Chapter 175
Chapter 175
FAYE
It was training day, and for the first time since I could remember, I didn’t feel like I belonged on the field.
The air was cool, the ground still damp from the morning drizzle, and the scent of earth and sweat filled the air… the usual rhythm of Blood Crescent’s warriors at work.
But I wasn’t in rhythm with them. Not today. I stood there, dressed in training gear, my hair tied back, trying to look composed… and maybe I did. But inside, I felt hollow.
Because for the first time in my life, I couldn’t feel Nova f.
That familiar feeling of energy…the wild, steady pulse beneath my skin, the instinct that guided every movement…it was all gone. I was just… me. Human.
I took a deep breath, watching the warriors spar and shift across the field. Their growls and the thud of bodies hitting the ground should have stirred something in me, the way it always did. But now, it only reminded me of what I’d lost.
“Luna,” a voice called from behind me.
I turned, already knowing who it was. Kyle.
He was smiling, that confident, slightly smug grin that had become a sort of signature. “Are you ready for our rematch?” he asked, his tone teasing but respectful.
I almost smiled. Almost.
It had become our thing. He was the Delta of Blood Crescent… proud, relentless, always eager to prove himself. And I… well, before all this, I was the Delta of Silver Hollow, known for never backing down from a fight. The first time I challenged him was half a joke, but it turned into an ongoing rivalry… one that everyone in the pack loved to watch.
But today, I wasn’t sure I could pull it off.
Kyle tilted his head, his grin widening when I didn’t answer right away. “Or is this the day you finally admit defeat? You realized I’m unbeatable, didn’t you?”
His tone was playful, and despite everything, I laughed… genuinely. It felt strange to laugh when my chest
was so tight, but I couldn’t help it. Kyle had that effect.
“You wish,” I said finally, crossing my arms.
“That sounds like a challenge.”
I sighed, glancing toward the warriors again, who had stopped to sneak glances our way. They knew what was coming… they always did. The Luna versus the Delta was practically a spectacle by now.
“All right,” I said after a pause. “Let’s give them a show.”
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Chapter 175
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Kyle grinned like a kid who’d just been promised candy. He stepped back, motioning toward the sparring
circle. “After you, Luna.”
I rolled my eyes but stepped forward anyway. The moment I did, my heart started to race. Not from excitement… from fear. My instincts screamed that something was wrong, that I wasn’t ready, that I was walking into a fight half blind.
But I ignored it. I had to.
We faced each other, and for a moment, everything felt almost normal. The way Kyle shifted his weight, the smirk that flickered across his face… I’d seen it a hundred times. The crowd began to murmur, forming
a circle around us.
Then it began.
Kyle lunged first, testing my reaction. I blocked easily, muscle memory taking over. The next few exchanges were sharp, quick, and clean… familiar. But it didn’t take long for me to realize something was
wrong.
I was slower.
Not much, but enough for him to notice. My body felt heavier, my senses duller. Every move that used to come effortlessly now required effort, focus, precision. My reflexes were off, and the disconnect between my mind and body grew sharper with every strike.
Kyle’s movements were smooth, powerful… his wolf guiding his strength. Mine was missing, leaving me
with only my human instincts to rely on.
And then it happened.
He feinted left, then pivoted fast – faster than I could follow. Normally, I would have sensed the shift… Nova would have warned me… but this time, I didn’t. His arm swept out, catching me clean across the
chest.
The hit wasn’t brutal, but it was enough. I stumbled back, my feet slipping in the dirt. The impact knocked the air from my lungs, and for a split second, everything blurred.
The murmurs around us fell silent.
Kyle froze, his expression shifting instantly from confident to horrified. “Luna-”
I tried to steady myself, shaking my head. “I’m fine,” I managed, even though my voice didn’t sound like
mine.
He stepped closer, hand outstretched as if to help, but something in me snapped… not in anger, but in instinct. My balance faltered again, and I caught his wrist before he could touch me. His eyes widened, both surprised and cautious.
The crowd was watching, confused by my reaction, but I barely noticed them. My head was ringing. My heart pounded so loud it drowned everything else out.
Chapter 175
That hollow silence inside me… where Nova’s voice used to be… felt deafening.
Kyle’s lips parted, concern written all over his face. “Faye… what’s wrong?”
I let go of his wrist slowly, forcing a breath. “Nothing,” I said quietly. “Just lost my footing.”
But it wasn’t true, and I think he knew it.
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He studied me for a long moment before nodding slightly, his expression careful. “Maybe we should stop
here.”
I hated that. I hated the pity in his tone, the way everyone was still watching, whispering. The Luna… once
fierce, once fast… now struggling to stand her ground.
I forced a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re backing out just because I stumbled.”
–
He gave me a look that mix of respect and frustration he always had when he didn’t want to argue with me. “I’m saying we can continue later. You look tired.”
Tired. That word again.
I wanted to tell him it wasn’t fatigue. It was emptiness. It was the loss of the part of me that made me
whole. But I couldn’t say that… not to Kyle, not to anyone.
So I just nodded and stepped back. “Fine. We’ll call it a draw.”
He hesitated, then nodded in return. The tension eased slightly, and the warriors began to disperse, murmuring among themselves. I could feel their eyes on me… curious, sympathetic, maybe even worried.
As Kyle turned to dismiss the group, I stayed still, staring down at my hands.
They looked the same. My body felt the same. But I wasn’t the same.
Kyle walked past me, muttering something to the warriors, then paused. “You sure you’re okay?” he asked
softly.
I nodded without looking up. “I’m fine.”
It was a lie I was getting too good at telling.