Ch. 286..290: Reclaiming My Broken Luna Chapter 286-290

Chapter 286: Turn Around

Nova's

POV

"Turn it around," I suddenly spoke, breaking the suffocating silence inside the car.

Every second that passed felt heavier, pressing down on my chest like a weight I couldn't shake, and in the end, I wasn't able to bear it.

Each mile we drove, the pack faded into the distance, but instead of the relief I thought I'd feel, something else took its place. An ache, deep and relentless, that refused to go away.

This only proved Drystan's words right. Running away will never help me acieve what I want - I would never be free.

I will always be stuck with my emotions and my feelings if I just kept on ignoring them instead of facing them.

This isn't just about Drystan. It wasn't about holding onto some desperate hope that things could be different. No, I had already let that go - at least, that's what I told myself.

So why did it still feel like a part of me was being left behind? I need to figure that out first.

"W-What?" Michael glanced at me in surprise, not sure if he heard me right.

"Turn the car... We are going back," I muttered with my arms crossed, my eyes staring outside the window.

The farther we drove, the tighter my chest became, like something inside me was screaming to be heard.

I realized then that the only way to truly be free-free from the past, free from the weight that had been dragging me down for so long-was to face it head-on.

To confront the feelings that had been festering for years, to talk to Drystan, and to finally let it go. Not for him. For me.

I needed closure. I needed to be free from the chains of what had been holding me back, and the only way to do that was to go back and face the truth.

He didn't respond at first, his eyes still focused on the road ahead, but I saw his grip on the steering wheel loosen. It's as if he had been waiting for me to ask him turn the car around.

He didn't have to be told twice, he swerved the car around, our destination changing back to the place where we came from.

As we retraced our path, the landscape blurred past, a mix of vibrant greens and muted browns that seemed to echo the turmoil within me.

I thought Michael would scold me for changing my mind now, wasting his time and also his fuel. But he didn't say a word against me.

Each familiar landmark felt like a jolt of nostalgia, pulling memories from the depths of my mind. The closer we got to the place I thought I'd left behind, the more I felt a rush of emotions- fear, uncertainty, but also a flicker of hope.

"Are you okay?" Michael asked, glancing over with concern. His voice pulled me from my thoughts, grounding me in the present.

My heart felt warm at his concern.

"I will be," I replied, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. "I just need to do this."

His nod was slow but encouraging. "I'm here for you, Nova. Whatever you need."

I appreciated his support, even if it felt a little overwhelming. I could sense the tension in the car, a silent understanding that we were heading toward something significant.

The silence was no longer suffocating; it had transformed into a space filled with anticipation.

As we neared our destination, the memories of when I first confessed my feelings to Drystan surged to the forefront of my mind.

The way he had looked at me, the words left unsaid hanging in the air like a thick fog. I felt nervous and scared in doing it again.

I'd always thought that leaving would bring me peace, but instead, it had only intensified the ache of unresolved feelings.

"Just breathe," I whispered to

myself, trying to steady my racing heart. The thought of seeing Drystan again sent a wave of anxiety crashing over me, but deep down, I knew it was time.

When Michael finally pulled into the familiar driveway, my stomach twisted in knots.

"Do you want me to come in with you?" Michael asked, breaking my reverie. His willingness to support me only added to the weight of the decision I had to make.

I took a deep breath, shaking my head slightly. "No, I need to do this alone. But can you wait for me?"

"Of course," he replied, his tone reassuring. "Take your time."

With a final nod, I stepped out of the car, the gravel crunching under my feet, echoing in the stillness around me.

I told myself I was just going to set things straight, and after that, I could finally leave as if nothing had ever happened.

But each step toward the packhouse felt monumental, the ground solid beneath me, while my mind raced with uncertainties. What would I say? How would he react?

Before I could even process those questions, I froze when I saw Drystan rush out of the packhouse.

His expression shifted from surprise

to disbelief as our eyes locked. Time seemed to stand still; the air thickened between us, filled with

unspoken words and ene

had both kept at bay for far too long.

QUMS

"Nova?" he breathed, as if saying my name would shatter the fragile moment we were suspended in. The way he said it sent a jolt through me, awakening feelings I thought I had buried deep.

"Drystan," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. What is he doing here? I thought he wouldn't be back soon.

That's partly one of my reasons why I had the courage to turn back. I thought I wouldn't have to face him so soon.

I guess this should be a good thing. The sooner I deal with this, the sooner I could leave.

Let's just get this over with.

