Ch. 296..300: Reclaiming My Broken Luna Chapter 296-300

Chapter 296: Flesh and Blood

Giselle's POV

Astrid's sudden arrival sent a shockwave through the crowd.

Whispers broke out, rippling across the gathered pack members, all eyes turning to her and Ryker.

My carefully constructed plan, my painstaking performance of a frantic, grieving mother, began to unravel in that instant.

Killian rushed forward, his expression a mixture of relief and confusion as he dropped to one knee, pulling Ryker into his arms.

"Thank the goddess," he breathed, his voice thick with emotion. "Ryker, you're safe."

I watched, frozen in place, as the crowd's attention shifted entirely to them.

Everything I had worked for, all the careful manipulation, was crumbling before my eyes.

Ryker was safe. Hazel, I realized with growing panic, was still missing.

Astrid's gaze met mine for just a moment, and there was something in her eyes - something knowing, something resolute - that sent a chill down my spine.

She didn't speak, but her presence alone was enough to make me feel cornered, as though she knew what I had been planning all along.

I quickly masked my shock with worry, forcing myself to move. I rushed to Ryker, pulling him into my arms as though I were the worried mother I had pretended to be moments before.

I hugged him tightly, pressing his small body against mine, my mind racing.

His presence should have brought me relief, but it didn't.

As I held Ryker close, my arms around his small frame, I tried to summon the concern I should feel from him, but the truth gnawed at me from within.

It didn't matter to me if Ryker was taken by the rogues, or even if he was dead.

As harsh and unthinkable as it sounded, the only thing I truly cared about in this moment was Hazel.

My mind raced with images of her alone, lost, or worse, caught in the crossfire of the rogue attack.

The panic I had pretended to feel moments ago was now real, but not for Ryker.

He was just a pawn in the game I was playing. If he was lost, the pack might mourn, but life would go on. I would go on.

But Hazel - she was my blood, my daughter, my future. Her safety was the only thing that truly mattered.

I couldn't lose her. I wouldn't. The thought of something happening to her twisted my insides in a way that Ryker's absence never could.

"Ryker, are you hurt?" I asked him in a soft voice as I pulled away from the hug and took a good look at him.

He is completely fine. He looks exactly like before he was lured to the woods.

I knew that everything was falling apart. Astrid stood there, quiet, her eyes watching me.

Even though she hadn't said a word, her presence alone made me feel cornered, like she could see right through me-like she knew exactly what I had planned.

Vanessa stepped forward, her voice trembling with barely contained fear. "Where's Hazel?" she asked, her pleading eyes fixed on Astrid. Did you see her? Is she with the warriors?"

Astrid shook her head slowly, her expression troubled. "I haven't seen her, Vanessa. When I found Ryker, he was alone.

The murmurs in the crowd grew louder, uncertainty rippling through the pack like a wave. But I barely heard any of it.

My heart raced, thundering inside my chest the moment Astrid's words hit me.

Hazel was still missing. It was as if the world tilted, and the only thing keeping me grounded was the gnawing fear for my daughter.

Vanessa, her concern now bordering on panic, crouched down to Ryker's level, her voice soft and urgent, filled with the kind of desperation only a mother could feel.

"Ryker," she said gently, "did you see Hazel? Do you know where she is?"

For a moment, Ryker didn't answer. He clung to me, his small hands gripping the fabric of my dress, but I could hardly focus on him.

My heart beat erratically, not for Ryker - but for Hazel. Where was she? What would Ryker say?

My mind spun wildly, every possible scenario playing out in my head, each one more terrifying than the last.

What if she was lost? Hurt? Or worse, taken by the rogues?

Vanessa's eyes dropped from

Ryker's face to his hands - and

then, I saw it. Her breath hitched, her

expression freezing in place, her

eyes widening with dawning horror.

en FindNovel

In Ryker's hand was Hazel's delicate silver bracelet, the one with the tiny wolf charm she adored.

It gleamed faintly in the dimming light, the symbol of my deepest fear made real.

My stomach twisted violently. Hazel's bracelet. How did Ryker have it?

My mind raced with the implications, none of them good.

"That bracelet," Vanessa's voice

trembled, barely above a whisper now. "That's Hazel's favorite bracelet. I gave it to her for her last 14

birthday..." Her voice cracked. "Ryker,

have you seen Hazel? Is she safe?

The world seemed to close in on me, my breath shallow and erratic. It wasn't Ryker that mattered in that moment.

I stared at the bracelet in Ryker's hand, my chest tightening with panic and anger all at once.

How did he get it? Why wasn't he saying anything? The fear for Hazel grew more suffocating by the second.

