Ch. 431..435: Reclaiming My Broken Luna Chapter 431-435
Chapter 431: Breaking Point
Astrid's POV
The words on the paper blurred before my eyes, my grip tightening until the edges crumpled in my shaking hands.
My breath came in sharp, uneven gasps, my pulse hammering so loudly it
drowned out everything else.
Killian was speaking — his voice low and urgent — but I couldn't hear him.
All I could see was Elara.
Trapped. Alone. Scared.
The paper shook violently in my grasp as a sob tore from my throat.
My daughter was out there, in his hands. And he wanted me.
The weight of it settled over me like an iron cage.
This was never about the Pack. Never about a war.
It had always been about me.
A hand touched my wrist, firm and grounding. "Astrid."
Killian's voice finally cut through the haze of panic suffocating me. I looked up, meeting his golden eyes-burning with unspoken fear.
For me.
For Elara.
For all of us.
I swallowed hard, my throat raw. "I have to go."
"No." Killian's grip tightened immediately, his entire body going rigid. "Absolutely not."
I stepped back, wrenching my wrist from his grasp. "Killian, he has her. What do you expect me to do? Sit here? Wait for another letter? Hope that he won't—" My voice cracked. I couldn't say it. I wouldn't say it.
Killian's jaw clenched. "You need to hold yourself together Astrid. You can let a simple message get into your head!" Killian raised his voice, thinking that would pull me out of myself.
"You have to think, Astrid. Ardan shows no mercy. He won't give us this chance without an ulterior motive.
This is a trap. He knows exactly what he's doing. And he knows you well enough to be sure you'd go running to him the moment he sent that letter," Killian explained to me.
"And he's right!" I shouted, my chest heaving. "Because my daughter is out there, Killian! She's alone, and she's—" My breath hitched, a sob breaking free despite how hard I fought it.
Tears burned down my cheeks, my body shaking as I clutched the paper to my chest like it held the last remnants of my child.
"I can't-" My voice broke as I gasped for air. "I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't even breathe without wondering if she's okay. If she's alive. If she's scared. If she's crying for me and I'm not there to hold her."
Killian took a step toward me, but I shook my head violently.
"What if she hasn't eaten?" My voice was hoarse, choked with agony. "What if
she's cold? What if she's calling for me and I'm not there?"
My knees buckled, and before I could collapse, Killian caught me, his arms wrapping tightly around me. But I didn't stop.
"I can't live another day not knowing, Killian!" My hands fisted in his shirt, clinging
to him as I sobbed. "I have to go. I have to give him what he wants."
Killian stiffened instantly, his entire body going rigid. "No," he growled, his voice suddenly sharp, commanding. "You are not going to him."
I lifted my tear streaked face to his,
desperation twisting my expression.
"Please," begged, my voice raw, trembling. "Please, let me do this. Let me trade myself for her. She's just a child. I can't let her suffer for me."
Killian's hands tightened on my arms, his golden eyes burning with something fierce and desperate.
"Astrid, listen to me," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "That's exactly what he wants."
"I don't care!" I shouted, shoving at his chest, but he didn't move. "I won't risk her life! I won't gamble my daughter's life on the chance that we can save her."
Killian exhaled sharply, his fingers curling into fists at his sides.
"You think handing yourself over will make her safe? That Ardan will just let her go?” His voice was harsh, almost furious. "You know what he wants, Astrid. He doesn't care about Elara he wants you. He wants your power. Your blood. You're the only one who can stop him."
"And I'll stop him by giving him what he wants," I snapped. "I don't care about his
war, about his cause-I just want my daughter back."
Killian ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. "Astrid, if you go to him, he wins. We lose everything."
I shook my head, my voice breaking. "If I don't go to him, I lose her." Killian's hands clenched at his sides. "That will never happen. With both of us together, there is a higher chance that we can save Elara and stop the rogue king.
The reason why he wants you is because you are a pure blooded almega. The only one who is powerful enough to stop him is you."
I knew he was right, but his words fell on deaf ears.
I had already lost my reasoning.
All I could think about is my daughter in danger
Even if there is only a small chance, I will never risk my daughter's life. I couldn't gamble her life, couldn't risk losing her because of a strategy, because of some battle between us and him.
This wasn't a war for me.
This was my daughter's life.
And I would do anything to get her back.
