The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven - Chapter 450

Chapter 450: Whenever the Council Demands
[Meredith].

We took one more turn, the double doors to the dining hall coming into view.

Even before we arrived, the servants standing near the entrance straightened, bowing deeply.

If they noticed anything unusual, maybe my flushed cheeks, the faint fragrance of sex still clinging to my skin, no matter how hard I pretended otherwise. But at least they had the decorum not to stare openly.

But the moment I lifted my head again, Oscar Elrod was standing inside the dining hall, and he didn’t pretend.

He turned his head slightly, eyes narrowing with an assessing, hawk-like precision usually reserved for threats, not for tired, freshly-bathed Lunas recovering from very enthusiastic lovemaking.

I almost tripped.

Oscar didn’t sniff the air like Dennis. He didn’t smirk or comment. He simply looked and knew. That was it.

Then his gaze flicked from me to Draven, then back to me, and then he slowly blinked.

As if saying, “You two really didn’t waste any time.”

I wanted the ground to open and bury me alive.

Draven, of course, ignored him completely, his posture straightening as he walked me toward my seat.

Dennis peeled away to his side of the table, still humming smugly.

I sat at Draven’s right, smoothing my hair and willing my heart to calm down.

Not long after, Randall Oatrun entered. Everyone immediately stood and bowed, including Draven.

When Randall took his seat at the opposite head of the table, Draven sat down as well, and the entire atmosphere shifted to sober, formal, and controlled.

“Please, sit,” he commanded.

We obeyed.

Oscar finally sat beside Dennis as well, his expression returning to the unreadable stoic mask he was famous for. But not before he gave me one last, subtle side-glance of amused judgment.

Wonderful.

Amongst us tonight, Jeffery was the only one missing.

Soon, servants hurried in, setting down platters of roasted elk, spiced vegetables, warm bread, and steaming bowls of bone broth.

I tried to focus on eating, keeping my breathing steady. But even in silence, I could sense the tension brewing.

Randall watched me for a moment too long, which Draven noticed.

His hand slid under the table and settled gently on my thigh—a silent reassurance, a promise that I wasn’t alone under his father’s scrutiny.

I exhaled quietly.

Randall finally shifted his attention to his son.

“Draven,” he said with a firm voice, “there are still a few things left to discuss regarding the Elder’s curiosity and questions from the banquet. Like I told you, your answers satisfied some… but not all.”

Dennis chuckled under his breath. “Since when do they ever get satisfied?”

Oscar kicked him lightly beneath the table.

Randall ignored them both and continued speaking to Draven.

“The Council of Elders never give up. Expect tighter interrogation.”

Draven’s voice remained calm. “They are free to interrogate all they want.”

Randall frowned. “Do not antagonize them.”

“I’m not,” Draven countered, still rubbing circles on my thigh. “But I will not bow just to soothe bruised egos. How many times do I have to make myself clear on this particular matter?”

The temperature in the room dropped.

Oscar leaned back slightly, watching Draven like he was evaluating every word.

Dennis looked impressed, but as for me, the pressure in the room was nearly suffocating.

Randall’s gaze flicked to me again. I immediately straightened in my chair.

He studied me for a beat, his face unreadable. A former Alpha King was equal to a ruthless strategist.

Just then, his tone sharpened. “And you, Meredith.”

My breath hitched.

Before he could continue and stab another warning into my existence, Draven’s voice cut across the table, dark and final.

“She is not part of this discussion.”

Instantly, silence slammed into the room.

Randall slowly shifted his gaze to his son. “She will be whenver the Council demands it.”

Draven shook his head. “No. She won’t.”

Oscar exhaled quietly, as if he had been waiting for this clash. Dennis’s eyebrows shot up. And I stayed very, very still.

Randall leaned back in his chair, his eyes locked onto me again, then back to Draven.

“Your Luna must be prepared for whatever comes from the council,” he said. “Whether you like it or not.”

Draven didn’t spare him a glance. His thumb made one slow stroke along my thigh. “I will prepare her,” he said, voice low. “Not you.”

My heart thudded. At that moment, a quiet understanding passed between Draven and his father—sharp, cold, and unspoken.

Randall’s face eased. Though it did not soften, he conceded the subject for now. Then, he lifted his goblet.

I released a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. Dennis gave me a sympathetic look while Oscar finally looked away from me and took a sip of his wine.

And Draven… He leaned slightly toward me and whispered, just low enough for only me to hear:

“Stop being tense.”

I shot him a glare, and he smirked in return.

“Draven,” Randall’s voice cut through the quiet once again. He said, not bothering to look up, “When do you intend to visit King Alderic?”

Draven didn’t stop eating. “Tomorrow is a good day.”

Randall nodded, satisfied with the answer. Then, he lifted his gaze and added, “Take your mate along.”

My fork paused mid-air.

Across from me, I caught the subtle shift in Draven’s expression—barely a flicker, but noticeable enough.

He didn’t want to, but Randall leaned forward with slightly raised brows.

“Now is the perfect time to formally introduce her to Alderic. She is, after all, supposed to be the next Queen. And you don’t want to?”

A heavy silence dropped into the centre of the table.

Draven inhaled slowly, his jaw tightening, and he returned to eating without answering.

I sat there, carefully composed, but confused. ‘Why wouldn’t Draven want me to accompany him?’

As if to prove he heard me, his deep voice slid into my mind, “Don’t be confused. I don’t trust him.”

I straightened slightly. “You mean your father? Why?”

Draven’s eyes didn’t move from his plate, but he continued speaking inside my head with complete clarity.

“One, he brought up the Council again after the topic had already been put to rest. That was intentional.”

I blinked, absorbing that. “You’re saying he is trying to keep you in check?”

“Not trying. He is doing it. This was a warning.”

My breath hitched. Yes… that made sense. Randall hadn’t said anything directly threatening, but the implication had been there, shadows tucked between the lines.

Then Draven’s voice pressed into my mind again, lower this time. “And two, bringing you to the limelight so soon is not the right move. Yet he is pushing for it. That tells me his intentions have nothing to do with you, but only with what he wants.”

A faint chill slid down my spine.

Of course, Draven wouldn’t want me paraded in front of a half-suspicious, half-judgmental leadership body so soon after our return, especially when the Elders already doubted my legitimacy as Luna.

And especially when my wolf was still a secret.

I lowered my gaze, pretending to cut into my food while silently answering him. “What do you think he wants?”