Everything was unraveling, and I felt my composure slipping away, crumbling under the weight of my desperation.

"Ryker," I hissed, my voice sharper than I intended.

I knelt down in front of him, gripping his small shoulders tightly. "Where is Hazel? Did you see her? Where did you get this?"

 

Chapter 297: Lose Control

Killian's POV

My heart pounded as I watched Giselle tighten her grip on Ryker, her fingers digging into his small shoulders with a desperation that was turning into something else - something unrecognizable. She wasn't just desperate. She was losing control.

"Where is Hazel?" she demanded, her voice frantic as she shook Ryker, her eyes wild. "Tell me, Ryker! Where did you get this?" She pointed furiously at the bracelet in his tiny hand.

Ryker, trembling, stood frozen in place, his wide eyes locked on Giselle. He didn't speak he couldn't. Ryker had never uttered a word in his life and Giselle is well aware of that. My gut wrenched when I saw the fear in his eyes. I couldn't let this continue.

"Giselle, stop!" I shouted, stepping forward to pull Ryker from her.

I yanked him out of her grip, shielding him behind me as he clung to my shirt, shaking.

His small hands were cold, his body trembling. He was terrified of her — of Giselle.

"How could you do this?" I growled, my voice thick with fury. "He's a child, Giselle! You're scaring him!"

But Giselle wasn't done. She sneered and pointed angrily at him, glaring at Ryker like he was the problem.

"He needs to answer me! He is the only lead we have to find Hazel, and he won't say anything! He knows how to speak, Killian. He CAN speak! He just won't because he is born stupid. He knows something and just won't tell us!"

I felt something snap inside me at her words, the cold, heartless insult cutting deeper than I expected. "Don't you dare call him that," I hissed, my fists clenching at my sides. "He's your son."

She scoffed, throwing a hand up in frustration. "Why are you defending him? He's already right here in front of us completely safe and sound! Hazel's the one who's missing! Hazel's out there somewhere, and we don't even know if she's alive or dead!"

Ryker pressed closer to me, and I could feel his fear like a pulse in the air. I had never seen him so frightened, and the thought that Giselle - whom he considers his own mother was the cause twisted something inside me.

Had she always been this cold? This unaffectionate?

I looked at Ryker, remembering all the times he had avoided her touch, the way he shrank back when she came near.

I had always thought it was only because Ryker was born different just like how Giselle had made me to believe.

How had I not seen it? How had I been so blind to the clear signals that Ryker had shown all these years? Ryker had never liked Giselle. He was always closer to me or the pack members. Now, as I stood here, it all started to make sense

I had been blind to it because I had convinced myself she was trying her best, that being a Luna and a mother was just overwhelming for her.

But this? This was something else.

And I only realize it now that I knew her secret ever since I got the DNA test results. But even knowing that, I still couldn't understand why she was so fixated on Hazel.

Why was she acting like her world would end if Hazel wasn't found?

And then, it hit me. I remembered that important clue that the doctor told us about Giselle's true child. Could it be?

My heart pounded as the pieces started to fall into place. Hazel. Giselle's panic, her desperation to find Hazel- it wasn't just concern for another person's child. It was something deeper. Something personal.

A "girl". Hazel was around the same age as Ryker. Was it possible? Could Hazel be the child she had kept hidden all this time?

But if it was her, then the stranger who was helping her could be...

"Why are you so worried about Hazel?" I asked, my voice low, but full of suspicion.

Giselle's eyes flickered, just for a second, before she set her jaw and glared at me. "What kind of question is that? I'm worried because she's missing! Isn't that enough belongs to FindNovel

"No, it's not," Astrid's voice cut through the tension like a blade.

She stepped forward, her eyes locked onto Giselle, her voice steady but sharp. "You're more worried

about Hazel than Ryker, your *own* son. That doesn't add up."

I could see the crowd around us beginning to murmur, their eyes darting between us.

Whispers started spreading like wildfire, people exchanging uneasy glances. Astrid had said what everyone else was thinking.

Giselle's face e hardened, her gaze

flitting nervously from the crowd to

me. "I'm worried about Hazel because she's out there, Killian She's in danger while Ryker is right

here, safe and sound. Doesn't that

mean anything to you?"

I shook my head, feeling my anger rise again. "I would understand that, but you're not acting like a mother, Giselle. Not like Ryker's mother.

You've always been cold to him. Always distant." My voice grew quieter, but every word cut deeper. "I just didn't want to see it before."

Her eyes flashed with rage, but she didn't deny it. She turned away from me, her shoulders stiff, refusing to acknowledge the truth I had finally seen.

