Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 426: Fractured Bonds

Astrid's POV

Long shadows cast down on me as I walked through the halls. Every step felt heavier than the last, the air thick with tension.

I had spent the last hour sitting by Elara and Ryker's beds, watching their peaceful faces, willing my fears to fade away. But they hadn't.

I had always trusted my instincts, and right now, they were screaming at me. Something was wrong.

Killian had tried to reassure me, promising that we had taken every precaution, that the guards stationed around our children were the best of the best. But my gut told me otherwise.

Ardan was methodical. He didn't make reckless moves. If he had stayed silent for this long, it was because he was waiting for the perfect opportunity.

I wasn't about to let him take it.

I turned a corner and found Killian waiting for me outside the war room, his golden eyes watching me closely. He had been expecting me.

"You didn't rest," he said simply.

"Neither did you," I countered, folding my arms across my chest.

He exhaled, running a hand through his dark hair. "Astrid, you have to stop torturing yourself. The guards are on high alert. Ryder is tracking rogue movements. We're not letting anything happen to them."

"I know," I admitted. "But something doesn't feel right, Killian. The rogues haven't made a move in days. It's not normal."

Killian nodded, his gaze darkening. "I don't like it either. Ryder said there were faint rogue scents near the eastern border, but no signs of an attack."

"A distraction," I murmured.

Killian's brows furrowed. "You think Ardan is keeping our attention there while he moves somewhere else?"

I nodded, my mind racing. "It's what I would do. Keep the strongest fighters distracted, make them chase shadows, and strike where it hurts the most."

Killian's grip on the war table tightened. "Then where is he really planning to strike?"

I didn't answer immediately. My mind was already piecing the puzzle together, going through everything Cedric had revealed, everything Ardan had done before.

Then it clicked.

“The Packhouse," I whispered, my stomach twisting.

Killian stiffened. "Astrid-"

to face him fully. "His end goal isn't just to win

And what better way to do that than to show the Alphas that

jaw clenched, his golden eyes flashing with

just our children. They carry my blood, Killian.

He turned sharply toward the

waiting outside,

voice sharp and unwavering. "Double the guards around my children. No one gets in or out unless Astrid or I

Ryder nodded immediately. "Understood."

arm. "I want warriors stationed inside their room. Not just outside. If Ardan has someone working for him on the

tightened, but he nodded.

carry out the orders, and I turned to Killian. "I'm staying

my hand, squeezing

Packhouse was quiet. Too

of silence that settled

Something still felt wrong.

steps

I made my way

the dagger at my waist which is laced with wolfsbane,

I prepared

time with my

had told me to

But how could I?

stationed at the door nodded as I approached, their shoulders

Killian himself. They had sworn their loyalty, their lives, to

To protecting my children.

the feeling

the room, the air warm and thick with the scent of lavender and

the open window, spilling across Elara and Ryker's

My heart clenched.

curled on her side, her tiny hand clutching the stuffed wolf she never slept

cheeks, her small chest rising

on his back, one arm thrown out as if

in his sleep, there was tension in his young body, his brow furrowed slightly as

of danger before

My stomach twisted.