[{"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-286":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},924001,1212,"Chapter 286: She Needed Mental Assistance","the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-286",286,"\u003Cp>Meredith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind me, I felt Deidra’s quiet presence. I didn’t take my eyes off Wanda when I said, \"Wait here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, my lady,\" Deidra replied softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I walked forward, closing the space between us, each step deliberate. Wanda’s smirk deepened, as though she had been expecting me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I received your letter,\" I said flatly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her brows rose a fraction, then she laughed under her breath, tilting her head in mock innocence. \"And how can I help you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"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?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I exhaled slowly, wondering how I would have almost wasted an entire morning brooding over her poison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not interested in how you got your information,\" I said calmly. \"It isn’t important.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chuckle faded from her lips, her smirk faltering just a little. \"Then what is bothering you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stepped closer, closing the gap until my shadow brushed against hers. My voice lowered, sharp and deliberate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"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.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanda scoffed, rolling her eyes. \"So what are you getting at? Make your point straight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I leaned in slightly, my lips curving in the faintest smile. \"I bet you didn’t know... that I am Draven’s mate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you still think he would still use me as a pawn?\" I asked, not letting let her finish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not wanting to waste any more time with her, I let my voice slice cleanly through her disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I guess now everyone can stop harassing Draven and trying to force their daughters on him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanda’s eyes darkened, her body stiff with barely contained rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I paused for a beat, letting the barb sink in. \"And be sure to get the help from my Moonstone pack.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deidra lowered her head respectfully, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s go,\" I said simply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, my lady,\" she murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We stepped back into the house and ascended the stairs together, step after steady step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the truth still lingered like a bitter taste on my tongue. Wanda’s letter was not entirely lies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I had silenced her, I was far from at peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we reached the third floor, I pressed my fingers briefly against my temple. No matter how sharp my words had been, the storm inside me wasn’t gone. I still needed to confront Draven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when I did, it wouldn’t be with rage or silence. I would face him as his wife and demand the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to do things the mature way and not risk creating a rift between us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The history book felt heavier than it should in my hands. The words blurred, lines swimming together until they were nothing more than meaningless black ink on white paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blinked, then turned another page and realized I hadn’t even absorbed a single sentence of the last ten minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sharp groan, I slammed it shut and pressed my palms against the cover. My chest felt tight, my mind a storm that refused to quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how I tried to distract myself, Wanda’s revelation kept clawing back into my head, dripping poison with every memory they touched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t keep sitting here like this—restless, suffocating and spiraling. At least, not until I had looked Draven in the eyes and gotten the truth out of his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I rose from the sofa with a forceful breath. \"I’m leaving for breakfast,\" I announced, startling my maidservants where they stood by the corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Azul straightened immediately, concern flickering in her gaze. \"Now, my lady? It is still a little early.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kira chimed in gently, \"Yes, about twenty minutes early.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"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.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unease in their eyes was plain, but they bowed their heads. Azul stepped forward without hesitation. \"Then I will accompany you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dining hall was already alive with the soft bustle of servants setting the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Porcelain clinked against polished wood, silver cutlery glinted under the chandeliers, and trays of steaming dishes were carefully arranged down the long spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the servants noticed me, they froze, surprise flashing in their eyes before they quickly lowered their heads. \"Good morning, my lady.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their voices overlapped in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I forced a smile and inclined my head. \"Good morning.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She loved it, and she had started to expect it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this morning, my head had been too clouded, too consumed with anger and doubt. I hadn’t even thought of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My stomach knotted with guilt.\u003C\u002Fp>",1142,"2026-06-03T06:41:07.525Z","2026-06-03T06:41:13.870Z",1,"novelbin.me","2bdec0ecb8e38acd54d9e12ed500317e019692deddb6b1e58b5ab2f1f20c4577","the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-94","the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-93",685,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-cover.jpg"]