[{"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-441":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},923863,1212,"Chapter 441: I Barely Held Myself Still","the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-441",441,"\u003Cp>[Meredith].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven’s gaze stayed fixed on me, unreadable and far too perceptive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why does your grandmother want to see you on such an auspicious day?\" he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That question was too close to the mark. However, I forced a small shrug. \"I don’t know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And for once, it wasn’t a lie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had guesses, guesses tied to the Lunar Curse, to my wolf, to things my grandmother had hinted at for years. But I couldn’t say any of that, not when I had no idea how much she wanted me to reveal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven didn’t respond. He simply nodded, slow and faintly knowing, as if my answer had confirmed something for him rather than hidden it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silence stretched too long, so I exhaled and spoke more formally, \"I will be going to see her in five days.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes flickered. \"Where does she live?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The outskirts of the Moonstone pack.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And why there—\" Then he stopped himself, nodding as if the answer clicked into place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right. You said she values her privacy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relief loosened something tight in my chest. But then, he spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course you can visit her,\" he said with a soft smile. \"But I will come with you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart lurched at his second statement. I straightened instinctively. \"No— I mean... it’s not necessary.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My excuse was useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven’s brows lifted. \"How can I allow my mate—my queen, to travel that far alone?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heat rushed to my cheeks, as irritation and panic tangled together. Still, I tried again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She doesn’t know you,\" I insisted. \"She will be uncomfortable with you appearing unannounced.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven didn’t even flinch. \"I married you without meeting her once,\" he replied. \"It is long overdue that I greet the woman who raised my mate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shook my head quickly. \"Another time—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No,\" he said simply warmly, and immovably. \"But if you feel she will be uncomfortable, then send her a letter. Tell her I will be accompanying you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blinked at his statement which I found too blatant. But the next second, I understood that this could be a test.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because what kind of woman asks permission from her grandmother before bringing her own husband? Unless she had something to hide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I refused to fall for it. \"There’s no need for that,\" I said firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven smirked—the kind of knowing smirk that made me want to wrap myself in iron and shield every secret I had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t be mad,\" he murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not,\" I said instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he stepped closer, reached out, and pinched my nose lightly before I could dodge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I scowled and swatted at his hand, but he withdrew before I could touch him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"See?\" he said, his eyes warm, amused. \"I was right. You are mad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I narrowed my eyes at him, even though the corner of my mouth betrayed me with the faintest twitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Draven’s smirk deepened because he knew he had caught me. But a moment later, his voice came out soft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t be mad at me,\" he murmured. A quiet sigh escaped him as he looked away, his jaw tightening for the briefest second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have a feeling your grandmother is already mad at me. Especially for the way I forced you into marriage.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I rolled my eyes at him before I could stop myself. \"Well, at least you know where you were wrong. And you’re willing to admit it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned his gaze back to me immediately, that slow, infuriatingly boyish smile spreading across his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But the good thing,\" he said, \"is that we are mates. So I think she will forgive me easily.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I watched him closely. That smile was genuine and warm, almost excited, even.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t angry that I had been hiding things from him. He wasn’t even offended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On any typical day, this conversation should have escalated into an argument or, at the very least, his stoic coldness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he had chosen peace, gentleness. And I knew why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven truly loves me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe this was what a healthy bond looked like, not turning every tension into a battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I exhaled a small laugh. \"Keep dreaming. You will be surprised by how my grandmother punishes you. She won’t care whether you are an Alpha or the future king.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven shrugged with complete seriousness. \"I don’t mind. Just as long as she forgives me eventually, I will endure anything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A natural smile tugged at my lips. I hadn’t even realized when it appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before that warmth could settle fully, Draven stepped closer, closing the last few inches between us until I could feel his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My arms, which I had folded protectively over my chest earlier, loosened and fell to my sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hands touched my arms, gentle but deliberate, sliding slowly upward as if he were memorizing the feel of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His breathing grew deeper as his fingers traced along my skin, finally reaching my neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Remember my request this morning?\" he murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blinked up at him, pretending not to understand. \"Which request?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He moved his hands to cup my face, his palms warm against my cheeks. \"I told you I was hungry for something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could protest, he leaned in and kissed one cheek then the other, slow and warm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hands quickly flew up to hold his arms, stopping him before he could go any further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not now,\" I breathed. \"Wait until tonight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lifted his head slightly, his eyes locking onto mine while still holding my face in his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And what if I’m not in the mood tonight?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then you can have me the next time you want me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven lowered his voice, deep and intimate, leaning toward my ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you remember,\" he whispered, \"how many nights you were in heat... begging for me? And how I always satisfied you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, heat spread across the back of my neck like wildfire. My breath caught in my throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, I remembered every single moment he was referring to. And yet, I wasn’t going to let him win this easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You say it like I was the only one who benefited from those nights,\" I murmured back. \"Didn’t you enjoy it even more than I did?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His posture shifted knowingly. Then, he leaned back just enough to meet my gaze properly, his eyes dark with a mixture of amusement and hunger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This,\" he said with a low voice, \"is not the time to argue.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his fingers slid down to my jaw. \"Whatever you say,\" he added, \"is right.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone, the way he looked at me...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I kept pushing him, he would lose the last thread of patience he was holding onto, and a shameful part of me wanted exactly that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I barely held myself still.\u003C\u002Fp>",1123,"2026-06-03T06:41:07.525Z","2026-06-03T06:41:13.871Z",1,"novelbin.me","5c7d887aa9ab140b7611f9bd5e8b6b3a37dacbd6ee7eb46aa7e68c24e6279941","the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-442","the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-440",685,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-cover.jpg"]