Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 430: A Price to Pay

Astrid's POV

The walls of the Packhouse had never felt so suffocating.

Days had passed since Elara was taken, but time had lost all meaning.

The world outside moved on, but inside these walls, inside this nightmare, everything was frozen-suspended in a relentless cycle of fear, exhaustion, and waiting.

Waiting for news. Waiting for a sign. Waiting for something, anything, to bring my daughter back.

But all I had were the heavy, sinking hours in between, where every breath felt like a struggle, where every shadow in the room felt like it was closing in on me.

Ryker's condition wasn't improving.

If anything, he was getting worse.

He barely spoke. He barely ate. When he did sleep, it was restless and fitful, his small hands gripping the sheets as if he were still in battle, as if he were still fighting off the monsters that had stolen his sister.

Every time he closes his eyes to sleep, he wakes up screaming his sister's name, tormented by nightmares.

Ryker is blaming himself for what happened to his sister, worsening his health.

And I... I was barely surviving.

I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Elara's terrified face, her small hands reaching

for me, the way her screams had echoed as she was ripped from my grasp.

I had failed her.

I had failed both of them.

I sat by Ryker's bedside, my fingers brushing through his damp hair, pushing it away from his forehead.

His skin was clammy, his breathing too shallow for my liking.

"Ryker," I whispered, my voice hoarse from days of disuse.

His lashes fluttered, but he didn't open his eyes.

I looked down at his hand resting in mine, so small, so fragile, and I felt the weight

it-how easily I could lose

and I pressed my lips against

"I

deep voice broke through my thoughts. "You can't keep going like this,

didn't need

Killian.

the only one keeping all of us

been the one making sure the warriors stayed on high alert, the one taking care of the Pack, the one managing the chaos I no longer had the strength to

ridden by guilt and anxiety, but he had to be strong for us.

now, he was the one trying to

in his voice, the weight of his own grief

I couldn't afford

fingers tightening around Ryker's. "He's getting

“Because he's worrying about Elara," he said softly. "And because he's worrying about

That made me flinch.

lied, my voice sharper

Killian exhaled heavily. "Astrid."

don't care about me, Killian. I care about

you like this? You haven't eaten

unshed tears. "What else am I supposed to do?" My voice

Elara is out there, scared, alone.

QUMS

softened, and he reached up to cup my cheek, his warmth grounding me,

you to survive this, Astrid," he said gently. "Because when we bring

need her mother. And Ryker needs her

My chest tightened painfully.

knew he

I wasn't doing

the guilt-the crushing weight of it-was

to Ryker, brushing my fingers over his cheek. "I

just

my hand. "It will

respond, the door to the infirmary

face grim, his presence enough to send my heart

Something had happened.

immediately, his body tensing. "What

before settling back on Killian. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a folded piece of parchment, the edges

quietly. “From the

me went

took the parchment, his jaw tightening

quickly, his entire body going