The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven - Chapter 455

Chapter 455: The Woman They All Underestimated
[Meredith].

Cora brushed my hair dry, and Arya styled it into a soft, intricate half-up knot. Kira applied light makeup: warm nude eyes, soft lips, subtle blush.

When I stood before the full mirror, they stepped aside to let me look.

I looked… Calm, composed. Like a Luna.

“Perfect,” Azul said quietly.

I exhaled slowly. “Thank you,” I murmured, and I meant it.

“You are welcome, my lady.” Azul smiled and stepped behind me to tighten the last ribbon on my dress.

In that exact moment, a familiar shift in the air made every maidservant in the room stiffen.

A heartbeat later, Draven appeared in the doorway looking a bit wild, precisely as he always looked after shifting back from a run.

His black hair was damp with sweat, some of it sticking to the sides of his face.

His shirt clung to his chest and back; the fabric darkened, outlining every sculpted line beneath.

His breathing was still faintly uneven—like he had run straight through the forest and into my presence without stopping.

Azul, Kira, Arya, Cora, and Deidra all bowed deeply, heads lowered as if looking directly at him after a run would be disrespectful.

“Alpha,” they whispered together.

His golden eyes didn’t even acknowledge them at first. They were fixed entirely on me.

Slowly, deliberately, they travelled from my face to my neckline and then down to the fitted waist of my dress.

Heat gathered behind his gaze in such a consuming way that I had to straighten my posture to withstand it.

He finally exhaled. “You’re ready,” he said, voice deeper than usual.

I swallowed. “Mostly.”

Only then did Draven drag his gaze away long enough to give a curt nod to the girls.

They took that as their cue and immediately bowed again before slipping out of the room, quiet as shadows.

As soon as they disappeared, Draven stepped inside and closed the distance between us.

And then, he inhaled—a full, deep breath as if he needed it.

“You smell like strawberries and heat,” he said under his breath. “It’s distracting.”

My cheeks warmed. “You’re the one who went for a run knowing we have to leave soon.”

His mouth curved in a wicked half-smile. “I needed to burn off what you started last night.”

My heart thumped.

Then he leaned closer, brushing a thumb along my jaw.

“Let me bathe,” he murmured, lips hovering near mine. “Unless you want me to take you back to the bed looking like this?”

I stepped back instantly. “Go. Please.”

He chuckled darkly, amused—and brushed his fingers over my waist as he passed. “I will be quick.”

Then he disappeared into the bathing room, the door shutting behind him.

Fifteen minutes later, Draven stepped into the bedroom freshly bathed, dressed in a fitted black shirt and tailored charcoal pants.

His hair was tied back neatly, not a single trace of the wildness from earlier—except in his eyes. They softened immediately when they landed on me.

He extended his hand. “Come.”

I placed my hand in his, and he lifted it to his lips, kissing my knuckles before guiding me toward the door.

“Let’s go have breakfast.”

—

The hall was already busy when we arrived.

Randall sat straight at the head of the table. Dennis lounged with casual arrogance. Jeffery’s posture was polite. Oscar looked carved from stone, unreadable as always.

When Draven and I entered together, the three younger men rose to their feet as a sign of respect.

Servants rushed to pull out our chairs.

I sat beside Draven, trying not to feel overly aware of the glances the servants kept stealing—quiet, subtle, but lingering.

My back straightened instinctively.

As I reached for my fork, my eyes brushed over the empty chair that should have been Xamira’s.

A familiar pang sparked—but faded almost instantly.

Draven would never allow anyone to push his daughter aside. If she wasn’t here, it was by his choice, not anyone else’s.

Still, something about Xamira’s constant absence from every dining felt like it had everything to do with Randall.

Though I really couldn’t place my thoughts on it, to understand the connection, I dropped the idea halfway.

Breakfast continued in that calm, steady rhythm, with the soft clink of cutlery and low voices blending into a peaceful morning hum.

I caught Randall’s occasional stares a few times. The man seemed to have a lot on his mind to say, but for some reason, maybe because of Draven, he reserved all his comments.

After breakfast ended, Draven took my hand and led me through the hallway toward the grand entrance as servants bowed deeply.

Azul and Kira were already waiting near the doors with a line of warriors behind them, each standing at attention.

The morning sun spilt across the stone steps, illuminating the five black cars waiting in the driveway.

Jeffery was already at the front, speaking quietly with one of the guards, and he acknowledged us with a respectful bow when he noticed our approach.

Draven opened the rear door of the first car and looked at me with that quiet, commanding tenderness that always made my chest flutter.

“After you,” he said.

I gathered the flowing skirt of my deep forest-green gown carefully in my hands, just enough so it wouldn’t drag on the ground, and stepped gracefully into the car. The fabric settled around my legs like a pool of dark emerald silk.

Draven joined me, closing the door with a soft click as Jeffery took the front seat. Our convoy began rolling forward, the other cars falling into formation behind us.

Draven rested his hand over mine—warm, firm, and steady, his thumb brushing lazy circles against my skin. It drew a slow breath from my lips before I could stop it.

I turned my head slightly toward him.

His expression was calm to anyone else. But I saw the subtle tension in his jaw, the protective weight in his gaze.

Ahead of us, the palace loomed closer, ancient and magnificent.

Today, I decided to walk into it as nothing less than Draven’s mate. His Luna. And the woman they all underestimated.

I inhaled sharply.