Reclaiming My Broken Luna (Astrid and Killian) novel Chapter 263

Astrid’s POV

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a soft glow over the playground. Giselle sat on the edge of a park bench, her posture stiff, watching her son, Ryker, who stood a few feet away, transfixed by the swing’s rhythmic motion.

He didn’t climb onto it; instead, he observed the world around him fading into the background. Giselle didn’t bother to approach her son or to keep him company.

Vanessa, sitting next to her, laughed softly as her daughter, Hazel, darted around the playground, introducing herself to other children with ease and grace that came naturally to her.

“That girl,” Vanessa mused, smiling fondly, “She could make friends with anyone.”

Giselle nodded her smile tight. She watched Hazel charm another group of children, their laughter reaching her ears like an echo that she wished she could hear from Ryker.

I watched as Giselle’s fingers tensed on the edge of the bench as she glanced at her son. He wasn’t interacting, wasn’t joining in, leaving her nothing to boast about him.

“Ryker is just shy,” Giselle replied after a moment, her voice distant as if she felt embarrassed to give that answer. “He’s not good with people.”

Vanessa waved her hand dismissively. “Oh please, He’s just fine. We all have our pace.” Her smile was bright; it was so easy to see how delighted she was to rub it on Giselle’s face that her daughter was better than hers.

Giselle’s shoulders tensed. If they hadn’t been at the public playground and no people were watching, she would have responded negatively to Vanessa’s words. It’s clear what she’s doing here.

“Hazel is a talented child,” Vanessa spoke boastfully. “She could play both the piano and the violin, and she also knows a little ballet from her recent ballet lessons.”

I glanced at Giselle, expecting to see her annoyed. Instead, I saw a different reaction on her face, a hint of sadness and happiness at the same time, almost sentimental.

“How about Ryker? I heard that some autistic children are born geniuses. What is he good at?” Vanessa questioned, pulling Giselle out of the thoughts she had.

“Ryker is not good with strangers, and it’s hard to keep him focused on something,” Giselle replied. “Killian tried hiring tutors to teach him something and gain his interest, but none of them worked.”

Vanessa let out a sigh, though it came off more as a mockery than genuine concern. “As the future Alpha of the Silvermoon Pack, this couldn’t carry on,” she muttered, her brow furrowing.

Giselle shot back with a mischievous glint in her eye. “You don’t have to worry, Ryker’s health is improving with his therapy sessions. The Crimsonbane Pack won’t raise up in the ranks anytime soon,” she quipped, a playful challenge hanging in the air between them.

Vanessa’s eyes widened in surprise, her composure faltering, not expecting that Giselle would respond negatively to her in front of the public.

Just as the atmosphere threatened to spiral into an open confrontation, Giselle’s defenses softened, her expression shifting from sharp to contemplative.

“You mention that Hazel knows ballet and can play the piano and violin,” she said, her voice taking on a more genuine tone. “I’d really like to watch her performance.”