The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven novel Chapter 434

Chapter 434: Where Her Place Is

[Third Person].

~Moonstone Pack~

Breakfast at the Carter household was usually too quiet, broken only by the soft clink of utensils and the occasional sigh from Margaret.

Today, however, a restless, buzzing energy lay beneath the calm surface.

Gabriel Carter sat at the head of the polished dark-wood table, drinking coffee in brooding silence.

Margaret positioned to his right, delicate and distant, her attention more on the steam rising from her cup than on her children.

Monique was elegantly dressed despite the early hour, her hair pinned neatly. Gary positioned opposite her, looking bored, twirling his spoon. Mabel, seated closest to Gabriel, was the first to break.

"So, Father..." Mabel began, pretending casual interest as she cut into her breakfast. "The welcome banquet last night... was it really grand?"

Gary smirked. "Just spit it out, Mabel. You mean—was Meredith there?"

Gabriel didn’t immediately look up.

Monique leaned in slightly, voice cool. "Well? She must have been there."

Margaret glanced briefly at her siblings but remained silent.

Gabriel finally answered, voice clipped. "She was present."

Mabel’s eyes sparkled with thinly veiled glee. "And? How did she behave?"

"Did she humiliate herself?" Gary added with a snort.

Gabriel set down his cutlery with a sharp, yet controlled, motion. "No."

The siblings exchanged looks.

Monique frowned. "No?" As if that answer made no sense in her worldview.

Gabriel’s tone hardened. "She stood beside Alpha Draven the entire night. She conducted herself properly."

Mabel blinked, confused and irritated. "Properly? Meredith?"

Gary scoffed loudly. "Father, be serious. She must have looked completely out of place. A wolfless girl in a hall full of Alphas?"

Gabriel shot him a warning glare. Gary looked away.

Monique persisted, annoyance slipping into her voice. "So, no one questioned her? No one pointed out her lack of a wolf?"

"They did not," Gabriel replied.

This time, even Margaret’s gaze lifted in faint surprise.

Mabel leaned forward, voice low and sharp. "Why? Because Draven hovered around her like a shield?"

Gabriel didn’t respond, but the silence was answer enough.

Just then, Gary slammed his spoon down. "Just great. He is really protecting her."

Monique sneered. "If he keeps doing that, people will start taking her seriously."

Mabel clenched her jaw, irritation rising. "I was hoping someone at least reminded her of her place."

At that, Gabriel finally set his cup down, voice cold enough to freeze the air.

"Her place—" he said, "—is beside Alpha Draven. Whether you like it or not."

The siblings stiffened.

Margaret exhaled softly but said nothing. Gary muttered under his breath, "She won’t last. She never does."

Monique lifted her chin stubbornly. "Everyone can protect her now, but eventually, she will show the world exactly who she is."

Mabel nodded, agreeing far too quickly. "She can’t pretend forever."

Breakfast continued, tense and hushed, but none of them missed the underlying truth gnawing at them:

Meredith hadn’t failed. She hadn’t embarrassed them, and she hadn’t given anyone a reason to mock her.

And that made the Carter siblings uneasy. Because the longer she stood tall beside Draven, the harder it would be to push her back down.

---

~Fellowes Residence~

Reginald Fellowes sat alone at the long mahogany dining table, the morning sunlight spilling through the tall windows behind him.

A servant poured his tea carefully, his hands steady and his posture straight.

He glanced once at the empty chair to his right. His jaw tightened.

"Where is Wanda?" he asked, voice low but edged with the dominance of a man accustomed to obedience.

The servant bowed immediately. "My lord... Miss Wanda said she has a headache."

Silence followed.

Reginald didn’t press for details. It wasn’t because he believed his daughter, but because he understood what her absence meant.

A convenient headache. An excuse to avoid consequences.

He gave the servant a cold, dismissive nod and picked up his cutlery.

If Wanda wanted to hide after embarrassing herself last night at the banquet, then she could hide. He would not chase her.

The servant bowed again and retreated silently.

Reginald ate without expression, the metallic clink of utensils echoing faintly through the quiet room.

---

In her bedroom, Wanda sat upright in her queen-sized bed, a silk robe tied loosely around her waist.

A breakfast tray lay across her lap, consisting of sliced fruits, eggs, pastries, and a steaming cup of herbal tea.

She lifted her fork with delicate ease and took another bite. She was not sick; instead, she simply refused to sit across from her father and endure his scrutiny.

She was thinking;

The way Draven ignored me...

The way Dennis embarrassed me...

The way Oscar humiliated me... And worst of all... Meredith.

The memory of the banquet replayed in her mind, and her grip on her fork tightened.

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