Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 427: Weight of Failure

Astrid's POV

The hour was unnervingly still-the kind of stillness that didn't promise peace but

danger.

Even the crickets had silenced their symphony, leaving the world suspended in an uneasy pause.

Fresh guards had taken their positions outside Elara and Ryker's room, their heavy boots scuffing the floor before settling into still vigilance.

Inside, I sat unmoving, my nails absently scraping patterns into the worn armrest of the chair.

Every creak of the house, every gust of wind, felt like a warning. My wolf stirred, pacing just beneath the surface, uneasy.

Killian had checked on me earlier. He'd lingered in the doorway, his golden eyes searching mine, his mouth pressed into a grim line.

He didn't speak, didn't push me to leave. He didn't need to. He knew I wouldn't.

I wasn't leaving my children tonight.

The breeze through the open window caught the flame of a candle, snuffing it out in a final flicker.

Shadows stretched long across the room. I stood, my movements deliberate and quiet, and crossed to the window. The cold night air carried with it the faint scent of pine and something else-

something sharper.

I reached for the latch, and that's when it hit me.

A ripple of awareness prickled down my spine.

Something was wrong.

My wolf stilled, ears metaphorically pricking, senses sharpening.

The hallway torches sputtered once, their flames bending unnaturally-and then extinguished as if the darkness itself had swallowed them.

I tensed. My hand dropped instinctively to the dagger at my waist.

A faint noise-the crack of glass breaking-pierced the quiet. The acrid sting of

wolfsbane hit me next, sharp and unmistakable.

It filled the air like a poison cloud, heavy and suffocating.

"Wolfsbane!" the guard outside choked, his voice strangled before being silenced

The thud of his body hitting the floor

through the oppressive quiet, sharp and

Now!" I screamed, startling them

could reach them, shadows spilled into the room like water seeping through cracks. Rogues-silent, swift, and

eyes gleamed in the faint light, and

desperate attack. This

flashing steel. My dagger met

was already there to replace

me back to the bed. A hooded figure

throat, raw and feral, as I threw myself

but even as they faltered, another rogue grabbed me from behind, their weight

the blade in my hand slicing blindly until I broke free. My

but the rogues

I shouted, my voice cracking as desperation clawed at

But she didn't move.

wide eyes shimmering with tears, locked on

rogue surged toward her. I lunged, my blade finding its mark, but pain exploded in my

my flesh. My knees buckled. My vision blurred, and the world

through the fog

with deadly purpose. But before he could reach her, Ryker stepped in, his small frame braced in defiance, shielding his sister with

Ryker shouted,

full of childhood innocence, was now contorted in determination,

gripping the room, despite the overwhelming size and strength of the rogue before

little hands clutched a dagger, both fists tightening around the

it in front of him

small. Too fragile. But

my sister," he said, his voice

of amusement crossed the rogue's face-mocking,

if my

without hesitation, the

Fast. Brutal. Unforgiving.

bone crushing force, his small body sent hurtling through

sickening crack-shattered the

crumpled to the ground.

my throat as I struggled

body.

My son. My baby.

limbs betrayed me, heavy and sluggish from the poison searing through my

agony of my wound burned like wildfire,

myself inch by inch across

I gasped, my vision blurring. He wasn't

stung my eyes. Breathe, baby. Please