The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven - Chapter 316

Chapter 316: I Have to Mark Draven Tonight
Meredith.

I didn’t wait for Dennis to finish that statement. The next second, I yanked my hand from Draven’s grip and cut in with a glare sharp enough to slice him in half.

“I dare you to finish that sentence. I promise you will walk around Duskmoor City with recognition marks on your face.”

Dennis immediately raised both hands in surrender. “Nope. I don’t want trouble with you.”

“Too late,” Draven said smoothly, his tone like steel wrapped in velvet. “You just got yourself in one.”

I blinked, turning to him. “What?”

Draven’s gaze stayed on mine, his lips curving faintly. “Would you like to watch a match tomorrow at noon? Dennis against three of my best-trained warriors.”

My grin came so fast I couldn’t stop it. “Yes.”

Dennis groaned. “Oh, come on—”

But I was already imagining it, and the thought alone made my mood soar.

A few minutes later, we stepped out into the sun. Draven’s men were already waiting, lined neatly beside the three black cars in convoy.

Draven led me to the first car we arrived in. He pulled open the front passenger door, holding it steady until I got in, and only when I was settled did he close it gently.

Then through the windshield, I saw him turn to Dennis and Jeffery.

From where I sat, I could see all three of their faces clearly; their expressions were sharp and serious, like they had stepped straight from laughter into war talk.

My curiosity tugged at me hard as I wondered what they were discussing and what had changed so quickly.

A minute later, Draven walked around the hood and got in behind the wheel. Then he caught my searching look right away.

“I know you are curious,” he said, fastening his seatbelt. His tone was calm, steady. “Don’t worry. I will brief you soon—and start involving you in the serious matters.”

I only managed a nod, but inside, something eased. For so long, I had watched him carry Wanda along in all the important political and war private meetings while I was left on the sidelines.

Hearing this from him now made me feel like I mattered. Like I wasn’t just his wife in name, but his partner.

“Make him mark you tonight.” Valmora’s voice suddenly slipped into my mind, smooth but firm.

My heart lurched that same second. I didn’t see this coming. “Tonight?” I asked, waiting for her confirmation.

“Yes,” Valmora pressed, giving me no time to hesitate.

“We will fall into heat tonight, Meredith. A strong one. No matter how many rounds of sex you and Draven have, you won’t be satisfied until the bond is sealed. What matters is the connection, the permanence of it. That’s what tonight is about.”

I swallowed hard, trying to calm the sudden rush in my veins. “But—”

“No excuses,” Valmora cut me off, her tone sharper now. You felt it yourself today. That flare of annoyance with Dennis, how easily your emotions spiked? That was the beginning. Don’t deny it.”

I sank back into my seat, fingers twisting in my lap. She was right. I had snapped at Dennis, sharper than usual, and the burn inside me hadn’t fully cooled since.

And because my mind has been elsewhere, I didn’t realize that my heat was fast approaching.

“Help me then,” I whispered to her in thought. “Please. I don’t want to ruin this.”

Valmora was quiet for a moment. Then, her voice curled around me like smoothly and irresistibly.

“Tell me this, Meredith—how much do you truly want Draven to be yours? How deep is your thirst for the power that comes with him, for the strength to rise above what they have always called you? Cursed. Weak. Nothing.”

Her words hit me straight in the chest. I thought about Wanda—wicked, hateful Wanda. She had everything I didn’t: confidence, skill, the admiration of people.

She had always been ahead of me, except for two things, heart and character. The ability to love without turning it into a weapon.

I wanted more, not just to match Wanda, but to surpass her. I wanted to be an asset to Draven, not dead weight he had to protect.

My chest ached with that desire, fierce and raw.

“That’s it,” Valmora murmured softly, almost satisfied. “Now you understand.”

I bit down on my lip. “So, what do I do?”

But Valmora’s presence retreated like mist. “I believe you can handle things from here by yourself.”

Her silence left me staring out the window at the blur of passing streets, heart racing, pulse unsteady.

“Are you okay?” Draven’s deep voice immediately cut through my silent thoughts.

I blinked and turned my head to him. For a second, I thought of lying, and brushing it off with some careless excuse, but something in his eyes told me not to.

So, I nodded lightly. “I’m fine. Just… thinking about something.”

His gaze flickered toward me briefly, sharp yet unreadable. “Care to share?”

A small smile tugged at my lips as I shook my head. “No.”

For a moment, I thought he might press me. But he only shrugged, the corner of his mouth lifting in a faint smile as his attention returned to the road.

—

Twenty minutes later, the cars rolled to a stop in front of the estate.

And the little smile I had from enjoying my day out with Draven faltered the second I caught sight of Mabel and Gary at the entrance.

They looked like they had just returned from their own little adventure, smug and well-fed.

Draven’s men were already unloading the shopping bags from the trunk, each one carrying more than I had even realized we had bought.

As we stepped out of the car, Draven reached for my hand without hesitation, entwining his fingers with mine under the intense gaze I felt on us.

I didn’t need to look twice to tell where it came from. Mabel’s eyes were fixed on the bags in the guards’ hands, her expression shifting between curiosity and envy. Typical of her.

My sister had always had an obsession with things—clothes, jewellery, anything that glittered. It almost made me laugh. Almost. Instead, I scoffed inwardly and held Draven’s hand tighter.

“Alpha Draven,” Mabel greeted first, her tone all politeness as she quickly masked her look. Gary echoed her a beat later.

Draven gave a slight nod, calm and unreadable as always, and kept walking. They stepped aside quickly, leaving the path clear for us.

The heavy doors swung open, and we stepped inside together, his men following closely behind with the bags.