The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven novel Chapter 209

Chapter 209: No Means to Teach a Child

Meredith.

As soon as Draven finished drying my hair, he handed the towel back to me with a quiet firmness. "Go inside," he said. "Let your maids finish it properly with the dryer."

I stood up without complaint. For once, there was no anger boiling beneath my skin. No retorts. Just... calm.

I murmured a soft "Thank you" and began walking back toward the house, holding the towel to my hair.

Draven followed, but kept a polite distance—just enough not to crowd me, but close enough to be present.

But I didn’t expect to cross paths with Wanda the second I walked into the house. Talk about a day going perfectly well.

Wanda appeared from a small path on the side, arms folded and that insufferable smirk already tugging at her lips.

"Well, well," she said, stepping directly into my path. "Looks like your marriage’s been falling apart lately, hasn’t it?"

My lips parted—ready to slice her down with words—but before I could respond, Draven’s voice behind me cut through the air like a blade.

"How is that so?"

I didn’t even notice he was that close.

Immediately, the smirk melted from Wanda’s face in an instant. I saw her stiffen. Her eyes flicked past me to where Draven had stepped up beside me, tall and unreadable.

And that, that tiny flicker of fear in her expression—it was delicious.

Wanda stammered, grasping for footing. "I... I was only teasing Meredith, that’s all."

Draven’s gaze didn’t shift. His voice dropped, deep and hard. "Don’t. Your jokes aren’t tolerable. And since you are not friends, your jokes are rather similar to twisted insults. Refrain from speaking that way to my wife."

Wanda blinked. Her smile tried to return, but it was weaker now. "Of course, you’re right, Draven." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Her eyes flitted to me, and she forced a brittle apology out of her throat. "Apologies, Meredith."

I didn’t bother answering. I only tilted my head, returning her fake smile with one of my own.

Now, she had to swallow it and play nice.

Then, like the little coward she was, she pivoted to safer ground. "Any update on the secret lab yet?" she asked Draven, voice honeyed as though the previous moment hadn’t happened.

Draven didn’t miss a beat. "Nothing yet," he said flatly. "If there are changes, everyone will be informed."

Wanda nodded, trying to seem unaffected.

But I saw the tightness in her jaw. The tension in her shoulders. She had just been publicly reminded of her place—and worse, reminded that no matter what games she played, I was still his wife.

Then, Draven reached out and gently took my hand.

"Come," he said simply.

I didn’t say a word. I let him guide me past Wanda, keeping my chin high and my expression unreadable.

But in my head?

I laughed because I could already picture how it must have stung her to be told off like that, in broad daylight, with me standing beside the man she desperately wanted—and being chosen over her, yet again.

Let her stew in it.

Let her smile through the pain.

It was the only thing keeping her standing right now. And oh, how sweet it was.

---

Dinner was still half an hour away, and my room smelled faintly of jasmine and warm wood from the bath I’d taken earlier.

My hair had already been brushed and twisted into soft waves by Deidra, and now Azul was gently adjusting the sleeves of my dark blue dress, smoothing the fabric along my arm.

"Perfect," she whispered, stepping back to examine me. "You look radiant, my lady."

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