Rebirth Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 185: Marked A Traitor

Tiana's POV

The nobles started whispering among themselves again. It was clear they had already made up their minds about me. They thought I was a spy.

But what really mattered was what Alpha Roman believed. Did he think I was guilty, or did he still have doubts?

As the guards pulled me away, I didn't struggle. I didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing me lose control. But inside, my stomach was twisting into knots, and my mind was racing with thoughts of escape.

I was still inside the palace, which meant I still had time. But how much time did I have before they decided what to do with me?

*+*+*+*+*+*+*

The room was completely bare. The white walls were plain and lifeless, surrounding me in a silence that felt suffocating. The only furniture was a small bed against one wall, barely big enough to lie down on comfortably. Next to it was a simple wooden bedside table with a small oil lamp on it. That was it. There were no windows to look out of, and no decorations to make the space feel welcoming. It didn't feel like a prison, but it didn't feel like a comfortable space either.

I let out a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the bed, running my fingers over the rough fabric of the sheets. The walls seemed to be closing in on me, making me feel even more uncertain about my situation.

I had been left here all alone, with no idea how long I would have to stay or what the king really thought of me.

Just as I was starting to feel like I couldn't take the silence anymore, there was a quiet knock at the door. A moment later, a young servant came in, carrying a tray of food.

She placed it on the bedside table without a word, offering me only a brief glance before hurrying out.

I looked at the meal in front of me - boiled potatoes, a piece of dry bread, and a bowl of thin soup that smelled slightly of meat but looked more like warm water. It was a plain meal, not bad but not good either. The kind of meal given to someone who was still waiting to find out what would happen to them.

I picked up the spoon and stirred the soup, lost in thought. But then the door opened again, and Peter walked in. He filled the small room with his presence, making me feel like the space had shrunk even smaller.

But what really caught my attention was the tray he was carrying. It was stacked with all sorts of sweet treats— cakes, pastries, and cookies. It was a complete contrast to the plain meal I had been given.

He set it down beside my food. "I figured you wouldn’t really like what they’d offer you."

I stared at him, then at the pastries—honey cakes, sugar-coated biscuits, and slices of something that smelled faintly of vanilla and cinnamon.

A kindness I hadn't expected.

"Thank you," I said cautiously. "But… why?"

He ignored my question, instead reaching for one of the honey cakes and taking a bite.

The room fell into a strange silence before he finally spoke.

"I believe you’re not a spy."

I blinked. "Oh… wow. That’s a relief."

He gave a small nod, brushing crumbs off his fingers. "Your friend that died—he must have trained under me."

I straightened slightly. "Most likely." I studied him, watching the careful way he spoke. "But why do you say that?"

Peter leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. His gaze was sharp, assessing. "Because you showed a skill set I’ve only taught four people in my life. And one of them is dead. Well, two. If you count your friend."

I held his gaze, my heartbeat hammering in my ears.

"Who are you talking about?"

A wry smile tugged at his lips. "Tiana," he said. "She was the soon-to-be Luna."

He paused, watching for my reaction.

"I’m sure you heard," he continued, "she was marked a traitor by the Alpha after she tried poisoning him."

My breath caught in my throat.

Tried poisoning him? I could not forget that day, especially how Theo had not fought for me but just looked dumbfounded. Only Derek had known it was a setup and didn't want me to drink the "poisoned" drink.

I forced my voice to remain steady. "Do you really believe she was guilty?"

Peter exhaled, his face unreadable. "I don’t know." His fingers traced the edge of the table. "But it doesn’t matter. The past is the past."

"It doesn't matter." The words felt like a slap in the face, dismissing everything that had happened to me, everything that had been taken from me as if it was just a minor footnote in history.

I gritted my teeth, fighting the urge to push for answers, to demand the truth. But I knew I couldn't. Not without revealing my true identity. I might be in Erika's body, but I still could not give them a reason to suspect I was Tiana.

Just then, another thought crept into my mind. Amara. Peter's mate, his wife. She had been noticeably absent since I had returned here. I desperately wanted to ask about her, about their child. I had died when the baby was just two months old. What had happened to them? Had something terrible occurred, or had Peter... abandoned them?

The thought made my stomach twist with anxiety, and I almost blurted out the question. But I caught myself just in time. If I asked about Amara, it would be a mistake. Anyone from Shadowclaw would already know what had happened to her. If I pretended not to know, it would expose me...

So instead, I changed the conversation. "Do you think the king will believe I’m not a spy?"

Peter tilted his head slightly, considering. "I can’t say for sure."

That wasn’t comforting.

He pushed away from the wall. "Get some rest," he said.

As he moved toward the door, he brushed past me, his arm barely grazing mine.

But the moment it happened, I felt it.

That same strange electricity.

A tingle, as if something unseen connected us.

Peter hesitated briefly as if he had felt it too. But then, without another word, he walked out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts—and the lingering sensation of something I couldn’t explain.