Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 72

“Yes.”

A lie. I wasn’t ready.

The morning was cold and smelled of wet trees.

I stood in the center of the field. Usually, the training ground was loud and crowded, but Nathan had changed that. One look from him was enough to make everyone leave. He cleared a huge circle in the dirt just for us.

I could feel the rest of the pack watching from the edges of the woods. They were quiet, whispering and staring at me. They wanted to know why I was the only one standing next to the Alpha.

I forced my feet to move, taking that first heavy step forward.

“Good,” Nathan said.

I heard the shift of his boots on the dirt. He moved slowly, deliberately—like someone who knew exactly how much space he owned.

“Let’s start with the basics.”

He was standing a few feet away, his posture loose, almost bored. It was the kind of confidence that felt like an insult.

“Hit me.”

I blinked. “What?”

“You want to get stronger, don’t you?” His gaze sharpened, cutting through the morning mist. “Then hit me first.”

I gritted my teeth. “I’m not waiting for anything.”

“Then prove it.”

I lunged. I was fast, but he was faster.

Before my fist could connect, he caught my wrist. In one fluid motion, he spun me around, pinning my back against his chest.

He was too close.

“Slow,” he whispered, his breath ghosting against my ear. “You’re thinking too much. You’re telegraphing every move.”

His grip on my wrist was iron, but he didn’t squeeze.

Again.

He let go. I spun instantly, not giving myself time to think. I swung. He blocked. I swung again.

But then, I felt it.

Something shifted deep inside me. A spark of energy that moved before my brain could catch up.

I pivoted, changing my angle at the last millisecond.

And for the first time, I connected.

My knuckles grazed his shoulder.

Nathan stopped. He looked down at the spot I’d hit, then back at me. A small, dangerous smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.

“There it is.”

My lungs burned as I fought for air. “I hit you.”

“Almost.”

He took a step toward me, closing the distance until the world became nothing but the scent of cold air and the warmth radiating from him.

“But you’re open right here.”

His fingers brushed against my side. I flinched—hard. It was a reflex, a sudden flash of memory. Other hands. Cold hands. I stumbled back, my boots scuffing the dirt.

“Emily.”

My breath came in ragged shudders. “I’m fine.”

Another lie.

He stepped back immediately, putting a wide, respectful distance between us. He didn’t crowd me.

But he didn’t leave, either.

“You don’t have to push yourself faster than you’re ready to go,” he said quietly.

I looked at him, my vision finally clearing. “No.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I have to.”

He went still. I took a step toward him—this time, of my own choice.

“I don’t want there to be a next time where someone…” My voice cracked, but I forced the words out. “…where someone is strong enough to hold me down.”

5:56 pm

Again and again we moved across the dirt until my lungs burned and my muscles began to tremble.

Sarah.

I froze, chest heaving.

“You’re pushing too hard,” Nathan said.

“I have to.”

“No.” He stepped closer, his shadow falling over me. “The goal isn’t to break yourself. It’s to survive.”

He kept his eyes on mine a second too long, as if he were making a silent decision.

“I have an idea,” he said.

“What kind of idea?”

“There are too many people here.” He frowned, glancing around the training grounds. “And too many eyes. I want to take you away from here.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Where?”

“The pack has a house by the lake. It’s quiet there,” he continued. “No distractions. No audience.”

He paused, his gaze locking onto mine. “Just you and me.”

The words seemed to settle under my skin. “And you think this is a good idea?”

He took one more step. There was barely any space left between us now. “I think it’s the only way to train you properly.”

I nodded, the movement slow and deliberate.

“Okay,” I whispered. “I’ll go.”

“Then we start tomorrow. And now,” he said, leaning back against the bench with a lazy, dangerous grace, “you’re going to run. I, on the other hand, am going to enjoy the view.”

I let out a breathy laugh. “You’re such a brat, Nathan.”

“You have no idea how bad I can be,” he shot back, a dark, slow smirk spreading across his face. “But you’ll find out soon enough. Now move—unless you want me to give you a reason to run faster, Little Wolf.”