Broken Vows

The Weight of Protection

The private family dinner was supposed to heal wounds but instead it ripped them wide open from the first bite.

Viktor sat at the head of the long oak table in his personal dining room, candles casting long shadows across the walls. He raised his cup with a forced smile. "Tonight we reaffirm bonds. No outsiders. Just family. Astrid, you sit here beside me."

Astrid took her seat quietly, her hands folded tight in her lap. The air already felt thick.

Draven stabbed a piece of meat with his knife. "Reaffirm bonds? Funny way to say force us all to pretend everything is fine. You call us here like we are children who need scolding."

Viktor frowned. "Watch your tone, son. I called this dinner to remind us all where loyalty lies. Astrid saved my life. She is part of this family."

Kieran pushed food around his plate without looking up. "Part of this family? Or the favorite who gets everything handed to her while we watch from the side?"

Draven laughed short and sharp. "Exactly. Strays get the moonstone necklaces and fancy vows while real blood gets pushed aside. Tell me Father, does bloodline mean nothing anymore? Are we just here to smile and accept it?"

"Draven," Viktor warned, voice low. "That is enough. Astrid earned her place with courage. You two would do well to remember that instead of acting like spoiled pups."

Astrid spoke up, her voice steady but tired. "I never asked for special treatment. I just wanted to belong here with all of you. To be seen as more than the girl who dragged you home years ago."

Draven leaned forward, eyes cold. "Belong? You belong as a charity case. A stray picked up from the woods. Now you sit at the head table while the rest of us watch our future get sold off for your sake. The pack talks, Father. They see the favoritism clear as day."

Viktor slammed his cup down. "I will not tolerate this disrespect in my own house. The vow stands. Astrid will marry one of you and that is final. I made a promise in blood and I keep my word."

Kieran finally looked at Astrid, his face hard. "Father, stop pushing this. I never truly loved her. I only tolerated the vow out of duty to you. That is the truth and it is time she heard it plain."

The words hit Astrid like a physical blow. She stared at him, breath catching. "You never loved me? All those talks by the river, the training sessions where you said I belonged beside you, the promises about the future? It was all duty to your father?"

Kieran shrugged, not breaking eye contact. "We were young. You saved Father so I played along. But my heart was never in it. Liora makes me feel alive. Real. Not some old obligation hanging over my head."

Draven smirked. "There it is. At least one of us is honest. Blood calls to blood, Astrid. Face it. You were never meant to be more than a reminder of Father's debt."

Astrid's voice rose. "How can you say that after everything? I fought for this pack. I trained with you, Kieran. I believed every word you said."

Viktor reached out a hand. "Sit down, girl. Do not let them break you with their foolish words. I will handle this."

But Astrid shook her head. "I need air. This dinner was a mistake." She turned and walked out fast, footsteps echoing down the hall until she reached her quarters. She shut the door hard and leaned against it, chest heaving with silent sobs.

Minutes later a knock sounded. Viktor entered without waiting, carrying a small carved box. "Astrid, I am sorry for how that went. My sons forget themselves and forget what you mean to this pack."

She wiped her eyes quickly. "It hurts, Viktor. Kieran said it plain. Duty. Nothing more. I feel like a fool for believing otherwise all these years."

Viktor opened the box and pulled out a delicate silver bracelet etched with running wolves. "This belonged to my mother. She wore it through hard times and it gave her strength. Now it is yours. Wear it as a reminder that you are strong and that I stand with you."

Astrid took the bracelet, fingers tracing the cool metal. "Thank you. But gifts do not fix this pain. They do not change what your sons think of me."

"I swear to you," Viktor said firmly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You will be Luna of this pack. One way or another. I will make sure of it. My protection will see you through no matter how much they push back. You are my daughter. Never doubt that."

She nodded but said nothing as he left the room. The weight of his words pressed down heavier than the bracelet on her wrist. The door clicked shut behind him leaving her alone with her thoughts.

That night sleep came uneasy. Astrid tossed in her bed until the nightmare pulled her under. Arrows whistled past her ears again like six years ago. She dragged a bleeding Viktor through enemy woods, knife in hand, hot blood spraying her face. But this time Kieran stood at the edge of the trees watching with cold eyes.

"You are just a stray," dream Kieran called out. "Duty. Nothing more. I never loved you."

Draven laughed beside him. "Blood wins. Strays get thrown away when they are no longer useful."

Liora appeared, silver hair glowing in the moonlight. "He never loved you. No one does. You are only here because of pity."

Astrid screamed in the dream as the ground cracked and she fell, clutching the moonstone necklace that suddenly burned like fire against her skin. Enemy wolves closed in, claws tearing at her while Viktor's voice echoed from far away. "My protection. My vow. You will be Luna."

She woke up gasping, sweat soaking her sheets. The room was dark and quiet. Her heart pounded hard against her ribs as the dream images faded slowly.

Astrid sat up slowly and touched the new bracelet. The nightmare still clung to her mind but something shifted inside her. No more waiting for their approval. No more hoping the vow would save her. She would stop chasing ghosts of what she thought they had.

She stood and walked to the window, staring out at the moonlit pack grounds. The resolve settled deep in her bones, cold and clear. From now on she would carve her own path. No matter what it cost. The girl who once believed in promises was gone. In her place stood someone ready to fight for herself.