All Chapters of The Golden Luna: Chapter 11 - Chapter 19

Lucien’s POVI returned to my study after leaving Cara, still infuriated by her encounter with Luke. I knew I was being a bit irrational, but I couldn’t help my reaction. It appeared the mate bond was in full effect already, despite my best intentions. I swore viciously under my breath, frowning hard at correspondence I could hardly pay attention to. I had been through a mate bond before. I recognized the need. The yearning. The desperation to possess and annihilate anyone who so much as breathed the same air as my mate. I was being completely unreasonable, but reason had little hold over the raw intensity of a mate bond. It clawed at my composure, shredding my attempts to focus on the mundane reports littering my desk earlier in the day. Every glance at the neatly stacked papers felt futile. I knew that my irritation wasn’t rooted in Luke himself but in the primal pull that bound me to Cara—a bond I still wasn’t ready to embrace fully.Her absence haunted the edges of my consciousne

Cara’s POVI had been given more luxuries in Lucien’s palace than I’d ever experienced before. Gowns of fine silk, meals fit for royalty, and quarters that seemed far too grand for someone like me. And yet, none of it mattered. Not when the man who had claimed me as his mate treated me as if I were invisible.For a week, Lucien had all but vanished. After the bizarre intensity of our initial encounters—the bond pulling us together, his anger, his cold indifference—he’d left me to stew in a sea of confusion. I’d tried to make sense of it all, to understand why he had bound himself to me only to disappear. And then, as if to further baffle me, he’d appeared out of nowhere two days ago with a ridiculous anger and an unbelievable demand.“Stay away from my brother,” he’d said, his voice sharp and unyielding.The command had left me reeling and not in good ways. All I’d done was exchange a few polite words with Sean at the garden. Sean had been kind, a rare glimmer of warmth in an otherwis

Cara's POVThe hallway felt impossibly long as I walked away from Lucien. My hands trembled at my sides, and my heart was still racing from our confrontation. Anger and humiliation burned under my skin, warring with an ache I couldn’t quite place. Hurt, betrayal; both? Why did I even care? He didn’t want me—that much was clear—and yet, his refusal to let me go made no sense. I had begged him for freedom, and he… he had just walked away.The thought made my throat tighten. I needed air. I needed space. I needed to be anywhere but here. My feet carried me down a series of corridors, unfamiliar and winding, as I sought refuge in the sprawling estate. The silence of the castle pressed in on me, broken only by the occasional whisper of wind through the windows. No one bothered me as I passed, all the wolves watching me from the corner of their eyes but not saying a word. I heard feet move, voices whisper, silver clatter from a distance. I moved as if in a trance, propelled by my frustratio

Cara’s POVThe sun was yet to rise when I slipped out of my room. My steps echoed faintly in the silent corridors. The castle was eerily quiet, the usual hum of activity replaced with a stillness that felt almost sacred. For once, eyes didn’t follow me as I passed and I was thankful for it. I wore britches—a decision that had taken more courage than I cared to admit. They weren’t exactly ladylike, but practicality won out over propriety. I needed to move freely, and skirts simply wouldn’t do. If anyone saw me, I’d probably have more rumors trailing me than I already did. Thankfully, the halls remained empty aside from an occassional guard or two. The sparse security had me wondering again about this Pack and how easy it would be to escape. I didn’t dare risk it though. It would be dangerous for a wolfless woman like me to trudge through wolflands. It wouldn’t take long before I was hunted and I would likely find myself in the possession of a far more deplorable Alpha. Maybe when I wa

Luke looked at me like I had two heads when I approached him that morning. I couldn’t blame him. After all, I had been the one to quit, abruptly declaring that I didn’t need his help. Now here I was, practically groveling to be taken back.“I know I was… rude before,” I admitted, shifting awkwardly on my feet. “But I was… overwhelmed. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you. I’m sorry.”His dark eyes studied me, skeptical and wary. It wasn’t like Luke to hesitate. He was usually all charm and easy confidence, but today he seemed… hesitant. Uncertain, even.“You don’t have to do this,” he said finally. “If you’re only here out of guilt—”“I’m not,” I interrupted firmly. “I’m here because I want to learn. Please, Luke.”He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Fine. But we’re changing things up. No more laps.”Relief flooded me, and I nodded eagerly. “Anything you think will help.”He led me to a cleared patch of grass, explaining basic combat stances and defensive maneuvers. “The first ru