Even if it meant losing myself.
"Astrid, I know what you are thinking, but you have to trust me. I will find a way. You don't have to choose. We will defeat the rogue king and we will save our daughter," Killian assured me as he clutched me tighten
QUMS
I sniffed, as I got swallowed by my own thoughts while Killian pressed a kiss on
my forehead thinking that I was listening to him.
Chapter 432: The Choice
Astrid's POV
The night stretched on, endless and suffocating. The dim glow of the bedside lamp cast long shadows against the walls, but the light felt hollow-cold.
The Packhouse was eerily quiet, the usual hum of distant conversations and footsteps replaced by an unbearable stillness.
I sat on the edge of the bed, my fingers twisting the fabric of my shirt, my thoughts a hurricane raging inside me.
Elara.
Her name was carved into every thought, every breath, every aching second that passed.
She was out there, in the dark, in the hands of the man who wanted nothing more than to see me broken.
And I was still here. Waiting.
I had tried. I had tried to listen to Killian, to hold on to the logic that we could save her together, that there was a plan, a chance.
But how could I gamble my daughter's life on a chance?
What if they were wrong? What if we weren't fast enough? What if she needed me now?
My throat tightened, the guilt curling around me like a noose. I had waited too long already. I had let Killian convince me that we had time.
But I knew better.
I had seen the way rogues worked. They didn't take prisoners out of mercy. They took them to make statements, to break their enemies.
And I would not let my daughter become a casualty in this war.
I inhaled sharply, my mind made up.
I was going to Ardan.
Alone.
The clock on the wall read 2:47 AM.
I had been sitting in silence for the past hour, listening. Waiting.
Killian was downstairs, still working with Ryder and the warriors. He hadn't come back to bed-not that I had expected him to.
He had been watching me too closely, afraid I would spiral again.
But he had let his guard down just enough.
I exhaled slowly, steadying my nerves as I pulled on a dark jacket. My hands trembled as I zipped it up, but I forced myself to breathe.
I couldn't afford to hesitate.
With one last glance at the door, I crept toward the window. The cool night air brushed against my skin as I pushed it open.
I was on the second floor, but that didn't matter. I had scaled walls higher than this before.
Swinging my legs over the ledge, I grabbed onto the gutter and lowered myself down carefully. My feet hit the ground with barely a sound.
No alarms. No guards spotting me.
Good.
I moved quickly, my pulse thrumming in my ears as I slipped through the shadows
of the Packhouse, avoiding the patrols.
The warriors were stationed mainly near the entrances, expecting an attack-not an escape.
They weren't expecting me to leave.
I reached the treeline, my breath coming in shallow gasps. My wolf stirred
beneath my skin, anxious, restless, warning me to stop.
But I ignored her.
I was doing this for Elara.
And nothing-not even Killian-was going to stop me.
Killian's POV
The room was colder when I returned.
Not physically-no, the temperature hadn't changed-but something was wrong.
The air felt off, too still, too empty. A sharp, uneasy sensation curled in my gut before I even stepped through the doorway.
I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply as exhaustion threatened to drag me under. I hadn't slept in days. It didn't matter. Elara mattered. Astrid mattered.
I had spent hours reinforcing patrols, sending out another wave of scouts, checking the security measures over and over again, trying to fix this.
But I couldn't fix it.
Not yet.
Not until my daughter was home. Not until I saw Astrid's eyes light up again, not until the ghost of grief that clung to her skin like a shadow finally lifted.
I sighed, rolling the tension from my shoulders. I needed to check on her. I had left her alone long enough, and after everything, I wasn't about to let her spiral again.
I stepped inside the bedroom, my boots making barely a sound against the
wooden floor. The door was still slightly ajar, just as I had left it.
But the second I stepped in-
Everything inside me locked up.
Something was wrong.
The air felt... hollow.
The bed was untouched.
The window was open.
My stomach twisted violently, dread clawing up my throat.
No.
No, no, no-
I strode forward, gripping the window ledge so tightly my knuckles went white. My
wolf snapped, raging inside of me, sensing the truth I already knew.
She was gone.
A sharp growl rumbled deep in my chest, vibrating through my bones as I
scanned the darkness outside. Nothing. No movement. Damn it.
