The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven novel Chapter 466

Chapter 466: Connection with Animals

[Meredith].

Draven and I stepped out of the house together, the doors closing behind us with a soft echo.

The air outside was cool, touched with a faint sweetness from the distant orchard trees. I inhaled slowly, letting the quiet settle around me.

It felt nice to be away from prying eyes and ears, even if just for a short walk.

Just then, Draven casually brushed his knuckles against mine as we descended the steps—warm enough to send a small flutter across my chest.

"You are thinking too hard," he murmured.

I blinked up at him. "Am I?"

"You sometimes purse your lips like that when you are nervous."

"I’m not nervous," I lied.

He arched one brow. "My love."

"Fine. A little."

A single corner of his mouth lifted. "Don’t be. I’m here."

I didn’t answer him, but he must have felt the shift in me, because his gaze softened.

We walked across the estate grounds in companionable silence.

The path wound between tall hedges and rows of training dummies bearing scars from countless battles. The wind tugged gently at my hair. The air smelled faintly of saddle leather and pine.

Only as we neared the back field did the distant sounds of laughter drift toward us—the unmistakable boisterous tone of Dennis, the calmer cadence of Oscar, the more refined voice of Levi, and Wanda... her voice too bright, too eager, as always.

Draven exhaled through his nose. "They are at the stables."

We turned the corner, and the entire group came into view.

The stables rose ahead of us, wood polished with age and care. Horses shifted restlessly in their stalls, snorting, hooves scratching at the dirt.

Vivian stood close to Levi, cautious but smiling. Oscar leaned against a post with casual grace. Jeffery stood alert, hands behind his back, half-guarding, half-observing.

And Wanda stood front and centre in her bold red dress, slit high up her thigh, hair perfectly arranged, chin lifted as though she were the Luna of the estate.

She spotted us and smiled sharply enough to cut glass.

No one had mounted yet. Everyone seemed to be waiting for us.

Dennis was the first to speak. "There they are!" he shouted dramatically. "The royal lovers. Finally!"

Draven didn’t even react.

I wasn’t sure Dennis realized how close he sometimes came to provoking a deadly glare.

When we reached them, Wanda’s smile was as if she hadn’t been seething earlier.

"Alpha Draven, Luna Meredith," she said sweetly, like she was offering honey laced with poison.

I gave her a faint nod. But deep within me, I wondered what sort of tactic this was because Wanda addressing me respectfully, though without respect, needed to be investigated.

Draven didn’t even spare her a glance.

A moment later, a stablehand approached with a bow. "Alpha. The horses are ready."

Oscar stepped forward with a thoughtful expression.

"To keep things fair," he said, "I suggest Draven and Dennis pick new horses today. Not the ones they have ridden for years."

Dennis’s jaw dropped. "Oh come on, Punish Draven, not me!"

His eyes narrowed in concern through the mindlink. "Meredith—"

"Let me try first as I requested earlier," I insisted silently.

Everyone went silent.

Vivian stared at me, wide-eyed. "Luna Meredith, how did you do that?"

"I’ve always been good with animals and pets when I was younger," I said. "Though this is my first time trying it on a horse."

Oscar shook his head, impressed. "Whatever you did—it worked."

Meanwhile, Wanda forced out a word as if it scraped her throat raw, "Impressive."

I spared her a glance, then, with Draven’s help, I mounted the horse, cleanly, smoothly and effortlessly.

Then Draven stepped to his own chosen horse—a massive white stallion that snapped at anyone too close.

But the moment he grabbed the reins, the horse just stopped as though bowing to a superior predator.

Draven swung up into the saddle and turned toward me. And in that exact moment, chaos erupted behind us.

It started with Wanda.

She marched confidently toward a chestnut mare with a lifted nose, high chin, and arrogance stitched into every line of her posture.

But the mare took one look at her, snorted loudly, and jerked its head so violently that she had to stumble back to keep her footing.

Dennis burst into laughter. "Oh, that’s a promising start."

Wanda ignored him and stepped forward again.

This time, the mare reared halfway, its front hooves kicking the air. Wanda froze, her eyes widening just a fraction before she gathered herself again.

Her jaw tightened so sharply I could feel the spite radiating off her even from where I sat.