Reborn Luna (Hope and Keith) novel Chapter 49

28.Social creatures–1

Hope

I step onto the training field just after dawn. Dew chills the grass under the soles of my shoes. The sky is pale, pink–etched, and I spot Tessa already stretching near the stone markers.

Morning light glints off her hair as she moves into her warm–up routine–high kicks, twisting lunges, rolls.

I want to play, my wolf whines.

It has been a while since we ran with our sister hasn’t it?

Yes too long, my wolf says.

Not today but soon, I promise we will.

Wolves are social creatures and in order to keep them happy and healthy, pack runs were nokey.

I approach quietly, boots silent on soft earth, watching as worry knots at her posture, tight shoulders, her eyes flicker ahead, unsettled.

“Early start today, huh?” I ask, stepping closer. My breath puffs in the cold air.

She keeps stretching, just slows it. “Yeah.” She rolls her neck. “I figured I’d kill time until Papa came.”

I arch a brow, folding my arms. “Kill time–or bury worry?” I give her a pointed look.

She breathes out, and finally stops. Her body relaxes a bit. “There is this… this feeling. I can’t shake it. It doesn’t feel normal. Papa doesn’t usually call us out here in the morning like this. If he has something to say, he says it at dinner.”

She has a point. I was wondering why he wanted to meet us here myself.

She exhales sharply. The tight lines of her body and twitching of her right eye lets me know how uncomfortable she really feels.

I move beside her changing the subject to help manage some of her stress.“Want me to join?” I ask gently. Tessa hesitates, then smiles small. “Yeah. Come on.” She adjusts her gloves. “You could use the practice.”

“Wow, only two seconds and you’ve already got jokes.”

Tessa smirks. “Prove me wrong then.’

I strip off my jacket and step into the circle. Tessa prompts me to begin with ground offense drills. We launch into the spar–fists, blocks, grapples. The air rings with the sound of footwork and bodies brushing

earth.

Tessa has always been stronger than me, but today she is sharper, like a well oiled machine.

“Nice form,” she says in between exchanges, half–smiling. “But you still rely too much on your back foot

* 28 Sahotal Czes

7

and your arm bar is shit.”

t laugh, panting, lunging low to sweep. She leaps over, deflects “Excuse me for not making the training field my second home

She breathes, backs off. “You’re getting better.”

We circle again. I faint then jab low–she catches, flips me. My shoulders thud soft into the turf. I roll sideways, spring up.

“Not good enough apparently,” I grin, saliva prickling at my lips. “You’re winning.”

“So vicious,” Papa’s voice rings out, approving.

Our fists pause as Papa steps out from under the sparring arch, hands behind his back, boots silent on grass. He looks between us, expression composed, then nods once.

“Good form, you two,” he says. His voice is filled with warmth and something I can’t place. “Impressive.”

I grin, standing up straight. “Thank the Goddess you came Papa, I was getting my ass kicked,” I say,

laughing.

“Is that so?” he crosses to us both. Tessa’s face flushes. She bites her lip.

I follow his gaze to her. She’s not smiling. She looks cautious.

He clears his throat. “Sit,” he says, motioning to the low stone bench nearby. We walk over to it and lower ourselves. I keep my gaze steady; Tessa’s eyes flicker to mine.

“You might wonder why I asked you both here at dawn,” he says. “I’ve been doing some thinking since… since Karen and her children were cast away.”

Tessa tenses beside me.

He continues. “I feel like I neglected you. I’ve let words go unsaid, time goes by without acknowledging… everything.”

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