to my wolf once again, a loud voice interrupted me.

"Alpha! Alpha!" I turned around to see an omega calling out toin a distressed voice.

"It's Ryker, he is awake and looking for you. You need to chom wouldn't calm down, the omega spoke worriedly.