Rebirth Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 161: Bring Back The First Bloods

**Tiana's POV**

She nodded, and for a moment, I thought she was nodding to my thoughts.

A chill slithered through me, clinging to the bones in my body. “That’s not possible,” I whispered. “They’re gone. The gods—”

“Did not erase them entirely,” Cecilia cut in. “Only buried them. But some things refuse to stay buried.”

My skin prickled. “If that’s true… if Corvin is really trying to bring back the First Blood—” I hesitated. “Can he?”

Cecilia’s gaze was steady. “I don’t know. But he wants them to be at his mercy. He wants to rule. He wants to be God over every creature."

I let out a shaky breath. “Then we have to stop him.”

She held my gaze, something unreadable flickering in her eyes. “Do you think it will be that simple?”

“No.” I said,.swallowing hard.

Cecilia exhaled, turning her gaze toward the fire again. “You now understand why I have told you this.”

My pulse thrummed in my ears. “Because I might be the only one who can stop him?”

She didn’t answer. But she didn’t need to.

The fire crackled, embers glowing like dying stars. For the first time that night, I wished the flames could burn away the truth.

“There’s so much responsibility…” My voice wavered. “Where do I even start?”

Cecilia tilted her head slightly, watching me. “Perhaps the Moon Goddess put you in Erika’s body for a reason.”

I stiffened. “You think this was planned?”

She gave me a knowing smile. “Has the thought never crossed your mind?”

“I don’t know…” I rubbed my arms, trying to shake off the cold creeping into my bones. “I—”

“Your stories are intertwined, Tiana,” she interrupted gently. “You just don’t know it yet.”

I frowned. “How? Erika and I—we’re different. We have our own goals, our own revenge. We—”

Cecilia shook her head. “Corvin is an ally to Shadowclaw but not to Moonstone. Shadowclaw is an ally to Moonstone.” She paused, letting the words sink in. “Do you not find that strange?”

I hesitated. “Not necessarily. Alliances are complicated.”

“This is politics, not friendship,” she countered, her voice turning sharper. “That kind of thing matters.”

I swallowed, my mind racing. “Are you saying… there’s something more to that?”

Cecilia’s expression darkened. “There is something shady going on there.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“You need to find out,” she said firmly. “Whatever you missed about your death as Tiana in Shadowclaw, it’s important. Corvin is not just trying to expand his power—he’s hiding something. And that something is the key to his downfall.”

My stomach twisted. “But I—”

“You were there, Tiana,” she cut in. “You lived in Shadowclaw. You died in Shadowclaw. But do you truly remember everything?”

I felt the blood drain from my face.

Memories of my death were blurry but Alpha Corvin was there, together with Layla and Elara... Elara who was interested in Theo even after she rejected him and knew that I was mated to him.

Was that how Corvin had to do with something?

It did not seem in the slightest bit possible.

I clenched my jaw. “You think I missed something?”

“I know you did,” she said simply.

A heavy silence fell between us. My mind was racing through memories, trying to piece together what I could have missed.

Then Cecilia exhaled, her gaze meeting mine with quiet resolve.

“You have to return to Shadowclaw,” she said. “Find out what you missed about your death.”

I stared at her, heart pounding. “Are you saying I should go back to Shadowclaw?”

Cecilia didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

I flinched at how easily she said it, like it was the simplest thing in the world.

Back to Shadowclaw. Back to the pack that let me die.

I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry. “How? I barely escaped the first time. What if—”

“What if what?” Cecilia cut in smoothly.

“What if they recognize me? What if they kill me again?” My voice cracked at the last word.

She studied me for a moment, then leaned forward. “You are not the same girl who died in Shadowclaw, Tiana. You are now Erika."

I exhaled sharply, rubbing my hands together. “But still, where do I even start? What should I do?”

Cecilia smiled faintly, as if she had been waiting for that question. “You’ve lived there before. You know what they like, what they fear, what they desire. Use that to your advantage.”

I shook my head. “That doesn’t help me walk through their gates unnoticed.”

She arched her brow. “Doesn’t it?”

I frowned. “What are you saying?”

She leaned back, watching me. “Shadowclaw is not just a pack. It is a system. And like any system, it has weaknesses. You need to find them.”

I bit my lip, trying to think. “Weaknesses… like their patrol rotations?”

“Exactly.” Cecilia nodded. “Who are the ones who take bribes? Who are the ones who hesitate to attack? Who are the ones who blindly follow orders?”

I ran a hand through my hair. “Okay, so I figure that out, then what?”

She gave me a knowing look. “Then you decide what role you will play.”

I stilled. “What do you mean?”

“You cannot return even as Erika,” Cecilia said. “Not yet.”

My stomach twisted. “So… I pretend to be someone else?”

She nodded. “A merchant, a rogue seeking shelter, a warrior from another pack—anything that will let you slip in unnoticed.”

I clenched my fists. “And once I’m inside?”

Cecilia’s eyes gleamed. “Then you listen. You watch. You remember what they forget.”

A shiver ran down my spine. “You make it sound like a game.”

She chuckled softly. “Because it is.”

I hesitated, staring at the flames. “And what if they don’t welcome me? What if I’m exposed before I even step foot inside?”

Cecilia only smiled. “They certainly will.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You sound too sure.”

She tilted her head. “Do you really think they would turn away someone who knows exactly what they want to hear?”

I swallowed. “So you want me to lie.”

She arched a brow. “I want you to survive.”