Reclaiming My Broken Luna

Nova's POV

As the stillness of the night and the chillness of the air calmed my mind, I found myself drawn outside, my feet carrying me to the most private part of the Packhouse, away from the noise and attention of other people. Today is my birthday, but no one knew about it except for Drystan. Everyone is preoccupied with Astrid's recovery, and I couldn't just steal all the attention and say, 'Hey! It's my birthday today!'

That would be so insensitive of me to do so, and I don't want Astrid to be worried about me. It would be better for Astrid to focus on her recovery.

A part of me was relieved that only Drystan knew it was my birthday. I had never been one for grand celebrations or the unwanted attention that came with them.

The idea of being the center of focus, of having all eyes on me, filled me with a sense of unease. I preferred the solitude, the peace and calmness of the night. And so, I stared up at the twinkling stars that kept me company, and I felt a deep sense of contentment wash over me.

The cool night air caressed my skin, and the gentle hush of the world around me soothed my restless soul.

This is exactly what I needed to be alone, to revel in the simple pleasure of my own company.

However, as I remained alone with my thoughts, I found them drifting towards Drystan, who still hadn't greeted me with a happy birthday until now.

I'm not sure if he still remembers my birthday or not. Drystan had remained steadfastly by Astrid's side all day.

I know how much he cares for her, how his heart had been irrevocably in love with her.

Astrid is the strongest and kindest person that I know, aside from my sister. Her unwavering strength and unparalleled kindness are what captured Drystan's heart and mine,

He's been busy with Astrid all day, so he probably forgot about my birthday.

In a way, I'm still glad that my birthday had gone unnoticed, for I could only imagine the fuss he would have made had he remembered.

As much as I valued Drystan's friendship, I know that his focus - his heart belonged to Astrid now. And truthfully, I cannot hate him for that. Astrid is truly a remarkable woman, one who reminded me of my sister I had lost. The kindness, the resilience, the unwavering spirit - it was all there, shining through everything she did.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

It's the reason why Astrid had become a sister to me as well. Though we had not known each other for so long, there was a deep, unspoken bond that had formed between us.

And as I gazed up at the stars, I wished Astrid was Drystan's second mate. It would be great if they were meant for each other.

Even though I secretly have a crush on Drystan, I know that we stand no chance. My sister is Drystan's true mate, and with the huge gap in our age, my feelings are better buried and forgotten. en

"What are you doing here?" I've been looking around for you all day," Someone suddenly spoke behind me, making me jump from my seat. "Drystan! W-What are you doing here?" I stuttered in surprise. I was just thinking of him when he suddenly surprised me behind my back.

"Happy Birthday Nova!" Drystan shouted as he revealed a present behind his back. "You think I forgot?" he asked with a smirk as he teased me.

I rolled my eyes at him as I grabbed the present from his hands. "Of course not, I've been expecting this that's why I went out here to hide from you," I answered back haughtily.

Drystan only scoffed at my words. "Are you sure? You only went out here to sulk because you thought I forgot, didn't you?" Drystan continued to tease me until he earned a glare from me. "Suit yourself and believe what you want to believe in," I retorted as I unwrapped his gift.

"What are you doing out here on your own then?" Drystan questioned me.

"Nothing, I was just waiting for my birthday," I answered casually.

Drystan suddenly smiled. "Oh yes, I remembered when your sister told me the story how yoatwere born on 11:59 PM. If you came out just a few seconds late, you would have been born on July 29," Drystan explained, making me look at him.

Drystan always knew interesting facts about me. He always surprises me with how much he knows me. I couldn't believe that he knew about this either.

"What's this?!"exclaimed when I

finally opened his gift. I was

expecting something big, but instead, only found the big box he gave me filled with crumpled papers, and then I finally saw a smal strawberry keychain inside.

"This is your gift?!" I asked again in disappointment. I was expecting a big gift in the big box he gave me that took me time to open.

"Happy Birthday, Nova!" Drystan greeted me again with amusement on his face.

"A strawberry keychain? Really? Why?!" I burst out, not expecting that a great Alpha would gift me a keychain.

"Because you love strawberries." Drystan replied innocently.

"When did I like strawberries? I don't like strawberries. I don't even eat fruits," I spoke without a pause. For sure, he knew this simple fact about me.