บททั้งหมดของ LUNAR VEIL: บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

The fire in Rowan’s hearth had burned low, the logs collapsing into glowing embers that popped and hissed softly. The air in the cabin was taut, thick enough to choke on. Evelyn sat on the edge of the cot, arms folded across her chest, her eyes fixed firmly on the floor.Kael stood a few paces away, still as a statue, his presence filling every inch of space. Jonah lingered at the far wall, rifle hanging loose but ready, while Rowan crouched by the hearth, adding herbs to the flames that gave off a sharp, biting scent.Nobody spoke.Finally, Evelyn broke the silence with a bitter laugh. “So that’s it? I’m your—what did you call it? Mate?” She scoffed. “I’m supposed to believe that because of some mark, and this… this necklace?” She clutched the pendant under her shirt like it might burn her fingers. “Do you even hear yourselves?”Kael’s gaze stayed fixed on her, unflinching, patient in a way that rattled her more than his glowing eyes ever could. “You don’t have to believe my words, E

The first thing Evelyn felt was warmth. Not the feverish burn of the mark that had tormented her all night, but a steady, enveloping heat that pulsed like a hearth fire. Her cheek rested against something solid, her body cocooned in strength. For a fleeting moment she thought she was safe, that the nightmare had finally ended.Then memory crashed into her.The growls. The fire under her skin. The silver in her vision. Her own voice snarling like a beast.Her eyes flew open.The cabin glowed faintly with dawnlight, dust motes drifting lazily in golden shafts that cut through the shutters. Her body ached everywhere, her muscles limp as though she had fought battles in her sleep. She blinked up—and froze.Kael’s arms were wrapped around her, his chest rising and falling beneath her cheek. His face hovered close, strands of dark hair falling across his brow. His eyes were closed, but even in sleep his features were taut, as though ready to snap awake at the slightest disturbance. The fain

The walk back into town felt longer than it should have, as if every step pressed her deeper into the weight of everything she’d uncovered. Evelyn’s chest still burned faintly where the mark throbbed beneath her skin. Her senses had sharpened again, picking up the rustle of sparrows in the branches, the faint crunch of gravel beneath boots even before she looked back and saw Jonah, Rowan, and Kael trailing her like sentinels.She stopped just at the edge of the cobblestone main road and turned to face them. “Enough.”Jonah’s jaw clenched, but his concern was written across his face. “Evelyn, after what happened last night—”“I don’t need guards,” she snapped, sharper than she intended. Her voice softened a fraction. “I need space. I need time to think. Please… just let me have that.”Rowan raised a skeptical brow, leaning against the hitching post with an ease that belied the tension around him. “Space is one thing. Walking straight back into the lion’s den without protection is anoth

The next morning dawned gray and hollow, clouds stretched thin across the sky like a veil that dimmed the light. The streets were subdued after the night’s panic; doors stayed shut, curtains drawn, as though the people of Black Hollow believed silence might keep the howls at bay.Evelyn walked with purpose through the quiet town, her boots striking against cobblestones that echoed too loudly in the hush. She hadn’t slept, not really. Every time she closed her eyes, she heard the howl reverberating through her bones, or felt the searing pull of her mark. But exhaustion couldn’t drown her need for answers.The truth was here, buried beneath years of half-whispered legends and careful omissions. If the townsfolk wouldn’t speak it, she would drag it into the light herself.The sheriff was already at his office when she pushed the door open. He sat slumped at his desk, dark circles carved under his eyes, a cup of black coffee cooling untouched. The sight of her seemed to drain what little

The aftermath of the forest encounter left Black Hollow drenched in an uneasy calm. For most of the townsfolk, life moved as if nothing had happened. But Evelyn felt the tremors beneath the surface—unseen, unshakable. Her body burned with energy she could neither name nor contain.She had returned to the cabin, footsteps heavy, senses on overdrive. Each sound—the scrape of wood in the walls, the whisper of wind outside—sharpened into piercing clarity. Her ears could pick up the soft scurry of rodents outside the window, the faint rasp of Jonah’s boots as he moved through the cabin. She could smell the musk of Kael, the faint copper tang of his blood that lingered even when he wasn’t near. The scents overwhelmed her, drawing her senses into a dizzying spiral.She was changing faster now. Strength coursed through her limbs like liquid fire. Her reflexes were sharper than any human should possess, every movement precise and calculated. Her hands clenched, nails leaving shallow crescent m