Novel-novel oleh Opute Ovie

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 POVSleep came easier than I expected.After everything that had happened throughout the day.. the meeting hall, the argument with Cael, the discovery of the strange mark on my window, and the memories it had stirred.. I should have been awake for hours.Instead, exhaustion won.I didn't even remember when my eyes closed.One moment I was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling and trying not to think about anything.The next, I was somewhere else entirely.At first, I didn't recognize the place.The sunlight was too warm. The air was too soft. It looked familiar. Painfully familiar. Then I saw the willow tree. And my heart stopped."No..."The word left my lips as a whisper, and that was not because I was afraid. Because I knew exactly where I was.This was our place. Mine and Sela's.The place we used to hide whenever we wanted to escape our responsibilities. The place where we spent countless afternoons talking about impossible dreams. The place where my twin sister had once p

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 POVI walked down the long corridor leading to my wing with enough force in my steps to make the palace servants move out of my way. The anger sitting inside me wasn't the loud kind. It wasn't the kind that made people scream or throw things around.It was worse. The quiet kind. The kind that settled deep inside your chest and refused to leave.Mira struggled to keep up behind me."Luna...""Not now.""But…""Not now, Mira."She immediately fell silent.Good.Because if she said one more word, I wasn't sure what would come out of my mouth.The palace walls blurred past me as I continued walking. My hands remained clenched by my sides, my nails digging into my palms.I couldn't believe him.No.That wasn't entirely true.I could believe him.That was exactly why I was angry.Because somewhere along the line, I had started believing something else. Something stupid. Something dangerous. Something that should never have happened in the first place.By the time I reached my wing, I

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

Sera’s POVMy eyes widened at the scene I had somehow played a leading role in, unable to pull away as someone who was being kissed. And passionately at that, except he seemed to be the only one enjoying it a little too much.I folded my hands to keep myself in check because I could already feel my knees going weak, and if care wasn't taken, I'd be losing it in a bit.Lira's gasp made me uneasy, and I tried to untangle myself from the situation, but he held on tightly. Tight enough that it felt like he was trying to talk me into playing along with the act as well.And I did.To be honest, I was weirdly enjoying the kiss when Lira suddenly cleared her throat, making us break apart instantly and awkwardly."Luna, I came to remind you of your first day in the office today as the Luna," she said softly, her voice carrying a strange elegance.I nodded, finally letting my eyes land on her. Now I could see her clearly, rather than the brief glimpse I had gotten on the sacred bonding day.She