All Chapters of TO DENY A LUNA: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

DAMON'S POVThe sunlight is merciless. It pierces through the blinds and burns against the back of my eyelids, stirring me from the shallow remnants of sleep. My skull is pounding, each throb a cruel echo of last night’s mistakes. I can barely summon the will to lift my head when the bedroom door flies open with a deafening bang, the doorknob smashing into the wall hard enough to shake the frame. I groan, dragging a hand over my face as I sit up.Dante storms in like a thundercloud, voice annoyingly chipper. “Perfect. You’re awake.”I squint at him, irritated. My temples throb harder. “What the hell, Dante?” I mutter, waving a dismissive hand in his direction, hoping he takes the hint and walks out.He doesn’t.Instead, he lounges against the wall next to my dresser, arms crossed and brows drawn together. His posture is too casual, which makes me wary.“What do you want?” I ask, my voice rough, my patience already on a knife’s edge.I glance around the room, only to freeze when I noti

VELARA'S POVThe small room welcomes us with its quiet stillness as I gently settle Kael down. His little body trembles from the chill, so I decide against giving him a proper bath. Instead, I take a clean cloth, soak it in warm water, and tenderly wipe him down. The room may be modest, but I make sure the warmth I provide him feels like the safest place on earth. After I’ve cleaned him and wrapped him in soft blankets, I cradle him for a while until his breathing evens out and sleep claims him. Watching him sleep gives me a brief, fragile moment of peace.Once he’s tucked in and resting soundly, I retreat to the bathroom, aching for relief. I step into the shower and let the scalding water cascade down my back. It’s the hottest shower I’ve taken in a long while, and I need it more than I care to admit. I close my eyes and press my palms against the cold tiles, trying desperately to wash away the memories of last night.Last night, where everything came crashing down around me.I saw

VELARA'S POVI stood there, unsure of what to say, as Lilith gestured toward the dusty, decaying remnants of what once might have been a lovely room. Her lips curved into a crooked smile as she leaned her hip against the edge of a splintering table.“So… how about I hire you?” she asked, her tone light but laced with sincerity. “I could use the help around here. Though honestly, I think this place is past saving,” she chuckled, shaking her head. I followed her gaze as it swept across the cracked walls, faded wallpaper, and the ceiling fan that hung crookedly like it had given up.Before I could say anything, she gave a short laugh. “What do you think? Think it’s too much to handle? We could just burn the whole place down and be done with it,” she added jokingly, her voice light with mischief. Her laughter echoed faintly through the empty room, and despite myself, I let out a laugh too. The idea didn’t sound half bad. Starting over with ashes felt strangely

VELARA’S POVLilith’s smile was warm and genuine as she said, “It really does take a whole community to raise a child. Looks like we’re about to build our own little village here.” She clapped her hands once, a quiet promise hanging between us. “Alright, let’s get all this stuff upstairs before the delivery truck arrives. We also need to clear out that old bed, two new ones are supposed to arrive around noon. Do you know what time the girls will get here?”I glanced at my watch. “They said around ten this morning.”Lilith didn’t waste a moment. Her voice cut through the morning stillness with energy. “Then we better get a move on. After all this, I’m going to need a serious coffee fix… and maybe a few of these,” she said, holding up a cigarette with a playful grin. Her mischievous smile made me laugh despite the tiredness settling in my bones.Without hesitation, we dove into the work ahead, the quiet determination between us a steady rhythm again

VELARA'S POV“Well,” I began, my voice carrying the fatigue of the day, “that just leaves the plumbing situation. We’ll figure something out for that, I guess.”Everyone gave tired but resolute nods, their eyes still scanning the chaos we were slowly organizing.“So, what’s the plan?” Kylie asked, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek, smudged with dirt.Lilith took a moment, her gaze focused on the stairwell. “First priority is getting the girls’ room into a livable state. Once that’s settled, we can move on to the rest, one space at a time. We’ll make a running list as we go.”We all murmured in agreement, forming a small trail as we followed her upstairs. Lilith paused briefly to scoop the children into her arms and disappeared into her art studio, giving us space to concentrate on the task at hand.Inside the girls’ room, the air was thick with dust and the scent of moldy carpet. The walls were faded, lined with peeling paint and tiny handprints from years past. We started with