The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven novel Chapter 290

Chapter 290: How A Mate Should Act

Draven.

Rhovan rumbled faintly within me. "You gave her what she asked for. It was the only choice."

"I know," I answered. "But that doesn’t mean I should let her drown in it."

The flicker of pain in Meredith’s eyes tightened something in my chest. I had given her the truth, yes, but truth could cut as deep as lies.

I drew a slow breath and reached across the narrow space between us, taking her hand firmly in mine. Her fingers twitched at first, but she didn’t pull away.

"I am sorry, Meredith," I said quietly. "Not for being honest, but for the way my choices in the past made you feel, for making you question whether you were ever just a pawn on my board. You deserved more than that."

Her gaze lifted to mine, guarded, but I didn’t look away.

"I love you." The words came without hesitation, steady and certain. "And you should know this. I was raised from the time I could walk to withhold affection, to guard myself, to give nothing of my heart to anyone. All I was trained to see was vision, power and leadership. That’s why the only person I could ever truly love is my mate."

I gave her hand a gentle squeeze, my thumb brushing over her knuckles. "If, in some cruel twist, I had taken one of the daughters the Elders shoved at me, I could never have loved her. Not then, not ever. Because my heart was already reserved for you."

Her lips parted, and I saw the faintest tremor cross her expression.

I leaned back slightly, though I kept her hand in mine. "Politics is cruel, Meredith. Every move must be calculated. Every bond weighed for the war it might spark. It was unfair of me to drag you into that storm when I believed you were only a shield, an innocent caught in the fire. For that, I am truly sorry."

I let the words settle, unpolished, and unguarded. She needed my sincerity, not a king’s armor.

"But I want you to believe me in this. Recognizing the mate bond didn’t force me to love you. It only forced me to abandon the plans that would have destroyed us both. My love for you came after that, slowly, naturally, the way a flame catches and refuses to die."

Her breath hitched, her eyes widening slightly as I continued.

"As for my love for you," I said, my voice lower now, firm with conviction, "it is unquestionable. Don’t ever think it is conditional. Don’t ever think it is something fate trapped me into. You are my choice as much as you are my mate."

The silence that followed was heavy, but different from before. She stared into me, her eyes searching, as if trying to measure the weight of every word I had spoken.

Finally, her voice broke through, soft but steady. "When did you find out that I was your mate?"

Her question landed like a blade I had no shield for.

I drew in a deep breath, leaning back against the sofa for a moment. Of all the things she could have asked, this was the trap I had laid for myself long ago, not by her doing, but by my silence.

I wished she hadn’t asked, but now that she had... there was no path but truth.

"I first found out the moment I saw you at the Lunar Ball," I admitted quietly.

I exhaled slowly, relief threading through me, and thought, ’If this is the worst of her anger, then I am a fortunate man indeed.’

Meredith’s laughter lingered in the air between us, soft and disarming, and I found myself staring at her as though I’d never seen her properly before.

But then she lowered her hand, her smile turning faintly thoughtful. "I guess you being my mate explains why my pheromones suddenly ceased going wild when you arrived at the Lunar Ball."

I tilted my head slightly, curiosity sparking. Before I could respond, she added quietly, "And I should confess something to you too. I already knew we were mates a few months ago." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Her words stunned me. My brows arched in genuine surprise. "You knew?"

She nodded once.

I thought quickly, piecing it together. ’It must have been after she got her wolf. That would explain it.’

"When did you find out? And how?" I asked carefully.

Her gaze softened. "It was after Valmora came to me. She told me herself."

I nodded slowly, the pieces falling neatly into place. But a question tugged at me, one I couldn’t resist asking.