Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 292: Kidnapped Giselle's POV

I smiled graciously, a picture of a perfect Luna, as I moved through the crowd of guests.

The pack grounds buzzed with excitement, laughter, and the vibrant energy of celebration.

Ryker's fourth birthday was meant to be a joyous occasion, and I made sure that every detail was perfect. from the decorations to the banquet.

Behind my polite smiles and gracious words, bitterness roiled like a storm within me, growing darker with every passing moment.

Astrid.

She lingered around the pack like a shadow that refused to fade, always present, always reminding me of what I had to claw and fight for.

I could see her now, hovering near the entrance, wearing that same quiet, solemn expression she always carried, as if she bore some unspoken burden. It turned my stomach.

She claimed she was here to offer help to the pack, but I wasn't a fool. I knew there was more to her presence than mere goodwill.

In just a few days, she'd already charmed her way into the hearts of so many those who once looked to me now turned to her, their admiration shifting with a speed that left me seething.

Somehow, without even trying, she had managed to steal the spotlight that should have been mine, making me feel like a stranger in my own home.

What infuriated me most was how easily she'd regained Killian's favor. All it took was a few sympathetic glances, a few words spoken in that soft, humble tone of hers, and suddenly she was back in his good graces.

It should have been easy to push her out of the picture, to make her irrelevant, but Killian's misplaced sympathy had made everything so much more difficult.

a soft spot for her - something that made him overlook what should

forcing my smile to stay in place as another pack member congratulated me on

their compliments, but my mind

Today, everything would change.

finally rid myself of Astrid's shadow

but I

what I was truly capable

crowd, I spotted the Omega I had sent earlier to

through the guests, moving with the kind of deference

low, his head bowed as

barely a tickle against my ear. "We lured the boy

me, though I kept my face carefully composed.

in motion. Ryker was safely out of sight, wandering into the

Omega's task was simple

Ryker was unharmed but ensure that he wandered far

Someone like Astrid.

of my mouth twitched upward into a smile, and I nodded slightly to the Omega, dismissing

as his. "Make sure no one notices his absence

back into the crowd, his

guests, and a slow, deep satisfaction settled into my chest. Now, all I had to

the time came, I'd stage my little performance-acting the concerned Luna, the devoted mother