The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven - Chapter 414

Chapter 414: The First Time vs The Second Time
[Meredith]

Draven’s hand slid into mine again, firm and certain. The weight of his touch alone steadied me.

The courtyard behind us was still echoing with the sounds of dispersing soldiers, but here—at the steps of the Oatrun estate—everything seemed to fall into silence.

The simple gesture shouldn’t have meant so much, but it did.

In front of the Council, before his father, before all those who still saw me as the wolfless Luna who should never have stood beside him, Draven chose to take my hand.

A quiet warmth unfurled in my chest.

I had seen the glance his father gave me earlier—cold, indifferent, the sort of look reserved for someone tolerated but never welcomed.

That look wasn’t new. I had grown used to stares like that long before Draven married me. But standing here, in front of the man who raised the Alpha I now loved… the weight of it pressed differently.

Just as the sting began to creep into my thoughts, I heard Draven’s voice in my mind—steady, calm, unmistakably his.

“Don’t pay attention to anyone’s stares or opinion of you. Their stares hold no power over you as long as you have me.”

I blinked, startled by the unexpected link, and turned my gaze toward him. He didn’t look at me directly. His eyes were fixed ahead, but the faintest hint of reassurance brushed through our bond.

A smile almost broke free before I caught myself and swallowed it back. Here was the right place to show such emotion.

We walked deeper into the house, the marble floors reflecting the faint morning light. Every step seemed to echo memories.

It felt strange being here again. The first time I walked these halls, I was still an outsider—barely tolerated, too aware of every whisper that followed me.

I remembered Draven’s indifference, the cold stares of servants, the measured silence that hung in every corridor, and how I had felt small despite trying to stand tall.

This time was different. The walls hadn’t changed, but I had.

My steps felt steadier now, my spine straight even under the weight of the council’s gazes.

I had fought, bled, and led people through fire beside Draven. These people didn’t know it yet, but I did.

Just as that thought settled, Randall Oatrun stopped walking. His long coat shifted faintly as he turned to face us.

“Draven,” he said, voice even, though the authority in it filled the corridor. “I have arranged a small banquet for the evening—to mark your return. A few of the Alphas, the Elders and their families will be in attendance. Until then, take your time to rest. Freshen up. Have breakfast.”

Draven inclined his head, expression unreadable. “Thank you, Father.”

Randall gave a brief nod, his gaze flicking past me only once before he turned and strode down another hall, the Elders following in silence.

When they were gone, Draven pivoted to me again. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly.

“Let’s go,” he said softly.

The hall stretched long and bright ahead of us, the marble floors gleaming beneath the morning light.

We passed a few servants on the way—most of them faces I half remembered. They froze the moment they saw us.

“Alpha,” they greeted first, bowing deeply. “Luna.”

The second word came a heartbeat later, softer but still respectful. Their eyes flicked briefly to our joined hands before dropping again.

I caught the faint tremor in one of the maids’ voices. The surprise in the other’s silence. They didn’t expect to see this—Draven walking through the halls, holding my hand.

When we moved past them, I could still hear the whispers.

“…Did you see how the Alpha held her hand?”

“He never did that before.”

“Maybe things have changed. Maybe—”

Their voices trailed off as I reached out lightly, almost absently, and brushed against the edge of their thoughts. The murmur of their minds flooded in—a mix of curiosity, caution, and doubt.

They weren’t cruel. Not anymore. But neither were they convinced.

“Let’s see how long this lasts,” one thought drifted faintly.

“If the Alpha truly accepts her this time, then maybe she is more than we thought.”

I let their thoughts go as quickly as they came. Once, words like those would have cut deep. Now, they barely stirred me.

I wasn’t the same woman who once trembled at every ugly whisper.

Draven’s thumb brushed over the back of my hand, pulling me back to the present.

I glanced up and found him watching me from the corner of his eye. He didn’t say anything, but I knew he had noticed the change in my expression.

Without a word, he guided me into a quieter corridor, one that ended before a wide, silver-panelled elevator—polished, seamless, a contrast to the estate’s old stonework.

When the doors slid open, he motioned for me to step in first. The space inside was silent except for the faint hum of magic woven into its mechanisms.

A few seconds later, the elevator chimed softly before the doors opened again.

I stepped out—and stopped.

This floor was unlike the others. The air felt warmer, scented faintly with cedar and steel.

The hallway stretched in quiet luxury, lined with tall glass windows that spilt golden light across the polished floor.

“You live here?” I asked, surprise slipping through my voice before I could mask it.

Draven chuckled under his breath, the sound low and rich. “Your face is funny.”

I shot him a glare, though it only made his smile deepen.

“Well,” I said, crossing my arms, “it’s not my fault you made me live in the guest wing the first time you dragged me here. Remember?”

He stopped walking. The sudden halt made my breath catch.

Then he leaned in just slightly—his shadow falling over me as his eyes narrowed in mock accusation.

“Who was it,” he asked, voice dropping to that quiet tone that always seemed to undo me, “that told me back then she didn’t want to share my bed?”

The words hit like a spark. My cheeks flamed before I could stop them.

“That was different,” I managed, though my voice betrayed me with its softness.

He tilted his head, studying me, clearly amused. “Different how?”

“Because…” I faltered, looking anywhere but at him. “Because we were enemies.”

A silence stretched between us—warm, charged. Then his hand rose, fingers brushing a stray strand of hair away from my cheek.

“I see,” he murmured. “And now?”