Reclaiming My Broken Luna 2

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.noveldrama

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.