The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven novel Chapter 286

Chapter 286: She Needed Mental Assistance

Meredith.

She froze mid-step. Then slowly, she turned. As soon as she saw it was me, she tilted her chin high, her smirk sharp enough to cut.

Behind me, I felt Deidra’s quiet presence. I didn’t take my eyes off Wanda when I said, "Wait here."

"Yes, my lady," Deidra replied softly.

I walked forward, closing the space between us, each step deliberate. Wanda’s smirk deepened, as though she had been expecting me.

"I received your letter," I said flatly.

Her brows rose a fraction, then she laughed under her breath, tilting her head in mock innocence. "And how can I help you?"

My stomach twisted with disgust at her arrogance, but my face remained smooth, unreadable. "I’ve read your letter, Wanda. But I have one question for you."

"Oh?" She chuckled, smugness dripping from her tone. "Don’t tell me you want to ask how I knew about Draven’s unimaginable intentions for you?"

For a moment, I simply stared at her. This woman who had thought herself clever enough to ruin me, by trying to use her words to nearly shatter my peace.

Then I exhaled slowly, wondering how I would have almost wasted an entire morning brooding over her poison.

"I’m not interested in how you got your information," I said calmly. "It isn’t important."

The chuckle faded from her lips, her smirk faltering just a little. "Then what is bothering you?"

I stepped closer, closing the gap until my shadow brushed against hers. My voice lowered, sharp and deliberate.

"In your letter, you said everyone was pressuring Draven to marry their daughters because he didn’t have a mate. And the way you wrote it, the way you tried to make me feel worthless, as though I was nothing more than his chess piece, told me exactly what you thought of me. That I was of no importance to him."

Wanda scoffed, rolling her eyes. "So what are you getting at? Make your point straight."

I leaned in slightly, my lips curving in the faintest smile. "I bet you didn’t know... that I am Draven’s mate."

Her face completely drained of all color. Her lips parted, her confidence crumbling. "You are actually Draven’s mate? I thought—" her voice broke, "—I thought Draven lied?"

"Do you still think he would still use me as a pawn?" I asked, not letting let her finish.

But not wanting to waste any more time with her, I let my voice slice cleanly through her disbelief.

"I guess now everyone can stop harassing Draven and trying to force their daughters on him."

Wanda’s eyes darkened, her body stiff with barely contained rage.

I tilted my head, meeting her glare with serene finality. "And Wanda... I think you should get help when you return to Stormveil. Some sort of mental assistance. You look like you will be needing it."

Then I paused for a beat, letting the barb sink in. "And be sure to get the help from my Moonstone pack."

Her face twisted, but I didn’t give her the satisfaction of watching me gloat. I turned smoothly and walked away with my head held high.

Deidra lowered her head respectfully, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Let’s go," I said simply.

"Yes, my lady," she murmured.

We stepped back into the house and ascended the stairs together, step after steady step.

Satisfaction hummed faintly in my chest at the fact that I had dismantled Wanda’s pride in less than five minutes. But beneath it, the unease remained. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"I know." The words came out clipped, firmer than I intended, but I didn’t take them back. "I can’t sit in this room any longer."

The unease in their eyes was plain, but they bowed their heads. Azul stepped forward without hesitation. "Then I will accompany you."

I gave her a quick nod before heading for the door. My footsteps echoed down the quiet corridors as Azul followed a respectful distance behind.

The dining hall was already alive with the soft bustle of servants setting the table.

Porcelain clinked against polished wood, silver cutlery glinted under the chandeliers, and trays of steaming dishes were carefully arranged down the long spread.

The moment the servants noticed me, they froze, surprise flashing in their eyes before they quickly lowered their heads. "Good morning, my lady."

Their voices overlapped in unison.

I forced a smile and inclined my head. "Good morning."

Azul was already pulling a chair out for me. I sat down at my usual place, fingers tracing idly over the edge of the linen napkin as my gaze flickered across the empty chairs.

The vast table suddenly looked lonelier than ever. This was the first time I was appearing at the dinning hall for a meal, as the first person.

A sigh slipped past my lips. In my rush, I had completely forgotten about Xamira. Usually, I would peek into her room, take her hand, and bring her down with me.

She loved it, and she had started to expect it.

But this morning, my head had been too clouded, too consumed with anger and doubt. I hadn’t even thought of her.

My stomach knotted with guilt.