Rebirth Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 179: Old Friends or Old Enemies

**Tiana's POV**

The tests we'd gone through were really tough. We'd stood in extremely hot temperatures, balancing trays of water without spilling a single drop. We'd memorized commands and repeated them back without hesitation. We'd scrub floors until our fingers hurt and our backs ached from bending over.

But the hardest part wasn't the physical tasks. It was acting like a servant. I had to keep my head bowed, my voice soft, and my posture humble. That didn't come naturally to me. I was used to being strong and confident, not weak and submissive.

I'd been pretending to be someone I'm not for a while now. It was exhausting. But I'd made it this far, and now only seven of us were left. Moreover, I was going to have to pretend till the end of my stay here. I was going to have to pretend to be Talia Rook for a very long period of time.

The guards walked us down a long hallway with marble floors. The floor was cold beneath my bare feet. I kept my head down, but I was paying close attention to everything around me. I was taking in all the details, trying to learn as much as I could since the palace had changed a bit.

As I walked through the palace, I noticed that the walls were still decorated with the same gold-etched banners they had always been. The torches in the iron holders on the walls cast flickering shadows on the floor, making it seem like the shadows were moving. The air was filled with a familiar scent a mix of jasmine flowers and old books. It was a smell that reminded me of power and the men who used their words and whims to control the world.

I took a deep breath, trying to remember the past. This palace used to be my home, but now I was just a nameless girl standing among strangers. That was until I made them remember me.

We were led into the great hall, also known as the Throne Room. It was just as impressive as I remembered it. The tall pillars were made of ivory and reached all the way up to the domed ceiling, which was painted with pictures of the moon in different phases. The colors used were a deep blue and gold, and they seemed to shine in the light of the chandeliers.

At the center of the room, a long stone table was filled with nobles. They were all wearing fancy silk clothes and had rings on their fingers that sparkled in the light. And at the far end of the hall, on a raised platform, sat Alpha Roman.

Alpha Roman's presence dominated the room, commanding attention. He was a towering figure, chiselled from stone, with broad shoulders and a piercing gaze that seemed to cut right through you. His dark hair was flecked with silver, and his jawline was etched with scars that only battle could leave behind.

He sat on his throne, his hand resting on the armrest, his fingers tapping out a slow rhythm on the polished wood. It was the calm, calculated gesture of a predator sizing up its prey. His gaze swept over us, cold and dismissive.

That's when I saw him.

Theo, standing just to the left of Alpha Roman's throne. My heart skipped a beat. He looked almost exactly the same. His golden-brown hair was a bit longer, tied back neatly, but his face was just as sharp and chiselled as I remembered. The same strong jawline, the same piercing gaze, the same captivating presence that had once drawn me in like a moth to a flame.

I tore my gaze away from Theo and scanned the room, taking note of who was present and who was noticeably absent. Layla stood at the front, dressed in elegant layers of silk, a hint of amusement on her lips as she whispered to the woman beside her. Peter stood rigidly nearby, his expression unreadable.

But Amara was nowhere to be seen. A frown creased my brow as I searched the room again. Amara had always been by Peter's side. The last time I'd seen her, she'd been cradling their newborn baby in her arms. I glanced at Peter's hand, and my heart sank. His mating ring was gone.

A chill crept up my spine as I processed this new information. Had something terrible happened to Amara and her baby? Or had Peter abandoned them? I kept my face neutral, but my mind was racing. If Amara was truly gone, it would mean a significant shift in the dynamics of this court. One that I hadn't anticipated.

I had once known every person in this room intimately, but now I felt like an outsider, trying to navigate a complex web of relationships.

But none of them knew me.

And that was both a blessing and a curse.

If the palace had turned against its own, then nothing was as predictable as I thought. That realization sent a shiver down my spine. I had to be more cautious than ever.

This selection process wasn't about finding loyal servants; it was about uncovering potential spies and eliminating threats. I needed to convince them I was harmless, that I wasn't a danger to their rule.

I lifted my chin, steeling myself for what was to come.

Alpha Roman leaned back on his throne, his fingers drumming a slow beat on the armrest. His face was extremely serious like he was trying not to show any emotions. But beneath it, there was a scowl on his etched face.

"We've had a bunch of people sneaking into our pack lately," he said, his eyes scanning the room like he was searching for someone. "The weird thing is, they all have perfect paperwork. But when we dig deeper, it's all lies."

He let out a sharp breath, his eyes narrowing. "These fake people show up at servant selections, trying to get into the palace. They're spies, trying to gather info and cause trouble.”