e Alpha's Betrayal Rise Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 5 Rust And Fire Finished Brin's hut smells of bitter herbs and smoke . I sit hunched on the cot , sweat dampening my hairline , my palms clammy . The tonic he gave burns down my throat . It tastes like metal and pine needles , and then the shaking begins . Nyx howls inside me , but her voice is muffled . The wolfsbane in my veins claws for dominance while the tonic tries to burn it out . My stomach churns , and I feel bile rising . " Stay with it , " Brin orders , setting a cold cloth on my brow . " I- " My voice breaks . " I can't- " " Yes , you can . " Nyx growls , louder now , no longer smothered . I claw at the blanket , my body jerking as if lightning rips through me . Pain grates my bones , my chest , my throat . Then , with a violent shudder , I cough , the taste of iron flooding my mouth . Brin steadies me by the shoulders . " Breathe , " he says firmly . " It has to leave you . Every trace of wolfsbane ." " It feels " I gag again , bile spilling onto the floorboards of his hut . " Like I'm dying ." " You're not dying . You're fighting. Do not stop ." " It did not feel like this yesterday ! " " Today's dose is stronger , " he says , rubbing my back . I clutch my ribs , trembling , vision dimming as sweat drips down my face . Nyx snarls louder , pacing inside me . Her presence is jagged , painful , like chains tearing apart , link by link . " Let her through ," Brin urges . " Don't fight your wolf . Ground yourself in her ." " I can't- " My words break into a scream as heat sears through my blood . My nails dig crescents . into my palms , reopening the previous cuts . " You can ," he insists . " Repeat after me : The wolf is me and I am the wolf ." I choke out the words , half - sobbing . " The wolf ... is me and ... I am the wolf . " The world shudders . Nyx's wild , furious growls fill my head . " Again ! " Brin orders . 1/4 21:32 Wed , Oct 15 Crumpler & Rust And Fire 1 Finished " The wolf is me and I am the wolf ! " I shout , and Nyx roars with me , so loud my bones shake . Then it crashes - like a wave breaking . My chest heaves , but the burn eases . My wolf is there . Bruised , weak , but awake . Nyx's voice breaks through , clear for the first time in years . ' Finally . You let me breathe . ' Tears sting my eyes . I whisper back in thought , ' Don't leave me again ! ' Not if you stop letting them muzzle us .' Brin's face softens . " Good . You'll survive this . " I collapse against the wall , panting . " What if I can't keep her ? What if she fades again ? " " You won't , " he says . " But you need discipline . And strength . You've been too long without both ." He glances toward the door . " Tamsin's waiting ." The training yard smells of dust and sweat . Morning light shines on the edge of blades hanging from racks . Tamsin stands at the center , her dark braid swinging as she paces . She's one of Brin's cousins , but fiercer than any soldier I've seen . I remember standing in one of these yards as a girl , wooden staff in hand , sweating through drills meant more for form than for battle . Lunas are trained to defend , not to fight . To last long enough for the Alpha to reach them . But it's been years . And years are enough to dull a blade . Tamsin circles me , sharp - eyed . " You've had training ." " Some . " I shift into a stance I half - remember , knees bent , arms lifted . " Enough to look like I know what I'm doing ." " Enough to get killed ." She lunges without warning . Instinct kicks in - I sidestep , pivot , just like I was taught . But she catches my wrist , twists , and has me pinned in a blink . I grunt . " That was unfair . " " Your enemies won't warn you either . " She releases me , but her eyes remain sharp . " You've got the bones of a fighter . You've just buried them under years of silence . " I roll my shoulders , the old movement patterns tugging at muscle memory . " Lunas aren't meant to lead with claws . " " No. But you'll need them now " She squares up again . " So - remember . Wolves don't only fight 2/4 21:32 Wed , Oct 15 Chapter 5 Rust And Fire with their bodies . They fight with dominance . Posture , breath , presence . " I snort . " I know how to hold a gaze ." " Then do it . " ( 16 Finished Her wolf bristles under her skin , and mine rises to meet it . Nyx growls , urging me to bare my teeth , to show I'm not prey . I lift my chin , meet Tamsin's stare head - on , and let the sound roll from my throat . She nods , the look on her face changing to something that resembles satisfaction . " Better ." We move again . This time I parry her strike , roll with the momentum , and manage to lock her arm . My muscles protest because they're too weak and slow , but the technique is there . Tamsin grins through the strain . " There she is . " I shove her back , panting . " Rusty . That's all ." " No. " She shakes her head . " Caged . " The word reminds me of my crown - caged behind iron . It is time to set it free . Time to set myself free . We drill until my arms shake , until my wolf's growls weave with my own breath . Every time I stumble or slip , I remember what I've lost . But in flashes , I feel the old rhythm return . The crouch . The pivot . The dominance in my stance . When Tamsin finally calls halt , my body is trembling , but Nyx is no longer silent . She hums under my skin , stretching . Tamsin tosses me a skin of water . " You'll remember faster than you think . Wolves never forget . They only sleep ." I drink deep , tasting iron and earth , and wonder how much of myself I'm ready to wake . Tamsin folds her arms . " Tomorrow , we start etiquette , Freya . " I blink at her , not liking the way she finally said my name . " Etiquette ? " Her smirk widens . " What use is a Luna who can fight , if she forgets how to rule ? " *** That night , I walk the hallways of the keep , muscles aching with everything Tamsin put me through . Torchlight flickers over stone walls , stretching my shadow long like something sinister . I want only my bed now , but a voice grabs my attention . 3/4 21:32 Wed , Oct 15 Chapter & Rust And Fire ( 3 Finished It's Kade's voice , coming from outside Izel's chamber . I don't turn the corner ; instead , I back further away and focus hard , trusting Nyx to pick up his voice from the distance . " Have some patience , my love ! After the Conclave ," he's saying , " I'll make it official . We'll have a mating ceremony . " I barely hold back a gasp . My heart feels like it's been stabbed . Izel's laugh follows . It's gentle and shrill , and it grates on my nerves . " And Freya ? " After a pause , Kade answers , " The Conclave will decide her fate . Either way ... she won't trouble us again . " His cruel words slice me open . My hands tremble against the stone wall . Nyx growls in my chest , irritated . ' He is not yours . He never was .' I back away from the doorway and sprint towards my chamber . Twenty - eight days . That's all I have left . The thought doesn't paralyze me . It ignites fury - one I know is capable of burning everything down . Send Gifts B