Astrid stepped closer, her voice soft but unwavering. "Giselle, there's something more going on here. You're too invested in Hazel's safety, too panicked. Why?"

Giselle's face tightened, her defenses rising. She opened her mouth to argue, but the murmurs from the crowd grew louder, spreading suspicion like a wildfire.

Everyone was beginning to realize something was off-something was very wrong.

And I knew that whatever Giselle was hiding, it was only a matter of time before the truth came out.

 

Chapter 298: Exposed

Killian's

POV

That's right... it's only a matter of time. Why don't I expose the truth right now? There is no other perfect timing for this. Let everyone be the witness as I expose all the lies that Giselle made everyone believe. I stared at Giselle, my heart pounding harder with each passing second.

Ryker was still pressed against me, his small body trembling. I could feel his fear, his confusion. As much as I wanted to comfort him, I knew what was coming next wasn't meant for him to hear.

"Take him away," I ordered, my voice low but firm. One of the pack omegas, sensing the urgency in my tone, stepped forward to gently guide Ryker away from me.

I knelt down and faced him with a comforting smile. Ryker stared at me and I whispered to him, "Go with them, Ryker. I'll come for you soon."

His wide, frightened eyes met mine, and it was like a knife twisting in my gut. But I had to do this. Once Ryker was safely out of earshot, I turned back to Giselle. There was no more pretending. No more hiding.

"Giselle," I started, my voice tightening with the weight of the truth, "it's time to stop this. You need to tell me the truth."

Her eyes narrowed in confusion, then darted between me and Astrid. "What are you talking about?"

I took a deep breath, letting the silence hang heavy in the air. Every eye was on us now. Astrid, the pack, everyone was waiting.

"Is Ryker your son?" I asked, the words cutting through the tension like a blade. "Tell me, Giselle. Right here. Right now. There's no point in delaying it anymore."

Giselle blinked, her mouth twitching as if she was about to laugh.

She shook her head and let out a short, bitter chuckle. "You're asking me that? Now? Of course he's my son, Killian! What kind of question is this?"

I could feel the blood rushing in my ears, the anger bubbling to the surface. She was still lying. Even now. "Don't lie to me!" I snapped, my voice rising, making Giselle flinch. "I already know the truth."

Her face faltered, her confidence slipping for just a moment before she scowled at me. "You're losing your mind. Ryker IS my son. You know that."

"No, he's not." I stepped closer, my eyes locked on hers. "I've been having doubts for a long time, Giselle.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. So I did a DNA test."

The color drained from her face. I saw it - the flicker of fear that flashed through her eyes.

"What?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

I didn't back down. "I tested you and Ryker. And it came back negative. You are not his mother."

The gasps around us were

deafening, but all I could focus on was the way Giselle's face turned pale, the dread creeping in as she realized her lies were crumbling.

en FindNovel

She stammered, trying to find words, but nothing came out. I wasn't letting her escape this. Not now.

"You were pregnant," I spoke, my voice low but hard as stone. "But not with a son, Giselle."

Her eyes widened, her lips trembling as the crowd held their breath. I pressed on, determined to unravel the lies she had so carefully crafted.

"I did my investigation and I found out your real child was a girl. Where is your real daughter, Giselle?" I demanded, my voice hard and unforgiving.

"You lied to me. You lied to

everyone!" I continued, my voice

growing colder. "If it wasn't for your lies, I wouldn't have married you and made you my Luna. You ruined my life! Why did you do this? What did I do to deserve all this?"

Giselle's lips trembled as she tried to form a response, but no words came. The truth was out, and she had nowhere left to hide.

I could see it now - the realization that her lies, the web she had spun so carefully, had finally come crashing down.

"Who is Ryker's real mother, Giselle?" I pressed, my voice rising. "What have you done?"

Her hands trembled, her eyes wild, darting from side to side as if she could find a way out of this. But there was no escape.

"Tell me!" I shouted, taking another step toward her. "Why did you do this? Why did you swap the babies?"

Her legs buckled, and she stumbled

re

back, gripping a nearby table for support. "I... I..." Her voice broke, and she looked like she was about to collapse under the weight of her own deception.

The murmurs from the crowd grew louder, but Giselle didn't seem to notice. She was unraveling, her whole world slipping from her grasp.

And all I could feel was anger and the need for answers.

"I refuse to believe that you did all this on your own without anyone backing you up." I growled, stepping closer, my eyes boring into hers.

Giselle flinched but I didn't stop. "Tell me. Who was helping you?" I demanded.

She hesitated, her gaze darting wildly around the room, as if searching for an escape, or perhaps for someone to save her from the truth she had buried for so long.

