Rebirth Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 117: Inner Spirit

**Erika's POV**

I swallowed hard. “What… was that?”

Carlo studied me for a long moment. Then he simply said, “Progress."

"Doesn't feel like progress," I snorted, rolling my eyes at him. "This is all pointless. Get me a sword instead."

Ha shook his head, his voice firm. "There's more to strength than just swords and fighting Erika."

Once more, I found myself snorting at him. "Like what?" I asked, rolling my eyes. "Don't give me a boring motivational quote please."

"I won't, I won't," he laughed lightly. "But you have to do this. Personally, I wouldn't make you, but I have to follow the Alpha's instructions."

*+*+*+*+*+*

The morning after that strange meditation session, I still couldn’t shake the odd warmth in my chest. But I wasn’t going to admit it to Carlo. I’d sit with that strange feeling in silence, pretending like nothing had happened.

I walked to the training grounds, hoping for something more normal today. Maybe a sparring session. Something to get rid of the frustration buzzing in my veins. I didn’t want to sit around focusing on energy I didn’t understand.

But when I saw Carlo standing by the edge of the field, his arms crossed and an unreadable expression on his face, I knew something was coming.

“Erika,” he said, gesturing for me to come over. “Today’s training is going to be different.”

I clenched my jaw. “Different? How much weirder can this get?”

“Sit down.”

I blinked. “What?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Sit down.”

I glanced around. Surely, someone else was sparring? Someone else was training in the usual way? But no. It was just us.

“This is a joke, right?”

“Nope. Meditation. Focus.”

I sighed deeply. “I’d rather be doing anything else.”

Carlo didn’t respond, just motioned for me to sit on the grass. Groaning, I plopped down and crossed my legs. It seemed like he was serious about this.

“This will help you learn to connect with your inner power,” he said, sitting down across from me, his posture relaxed.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “What inner power? I don’t have energy. I’m just trying not to kill anyone with my frustration.”

Carlo chuckled lightly but didn’t seem bothered by my sarcasm. “You do have it, Erika. You just don’t know how to use it yet.”

I huffed, closing my eyes but still fuming. I hated feeling out of control. Meditation was a joke to me, especially now. But as much as I resisted, I forced myself to sit still and focus on my breathing, pushing all the frustrations down deep inside.

For a while, I felt nothing. Just the wind against my skin, the faint sounds of the pack in the distance. I started to zone out, thinking that maybe this wasn’t such a waste after all.

Then suddenly, I felt something.

It was faint, like a whisper on the edge of my consciousness. A warmth that started deep in my chest. It felt like something was waking up inside me. I froze, my eyes snapping open, and I looked at Carlo.

Carlo’s lips quirked into a smirk. “Felt something?”

I clenched my fists. “No.” But it was a lie. I could feel some strange force in my chest. It made me feel both confused and slightly afraid. I hated this.

“Liar,” Carlo said, but his voice was softer than before. “You felt it. You’re just not ready to admit it.”

I shook my head, standing abruptly, pushing the feeling back down. “I’m not doing this anymore.”

Carlo stood too, his gaze unwavering. “You’ll have to do it. Training isn’t just about fighting. It’s about understanding what’s inside of you.”

“Fine. Whatever. You’re still insane,” I muttered, walking off toward the edge of the training field, hoping the frustration would somehow disappear.

As I walked away, I heard Carlo’s footsteps behind me. He didn’t say anything at first, but I could feel his presence, the weight of his attention on me.

“You know, if you’re still looking to work out some of that tension…” Carlo began his voice light and teasing.

I glanced back at him, frowning. “What are you getting at?”

He grinned. “How about we hang out tonight? Spar a little. But, this time, on horseback.”

I stared at him. “What? You mean, spar on horseback?”

He nodded, that mischievous glint back in his eyes. “Why not? You’ve trained with me long enough on the ground. Tonight, we’ll make it more interesting.”

I felt my frown turning into an eager grin. “You’re serious?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Unless you’re too scared to keep up?”

“Ha. I’ll show you scared,” I shot back, feeling an undeniable excitement bubbling up inside me. Sparring on horseback? That was something I could get into. I had always loved horses, and fighting on one? That was something entirely different.

“When should I meet you?” I asked, already anticipating the thrill of it.

“After dinner,” Carlo said. “Meet me at the stables.”

*+**+*+*+

It seemed like forever before evening time came. I found myself standing in front of the stables even before then, waiting eagerly for Carlo to show up. Now, the sun had set, and the stars were starting to dot the sky, casting a soft glow over the grounds. The horses were grazing peacefully in their stalls, and I walked up to my horse—a sleek, dark brown mare with a white stripe down her face.

I ran my hand along her back, feeling a sense of calm settle over me as I adjusted my gear. I was ready for this. I needed to get rid of the frustrating tension that had been building up all day.

As I was brushing my horse down, I heard footsteps approaching, and I turned to see Carlo walking toward me. He had his own horse. It was a massive black stallion with piercing eyes and he looked ready to go. His face was set, but there was a hint of amusement in his gaze.

"Have you been here for hours?”