Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 436: Enemy's Terms Astrid's POV Elara's blue eyes locked onto mine, wide and glistening with tears, her small frtrembling in the grip of the rogue holding her.

"Mommy!" Her voice cracked, breaking something inside me.

I lunged, the burning pain of the wolfsbane shackles forgotten, my body driven by nothing but instinct.

I barely made it a step before rough hands grabbed my arms, yankingback.

A snarl ripped from my throat. "Let her go!" Ardan's smirk deepened. He raised a hand, and the rogue restraining Elara tightened his grip.

She whimpered.

A sound so small-so fragile that it shattered every ounce of restraint I had left.

"I swear with my own life, Ardan," I growled, my voice raw with fury, "if you so much as touch her " He laughed.

Actually laughed.

Like this was amusing. Like he wasn't holding my world in his filthy hands.

"My, my," he mused, pacing towardwith slow, deliberate steps. "You really do have a soft spot, don't you?" His gaze flickered to Elara. "I wonder... does she share your stubbornness?" Elara stiffened, her lip quivering-but she didn't cry.

Not anymore.

My girl. My strong girl.

I tore against the grip of my captors, my body aching, my wolf raging beneath my skin, desperate to rip him apart.

"If you hurt her-" Ardan hummed thoughtfully. "Hurt her?" He tilted his head. "Astrid, do you really think so little of me? She's been treated like a guest." My eyes darted to Elara's small wrists-bruises.

Rage blurred my vision. "Then why does she look like she's been dragged through hell?" Ardan exhaled, shaking his head as if disappointed. "Your mate has rubbed off on you too much. Always assuming the worst." I couldn't listen to this.

Elara needed me.

And I needed her out of here.

"Enough," I snapped, forcing steel into my voice. "You wanted me. You have me. Now let her go." Ardan's smirk never wavered. "Oh, Astrid... you misunderstand." He stepped closer, his voice lowering, thick with amusement. "You were never here to be exchanged." My blood ran cold.

I stilled. "What?" Ardan gestured lazily. "I told you to cto me, and you did. But nowhere in my message did I say I'd let her go." The room tilted.

For a moment, I swayed, my breath stalling in my throat.

No. No, no, no- I recalled what was written in the paper he sent us, and he was right. In the paper, he said I'd be Elara's substitute. He never wrote that he would release her.

I was so worried about Elara that I lost my own reasoning.

I lunged again, the pain from the shackles no longer registering. "You-you lied!" Ardan caught my chin in his grip so fast, so suddenly, that my body went rigid.

"Of course, I did," he murmured. His dark eyes gleamed, inches from mine. "And you were foolish enough to believe me." I wanted to tear him apart.

To sink my teeth into his throat and never let go.

But Elara- Elara was still in his hands.

"Let her go," I whispered, my voice hoarse.

Ardan chuckled. "No." I stiffened.

His grip loosened, but he didn't step back. Instead, his gaze dragged over my face, studying me, like I was sfascinating puzzle he'd finally found all the pieces to.

"You're exactly as I imagined," he murmured.

A chill slithered down my spine.

He had thought about this. About me. About this moment.

I felt sick.

I clenched my jaw, forcing my voice to remain steady. "What do you want from me?" His smile grew.

"The truth?" he mused. "Your power, of course." I swallowed the bile rising in my throat.

"You don't need Elara for that," I said, my voice quieter now, controlled. "She's just a child." Ardan sighed, stepping back at last. "Yes, but she's a child that matters to you." He flicked his fingers, and the rogue holding Elara tightened his grip.

She winced, a small, pained sound slipping through her lips.

I lost it.

"Don't-!" My body fought violently, my wolf prashing get inside me, desperate. her, to destroy every single of them, to- Ardan grabbed my throat.

I froze.

The grip wasn't tight, wasn't crushing-but it was a warning.

My eyes burned into his, my breaths shallow.

"Understand something, Astrid," he. murmured, voice almost gentle Almo "You're mine now. And you will do as I say." The words slithered around me, cold and suffocating.

I refused to react.

He watchedfor a long moment before tilting his head. "Let's test your loyalty, shall we?" He released me, snapping his fingers once more.

Elara was yanked backward, dragged toward the door.

My pulse spiked. "What are you doing?" Ardan smiled. "Securing my leverage." "No "

om "You will do what I say, Almega." His voice darkened "Or she will suffer for it! I stopped breathing.

My nails dug into my palms.

Trapped.

That's what I was.

But not broken.

I forced myself to straighten, to meet his gaze without trembling.

Ardan's eyes gleamed.

"You're going to help me, Astrid," he murmured. "And in retum, Kmight der ve keeping your daughter alive." I wanted to tear him apart.

But I couldn't.

Not yet.

I had to be smart.

I had to stay alive.

Because now-now I knew exactly what he wanted.

And that meant I had something to work with.

I swallowed the rage, the fear, the helplessness, locking it deep inside.

I gave him nothing.

Not a word.

Not a breath.

His smirk deepened.

"Good," he murmured. "Then let's begin." And just like that, the doors slammed shut.

And my prison sentence began

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