The walls were closing in on her now, and the crowd was waiting, the murmurs of suspicion growing louder with each passing second.

 

Chapter 299: End of Deception

Astrid's POV:

Killian's words hung in the air, heavy and sharp. My chest tightened as I watched the shock ripple through the crowd, each revelation unraveling the lies Giselle had built her world around.

My mind was racing, and I could feel my pulse quicken as Killian's accusations cut deeper and deeper into her.

Every word, every truth he spoke chipped away at the facade she had worn for so long.

Ryker is not her son.

The thought crashed over me like a wave, nearly knocking the breath out of me. Ryker... not hers. I'd never considered it before. But as I stood there, hearing Killian's voice, the pieces began to fall into place.

The coldness I had seen in Giselle, the distance between her and Ryker - it all made sense now.

She had never treated him like a mother would treat her own child, and now I knew why. He wasn't her child.

But then, the question struck me like lightning - where is her real daughter? Who is she, and where had Giselle hidden her?

I stared at Giselle, watching her crumble under the weight of Killian's words.

Her face had turned pale, her body trembling as she tried and failed to come up with a response.

The crowd's whispers were growing louder, and Giselle looked like she was on the verge of collapsing. She was unraveling, and for the first time, I saw the fear in her eyes.

But I couldn't stop thinking. If Ryker wasn't hers, then who was her real child? Where had she gone? My mind raced, trying to make sense of it all, and then, like a switch had flipped, it clicked. Hazel.

Vanessa had told me, not long ago, that Hazel wasn't her real daughter. I had dismissed it at the time, thinking it was just another of the strange secrets that Alphas and Lunas can have.

Vanessa had confided that Damien had come home one day with Hazel in his arms, claiming she was his.

He never explained where Hazel had come from or who her real mother was.

If only I hadn't known this secret, I wouldn't have suspected that Hazel is Giselle's child.

I glanced at Vanessa who had been silent the whole time. Her eyes were lowered but there is uncertainty

in them. I think she is also having the same thoughts as me.

And then, there is Alpha Damien.

The name settled in my mind with a sickening thud. Damien and Giselle had been together once, long before all of this.

They had been in love and Killian is not aware of this secret either. I only

heard all this from Vanessa who trusted me enough to share their secrets.

My brows furrowed as I thought of Giselle's desperation for Hazel's safety, her unusual worry... It all made sense.

Hazel wasn't just any child - she was Giselle's daughter. That was the only explanation I could think of.

The realization hit me with full force.

Hazel. The child Giselle had

abandoned, the one she had traded for Ryker, had been right in front of me all along.

And Damien - he had been the one to hide her, to give her to Vanessa, to cover up the truth.

As my thoughts raced, I felt a surge of anger ise within me. Giselle had gone to these unimaginable lengths to bury the truth, to swap herown daughter for another child.

I thought ruining my life and my reputation was the most wicked thing she had ever done, but what kind of vile mother could do this to her own child?

Even a tigress won't do what she did to her cub.

The lack of affection she had shown Ryker suddenly made perfect sense -he wasn't her son. He never had been.

Before I could confront Giselle myself, Killian's voice rang out again, cutting through my thoughts. "Who was helping you?" he demanded, his eyes burning with the need for answers.

I watched as Giselle's eyes darted wildly around the room, searching for an escape, for anything that could save her from the truth.

She opened her mouth, but her voice was weak, barely audible. "No one," she whispered, shaking her head. "No one was helping me.

My heart pounded in my chest, and I stepped forward, my voice steady and firm. "That's a lie." Giselle's eyes snapped to me, not expecting that I would call her out. She knew I had caught her.

"You didn't do this alone, Giselle," I continued, my voice sharp. "You couldn't have. Someone helped you. And I know who it was."

Her silence was enough confirmation for me. "It was Damien, wasn't it? He helped you swap the babies. He gave Hazel to Vanessa, didn't he?"

The room went deadly silent. Giselle's lips trembled, but she didn't deny it. She couldn't. The truth was out, and there was no turning back now.

"I made the right guess, didn't I? Hazel is your real child, your own flesh and blood," I added, driving her to

a corner.

The crowd shifted uneasily, the tension in the room palpable as their gazes shifted between Giselle and Vanessa who still hadn't uttered a word.

Everyone stared at Vanessa waiting for her to drive the final nail to the coffin.

I felt bad for exposing Vanessa's secrets like this. She confided in me because she trusted me, only for me to expose her out in public.

It wouldn't surprise me if she denies my words.

Still, as guilty as I felt, I hoped that she would speak the truth and break all the deception once and for all.

