The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven - Chapter 317

Chapter 317: A Strange Restlessness
Meredith.

Almost immediately, my maidservants appeared in the hallway like they had been waiting.

“Welcome back, Alpha, My Lady,” Azul and Kira chorused, bowing deeply as they hurried forward.

“Thank you,” I replied while Draven simply nodded.

Azul and Kira lifted their gazes and began taking the bags one after the other from Draven’s men.

Draven released my hand then, letting me follow the girls. But before I could walk too far, I remembered something and turned back to him.

“What about training?” I asked, tilting my head. “Will there still be training this evening?”

He gave a firm nod. “Yes.”

I pouted, my lips twisting into disappointment. “Really? After such a beautiful day, you still want to beat me up so badly?”

For a moment, he simply stared at me… and then it happened—he burst into laughter. A deep, hearty chuckle that resonated down the hallway.

My heart skipped for a moment, completely surprised by his choice of reaction. And it wasn’t often that he laughed like that, at least not so openly.

“What does that even mean?” he asked, amusement evident in his eyes.

I crossed my arms and refused to answer, letting my silence be my protest.

Then, without warning, he stepped closer. My breath caught as his large hands came up to gently clasp my face, his palms warm against my cheeks.

Then he lowered himself just enough to lock his gaze with mine, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“You are exempted from training this evening,” he said softly.

Relief rushed through me, and I almost cheered loudly because I wasn’t about to deal with body pains tonight, and besides, Valmora said the marking had to happen tonight.

It is only right that I prepared and safeguarded my emotional state tonight; otherwise, I would be too irritated to cooperate.

But before I could even react properly to the good news, Draven leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, penetrating my mouth with his tongue.

His kiss was slow, sensual, and deliberate for a full five seconds.

My eyes widened, every nerve in me sparking, especially when I remembered my maidservants were right there, watching.

My face flushed hot, and I screamed at him in my head for doing this to me here, like this.

When he finally pulled back, he didn’t look embarrassed at all. Instead, he kissed my forehead tenderly, like it was the most natural thing to do in this situation.

“You can go ahead and get some rest,” he murmured.

And just like that, he turned away, completely oblivious to the way my heart was pounding out of my chest, while my maidservants tried their best to hide their knowing smiles.

—

By the time I got upstairs and into my bedroom, my cheeks were still warm from what Draven had done in the hallway.

I pressed a hand over my chest as if that could calm the erratic beat of my heart.

But of course, the moment I stepped inside with Azul and Kira behind me carrying the shopping bags, Deidra, Cora, and Arya hurried forward.

“Welcome, my lady,” they greeted, their eyes lighting up with happiness.

Azul took charge immediately, as usual. “Alright, let’s lay everything out neatly,” she instructed, her tone calm but firm.

Deidra was the first to tug open a bag, her eyes widening. “Oh, my lady, look at this coat! The fabric—it looks like something only royals would wear.” She ran her fingers across it, awe shining in her face.

Kira chuckled softly, folding another item with practised care. “Of course, it’s from the Alpha. Did you expect anything less?”

Cora, who was already kneeling by the bed with a pile of bags, pulled out a small velvet box. She opened it and gasped dramatically.

“Jewellery! Moons, look at this shine. If Miss Fellowes were here right now, her face would be as sour as spoiled milk.”

Deidra laughed so loudly she nearly tipped the basket she was sorting from. “Exactly! I wish she were here to see this. It would burn her alive with jealousy.”

Cora nodded eagerly. “And I would stand right here, grinning at her.”

Azul shook her head, though there was the faintest smile tugging at her lips. “You two should behave. Don’t speak of that woman, she is no longer here.”

That only made them laugh harder.

Arya, quiet and gentle as always, lifted out a silk dress from one of the bags and held it carefully in both hands, her voice soft.

“It’s so beautiful… It feels so smooth.” Then she looked at me with her wide, innocent eyes. “You will look stunning in this, my lady.”

Her words softened something in me. I smiled and reached over to brush her arm. “Thank you, Arya.”

Meanwhile, Kira had already started hanging up the clothes. She glanced back at me, her smile knowing but not teasing. “He really wanted to spoil you today.”

My throat tightened slightly at that, because she was right. Every single item pulled from those bags wasn’t just costly — it was selected for me.

The chatter of the girls filled the room as they fussed and admired, laughter bubbling here and there.

And while I sat quietly on the edge of the bed, watching them, my heart swelled at the fact that I was surrounded by people who were genuinely happy for me.

It felt warm.

—

Once the girls had finished putting everything away, Azul dismissed them with a knowing smile, leaving me alone.

The room felt too quiet now, and that was when I noticed it—a heat bubbling under my skin. It was faint at first, then it grew steady, like an ember trying to turn into a flame.

I sat on the edge of the bed, pressing a palm to my chest. My heart was thudding too fast for just sitting still.

It wasn’t fear, nor was it excitement. It was… something in between—a strange restlessness that made my body feel too warm and my thoughts too sharp.

I licked my lips and realized they were dry.