The Abandoned Luna's Journey to Power (by Emily Reed) novel Chapter 168

Chapter 168 James’s New Post

James’s POV:

A few days later, the military appointment finally came through.

I stood in front of the mirror in a crisp dress uniform, adjusting my.collar again and again.

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My family had fallen far from what it once was, but I was still an Alpha. My body was strong, my bones

unbroken.

As long as I could return to the battlefield, I still had a chance to turn things around. At least, that much was clear to me.

“No matter what, as long as I can fight again, I can earn my honors back,” I muttered to my reflection, quietly encouraging my wolf spirit, Kenzi. “We’re werewolf warriors. The battlefield is where we belong.”

I took a deep breath and opened the document edged in gold.

The next second, I froze.

“Onyx Legion… Wolf Cavalry Recruit Training Camp… Instructor?” I stared at the words, my hand tightening as the fur on the back of my hand bristled. “Rank… Lieutenant Colonel?”

From commanding tens of thousands as a general to training a bunch of clueless recruits?

This wasn’t just falling into the mud. This was having my head shoved straight into filth.

What truly took my breath away were the lines at the bottom of the document.

Affiliation: Onyx Legion, First Army

Grand Marshal: Prince Adam Ryken

Deputy Commander: Duchess Spencer

Blood rushed to my head, and my ears rang.

C

“This is impossible!” I slammed the appointment letter onto the desk and shouted at the officer in front of me. “This is humiliation. This is personal revenge. I don’t accept it!”

Lieutenant General Brigham Atkinson sat behind his desk and took a slow sip of his coffee.

When his old eyes lifted, they were filled with undisguised contempt. He had been close to Cindy’s father, Benjamin, back in the day, and he had never thought much of what I’d become.

“Humiliation?” he sneered, his voice sharp and cold. “Colonel Nolan, who do you think you are now? You insisted on crossing Deadmarsh during a support operation, got your unit nearly wiped out, and delayed the entire campaign. We haven’t even finished settling that account. Lening you keep a post as an instructor and restoring your commission was already the council showing respect for your dead father. Don’t want it? Fine. Take off that uniform and go home to play house.”

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Chapter 168 James’s New Post

“But serving under Cindy…” I clenched my teeth, my face burning, my voice trembling.

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“What, you think it’s beneath you?” Brigham slowly stood up, and the pressure of a veteran Alpha rolled over me, forcing me to step back without thinking.

He stared straight at me, each word cutting deep.

“The Duchess of Silverpeak earned her reputation with real blood and skill. How many people did she save single-handedly in Southreach? And you? All you’re good at is throwing your weight around at home and bullying women. If I were you, I’d shut up and go train soldiers instead of embarrassing myself even

more.”

I walked out of the office like a shell of myself.

The sunlight outside was blinding, stabbing painfully into my eyes.

In a daze, I thought I saw her. Cindy, standing on a high platform in silver armor, looking down at me.

Her gaze was cold, empty of any warmth.

From now on, every time I stood before a formation to address new recruits, I would first have to salute her, the ex-wife I had personally driven away.

That kind of humiliation was like a dull blade sawing through bone, slow and relentless, worse than death.

Evelyn’s POV:

I was also waiting anxiously in my room for my own appointment, pacing back and forth, my fingers nervously twisting the edge of my clothes.

“If James got his commission back, then I’ll definitely be assigned somewhere too,” I told myself, my voice echoing in the empty room. “I’m a Valkyrie. I have real combat experience. They can’t just discard me. I’m Gamma. I’m a warrior, not some Omega whose only purpose is childbirth.”

I repeated it to myself again and again, because this much was clear. My achievements and reputation had all been earned on the battlefield, blade to blade. They couldn’t just push me aside and pretend I didn’t

exist.

“Knock. Knock. Knock.”

The sound of knocking lit up my eyes. I rushed to the door and yanked it open.

Two military police officers stood outside, their faces cold and expressionless. One of them held a document stamped with a red seal. The chill on their faces seeped straight into my chest.

“Ms. Rusell,” one of them said flatly, not even bothering to use a rank. “This is the joint ruling issued by the military tribunal and the council.”

My hands trembled as I took the paper. I barely glanced at it before the room spun and my knees gave out. 2/4

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Chapter 168 James’s New Post

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The final verdict regarding my falsification of battlefield reports during the Battle of Evernight Gorge, fraudulent claims of military merit, and violations of humanitarian law involving the execution of prisoners….

Dishonorable discharge. Permanent ban from military service.

All medals and honorary titles revoked.

All military-issued equipment to be surrendered within three days.

“No… this isn’t real…” I collapsed to the floor as the paper slipped from my fingers like a dead leaf. “I’m a general. I’m a Valkyrie. You can’t do this to me. I want to see King Ryken. I want to see the Council Speaker.”

“Ms. Rusell, control yourself,” the officer said emotionlessly as he gave a stiff salute. His voice sounded like cold steel. “Also, your medals and ceremonial sword will be confiscated immediately.”

When they forcibly took away the sword I had treasured for years, I let out a scream that tore my throat

raw.

“Give it back! That’s my life! I’m a warrior! I’m not ordinary! I’m not like those Omegas who only know how to give birth! I’m Gamma! I belong on the battlefield!”

They ignored my struggles completely. Once they had what they came for, they turned and left.

The door slammed shut with a bang. The sound felt like a hammer crushing the last thing holding me upright.

My world completely collapsed.

The reason I had been able to hold my head high in the Duskfang Pack, the reason I had dared to challenge Cindy, was this uniform and the title of Valkyrie.

I had taken pride in it. I had even used it to look down on traditional women, including her.

Now that skin had been ripped off me alive.

I was nothing.

“Ah!”

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