Reclaiming My Broken Luna (Astrid and Killian) novel Chapter 423

Astrid’s POV

The council chamber buzzed with an undercurrent of tension that made the air feel thick.

The weight of the looming meeting sat heavily on my chest, though I knew I couldn’t let it show.

This was where Ardan would aim to make his statement, where he’d strike to spread chaos and fear.

I stood in the far corner, my eyes scanning the room as the Alphas and Lunas filed in one by one.

Their voices filled the space, low murmurs exchanging concerns over Ardan’s growing influence and his unrelenting attacks.

Killian stood at my side, his presence as steady as a mountain. His golden eyes scanned the room, sharp and calculating, watching for any signs of danger.

Ryder had already slipped into the shadows, overseeing the security measures with a team of warriors stationed discreetly throughout the area.

“You’ve been quiet,” Killian said, his voice low, for me alone.

I turned to him, meeting his gaze.

“I’m thinking,” I admitted. “Ardan isn’t just about brute force. If he has people here, if he’s planning something, we need to spot it before it happens.”

Killian nodded, his jaw tightening. “He won’t get the chance to catch us off guard. We’ve accounted for every angle.”

But I wasn’t convinced. Ardan was meticulous, and he thrived on misdirection.

Every move he made was layered, each step calculated to leave us questioning what we thought we knew.

The supply route, the council meeting—it was all part of a larger plan, and I was determined to piece it together before it was too late.

The room fell into a hushed silence as Alpha Damien of the Crimsonbane Pack stepped forward.

His commanding presence seemed to silence the tension in the room, though his dark eyes betrayed the worry etched across his face.

“We all know why we’re here,” Damien began, his deep voice echoing through the chamber.

“Ardan has declared war on everything we stand for. He’s not just targeting our Packs—he’s targeting the very foundation of what binds us together. Unity. Trust.”

A murmur spread through the room, and I stepped forward, raising a hand to quiet them.

“He’s using our unity against us,” I said, my voice firm. “He’s exploiting the trust we’ve built to infiltrate and destabilize. Cedric’s betrayal is proof enough of that.”

The room erupted again, some Alphas voicing their doubts about Cedric, others debating how deeply the rogue king’s influence had spread.

Killian’s voice cut through the chaos. “Enough,” he growled, his golden eyes blazing. “We don’t have the luxury of infighting. If we let him divide us, we’ve already lost.”

The chamber fell silent, and I felt a swell of pride at the commanding presence of my mate.

Killian had a way of rallying others, of making them feel like they could withstand anything with him at the helm.

I stepped closer to him, placing a hand on the table where the map of our territories lay.