Rebirth Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 154: Finally On All Fours

**Tiana's POV**

The old woman let out a long breath as if she’d been waiting for me to ask that question. Then she leaned in her seat comfortably and looked at me with something bearing semblance to pity.

“You’re not ready,” she said with a deep sigh.

I frowned slightly annoyed. “What do you mean?”

She gestured at me with her wrinkled hand. “You have Erika’s body, her strength. But you don’t have her knowledge.”

“I can fight,” I said defensively.

She laughed—a dry, knowing sound. “Can you?”

I opened my mouth, then shut it.

Could I?

I had Erika’s instincts. I could feel them—small sparks of knowledge flaring in my muscles, urging me to move a certain way. But instincts weren’t the same as experience. Yes, her body was strong enough and had been in countless battles but I did not have personal knowledge.

Erika had been a warrior. A fighter trained by Alpha Corvin himself. But I wasn’t.

I had never fought in a real battle, never wielded a sword or trained with claws bared, never survived in a world where strength was everything.

The old woman watched me silently, her sharp eyes cutting into my thoughts.

Finally, she spoke. “If you go after Corvin like this, you’ll die.”

I scowled. “Then teach me.”

She tilted her head. “Are you sure?”

A simple question, but it carried weight.

I clenched my fists. “Yes.”

She nodded. “Then we begin tomorrow.”

The morning passed in quiet conversation.

The old woman, whose name was Cecilia, explained that Erika had been trained from a young age and even before training, she liked to peek at the warriors and guards and then challenge them to duels when Lady Althea was not watching. “She was meant to be a warrior,” she said, stirring a pot of something that smelled like herbs and firewood. “She was stronger than the others. Faster. Corvin saw it early on and took her under his wing.”

“And then he turned on her.”

Cecilia’s lips tightened. “That is the way of men like him. They take what they want, shape it into something useful, and discard it when it no longer serves them.”

I leaned back against the wall, exhaling slowly. “So what do I do?”

She gave me a long look. “First, you train. Strength, endurance, skill. You must learn how to wield a blade, how to fight with your body, how to survive without hesitation.”

I nodded. “And second?”

Her eyes darkened. “Second, you learn patience. Revenge is a blade that must be sharpened before it strikes.”

*+*+*+*+*+*

The night air wrapped around me like a cloak, cool and crisp against my skin. I had only stepped outside for some air, needing a moment away from Cecilia’s sharp eyes and endless wisdom.

But something felt different.

The wind carried an energy that made my skin prickle, a silent hum that vibrated in my bones. The moon hung heavy in the sky, bright and full, casting silver light through the gaps in the trees.

I took a breath.

Then, suddenly—pain.

A sharp, electric jolt shot through my spine, curling around my ribs, my fingers, my legs. It was like fire, searing through every nerve in my body. My knees buckled, and I barely had time to brace myself before I collapsed into the dirt.

It was happening.

I was shifting.

For the first time in my life, I was shifting.

And it hurt.

A strangled sound ripped from my throat as my bones cracked and realigned, as muscles stretched and twisted into something unfamiliar. My fingers curled into the dirt, nails elongating into claws before my eyes. My spine arched lengthening, forcing me onto all fours.

I wanted to scream.

But I refused.

I had been weak before. I had let them call me weak.

Not anymore.

I could still hear their voices, echoing in my mind like ghosts of a past I had tried to forget.

"A werewolf who can’t shift? What kind of Luna is that?"

"She’s not fit to be Theo’s mate."

"A weakling."

"A disgrace."

I still even remember Elara's letter to Theo's father.

The words had followed me everywhere in Moonstone Pack, whispered behind my back, and muttered under breaths when they thought I couldn’t hear. But I always heard. I always knew.

Even Derek had thought of me as weak.

I remembered the way he had looked at me when he rejected me. Not with hatred. Not with pity. Just… indifference.

"I need a Luna who can stand beside me," he had said.

And I hadn’t been enough.

I had never been enough.

Not for Moonstone. Not for Derek. Not for anyone.

Even when I had tried to start over in Shadowclaw Pack, it hadn’t been easy.

They didn’t want me at first.

A Luna who couldn’t shift? A mate who wasn’t strong? It was unheard of. It was unnatural.

Theo's father had challenged me, questioned me, and made me fight for every ounce of respect I had.

I had done everything I could to prove myself, but it was never enough.

And now—

Now, I was on all fours, my fur shimmering under the light of the full moon, my heart pounding with something foreign, something powerful.

I finally felt strong. Like, really strong. The pain was gone, and I could breathe again. I took a deep breath, and it was like my whole body came alive. I stood up, but not on two legs like I was used to. This time, I was on four legs. I was a wolf.

Everything felt so different. The ground beneath my paws, the wind in my fur, the cool night air filling my lungs. It was like I had been living in black and white, and suddenly everything was in color. I took a step forward, and then another. And then I just started running.

It was amazing. I felt free like nothing could catch me. The trees blurred together as I ran past them. I felt like I was flying. I threw my head back and let out a loud howl. It was like I was screaming, but it wasn't a scary scream. It was a happy scream. I was finally me, and I was finally free.