Chapter 39
Chapter 39
Kaeleen’s POV
Serena’s question echoed in my mind, a persistent hum that refused to fade. "Is she in love with you, Kaeleen?"
I ran a hand through my hair, the gesture doing little to ease the tension that had coiled tight in my gut. Love. It was a messy, complicated emotion, one I had carefully avoided for most of my life. As Alpha, my priorities had always been the pack, their safety, their well-being. Romantic entanglements were a distraction, a weakness I couldn’t afford. Although after seeing my siblings and close friends fall in love, I was beginning to have second thoughts.
I was jealous of the relationship Rebecca had with Alex and the one Serena had with Hunter. Serena was the last person I thought would even call in love. I always viewed her as the strong older sister. Although looking at it now, I should have known that my sister was a romantic. But her question about Astrid still bugged me.
I knew one thing for sure: Astrid wasn’t in love with Leon. Not anymore. The light in her eyes had been extinguished long ago, replaced by a dull resignation that had haunted me since the moment I saw it.
But was she in love with me? That was the question that kept me up at night. I had seen the spark of attraction, the flicker of interest in her eyes, but was it enough? Was it real? Or was it simply a desperate grasp for something better, a fleeting connection forged in the crucible of her misery?
I didn’t care. Not really. Love could come later, or maybe it wouldn’t come at all. What mattered most was getting Astrid out of that hellhole, away from the clutches of that controlling bastard who had sucked the life out of her. I had to make sure she was safe, that she had a chance to heal, to rediscover the woman she was meant to be.
After my conversation with Serena, I had called Shadow. He had been working tirelessly to find a way to reach Astrid, but Moonshade packhouse was a fortress, impenetrable to outsiders.