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

easily I

escaped me, and I pressed my

murmured. "I promise I won't

thoughts.

I didn't need to. I knew

Killian.

only one keeping all

been the one making sure the warriors stayed on high alert, the one taking care of the Pack, the one

just like us, ridden by guilt and anxiety, but he had to be

he was the one

his voice, the weight of his own grief pressing

I couldn't afford to fall apart

"He's getting worse,"

beside me. “Because he's worrying

That made me flinch.

lied, my voice sharper than I

Killian exhaled heavily. "Astrid."

my eyes. "I don't care about me,

beside me, his fingers brushing lightly over my wrist. "And how do you think Ryker feels watching you like this? You haven't eaten in days. You barely sleep You're running yourself into the ground, and he

then, my vision swimming with unshed tears. "What else am I supposed to do?" My voice cracked, "He's

there, scared, alone.

QUMS

golden eyes softened, and he reached up to cup my

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

she's going to need her mother. And

My chest tightened painfully.

he

doing anyone

guilt-the crushing weight of

fingers over his cheek. "I just want

"I just want this

my hand. "It will

respond, the door to the infirmary swung

inside, his face grim, his presence enough

Something had happened.

his body

before settling back on Killian. He reached into his cloak and pulled out

quietly. “From the

inside me

his jaw tightening as he unfolded it. His golden

quickly, his entire body