All Chapters of TO DENY A LUNA: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

VELARA’S POV The instant I wake up, a piercing ache slashes through my skull. As soon as my eyes open, a dazzling stream of morning sunlight that is coming through sheer curtains attacks me strongly. The regret that weighs heavy in my chest is continuously echoed by the pounding in my mind, which feels like war drums. The room whips around me in a crazily nauseous blur, and I grunt hoarsely, suffering as I make myself sit up. Everything feels unfamiliar, deeply wrong.My throat tightens with panic as I look around the room. Where the hell am I?I take a deep breath, desperately willing my foggy brain to piece together the night before. Fragments return in jarring flashes: the annual Alpha meet-up, the grand masquerade ball filled with laughter, music, and too many glittering costumes. I remember my sister tugging my hand, both of us sneaking away from our parents’ watchful eyes to mingle with the other future Alphas. My father always pushes me to network, to bond with the powerful he

VELARA’S POVThere's a heavy, suffocating air in the room, and it feels like every breath I take is fighting against an invisible force. My thoughts are racing, and it feels like the ground is moving beneath me. I grip the sides of my chair, not sure if I'm going to pass out or scream.“Yes, Alpha. I will test it again,” the pack doctor, Stone, says hurriedly before hastily retreating from the room. He doesn’t look back. No one dares challenge my father’s fury, not even someone as respected as Doc Stone. His footsteps echo against the floor like the tick of a countdown I cannot escape.Even though my father moves slowly and deliberately, every step he takes has the weight of a storm that is about to blow. Then he stops suddenly and turns to face me with a cold stare. My chest roars with my heartbeat.“He must be mistaken,” he growls, his voice low but filled with venom. “You’re not that kind of girl. You wouldn’t disgrace me like this.”His eyes search mine, desperately seeking some e

VELARA's POV I had just eased my baby boy into his crib, his tiny body finally succumbing to sleep against my chest. His soft breaths puffed rhythmically against my skin, a moment of peace that felt borrowed in this cold, indifferent hospital. As I turned away from the crib, adjusting the thin blanket over his legs, I noticed someone passing the doorway. A nurse. I instinctively raised my hand in a small wave, hoping to ask for something warm to drink, maybe a little comfort in a paper cup. She noticed me and stepped inside.Her presence was different from the others. Her uniform was crisp and neatly pressed, the color subtly darker than the others I'd seen. She must have ranked higher, head midwife, perhaps. Her straight, glossy hair grazed her shoulders, partly covering the ID clipped neatly to her chest. I squinted at the name beneath the laminated tag: Jane. The letters underneath her name were too small to decipher, but she didn’t look much older than me. Maybe mid-twenties at m

VELARA’S POVIt had been three long weeks.There was a light tapping against the glass beside me.Startled, I looked up from the driver’s seat. A man stood just outside the car, his knuckles gently knocking on the window as he peered inside. A flashlight beamed through the glass, sweeping across the interior. I squinted, raising a hand to shield my face when the harsh light struck my eyes. He quickly redirected the beam, realizing the discomfort he’d caused.“Excuse me, ma’am,” he said in a calm but firm tone. Judging by the uniform and the badge clipped to his chest, he was part of the city’s transit security. “You can’t stay parked here overnight.”His voice stirred Kael from his restless sleep. My baby, named after the only beautiful thing I could cling to, let out a quiet, irritated cry. The man immediately lowered the flashlight to the ground, his face softening as the baby’s crying stopped.“I’ve seen your car here the last couple of weeks,” he continued. “This is a train statio

VELARA’S POVMost of my day is spent pacing and thinking, my mind consumed with the question of how I’m going to come up with money. The security guard’s voice lingers in my head like a stubborn echo. “This isn’t the kind of life a child should live.” He didn’t mean to be cruel, but the truth in his words is undeniable and heavy. I feel like I’m failing at everything. I need help, but I don’t know who to turn to, or if I even deserve to ask. My pride is already in tatters.As evening creeps in and shadows stretch longer across the pavement, I watch the five o’clock train rumble into the station. The dimming light makes it harder to see, so I fumble around inside the car, searching for my lighter to ignite the candle I keep on a chipped ceramic plate. It’s the only source of warmth and light I have. But when I flick the wheel again and again, nothing sparks. It’s out of fuel.I step out and lift the trunk, grabbing my worn umbrella. The air has turned cool, brushing against my skin, ma