I turned sharply, slamming the window shut as I stormed out of the room. My
pulse was roaring in my ears, a deafening drumbeat of panic and fury.
She left.
She left me.
I barely registered the startled looks from the guards as I passed. I barely felt the
grip on my shoulder as someone grabbed me, trying to slow me down.
"Killian-what the hell is going on?"
I turned, meeting Ryder's sharp
gaze. His expression was tense, but
the second he saw my face, the way my entire body radiated raw,
untethered rage, his own breath hitched. en FindNovel
"She's gone," I gritted out.
Ryder's brow furrowed. "What do you—" Then, realization struck. His face paled,
his body going rigid. "Astrid?"
I exhaled sharply, my fists curling at my sides. "She went to him."
Silence.
Ryder cursed under his breath, running a hand through his hair. His usual steel
composure was breaking, just like mine.
I closed my eyes, forcing down the panic that clawed at my insides. The
unbearable ache of knowing that she had walked into the enemy's hands-alone.
"Gather all the scouts. Astrid must not have gone that far. Don't stop the search
until you find her," I commanded.
I stepped forward, about to shift into my wolf to join the search when Ryder grabbed my arm. “Stay behind. I'll take care of everything. You haven't slept since morning."
en FindNovel
when both my wife and my
I shook Ryder's hand away. "How can I even sleep daughter is now in danger?!" I shot back at him, making him fall in silence.
Just as I was about to shift to my wolf once again, a loud voice interrupted me.
“Alpha! Alpha!” I turned around to see an omega calling out to me in a distressed voice.
"It's Ryker, he is awake and looking for you. You need to come, he wouldn't calm down," the omega spoke worriedly.
Chapter 433: Desperation and Decisions
Killian's POV
The omega's words rang in my ears like a warning bell.
"Alpha! Alpha! It's Ryker! He's awake and looking for you. He won't calm down!"
My entire body locked up.
Ryker had always been tormented with nightmares ever since Elara was
kidnapped. He often woke up in the middle of the night, demanding to see us and he would always look so terrified.
I stood at the Packhouse entrance, my wolf raging to break free, my warriors prepared to track Astrid before she got too far.
Every instinct inside me screamed at me to run, to chase her down, to drag her back before she made the biggest mistake of her life.
But my son needed me.
For a single, agonizing moment, I hesitated.
Then I turned on my heel and strode toward the infirmary, my boots pounding against the floor, my fists clenched so tightly my nails cut into my palms.
My lungs burned with restrained fury, my thoughts a storm of frustration and helplessness.
First Astrid. Now Ryker. I was losing control of everything.
When I entered the room, I barely had time to brace myself before Ryker's panicked voice shattered the air.
"Where's Mom?! Where is she?!"
His small frame trembled violently beneath the thick blankets, his bandaged head slick with sweat.
He tried to push himself up, but the doctor rushed forward, gently pressing him back down.
His breathing was erratic, his chest rising and falling too fast.
The moment his frantic gaze landed on me, something inside me broke.
I had seen my son hurt before. I had seen him fall, scrape his knees, even break
a bone during training.
But I had never seen him like this.
Never seen this level of pure, unfiltered terror.
I took a step closer, but he shook his head violently.
"Where is she?!" he cried. "Where's Mom?!"
I exhaled slowly, forcing my voice to remain steady. "Ryker... It's just another nightmare-"
He saw the hesitation in my stance, the flicker of something in my eyes that I tried to bury deep.
And he knew.
His breath hitched. His body tensed. His hands clenched the sheets so tightly his knuckles turned white.
And then, he broke.
"No!" Ryker sobbed, shaking his head. “No, she—she wouldn't leave me! She wouldn't leave us!"
I clenched my jaw, stepping toward him. "Ryker-"
"Why did you let her go?!" His voice cracked, full of betrayal, his tiny fists
slamming against the mattress. "You promised! You promised you'd protect her!"
I took a shaky breath, kneeling beside him, my hands gripping his shoulders. "Ryker, listen to me."
His lip trembled. His voice dropped into something small, broken.
"She left because of me, didn't she?" His throat bobbed, his next words barely a
whisper. "She left because I wasn't strong enough to save Elara.”
I inhaled sharply.
My chest ached.
"Don't you ever say that,” I said firmly, my fingers tightening around
not your fault."
no him to hear me aromet
is
Tears slipped down his cheeks, and he weakly pushed against me, his frustration bleeding into sorrow.
