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.

despite her distance from him, he still had a soft spot for her - something that made him overlook what should have been obvious: Astrid had no place here, no place in his life, no place in the

my jaw, forcing my smile to stay in place as another pack member

nodded, thanking them for their compliments, but

Today, everything would change.

would finally rid myself of Astrid's shadow

I made sure my expression remained serene,

that they expected. They had no idea what I was

the crowd, I spotted the Omega I had sent earlier to take care of

through the guests, moving with the kind of

reached me, he leaned in, keeping his voice low, his head bowed as if offering me a message

barely a tickle against my ear.

rush of satisfaction course through me, though I kept my face carefully composed. Inside, my

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

task was simple

unharmed but ensure that he wandered far enough that it

Someone like Astrid.

twitched upward into a smile, and I nodded slightly to the Omega, dismissing him with a small

back, keeping my voice as soft as his. "Make sure no one notices his absence until I

back into the crowd, his presence

disappear into the sea of guests, and a slow, deep satisfaction settled into my chest. Now, all I had to do

When the time came, I'd stage my little performance-acting the concerned Luna, the devoted mother desperate to find her missing