The Broken Luna, Now His Regret novel Chapter 13

13 Chapter 13 Shattered Illusions

The drive back from Millbrook felt endless. Kieran’s hands strangled the steering wheel, knuckles bone–white, as Mira’s laughter with that teacher replayed in his mind on an endless, torturous loop. 4

She’d smiled at him. Actually smiled–warm and genuine, the way she used to look at Kieran before he’d systematically destroyed that warmth over five years of choosing

Astrid over her.

Through the mate bond, he could still feel her–content, relaxed, happy. Without him

His wolf snarled beneath his skin, furious and possessive.

“Mr. Ravencrest,” Cassian ventured carefully from the passenger seat. “Perhaps we should discuss the donation paperwork—”

“Shut up.” The words came out as a growl that made Cassian flinch.

The Beta wisely went silent.

Kieran’s phone buzzed against the console. Astrid’s name flashed across the screen.

“What?” he answered without looking, jaw clenched so tight it ached.

“Kieran, where are you?” Her voice was soft, concerned in that way that usually soothed him. Tonight it just grated on his last nerve. “Brielle’s been asking for you. She wants her bedtime story.”

“I’ll be back when I get back.”

“Is everything okay? You sound-”

He hung up before she could finish. Then immediately felt like an asshole. Astrid didn’t deserve his foul mood. She’d been nothing but devoted–to him, to Brielle, to the family. Everything Mira should have been.

Except Mira WAS all those things, his wolf reminded him viciously. Before you

destroyed her. Before you let your mother abuse her. Before you chose Astrid over her every single day.

He slammed his fist against the steering wheel hard enough to crack the leather.

“Sir?” Cassian’s alarm was evident now.

20.32

15

<

13 Chapter 13 Shattered Illusions

“Did you see her?” The words burst out of Kieran like a dam breaking. “Did you see how she looked at him? Like he was fascinating. Like he mattered. Like I was just some inconvenient stranger she had to tolerate?”

Cassian’s voice was quiet, measured. “Perhaps that’s exactly what you are to her now, Alpha.”

Kieran whipped his head toward his Beta, eyes flashing gold. “Explain. Carefully.”

Cassian met his stare without flinching–eight years of serving as Beta had taught him when to stand his ground. “You wanted her gone. You made that abundantly clear through your… arrangement with Ms. Sinclair. Mrs. Ravencrest is simply giving you what you wanted.”

The truth hit like a physical blow to the chest. “I never wanted—”

“Didn’t you?” Cassian’s voice held an unfamiliar edge. “You wanted her to stop loving you. Stop trying. Stop making you feel guilty every time you chose Astrid over her and your daughter. Mission accomplished, Alpha.”

Kieran could have used his Alpha command to silence him. Could have fired him on the spot for insubordination.

Instead, he just drove faster, his chest tight with a rage he couldn’t name and didn’t want to examine too closely.

Because Cassian was right.

And that made it so much worse.

Meanwhile, Mira sat in her modest sedan outside the Millbrook restaurant, hands trembling violently as she stared at her phone.

Her device had been buzzing relentlessly for the past hour. Seventeen missed calls from unknown numbers. Five voicemails from Selene. Three texts from Astrid that made her stomach churn with dread.

She opened Astrid’s messages with shaking fingers:

Brielle is asking for you. She’s been crying for an hour.

She won’t eat unless you come home.

Mira, please. She needs her mother.

20 32

25

1

13 Chapter 13 Shattered Illusions

Her heart clenched painfully at the words. Then she opened Selene’s voicemails, and ice flooded her veins.

First message: “How dare you embarrass this family by gallivanting around with strange men while your daughter cries herself to sleep? You’re a disgrace. A complete and utter disgrace to the Ravencrest name.”

Second message: “I’ve contacted my attorney. Emergency custody papers will be filed first thing tomorrow morning.”

Third message: “Kieran saw you tonight with that man. Don’t think for one second there won’t be consequences for your behavior.”

Mira’s hands shook harder. The fourth message was the worst:

“I’m taking Brielle from you. You’ll never see her again, you worthless, pathetic whore.”

The phone slipped from her trembling fingers and clattered to the car floor.

Her car door suddenly opened, making her jump. Julian stood there, concern etched deep into his features.

“Mira? What’s wrong? You’ve been sitting here for twenty minutes.”

She couldn’t speak. Could only hand him the phone with trembling fingers as tears started streaming down her face.

Julian’s expression darkened as he scrolled through the messages and listened to the voicemails. “This is harassment. These are threats. Mira, you need to call the police-”

“And say what?” Her voice broke. “That my mother–in–law called me names? That she threatened to take my daughter? They’ll laugh me out of the station, Julian. She’s Selene Ravencrest. She can do whatever she wants.”

“Then call your lawyer. This woman can’t just take your daughter on baseless

accusations.”

“She’s not baseless, though, is she? I’m here. With you. Having dinner while my

daughter cries for me.” Mira’s laugh was hollow, broken. “Maybe I am a terrible mother.”

“Don’t you dare.” Julian’s voice was fierce. “You’re working. You’re allowed to have colleagues. You’re allowed to have a life outside of that family that’s been destroying you.”

Mira’s phone rang again, and this time it was Kieran’s name that flashed across the

20 32

1

13 Chapter 13 Shattered Illusions

screen.

She answered before thinking, her voice sharp with pain and anger. “What do you want?”

“Where the hell are you?” Pure ice and fury radiated through the phone. “Brielle is hysterical. She’s been screaming for you for two hours straight.”

“I’m in Millbrook. You know that. You saw me at dinner.”

“Having a lovely time with your new boyfriend while our daughter-”

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Mira shouted into the phone, not caring who heard. “He’s a colleague! A friend! But you wouldn’t understand that, would you? Because in your twisted world, women can’t have male friends without spreading their legs for them!”

Heavy, dangerous silence filled the line.

Then Kieran’s voice came through, deadly quiet: “Come home. Now.”

“No.”

“That wasn’t a request, Mira. That was an order from your Alpha.”

She laughed a harsh, broken sound that hurt her own ears. “You’re not my Alpha anymore, Kieran. You stopped being my Alpha the day you marked another woman in everything but name. The day you chose her over me. The day you let your mother slap me and did nothing.”

“I never marked Astrid-”

“Not physically. But everyone knows she’s yours. Everyone in Oakwood knows I’m just the inconvenient wife you’re stuck with because I gave you a daughter instead of the precious son you needed.” Her voice cracked, years of pain flooding through. “So no, I won’t come running because you ordered me to. Find someone else to clean up your mess. Find Astrid. I’m done.”

“Mira-”

She hung up and immediately blocked his number with shaking hands.

Then she collapsed against the car door and sobbed so hard she couldn’t breathe, her whole body shaking with the force of years of suppressed grief finally breaking free.

Julian pulled her into his arms without asking permission. Just held her while she shattered into a thousand pieces.

20 32

13 Chapter 13 Shattered Illusions

And somewhere across town, through the mate bond, Kieran felt every moment of her anguish and knew–finally, devastatingly knew–exactly what he’d done.

Comment 0

20 32