"But she-she's going to trade herself, isn't she?" His voice cracked again. "For Elara. She thinks she has to."
I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to control the burn of emotion rising in my own chest. I had no idea how he knew, but Ryker had always
been too smart.
I couldn't tell him he was wrong. Because he wasn't.
Instead, I pulled him into my arms, feeling how small, how fragile he was against me. His body shook with silent sobs.
And I hated this.
I hated that my family-**my entire world-**was crumbling right in front of me, slipping through my fingers like sand.
"I should've been the one," Ryker whispered. "I should've been the substitute, not her."
His words gutted me.
I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing
my chin against his damp hair. "I know you're scared," I murmured. "I know you feel helpless. But you have to trust me."
His tiny fingers curled into my shirt. "How?"
I pulled back, cupping his face, forcing him to look at me, to see the raw, burning
truth in my eyes.
"Because I will bring her back," I said. "I will bring them both back."
He sniffled, his eyes pleading for something, anything, to hold onto.
So I gave him the only thing I could.
Hope.
But before I could say anything else, his breathing stuttered.
The doctor rushed forward, checking his vitals as his skin paled, his body going limp against the pillows.
"His body is too weak," the doctor muttered urgently. "The stress is taking a toll on him."
Panic surged inside me.
I grabbed his hand, squeezing gently. "Ryker."
His lashes fluttered. He was barely conscious now, his small body exhausted,
drained.
"I've got you," I whispered, brushing the hair from his face. "Just hold on, buddy."
The doctor looked at me gravely. "He needs rest, Alpha. He's pushing himself too
hard."
I gritted my teeth, standing abruptly. I ran a shaking hand through my hair,
exhaling sharply.
I had to pull myself together.
I had a war to fight. A mate to bring home.
I turned to Ryder, my voice like steel.
"Wake the warriors. We leave now."
Ryder nodded sharply, already moving.
I turned back to Ryker, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead.
"I need you to be strong for me, Ryker."
His breathing steadied slightly, as if he could still hear me.
I stepped away, my heart shattering into pieces as I forced myself to move.
I had wasted enough time.
Astrid, if you think I'm letting you do this alone-you don't know me at all.
Chapter 434: Into the Lion's Den
Astrid's POV
The rogues had been waiting for me.
They lingered in the shadows, motionless, like predators poised for the perfect moment to strike. Their eyes glowed eerily in the dim light of the moon, flickering with something sinister-anticipation.
They knew I was coming.
My stomach twisted, but I forced my expression into something unreadable, my shoulders squared as I stepped forward. I came alone. No weapons. No resistance. Complete surrender.
It was the only way.
If I fought back, if I hesitated for even a second, Ardan might change his mind. He might keep Elara. He might hurt her.
And that was a risk I wasn't willing to take.
I took slow, deliberate steps into the clearing, my heartbeat steady despite the way my wolf clawed at the inside of my skin, urging me to turn back, to fight.
Not yet.
I exhaled, tilting my chin upward as I finally stopped before them.
The group of rogues at least a dozen
remained silent for a moment, assessing
me. Then one of them, a tall, lean man with sunken eyes and a wicked grin, let out a sharp laugh.
"Well, well," he drawled, stepping forward.
"Look what we have here, boys." His gaze dragged over me, his amusement clear. "The great Astrid, the Almega, reduced to nothing but a desperate mother."
A ripple of cruel laughter followed.
I clenched my fists at my sides, but said nothing.
My silence only seemed to encourage them.
Another rogue, this one broader with a scar running down his cheek, smirked. "Didn't think it'd be this easy," he mused. "I figured we'd at least get a fight out of her."
"You're standing before me," I said flatly, my voice cool and even. "Do I look like I'm here to fight?"
Scarface let out a low whistle. "She's got a mouth on her. Guess even legends know how to kneel when the time comes."
I refused to react, but the rage inside me simmered dangerously close to the surface.
I wasn't afraid of them.
I had killed more rogues than I could count. If I had come here with a different goal, their blood would already be soaking into the dirt beneath us.
But Elara's face her wide, terrified eyes, her desperate screams-held me still.
I had no leverage here. No power.
Only her life.
One of the younger rogues, his sneer barely masking his excitement, took a step closer, looking me over like a prize on display.