 

Chapter 287: Fantasy

Nova's POV

I froze when I saw Drystan rushing out of the packhouse, his surprise shifting from surprise to something I couldn't quite place.

I swallowed hard, staying rooted on the spot, fighting the urge to turn around and run away again as he ran towards me, closing the distance between us.

"Drystan, what are you doing here?" My voice faltered, the words I had planned to say slipping through my fingers like water.

I thought he would still be at the Silvermoon Pack, wrapped in Astrid's arms, far from here. I thought I completely lost him to her.

Instead, he is right in front of me, moving closer with every second, like he was afraid I might disappear again.

Before I could take a step back, before I could even think, Drystan closed the distance between us and pulled me into his arms, holding me so tightly that I almost couldn't breathe.

His embrace caught me off guard. This wasn't the cold, distant Drystan I had expected.

It wasn't the reaction I'd imagined during all those long, lonely nights when I prepared myself for another rejection.

He clung to me like I was something precious he'd nearly lost, and I couldn't understand it.

My mind raced, trying to make sense of what was happening, but then his voice broke through my thoughts, low and rough, each word heavy with emotion.

"I'm so sorry, Nova," he murmured into my hair. "I'm sorry for everything I did to you. For hurting you, for pushing you away. I never meant to make you feel like you didn't matter."

I blinked, my breath catching in my throat as his words sank in. This couldn't be real.

I had come back to confess everything to pour out the feelings I'd carried for so long, to let him know how deeply he had hurt me, and then walk away, expecting nothing but the same cold indifference I'd always known from him.

I've already accepted that there's no chance between both of us, but here he was, apologizing, holding me like he never wanted to let go.

My mind struggled to process his words, to make sense of the warmth in his voice, the regret I heard in every syllable.

This wasn't what I'd expected, not at all. I had braced myself for more pain, for the ache of knowing he could never love me back the way I had always wanted.

As I stood there, wrapped in Drystan's arms, the world seemed to spin beneath me.

Everything I thought I knew, every scenario I had prepared for, disintegrated in the face of his unexpected embrace.

I had returned expecting cold indifference - more rejection. But instead, I was faced with something entirely different.

"Drystan..." I whispered, my voice breaking as unshed tears burned my eyes.

I wanted to believe his touch, to trust the sincerity in his words, but fear tightened its grip on my heart. "What happened?" I asked, pushing him back slightly, needing space to see his face, to understand the shift in his demeanor.

I thought Astrid and him would have

already reconciled by now. I have talked to Astrid and made her realize that she's making a mistake in pushing Drystan away from her.

For sure, they have reconciled their differences by now.

Drystan's expression softened as he looked at me, his breath uneven. For a moment, he seemed lost, unsure of where to begin.

Then, he took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before speaking. "It's over, Nova. Astrid and I... it's over."

I blinked, trying to understand what he was saying. "What do you mean?" I asked, my voice barely holding steady. "What happened between you two?"

He rubbed a hand over his face, his shoulders slumping under the weight of the confession.

"Astrid made me realize something, something should have known all along. I was blind, caught up in this idea that she was the one for me.. but I was wrong." He paused, the rawness in his voice making my chest tighten.

"She told me to stop waiting, that I deserved better than waiting for a love that was never going to come."

I struggled to comprehend his words, trying to find the meaning behind them. "She just... let you go?" I asked, my mind racing to catch up.

Drystan nodded, his gaze dropping

to the ground. "She knew that I was hurting myself by clinging to a fantasy. And she was right. But

more than that, she made me see'

something I had been too stubborn to recognize. She made me see that the woman who was meant for me... has always been you."

His words struck me like a thunderclap, and I froze, my breath catching in my throat.

"Drystan, what are you saying?" I whispered, disbelief coloring my tone. I could hardly process what I was hearing.

He looked up, his eyes meeting mine with a raw honesty that left me exposed, vulnerable.

"I was so wrapped up in my own desires, in my own idea of what love was supposed to be, that I never saw what was right in front of me.

I was too stupid, too blind to see that it was you all along, Nova. You were the one who was always there, the one who cared about me when no one else did."

Tears welled up in my eyes, the raw sincerity in his words cutting through the walls I had built around my heart.

 

Chapter 288: Tears of the Past

Nova's POV

"You don't mean that," I said, my voice trembling. "You've never seen me that way before. You've always seen me as just... as just "

"As just a friend?" he interrupted, his voice pained. "I know. I made you feel like you didn't matter, like you were nothing more than a second thought. And I'm so, so sorry for that, Nova. I should have seen it sooner.

