[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave":3,"chapter-the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-221":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},924143,1212,"Chapter 221: Twenty-Eight Hours","the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-221",221,"\u003Cp>(Third Person).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a mistake. A very big one from the Vampire, because in a flash, Draven moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One second, the vampire stood confidently—smirking. The next, he was gasping, clutching his stomach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven’s claws had sunk in, then slashed upward in one smooth, brutal motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You won’t live to touch a hair on her head,\" Draven hissed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vampire stumbled back—but Draven was already behind him, elbow slamming into the back of his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vampire fell to his knees, coughing up blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a savage kick, Draven sent him flying against a tree. The bark cracked, and its bones shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless of the pain and the shock, the vampire tried to rise, one last desperate snarl on his lips—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Draven was faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He charged, grabbed the vampire by the jaw, and ripped it sideways with a sickening snap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vampire’s body dropped limp to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven stood over him, breath steady, eyes glowing gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moonlight caught on his bloodstained skin, making him look less like a werewolf—and more like a god of war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the silence, Jeffery and Dennis emerged from the woods. They stared at the mess, then at their Draven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it over?\" Dennis asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For tonight,\" Draven answered without turning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeffery nodded. \"The others fled. We will track them when daylight breaks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need,\" Draven replied as his eyes scanned the grounds one last time. \"They’ve been long gone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dennis shut his eyes briefly and let out a groan. \"I think we should be expecting more visits from our cold-blooded newfound friends in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you ask me, I think they would visit really soon,\" Jeffery commented, turning sideways to glance at Dennis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At least they wouldn’t underestimate us and send just ten next time. Or maybe, they will focus on the Humans and deal with them really well,\" Dennis joked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven spoke, his voice low but absolute. \"Preserve a few of the best dead bodies and leave no traces of what happened tonight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good!\" Dennis gestured with his hands. \"Now, we don’t get to enjoy the rest of our sleep.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven ignored his whines and gave another direct order. \"We meet for a briefing after breakfast.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meredith didn’t bother looking at the clock. She had counted the minutes in her head anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, a few minutes later, the door creaked open, and the moment Draven stepped into the room, she smelled it—iron and ash, faint yet undeniable. Blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though his face was clean and his hands were no longer stained, the scent clung to him like a shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shut the door behind him quietly, eyes falling on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meredith sat up in bed, her long silver hair spilling over her shoulders. Her voice was calm but laced with concern. \"Is it over?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven gave a small nod, his gaze steady. \"Yes. There were ten vampires in total. We took out eight. Two escaped.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her lips pressed into a thin line. \"Were there any casualties on our side?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We lost two guards,\" he said, his voice low. \"Three others are injured but stable. The healers are tending to them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A breath of tension left her chest. It could have been worse. Much worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She nodded faintly. \"At least most of our people made it through.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven stepped closer to her, but kept a measured distance. \"Go back to sleep. I will join you after I shower.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She watched him quietly as he moved into the bathroom, the soft click of the door behind him. Then came the sound of water running.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meredith remained seated on the bed, fingers fidgeting with the hem of her nightdress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the shower, Draven leaned into the spray, letting the hot water run over him in rivulets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steam rose around his body, but it didn’t fog the sharp thoughts brewing in his mind. He needed to leave for Stormveil by tomorrow morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corpses would need to be sealed and taken as evidence to present to King Alderic, and every second mattered now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rinsed the last of the blood from his body, then stepped out and dried off. The cold hit him briefly as he changed into dark pants and a fresh shirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he returned to the bedroom, Meredith was still awake—but as soon as she saw him, she lay down and turned her back to the open space beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint smirk touched Draven’s lips at her quiet invitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slid under the covers and pulled her back into his chest, the way she liked. She fit into his arms like a final puzzle piece.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers brushed her side lightly, then stilled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When are you going to Stormveil?\" she asked softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tomorrow,\" he replied. \"I at least have up to twenty-eight hours.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a pause. He felt her hesitate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Can I come with you?\" she asked at last, her voice quieter than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t answer immediately. Then, with calm firmness, \"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tensed just a little, and he could feel it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will be too busy with meetings to keep my eyes on you,\" he said, not harsh, just truthful. \"Besides, your training can’t stop. It’s more important now than ever.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She let out a long breath and said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you have any message for your grandmother,\" he added gently, \"I can pass it along.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her head tilted down slightly, as though the weight of disappointment was heavier than she expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will think about it,\" she murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven’s hand traced soothing lines along her arm. \"Dennis will oversee your combat sessions while I’m gone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She blinked and then turned her head slightly. \"Dennis?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gave a light chuckle. \"He won’t go easy on you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meredith sighed dramatically. \"Perfect.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven chuckled again and kissed the top of her head. \"Good. I don’t want you soft. Not with what’s coming.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence returned between them, but this time it was filled with warmth—not unease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, Meredith’s breathing slowed, her hand curled lightly around his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Draven, though his mind stayed alert, allowed himself the smallest sliver of peace as he watched her drift off.\u003C\u002Fp>",1017,"2026-06-03T06:41:07.525Z","2026-06-03T06:41:13.871Z",1,"novelbin.me","c341c9a73ae0f3c0aeb8282f0e10e00faf2922ac4b3cfa30b147c2e050731d1e","the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-222","the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-220",685,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-cover.jpg"]