All Chapters of THE HUMAN LUNA: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Cael’s POVThe pages of the book remained open in my hands, yet I hadn't read a single line in several minutes.I sat alone in my private wing, occupying the oversized chair positioned beside the towering windows that overlooked the vast lands of the Duskborne Dynasty.Golden sunlight poured into the room, washing over the black-and-gold royal robes draped over my frame.One leg rested over the other.My posture was relaxed.At least it appeared that way.In reality, my mind was anything but.I let out a slow breath and shifted my attention back to the book.The words blurred.Again.Annoying.I hated distractions.Especially the kind I couldn't control.My amber eyes moved across the page while my thoughts wandered elsewhere.To someone else.Sera.I clenched my jaw.No.Not again.The kiss had meant nothing.Nothing.It had only happened because of timing.Because Lira had walked in.Because the rumors surrounding our bond needed to be fed.Because appearances mattered.That was all

Lira’s POVI had kept smiling until the doors of the meeting hall closed behind me.The moment they did, the smile vanished.Gone.The sound of my heels echoed through the corridor as I walked. My steps were steady. My breathing was calm. Anyone who saw me would think I was perfectly fine. But I wasn't.I was angry.No, angry wasn't enough.I was humiliated.That human had humiliated me.The memory played over and over in my head.Sit down.The meeting isn't over.Such simple words.Yet everyone had heard them.The elders.The council members.The representatives.Every single person in that room had watched me sit back down.And the worst part?I couldn't even argue.Because she was right.The meeting wasn't over.She was the Luna.If I had challenged her in front of everyone, I would have looked petty and immature, aside that, everyone knew how risky it was to challenge such a figure.So I sat down.Like a child being scolded.My jaw tightened.I hated her. I hated the way she spoke

Sera’s POVThe realization hit me all at once.One second, I was buried in Cael's arms, crying like my world had just ended. The next, every ounce of awareness came rushing back.My eyes widened.Moon Goddess.What was I doing?I detached myself from him so quickly that I nearly stumbled off the bed.Heat flooded my face as I took several steps backward.The room suddenly felt too small.Too quiet.Too embarrassing.I couldn't believe that had just happened.Me.Sera Vale.Commander of the Human Resistance. The woman who had spent years earning respect on battlefields. The woman who had stared death in the face more times than she could count. I had just been clinging to a man and crying into his chest. Not just any man.Cael.The same Cael I had argued with yesterday. The same Cael who had reminded me that I was temporary. The same Cael who had looked me in the eyes and reduced my entire position to a contract. I immediately wiped my face with the back of my hand. The tears only mad

Sera’s POVI meant it when I said I wouldn't allow myself to get distracted by Cael or the palace. And certainly not by the confusing feelings that insisted on showing up whenever he looked at me for a second too long.I had come to the Duskborne Dynasty for a reason, which I keep on reminding myself. Every day, it felt like I forgot that reason was a day my people paid for my carelessness. So, I stopped allowing myself idle hours.The palace woke before sunrise, and I made sure I did too.By the time the eastern sky was painted with streaks of pale orange, I was already dressed and standing on the balcony outside my chambers with a cup of tea growing cold between my hands. The palace looked peaceful from above. Servants crossed the courtyards carrying baskets of fresh bread and flowers, guards changed shifts at the gates, and cooks disappeared into the enormous kitchens with carts full of vegetables and meat.It looked ordinary, but then I knew too well that it wasn't. Nothing inside

Sera’s POVThe first rule of gathering information was surprisingly simple.Never rush.People became suspicious of those who wanted answers too quickly. They watched them more closely, questioned their motives, and eventually shut every door in their faces. My father had taught Sela and me that years ago, and I had never forgotten it."A patient hunter never goes home empty-handed."I had spent days observing and listening. Days pretending that my curiosity was no more than that of a newly arrived Luna trying to understand her new home.Now, it was time to test whether all those quiet observations had been worth anything.Although not everything, just one small thread. One thread was enough.*************It’s a calm morning, and I've dressed more simply than usual. Mira insisted on adding a silver brooch to my outfit, claiming it was expected of the Luna, but I refused the heavier jewelry she tried to convince me to wear."If I'm going to spend the morning reading reports," I said a