"Never thought I'd see the day," he muttered. "Astrid, the untouchable warrior, throwing herself at our feet. If only your people could see you now."
He took another step, reaching out toward me-
My body moved before I could stop it.
My hand shot out, gripping his wrist in a vice-like hold. My nails dug into his flesh, my voice low and ice-cold.
"Touch me," I murmured, "and I will break every bone in your worthless body."
His eyes widened for a split second before Scarface let out a bark of laughter. "Still got some fight left in her." He grinned. "We'll see how long that lasts."
I released the rogue's wrist, my expression settling back into something neutral. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing my fury.
Not yet.
Sunken-Eyes stepped forward again, a cruel glint in his gaze.
"So, tell me, Almega," he sneered. "What's it like knowing you had to crawl to us? Knowing that all your strength, all your power, wasn't
enough to keep your little girDsafe?"
I froze.
The air around me seemed to drop in temperature, my fingers curling into fists so
tight my nails bit into my palms.
The rogues sensed the shift instantly.
"Hit a nerve, did I?" Sunken-Eyes
continued, tilting his head
mockingly. wonder... is she crying
for you right now? Calling for a mother who couldn't protect her? Or has she learned the truth
already that she's nothing or
than leverage, a tool to bring you to your knees?"
The blood in my veins turned to ice.
My body remained motionless, my breathing even. But when I spoke, my voice was like a blade.
"If any of you touch a single strand of her hair," I said, each word slow and
deliberate, "I will burn this entire place to the ground."
The laughter that followed wasn't as confident as before.
There was something in my voice that cut through their amusement, something that made them hesitate.
They might think me powerless now, might believe I had surrendered, but they didn't understand a mother's wrath was something far worse than any warrior's fury.
A tense silence settled between us.
Then, Scarface's smirk returned, but it wasn't quite as easy as before. "Bold
words for someone in chains," he muttered.
The rogues beside him chuckled, but it lacked the same bite.
A slow exhale left my lips as I lifted my gaze to meet his. “Then make sure your king keeps his promise."
Sunken-Eyes narrowed his eyes slightly. "Oh, we will. He's been waiting for this moment for a long time."
His gaze flicked to the others, and with a slight nod, two of them stepped forward, silver shackles in hand.
I didn't move.
Didn't flinch.
Didn't react even as they grabbed my wrists, binding them with iron cuffs laced with wolfsbane. The moment the metal met my skin, a sharp blistering pain spread up my arms, burning through my veins like liquid fire.
I gritted my teeth, refusing to let them see my pain.
Sunken-Eyes stepped closer, leaning in just enough to whisper, "You're in no
position to make threats, Almega."
I lifted my head, staring him down.
"You should have killed me when you had the chance."
His smirk faltered.
Good.
One of the rogues behind me shoved me forward, forcing me to move, to walk
deeper into the enemy's grasp.
I had made my choice.
And now, I was walking straight into the darkness.
But Ardan had made one fatal mistake.
He thought I was weak.
He thought I was defeated.
But he had no idea that even in chains, I was still dangerous.
Chapter 435: Deal with the Enemy
Astrid's POV
The journey to Ardan's stronghold felt longer than it should have.
They forced me to walk.
Through the forest, over uneven terrain, my wrists bound in iron shackles laced with wolfsbane, burning against my skin with every step.
I didn't fight them.
Not because I couldn't.
But because every second I stalled, every moment I made them think I was truly broken, brought me closer to Elara.
That was all that mattered.
The rogues surrounded me in a loose formation, their laughter and whispered taunts filling the night air.
They didn't see me as a threat.
Not anymore.
They saw a woman who had given up, a mother who had walked willingly into the lion's den.
That was their first mistake.
Their second?
Letting me breathe.
As we moved deeper into rogue territory, my thoughts remained sharp, focused. I counted our path, memorized the turns, the landmarks, the scent markers.
If I survived this, if I found a way to get Elara out, I needed to know exactly how to escape.
If I didn't... then at least Killian would know where to find us.
A rough shove at my back nearly sent me stumbling.
I gritted my teeth, inhaling slowly through my nose as I forced my posture to remain steady.
I wouldn't give them the satisfaction.
