Reclaiming My Broken Luna (Astrid and Killian) novel Chapter 400

Astrid’s POV

The world outside my dreams pulled me back slowly, the haze of sleep clinging to me as I stirred awake.

Something was missing, though. I reached out instinctively to the empty space beside me, my fingers brushing against the cool sheets where Killian should have been.

I blinked, still disoriented, as I pushed myself up. The room was dim, the soft glow of moonlight streaming through the windows.

My eyes adjusted slowly, and then I saw him—Killian, standing on the terrace just outside, his broad back turned to me.

His posture was rigid, his hands gripping the railing as though it were the only thing keeping him grounded.

Yawning, I stretched, rolling my shoulders to shake off the remnants of sleep.

The cool air hit me as I stepped onto the terrace and I instantly wrapped my arms around myself.

“Killian,” I called softly, my voice still hoarse from sleep. He didn’t turn, didn’t acknowledge me at first.

His head hung low, the tension radiating from him unmistakable.

I closed the distance between us, placing a gentle hand on his arm. “What’s wrong?” I asked, my worry spilling into my voice.

Killian finally turned to look at me. He forced a smile on his face, that looked quite broken. “What are you doing here? You should go back and sleep,” he muttered, faking a smile to push me away.

“I can’t sleep. I’m not used to sleeping beside an empty space,” I muttered as I touched the railing and stood beside him.

“What’s wrong?” I asked directly into his eyes, leaving him no room for avoiding me.

He didn’t respond immediately. The silence stretched between us, broken only by the faint rustle of leaves in the wind.

Finally, he let out a shaky breath, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the railing tighter.

“I can’t stop thinking about her,” he said, his voice raw, almost unrecognizable.

“Your mother?” I asked gently, already knowing the answer.

He nodded, his shoulders trembling slightly. “She’s gone, Astrid. She’s… gone.” His voice cracked, and my chest tightened at the sound.

I placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at him softly, reminding him that he doesn’t need to be strong beside me.

He turned to me suddenly, and the sight of his tear-streaked face stole the breath from my lungs.

Killian, the man who had always been my rock, my unshakable anchor, looked utterly broken.

“I should have—” His voice broke again, and he turned away, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “I should have fixed things with her. I should have—”