Rebirth Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 157: Survival Instinct

Tiana's POV

I sucked in a sharp breath at her words, feeling a wave of panic wash over me. She was right though— from what I knew about Alpha Corvin, he's one of the last true-blooded Lycans, he was brutal and did not spare anyone mercy.

I mean, this man had even killed his own wife and her sister to prove a point.

"Let's go in," she said with a sigh. "You seem overwhelmed and shaken up."

"I am," I mumbled, following her into the house. She walked towards the hearth and I followed, sitting on a cushion opposite of her.

The fire crackled between us, flickering shadows against Cecilia’s sharp features. I pulled my knees to my chest, staring at the embers drifting upward. My heart had finally stopped racing, but my mind was still stuck on what had happened earlier.

I swallowed hard. “So… do we just pretend that didn’t happen?”

Cecilia didn’t even look up. “What’s there to pretend? You hid. They left. You’re still breathing.”

I huffed. “Wow. Such deep emotional support. You should be a therapist.”

She smirked but didn’t say anything, tossing a few dry twigs into the fire. I hated how unfazed she was like she had seen so much that nothing could shake her anymore. Maybe that was true.

I let the silence stretch before speaking again. “I should’ve done something. If they had found me—”

“They didn’t,” she cut in, her voice calm but firm. “And you’re not ready to fight them. You would’ve died, and I would’ve had to burn your body before Corvin could get his hands on it.”

I swallowed hard. She was right, but damn, did she have to be so blunt about it? “You really know how to make a girl feel better.”

Cecilia sighed like she was already tired of this conversation. “You don’t need comfort. You need survival.”

I clenched my jaw and looked away. Survival. That’s all it ever was. Every day, every moment—just trying not to die.

I exhaled through my nose, forcing my shoulders to relax. “Okay, survival queen. What do we eat around here? Because I’m starving, and I refuse to live off tree bark and sorrow.”

Her lips twitched like she was holding back a laugh. “Come on,” she said, standing up. “I’ll show you something.”

She stood up and I followed suit, walking out of the house with her. Dusk was already fast approaching by now as Cecilia led me deeper into the forest, stopping in a small, hidden clearing where patches of wild herbs and vegetables grew. It didn’t look like much, but I could tell it had been tended to.

I crouched beside a sprout, running my fingers over its tiny leaves. “You planted these?”

She plucked a leaf and rubbed it between her fingers. “No. I helped them grow.”

I frowned. “That’s the same thing.”

“It’s not.” She handed me a handful of herbs. “I didn't plant them. I learned how to keep things alive.”

I wasn’t sure what to say to that. So I just followed her lead, gathering what we could—wild onions, some mushrooms, even a few strange-looking root vegetables.

“Still need meat,” Cecilia muttered, scanning the woods.

I groaned. “Please don’t make me hunt. I’ll just embarrass myself.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You have a wolf, and you’re worried about hunting?”

“Yes,” I said immediately. “My wolf doesn’t come with an instruction manual, and I’d rather not chase a rabbit through the woods just to lose to it.”

Cecilia sighed like she was reconsidering all her life choices that led to being stuck with me. Then, without a word, she reached into her pouch and pulled out a strip of dried meat.

I stared at her. “You had food this whole time, and you still made me dig up dirt vegetables?”

“You needed the experience.”

“You’re a menace.”

She ignored me and turned back toward our small camp. “Come on. Let’s cook.”

Back at the fire, I awkwardly tried to help with the meal. Cecilia handed me a knife and a bundle of herbs, watching as I clumsily chopped them.

“You’re going to cut off a finger,” she noted. "Didn't you do work as a child?"

I thought of Moonstone where I grew up as a maid even though I was a Beta's daughter and then suddenly, I was living a stress-free life at Shadowclaw.

Was it so easy to forget how to do chores?

“I am not—ow! Shit.”

Cecilia sighed. “Give me that.” She took the knife from me, slicing the herbs effortlessly.

I sucked on my cut finger, glaring at her. “Okay, Miss Perfect.”

“You just need practice.”

“I just need a break.”

She tossed the herbs into the pot, smirking. “That too.”

Despite my less-than-stellar cooking skills, the meal actually turned out… good. The broth was rich, the herbs added just enough flavour, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I ate something that didn’t taste like pure survival rations.

I leaned back, rubbing my stomach. “Okay, I’ll admit it. That was nice.”

Cecilia hummed in agreement, poking at the fire with a stick.

For once, the quiet between us wasn’t awkward. It wasn’t filled with tension or training or the fear of dying. It was just… easy.

Then, just when I thought I could actually relax, she casually flicked her fingers—and the fire lifted from the logs, curling into a swirling shape in midair.

I jerked forward. “What the hell?”

She twirled her fingers, and the fire responded, stretching and twisting into different shapes. A wolf. A bird. A flickering dragon.

My jaw dropped. “You—how—”

Cecilia smirked. “Magic.”

I gawked at her. “You’ve had magic this whole time, and you didn’t think to mention it?”

She shrugged, letting the flames settle back into the firepit. “Didn’t seem important. Moreover, you already saw me light a candle with my finger before."

I threw my hands in the air. “Not important? I mean I... Yes, I saw you but how did I forget until now?"

"I made you," Cecilia laughed—a real, genuine laugh. It was short, but it was there.

I stared at her, stunned. I didn’t think I had ever heard her laugh before.

She shook her head, still smirking. “You should see your face.”

I crossed my arms, pretending to pout, but I wasn’t actually mad.

Because for the first time since waking up in this body, I felt okay.