Reclaiming My Broken Luna (Astrid and Killian) novel Chapter 412

Astrid’s POV

The air crackled with tension as the rogue king’s gaze shifted toward us, his dark eyes gleaming with an unspoken challenge.

Killian’s golden eyes burned with fury, his body coiled like a predator ready to strike. But the rogue king, Ardan, stood unfazed, a shadow of calm amidst the chaos.

“You’re relentless, Killian,” Ardan said smoothly, his voice carrying across the clearing like a chilling wind. “But your efforts are misplaced. You cling to a broken system—a hierarchy built on oppression and blood.”

Killian took a measured step forward, his claws flexing. “And you think murdering innocents and sowing chaos is the answer? You’re delusional.”

Ardan tilted his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Delusional? Or visionary? The Packs need reformation, Killian. The hierarchy you protect only serves the Alphas and Betas—those at the top. The rest? They suffer. They’re discarded like trash.”

I clenched my fists, stepping forward to stand beside Killian. “And you think your way will fix it?” I shot back. “You’ve left countless families in ruins, turned wolves against their own. You’re no savior—you’re a tyrant.”

Ardan’s gaze flicked to me, and for the first time, a flicker of something softer crossed his face.

“Astrid,” he said, his tone quieter now, almost regretful. “You, of all people, should understand. You were cast out, treated like nothing. Yet here you are, protecting those who wronged you.”

His words struck a chord, a painful echo of memories I’d long buried.

The rogue king and I both share the same pain. When I heard of his past, I instantly understood where he is coming from and why he had turned into this.

The only difference between us was how we ended up becoming, and it’s only because I had Killian, while he didn’t have anyone in his life.

Without Drystan’s help, Nova’s support and my father’s love, I would have ended up worse than him.

My jaw tightened, but I didn’t falter. “I’m protecting them because I know change doesn’t come through destruction. It comes through unity, through building something better.”

Ardan’s expression hardened. “Unity?” he spat. “Do you really believe they’ll change, Astrid? You’re wasting your strength protecting a system that will never see you as an equal. If you joined me, we could tear it all down and rebuild. Together, we’d be unstoppable.”

Killian growled low in his throat, stepping protectively closer to me.

“She’s not joining you, Ardan,” he said coldly. “And you’re not rebuilding anything. You’re just destroying.”

Ardan’s smile returned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Ah, Killian. Always so quick to see the world in black and white. But this isn’t about you. Astrid, think about it. Everything they’ve done to you—do they really deserve your loyalty?”

I felt Killian’s hand brush mine, grounding me. My voice was steady when I answered. “What they deserve doesn’t matter. What I choose to fight for does. And I’ll fight to protect them, even from you.”

For a moment, silence stretched between us, the weight of our words hanging heavy in the air. Then Ardan straightened, his expression sharpening into something colder.