Astrid showed me how foolish I've been, how I've been chasing something that was never meant for me, while ignoring the one person who has always been there, right beside me."

He took a step closer, reaching out to gently cup my face, his thumb brushing away a tear that had slipped free.

"You're the woman I should have been fighting for, Nova. The one I should have cherished all this time. I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I need you to know that I see it now. I see you. And I'm so sorry for all the ways I've hurt you."

His words pierced through the pain I had carried for so long, stirring up a whirlwind of emotions inside me. This was the apology I had never expected to hear, the acknowledgment of all the hurt he had caused. "I left because I thought it was the only way I could survive the pain, Drystan," I confessed, my voice trembling as I spoke the words I had held inside for so long.

"I couldn't bear being around you while you were looking at her like that... while you were loving her in a way I thought you could never love me." I continued.

"I thought if I got away, if I put enough distance between us, I could finally forget everything I felt for you." Drystan's expression softened, and I saw the guilt flicker in his eyes, deepening with each word.

His grip on my hands tightened, but he didn't interrupt, allowing me to continue.

"But even when I was gone, I couldn't stop thinking about you," I whispered, my voice cracking as the tears welled up again.

"I couldn't stop wondering if maybe... maybe I could have done something differently, maybe if I had been stronger, I could have stayed.

But I couldn't, Drystan. I couldn't keep hurting myself, pretending that I was okay while loving someone who never saw me."

His face twisted with pain, and he looked away for a moment, his jaw clenched as if struggling to hold back his own emotions.

"It's my fault for pushing you away, Nova. You are my mate. I should have never made you feel like you were invisible," he murmured, his voice thick with regret. "I wish I could go back and change everything." I shook my head, a small, sad smile tugging at my lips. "I didn't come back expecting you to change the past. I came back because I needed closure, because I thought if I faced you, if I told you how I felt, I could finally let go and move on with my life."

Drystan's eyes widened slightly, and he looked back at me, searching my face as if he was afraid of what I might say next.

"And now?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Do you still want to move on without me?"

I paused, letting out a long, shaky

breath. "I don't know, Drystan. Everything thought I knew has changed. But... when you told me that you

hally saw me, that younet

finally realized what I meant to you, it made me realize that maybe, just maybe, we could have a different future. One where I don't have to carry the hurt alone anymore."

His expression softened, and for the first time, I saw a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

He cupped my face again, his thumb brushing against my cheek, wiping away another tear. "I can't promise that I'll get everything right, but I swear never take you for granted again, Nova. If you'll give me the chance, I'll spend every day proving that I see you - that I cherish you."

The sincerity in his voice, the raw emotion in his eyes, cracked something inside me, and I felt my own tears spill over, hot and unrestrained.

I reached up, placing my hand over his, letting myself lean into his touch, letting myself hope.

"I'm scared, Drystan," I whispered, my voice breaking as more tears slipped down my cheeks.

"But I want to try. I want to believe that this time, things could be different. That maybe we could find something real together."

He let out a breath that sounded like it came from deep inside his chest, and before I could react, he pulled me back into his arms, holding me tightly against him.

His own shoulders shook as he buried his face in my hair, and I felt the warmth of his tears on my skin. "Thank you, Nova," he choked out, his voice cracking with emotion. "Thank you for giving me another chance. I promise I won't waste it."

I wrapped my arms around him, clutching the fabric of his jacket as the tears flowed freely between us. But these weren't the tears of hurt and rejection that had defined so much of our past.

They were tears of relief, of letting go, of finding a new beginning in the place where so many endings had once been written.

We held each other there, like it was both the first and the last time, as all of the pain and fear slipped away.

And as our tears mingled, a new

sense of warmth bloomed in my chest a fragile, precious hope that maybe, after all the heartache, we

could finally build something lasting.

en FindNovel

We were finally letting go of the past. We were stepping into something new, something beautiful,

together.

For the first time, the future felt bright-filled not with uncertainty, but with the promise of everything we could become.

 

Chapter 289: Treason

Killian's

POV

I entered the dungeon, the air thick with the scent of fear and sweat. The torches on the walls flickered, casting shadows that danced over the bruised faces of the Pack Doctor and the nurses.

They sat huddled on the cold, stone floor, their wrists bound behind their backs. I could see the terror in their eyes as they struggled to lift their heads and meet my gaze.

It was clear that Ryder had already gotten to them - purple bruises bloomed on their faces, and one of the nurses had a split lip.

