Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 264: Burning Desire Killian's POV I sat at my desk, staring at the reports scattered before me, but the words might as well have been written in another language. No matter how many times I read the sline, the numbers didn't make sense, the words refused to stick.

I'd been at this for hours, trying to focus on pack matters-on the budgets, the patrol schedules, and the ongoing negotiations. All things that needed my attention, things I should care about. But no matter how hard I tried, my mind kept slipping.

Back to that night.

The night when everything had almost changed between Astrid and me.

I closed my eyes, the memory washing overlike a wave. I could still see her so clearly. The way her eyes softened, the flicker of something vulnerable and dangerous in her gaze.

The way her breath caught in her throat when our lips had cso close to touching. Too close. That look in her eyes had shattered something inside me, and yet... I had still pulled away.

I could still feel the heat of her body pressed against mine, the moment when temptation had nearly swallowedwhole. I hadn't planned on anything happening that night.

Hell, I'd just gone to her room to update her on the latest discussion I'd had with Damien. It was supposed to be business, pure and simple.

But the air between us had shifted, the boundaries we'd always tried to hold onto crumbling under the weight of what had always been there.

Since that night, my wolf had been restless, growling at me, gnawing at the edges of my mind.

Every night, he bothered me, clawing at my thoughts, demanding that I go to her.

It took all of my strength to remain in my room, to force myself not to give in to what I so desperately wanted. To stay away from her. To not let myself enter her room and ravish her the way I craved.

I wasn't sure how much longer I could resist.

Giselle and I don't even share the sroom. We never have. Even after we married, I never shared her bed-not once.

Not that she ever asked or seemed to care. We were married for one reason and one reason only: Ryker. Our son. The only thing that keeps us tethered together.

And even though Giselle had sacrificed for me, even though she stood by my side, I never felt the pull toward her. I never desired her.

I never looked at Giselle with lust or longing. She had always been... practical. Necessary. But Astrid? Astrid was different.

My body burned for her. Every night. It was like a fire inside me, one that never went out, no matter how many times I doused it with guilt or responsibility.

And in the mornings, when I'd see her, all I could think about was the night I rejected her. The night I stopped something that I had wanted more than anything.

I couldn't forget the way she looked atafter I pulled away. Her disappointment still haunted me. The hurt, the confusion-hell, the betrayal in her eyes-it was all seared into my memory.

She knew how much I wanted her. She had to know. But I couldn't let it happen. Not then. Not now.

I clenched my fists, my knuckles whitening as I stared blankly at the report in front of me.

Guilt gnawed at the edges of my thoughts, like it always did when I thought about her. I knew I had hurt her.

I had rejected her twice now, and I hated myself for it. But if I had the chance again... I'd still do the sdamn thing.

I can't let myself go there with Astrid. It's not just about her. It's about everything else. The promises I made. The life I've tried to protect.

I made a vow to Giselle, a promise that I would forget Astrid. That I would try to love Giselle as my wife, for the sake of our son. For the sacrifices she made to be with me.

I have a family. I have responsibilities. And no matter how fractured things have always been between Giselle and me, I can't abandon that. I won't break my son's heart for my own selfish desires.

But even as I thought those words, I felt the pull toward Astrid. It wasn't just desire. It was something deeper, something more dangerous. It is the kind of desire that had accumulated for a long time.

It madewonder when these feelings started. It surely didn't start just now. It must have been there years ago, but I was too filled with bitterness to feel and acknowledge it.

Still, what good would it do? I wasn't free. I could never give her the life she deserved. And I sure as hell wasn't going to hurt my son just to satisfy something that could destroy everything.

I leaned back in my chair, staring up at the ceiling. The guilt was like a lead weight in my chest, but it wasn't enough to change my mind. Astrid deserved more than this mess - more than me.

And my son... he deserved a father who would honor his promises, even if the marriage to his father was just an obligation to me.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to shake the memory of her face that night.

The way she'd looked at- hurt,

confused, maybe even a little m betrayed. She didn't understand, Maybe she thought Xrejected her advancements because I love Giselle so much. She had no idea that it was Ryker that I was thinking that madepull away from her.

I couldn't explain it to her, not without breaking her even more. I wasn't free. I wasn't hers. And no matter how much I wanted her, I couldn't have her. Unless, Giselle is not Ryker's mother, then that would make a difference.

I know there's just a slim chance for that. It's even impossible. Giselle was pregnant and she gave birth inside the Pack. How could Ryker not be her son? Even so, I still hoped for that slim chance to be true, almost like a desperate plea.

It's been a few days since I gave Beta Ryker that task. There should be sprogress by now. I'd been clear - get her DNA, don't let anyone find out and don't fail.

A sharp knock cut through my thoughts.

"Enter," I called, leaning back in my chair.

The door creaked open and Ryder stepped inside. He moved with his usual purposeful stride, but I could sense the tension in his movements, the hesitation in his posture. He wasn't here to deliver good news.

QUMS My heart instantly sank. I already knew what the answer would be. It was stupid ofto hope otherwise.