Reclaiming My Broken Luna

Astrid's POV

I was just silently eating when Andros suddenly broke the silence. "You know, Astrid," Andros spoke, catching my attention.

"Father has been telling me a lot about you recently. He couldn't stop giving you praises for the job you have done as the Pack's acting Beta," he tells me casually, with his voice tinged with a hint of pride. I felt a surge of surprise when his words washed over me. I wasn't expecting my brother to talk to me and even compliment me.

Andros had always been out of Pack. He only comes back once a year and leaves as soon as he arrives.

The first time that we met, we did not leave a good impression on each other either. I didn't expect that he would mention something like this in front of everyone.

I thought he also felt the same way as his sister towards me. I thought he also hated me, but I was surprised that he initiated to talk to me.

Alpha Theron suddenly laughed in glee and pride when he heard his son's words. "That's true," he confirmed as he glanced at me.

When I glanced back at him, he met my gaze steadily. "The Pack flourished under your leadership, you know. Everyone could see how dedicated and capable you are."

I glanced down at my food, not used to getting compliments. I did not know what to say, and I felt uncomfortable being placed under the spotlight.

When I was a Luna, I never got any praise or compliments for doing a great job. No matter what I did, Killian and his mother would always find faults in me. I was never good enough for them.

I would bring in good results, and they would never be satisfied with it.

As I thought of what to say, my eyes instinctively landed on Asha, who had been terribly silent the whole time. I watched as she took a sip of her drink and stuffed down her food with disdain on his face.

"It's really a good thing that you were here to keep things running, Astrid. Just imagine how hard would it be for father if he had to work for three years without a Beta," Andros paused, his expression sobering slightly. "We're lucky to have you, Astrid." Asha suddenly scoffed, unable to keep her silence anymore. "With or without her, the Shadowfang Pack would do just fine. You are exaggerating what she did," she spoke with a scowl as she poked at her food.

"Asha," Andros called out to her sister with shame. "We should be grateful to Astrid for filling Beta Alek's position, without her our Pack wouldn't have stayed this stable," Andros rebuked his sister calmly, hoping that she would listen to him.

"Tsk," Asha clucked her tongue and rolled her eyes, but she didn't say a word to contradict her brother.

"I'm sorry, Astrid. I hope you would understand," Andros muttered towards me with a sense of contriteness.

I gave him a warm smile to ease his worries; I was already used to Asha's attitude towards me. Her treatment towards me is nothing new and nothing compared to the treatment I had received from other people before.

"Asha is right," spoke up, agreeing

with Asha's words, making her look at me in surprise. "My contributions to the Shadowfang Pack is not that much. I'm only lucky to have an experience as a Luna. I only applied what I know," I answered humbly.

Asha's scowl deepened when she heard my answer, but she remained painfully quiet in her seat and continued eating.

After a couple of small conversations and after we had our fill, Alpha Theron cleared his throat, drawing all our attention before the night ended.

"I'm sure you all are wondering why I asked you all to gather here today," Alpha Theron began, his gaze settling warmly on each of us in turn.

I never wondered about this. I thought this special gathering was for Andros, who arrived at the Pack. Is there another reason behind this?

Andros and Asha exchanged a curious glance while I leaned forward as Alpha Theron's words fully grasped my attention. Now I wonder what more Alpha Theron would wish to say.

Alpha Theron took a deep breath, and I could feel the heaviness that weighed in his heart before he could even open his mouth to speak. "For too long, we had kept Astrid's identity as my daughter a secret, I think it's time that we change that." Asha's eyes widened in shock, her face flushing with a mixture of confusion and anger. "What do you mean, father?" she demanded, even though she already had an idea of what her father was about to say.

Andros shifted uncomfortably. The tension in the room was palpable.

"All of you know the rumor going ameound about Astrid and I for years. Astrid has been receiving hate because of it, no one could dare

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blame me as the Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack," Alpha Theron explained, hoping that his children, especially Asha, would understand.

"Astrid is my daughter, she is your sister. Everyone should know that," Alpha Theron spoke firmly.

Asha's mouth fell open in disbelief. Fury burned in her eyes as her gaze darted from me and her father. "So this is how it is, huh? You turned Astrid into the Pack's Beta to win the people's hearts, and now you are going announce her identity and formally accept her into the family?! What's next? You're going to appoint her as the next Alpha?!" Asha questioned violently.