As I approached, their pleas filled the room, a desperate chorus that grated against my ears.

"Alpha, please, we've been wronged!" the Pack Doctor stammered, his voice shaking as he leaned forward despite his restraints. "This is all a mistake! We've been loyal to you, to the pack! We beg you to hear us out and give us justice. We're innocent!"

The others echoed his words, nodding furiously, their eyes wide with desperation.

One of the nurses, her voice shrill, added, "We would never betray you, Alpha! Someone has set us up! Please, you have to believe us!"

I studied them for a moment, letting the silence stretch, feeling the weight of their terror seep into the air. Then, I glanced to Ryder, who stood off to the side, his expression hard, arms crossed over his chest. His face showed no sign of sympathy, only a steely resolve. He was good at keeping his emotions in check, but I knew him well enough to sense the satisfaction he took in breaking their resistance. "They refused to tell the truth, Alpha," Ryder spoke up, his voice low and steady.

"I did what you asked and made sure no one knew about this. They were taken in the middle of the night, quietly, without raising any suspicion.

I made sure that no one saw, no one heard. Even their families think they're still safe.

Tomorrow, when you announce that they've been sent to another pack for medical support, everyone will believe it.

Not even Giselle will know what's happened to them. And this time, she won't be able to save them."

I gave Ryder a slight nod, appreciating his thoroughness. It meant that these traitors had no one left to shield them.

Not even the woman they had risked everything to protect. I turned back to the captives, my expression hardening as I took in their pitiful state.

Their pleas grew softer, more uncertain, as they realized that I wasn't moved by their desperate words. More than that, there was undisputed fear in their eyes, knowing that they are trapped

"So, this is what loyalty looks like?" I asked, my voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "You claim you've been wronged, that you've been set up? You think I'm a fool who would believe that after everything you've done?"

The Pack Doctor swallowed hard, his face paling further, but he still managed to keep up the act. "Alpha, I swear on my life, we are innocent! We would never -"

I cut him off with a sharp gesture,

my patience wearing thin. "You lied to me about Ryker. You helped Giselle spin her web of lies. And now you're here, caught and broken and you still expect me to believe your nonsense?"

They fell silent, their eyes darting to one another, the truth finally starting to sink in.

I couldn't believe their audacity to still lie to me. Their lives are already in my hands, but they don't fear me enough to spill the truth.

I watched them, the silence thickening in the air, their terror almost tangible. Then, I leaned in closer, letting my voice drop to a dangerous whisper.

"You don't understand what you're facing," I said, my words slow and deliberate. "This is treason. And treason is punished by death."

They trembled when I spoke the word "death". They are already at the death's door and they know that.

"Alpha, please," the Pack Doctor's

voice trembled as he tried to

maintain a semblance of composure. "Ryker... he's your son, and Giselle is his mother. We we didn't deceive you! That's the truth!"

The words grated against my nerves, a pathetic attempt to maintain a lie that had already unraveled.

My jaw tightened, and I could feel a bitter laugh bubbling up inside me, escaping my lips in a cold, humorless chuckle. "The truth? You think I'm going to believe your lies now, after everything?"

I took a step back, gesturing toward the iron tools lining the walls-tools meant for extracting the truth when words failed.

Chains, heated brands, and sharpened knives glinted under the dim torchlight, all laced with wolfsbane for additional pain and lasting wounds.

The sight of them brought a twisted sense of satisfaction, knowing the power they held over those who thought they could deceive me.

The Pack Doctor's face went ashen, his eyes widening as he took in the instruments.

His hands tugged desperately against the ropes binding him, as if he could escape through sheer will.

The nurses were no better - one of them whispered a prayer through quivering lips, her gaze darting to the brand that Ryder had left heating in the brazier.

Their fear was palpable, but I felt no pity. Only anger, cold and seething, pulsed through me.

I took a step closer, letting my shadow loom over them, my voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl.

"You will tell me the truth, or I swear, I will make your deaths slow, painful, and unforgettable.

—

But if you confess - if you give me every last detail of your betrayal, how you helped Giselle - I might consider sparing your lives. Exile instead of death. That's the only mercy you'll get from me."

They all deserved to die for the years that they have been deceiving me, but I had to show them mercy if that means I could get to the bottom of the truth.

I know that they would rather die and bring Giselle's secret with them. They know the moment they agreed to help Giselle that their lives would be at stake eventually.

Even though their lives is already in my hands, they still refused to cooperate. The only way I could get my answers is if I promise that they'll have their life.

