[{"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-97":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},924008,1212,"Chapter 97: First Swimming Lessons","the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-97",97,"\u003Cp>Meredith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The water was colder than I expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not cold, exactly, but cooler than my skin. It wrapped around me like a hesitant welcome, the surface licking at my waist as I stood in the shallowest part of the pool, arms crossed, trying not to let the nerves show.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven on the other side. He wasn’t reading the water or teaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just standing there—arms sleek and defined, hair still tied in that annoyingly perfect bun, his white shirt clinging to his torso in a way that did nothing to reduce how solid he looked beneath it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now I was supposed to trust him with my body. In a pool. Again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright,\" he said, voice calm, collected. \"We will start with basic floating. Nothing dramatic.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded once, lips tight. \"Okay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Breathe steady. That’s the first rule.\" He stepped closer, water swirling softly between us. \"Your body needs to relax or you will sink.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Relaxing in a situation I can’t control isn’t my strong suit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gave a low, mocking chuckle. \"I’m aware.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could bite back a response, he moved behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air left my lungs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t say anything. Didn’t explain the proximity. He simply reached for my arms and gently guided them to stretch sideways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His chest brushed my back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stilled. And then—oh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t move back. He was right there. Just inches. His breath was near my shoulder, steady and warm. Not touching inappropriately... but close enough that my skin knew he was there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lean your weight back slowly,\" he instructed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I obeyed, slowly letting myself recline, my arms skimming the surface of the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s it,\" he said, his voice softer now. \"Good. Just like that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt his hand—light on the curve of my waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My stomach tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s just to keep you balanced,\" he added quickly, as if he could hear what I was thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn’t say anything,\" I muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You didn’t have to. Your face speaks louder than words.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shifted slightly behind me, and the distance vanished entirely. My back touched his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Solid. Warm. Steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt my breath stutter and hated how he probably noticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t say a word about it. But he didn’t pull away either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Close your eyes,\" he murmured. \"Just feel the water. Trust it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trust you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kept my eyes open. My toes lost the floor for a moment, and I stiffened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Easy,\" he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hands found my waist again, firmer this time. \"I’ve got you.\" He was surprisingly gentle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, of course, I sank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just a second. But I felt the shift, the drag of water, the sudden panic that rose from the pit of my stomach. My arms flailed, the surface slapping against my face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then he caught me. His arms locked fully around my waist, pulling me up and against him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hands landed against his chest, palms flat. I could feel the beat of his heart. Or maybe it was mine. I couldn’t tell anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Meredith,\" he said, voice low. \"Breathe.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gasped—real breath this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The panic dissolved... but only slightly. Because now I was too aware of how close we were. His hands were still at my waist. My legs brushed against his. My face was barely inches from his collarbone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This isn’t very professional,\" I said, trying to keep the sarcasm alive even as my voice trembled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaned his head down, just enough for his breath to graze my ear. \"Neither is drowning while you are in the pool with me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shiver passed through me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to pull away. I really did. But I stayed there for a moment longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I gently pushed against his chest. He released me immediately, stepping back and letting the water return between us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I straightened my back, fixing my gaze anywhere but at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think that’s enough floating for one day,\" I muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven didn’t respond right away. Then I heard the hint of amusement in his tone. \"You lasted longer than I thought.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was relieved that the first lesson was finally over. If I were asked what I had learnt, the correct answer would be that I had learnt how to drown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven’s next statement pulled my attention back to him. \"Tomorrow we will try kicking.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wonderful,\" I said flatly, finally allowing myself to glance at him again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smirked and then reached out to me without asking for my opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He helped me... like literally carried me out of the pool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But something lingered in the way he was still watching me—some unspoken current between us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I wasn’t sure which was more dangerous anymore. Him, or the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Applause clapped gently from the edge of the pool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned and saw Dennis standing with a wide grin, holding up an armful of towels like he had been waiting for this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For our brave little swimmer,\" he said theatrically, tossing the towels toward me like they were precious gifts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help the small laugh that slipped from my lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you,\" I said, taking one of the towels and patting my face dry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I drew the fabric away from my eyes, my gaze lifted, and I caught a glimpse of Draven’s back as he walked away from the pool area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His shoulders were broad and straight, his bun still perfectly intact, even though his shirt clung damply to him. He didn’t bother looking back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You did well for your first lesson,\" Dennis’s voice pulled my attention back. \"I was watching. You didn’t sink... much.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I rolled my eyes. \"I think we should review our friendship agreement.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seriously,\" he said, walking closer. \"You did so much better than most people would. And you had my brother coaching you. That deserves a medal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smiled, wringing out the ends of my silver hair with the towel. \"Thanks. I guess. So... what happens to our driving lessons now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tilted his head slightly and gave a thoughtful hum. \"Well, it seems His Alpha-ness has laid claim to your evenings for swimming now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raised a brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dennis chuckled. \"But don’t worry. I will talk to him and see if he can shift your swimming to the mornings instead. That way, we can have our evenings back for driving.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded, grateful. \"I would like that.\" I didn’t want to give up on my driving lessons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Consider it done.\" He winked, then handed me another towel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t sure what warmed me more in that moment—the kindness in his voice, or the growing realization that for once... I had people who cared enough to adjust their lives around mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was new.\u003C\u002Fp>",1124,"2026-06-03T06:41:07.524Z","2026-06-03T06:41:13.870Z",1,"novelbin.me","f223598ab7a48cb47e57e4439ed697d2f411f875ffc1514478899b5ae4c5a245","the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-290","the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-289",685,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-cover.jpg"]