A rogue to my right-the one with sunken eyes and a cruel smirk—chuckled, his voice dripping with amusement. "What's wrong, Almega? You're awfully quiet for someone who walked right into her own death."
I ignored him.
Another rogue snickered. "Maybe she finally realized what she's done. Traded her own life for a brat that's probably crying herself to sleep by now."
My fists clenched.
"Or maybe she's not crying," a third rogue mused. "Maybe she's learning that her mother isn't coming for her. Maybe she's realizing that—"
I moved before I could think.
My body twisted, the burning pain of the shackles be damned as I spun and slammed my heel into the rogue's ribs.
A sickening crack echoed through the trees as he crumpled to the ground, gasping in pain.
Silence.
The other rogues halted, watching, stunned.
Even the one I had just struck wheezed in disbelief, clutching his ribs as he glared up at me.
I straightened, meeting each of their gazes one by one.
I was still Astrid.
Still a fighter.
Still a mother.
And I wouldn't let them talk about my daughter like that.
"If you ever speak about my child again," I said, my voice like ice, "I will break more than your ribs."
Scarface let out a low whistle, stepping forward, clearly entertained. "Still got some bite left, huh?" He crouched beside the rogue on the ground, shaking his head in mock pity. "Damn, Garett. You just got your ass handed to you by a woman in chains."
Garett the one I'd kicked-growled, glaring up at me. "She won't be so bold once Ardan gets his hands on her."
I said nothing.
I didn't need to.
Because I knew who I was facing.
And he knew who he had taken from me.
The Rogue Stronghold
The air changed as we reached the rogue camp.
The scent of damp wood and blood was thick, mingling with the lingering burn of wolfsbane.
It wasn't a camp-it was a fortress. Hidden deep within the mountains, built into the cliffs, it was protected from sight, from any outsiders.
From Killian.
The rogue warriors at the entrance barely glanced at us as we passed, too accustomed to their own filth to react.
But the moment they saw me-the moment they realized who I was-something shifted.
Some stared in shock. Others smirked, clearly enjoying my current state.
Let them look.
I wasn't here for them.
I was here for her.
The doors of the stronghold opened with a deep, resounding creak, and my body
went rigid.
The scent of power hit me first.
Then the voice.
"Astrid."
I lifted my gaze.
And there he was.
Ardan.
The rogue king.
He stood at the center of the room his presence commanding, his dark eyes gleaming with a mixture of satisfaction and something deeper.
Something that sent every instinct in me screaming.
He looked the same as I remembered. Tall. Broad. Ruthless.
His black cloak barely moved as he stepped forward, his gaze dragging over me, over the shackles on my wrists, the bruises already forming on my skin.
"Look at you," he mused, voice smooth, arrogant. "The mighty Almega, finally brought to her knees."
I didn't respond.
He tilted his head slightly. "No sharp words? No threats?" His smirk widened. "Disappointing."
I swallowed the rage bubbling in my throat, forcing my expression into cold neutrality.
I wouldn't give him what he wanted.
Not yet.
Ardan took another step, circling me like a woff studying a wounded prey. "You came alone," he noted. "Smart. I expected Killian to put up more of a fight to keep you."
At the mention of Killian, my fingers twitched.
Ardan noticed.
His smirk sharpened. "Ah, but of course, your mate wouldn't allow this, would he?
Did you sneak away? Did you leave him behind?"
I met his gaze, refusing to let him see my hesitation.
"I'm here,” I said flatly. "You have what you wanted."
Ardan chuckled, low and dark. "Almost." He glanced at one of his men. "Bring her
in."
My heart stopped.
Footsteps echoed through the room, and then-
"Elara!"
The shackles on my wrists no longer existed. The pain in my arms, my legs, my
ribs-all of it vanished.
Because there she was.
Her small frame, her golden hair tangled, her cheeks smudged with dirt-but she
was alive.
Her blue eyes locked onto mine instantly, wide, teary.
"Mommy!"
She struggled in the grip of the rogue holding her, but I barely heard anything
else.
I moved.
Or at least, I tried.
The shackles burned against my skin as the rogues held me back, my body
thrashing, every ounce of self-control snapping.
"Let her go!" My voice was raw, broken with desperation.
Ardan stepped between us, his lips curling as he studied me, fascinated. "You
really do love her."
A shiver ran down my spine.
Because something in his voice told me―
This wasn't going to be over so easily.