 

Chapter 290: Interrogation

Killian's POV

I watched the words sink in, the terror twisting their faces even further.

They exchanged frantic glances, looking for some sort of reassurance from each other, but none came. The reality of their situation had finally caught up to them, and it was clear they knew I wasn't bluffing. One of the nurses broke first, her voice cracking as she shook her head. "Alpha, please! We didn't do anything wrong! Ryker is truly-"

I snapped my fingers, cutting her off sharply. Ryder, who had been standing silently by the door, stepped forward.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the heated brand from the brazier, bringing it close to the nurse's face. The heat radiated off the metal, the glow reflecting in her wide, terrified eyes.

She flinched back, her voice rising into a desperate wail as she realized just how dire her situation had become.

"Please, please! Don't hurt us!" she sobbed, shrinking away from the brand, the words spilling out of her as she clung to the hope that I might change my mind.

Enough." My voice came out hard, cutting through the air like a blade.

I turned my attention back to the Pack Doctor, my patience running dangerously thin. "The next words out of your mouth better be the truth, or I'll have Ryder start with her. And I promise you, she won't survive the night."

I watched as the Pack Doctor's resolve crumbled, his shoulders sagging under the weight of defeat.

Tears welled up in his eyes, and he finally broke, his voice barely more than a whisper. "All right. All right, I'll tell you. Just... don't hurt us."

I raised an eyebrow, waiting, the silence stretching out between us, heavy with unspoken threats.

The Pack Doctor's face was pale, and he trembled as he began to speak, each word dragging out of him like a confession he had never intended to make. "I never wanted things to go this far, Alpha. I swear, I thought it was just a small lie... something harmless."

I watched him, my fists clenched at my sides, the air in the dungeon thick with the tension of everything unsaid.

He continued, his voice faltering, but the words kept coming as if he couldn't stop them now.

"As Giselle's doctor while she was still pregnant, I found out early that she's pregnant with a baby girl, but she told me to keep her secret.

She made me lie about the baby's gender. Said that if anyone knew she was carrying a girl, it would ruin everything for her.

She promised me that once she became the Pack's Luna, she'd support me, make sure I had everything I needed. She said it was just a favor, something small... and I thought, what harm could it do?"

My jaw tightened, the bitterness welling up inside me as I listened. "And you thought that was the end of it? Á small lie, a favor? How naive are you?"

No matter how small or big a lie is, he knows it would still be counted as treason.

.n

He flinched at my words, his head hanging lower. "I-I didn't think it would lead to this. I thought it was just a way for her to secure her place I had no idea what she was truly planning. But then, during her labor... everything changed.

He took a deep, shaky breath, and I could see the terror in his eyes, like he was reliving that night all over again.

"When she went into labor, we were prepared to deliver her child-the little girl she was carrying. But I had no idea that she's been planning to replace her own child.

We were forced to give away her real child and take Ryker then pretend that nothing happened. We don't know where Ryker came from and what happened to her real child. We could only do as we were told." "Who?" I asked my brows furrowing in confusion. "Who swapped them? Who was helping Giselle?" "A stranger... we don't know who it was," The doctor answered. He tried his best to think carefully about it to give me more information, but there was nothing.

The words sent a chill down my spine. I could feel my anger rising again, the fury burning hot and unyielding. "And you did nothing to stop it? You let them take her child and just... followed orders?"

His voice broke, a raw desperation lacing every word. "I swear, Alpha, we didn't know what was happening!

We were scared... I was scared. I had never seen Giselle so ruthless, so cold. She looked at me like I was nothing, like she'd tear me apart if I didn't do as she said.

And that stranger... there was something dangerous about them. We were told not to ask questions, only to follow orders."

I shook my head, disbelief and disgust twisting through me. "So, you helped her swap her own child. You lied to my face every day, knowing that Ryker wasn't hers. And you thought you could live with that?" The Pack Doctor's face crumpled, and he let out a choked sob. "I thought it would end there, that we could just forget what happened.

But Giselle... she made sure we stayed quiet. She made sure we were too afraid to ever speak the truth. She told us that if we even thought about revealing what we knew, she'd ruin our lives - destroy our families."

I took a step closer, letting my

shadow fall over him, my voice low and filled with ice. "You let yourself become her pawn. And now you expectyme to believe that you were just a victim in all this? That you had no choice?"

He shook his head frantically, tears streaming down his face, but he couldn't meet my eyes. "Alpha, I swear... didn't know where they took her real child. I don't know what happened to the girl. But I never thought... I never thought it would go this far."