The Abandoned Luna's Journey to Power (by Emily Reed) novel Chapter 51

Chapter 51 Survival and Honor

Chapter 51 Survival and Honor

Cindy’s POV:

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Morning in Southreach was not heralded by roosters. It was announced by wind and sand snapping against the tents.

I opened my eyes and sat up on the hard field cot. The tent had once been a storage shed for animal feed. It smelled of old mold and livestock stench. The oil lamp in the corner had burned out long ago; only a thin trail of black smoke clung to the low ceiling.

“This place smells way better than that fake, fancy Fangmere Residence in Duskfang Pack,” Diana said in my head, shaking out her fur. She was complaining, but there was freedom in her voice. A kind we hadn’t felt in a long time.

I straightened my armor, which had gone sour from sweat and dust. Then, I stepped outside.

Breakfast was a rough flatbread mixed with sand and a bowl of plain soup. The bread was hard as a rock. A normal human with weak teeth might not even be able to bite it. But in a werewolf camp, this was fuel to keep their strength.

I took the bread and sat on a sand dune out of the wind. I tore off a pièce and shoved it into my mouth.

Crunch! My teeth scraping against sand was loud and clear.

“Your Grace.” A logistics Beta veteran walked over, holding a plate of roasted rabbit. His hands shook. “His Highness told us to save this for you. Why are you eating that?”

His eyes were full of confusion. To him, I was once a noble lady. Even fallen, I should still have some special treatment.

I swallowed the rough food and waved my hand. “Give it to the wounded,” I said. “I’m a soldier, not a duchess on the battlefield. I’m a werewolf. This kind of food won’t kill me.”

The soldier froze for a moment. He looked at my dusty face and my calm eyes. There was no softness in them, but resolve. The respect in his gaze grew deeper. He saluted, then quietly carried the meat away.

Over the past few days, I had been living in this camp. A place full of sweat and snoring.

No maids. No hot baths. I patrolled with the soldiers. I helped build defenses.

At first, the Alpha soldiers looked at me with doubt. Some of them even carried a sharp, disrespectful edge in their eyes.

That changed fast. After I barchandedly threw three battalion captains that tried to provoke me to the ground with my bare hands, those looks disappeared. What replaced them was total obedience.

Prince Adam walked over and sat beside me. He handed me a waterskin.

“Four thousand,” he said, watching the new recruits gathering in the distance. His voice was heavy. “In just three days, we recruited 4,000 new soldiers.”

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18:05 Sat, Jan 10 GR

Chapter 51 Survival and Honor

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I followed his gaze. They were a rough crowd. Poorly dressed werewolves, some still unable to fully control their shifts. Ears and tails slipped out at random. Most were local herders and hunters. Some were exiles, labeled as of lowly bloodline and pushed out from their packs.

“They hate Uclela,” I said quietly. “Those hyena and rogue gangs raid the border every year. They steal women. They kill pups. For Southreach, this is a blood debt.”

“Hatred is the strongest call to arms,” Adam said with a sigh. “But hatred can’t feed you, and it can’t win wars.” He pointed at the messy formation ahead. “Look at them. They don’t even know a basic wedge charge. If they meet trained vampire knight units on the battlefield, they won’t be soldiers. They’ll be flesh shields.”

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