 

Chapter 300: The Breaking Point

Astrid's POV

Just as the tension reached its breaking point, Damien arrived, oblivious to what had ensued during his absence.

All eyes were drawn on him as he walked through the crowd and approached us.

He strode in with purpose, but there was a noticeable shift in his demeanor-something about the way he scanned the room told me he could sense the tension in the air.

"We found Hazel," Damien announced, his voice steady but laced with concern. "She's safe. I left her with the Pack Doctor to do a thorough checkup, just to make sure.

As soon as Damien's words hung in the air, a palpable wave of relief washed over the crowd and everyone seemed to ease, if only for a moment.

I glanced at Giselle catching how she let out a breath she had been clearly holding, her body visibly relaxing even though her act is on the verge of being exposed.

"What's going on?" he asked, his voice a mix of curiosity and concern when he didn't gain the reaction that he wanted.

His eyes swept over us, taking in the charged atmosphere. He paused, his brows furrowing as he registered the unease.

Before anyone could respond, Giselle, who had been teetering on the edge of collapse, suddenly stood tall.

Her fear seemed to evaporate as soon as Damien appeared, and she turned to face the crowd with a new sense of confidence.

"Are you hearing your own words?" she began, her voice strong and defiant, "This is ridiculous! I think I've even seen this from a movie before.

She gestured to Killian and me, her eyes blazing with indignation. "I've been nothing but a loyal Luna to this Pack. How could you accuse me with such things without proof and ruin my reputation?"

There she is again, acting like a victim and I am so sick of it.

"Astrid, I know you don't like me. I know you're holding a grudge against me because you think I took everything from you." Giselle's brows bent downwards feigning hurt.

"If you have something against me, you can't just attack me without giving me the power to defend myself.

As a Luna, I can't just let you taint me like that. You can't just come here in my own territory and shoot me false accusations without proof."

Giselle had always been good with her words that's why she could easily win people's trust.

I could only scoff at the pitying performance she's playing to trick us.

"I carried Ryker in my womb for six months! I'm not only being accused of deceiving everyone, I'm also

falsely accused of being a bad mother abandoning her own child. As the Luna of the Silvermoon Pack, I also have to protect my Pack's reputation!"

She spun towards Damien, her eyes narrowing with determination. "Damien, tell them!" she demanded her voice rising. "Tell everyone the truth that Vanessa is Hazel's

mother. Set this straight so everyone will know the truth."

Damien froze, his eyes flicking from Giselle to the crowd, then to me. For a moment, it seemed like he

was caught in a crossfire, unsure of what to say. The room held its breath, waiting.

I narrowed my eyes on Damien. He knows the truth more than everyone.

I watched as he hesitated, and I

could see the conflict in his eyes. But Giselle's piercing gaze was locked onto him, silently demanding that he support her. Under her watchful eyes, Damien cleared his threat.

"Of course, Vanessa is Hazel's mother," he answered, waking up from his uncertainty right away "These accusations..." His voice wavered slightly before he pressed on, "They're not real. I don't know where you got these rumors, Killian."

I clenched my fists. I could see through his hesitation - he wasn't telling the whole truth.

And then, before I could react, Vanessa's voice cut through the thick air, louder and more forceful than I had ever heard it.

"*Enough!*"

The room went deadly silent. All eyes turned to Vanessa, who had been standing quietly in the background.

But now, she was trembling with a barely contained fury, her eyes locked onto Damien.

"I'm done with these lies," Vanessa said, her voice sharp and shaking with emotion. "Damien, you know I'm not Hazel's mother. I've had enough of this- enough of your lies, enough of the secrets you've been hiding from me."

Hot tears filled Vanessa's eyes as she tried her best to remain strong as she met Damien's gaze head on. She clenched her trembling hands to her sides as the weight of hurt and betrayal pressed on her. Damien's heart ached as Vanessa's words pierced through him. Guilt washed over him as he watched how his beloved wife tried to carry herself together despite the pain she is in that he had caused. This is the first time I've ever seen the expressionless Alpha lose his confidence.

His mouth opened, but no sound came out. For the first time since I had known him, Damien looked truly shaken.

"Tell me, Damien," Vanessa's voice cracked as she stepped forward, her fists clenched at her sides. "Tell me the truth. Who is Hazel's real mother? Is it really Giselle?"

The silence that followed was suffocating. Giselle's eyes widened, her earlier confidence faltering. She looked between Damien and Vanessa, panic flashing in her gaze.

I watched as Damien struggled to form words, his gaze dropping to the floor, his hands fidgeting. This was

it. The moment of truth.