The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven novel Chapter 497

Chapter 497: A Warm Bath in A Pool

[Meredith].

"The curse is a part of it," she said.

I lifted a brow, as if to truly confirm. "Really?"

She nodded once.

Slowly, I withdrew my hands from hers and reached up, pulling the neckline of my dress down just enough to bare my shoulder. Then, I angled myself toward her, my heart thudding as I showed her the faint mark that remained.

"This is all that’s left," I said quietly. "The half moon. It’s fading."

She didn’t need to see it the way others did. I knew that. Still, she tilted her head slightly, as if listening to something beneath my skin.

"This happened because of the mate bond," she said. "It broke this far because you and Draven have mated."

I swallowed a gulp.

She continued unhurriedly, "That bond allowed you to fully unlock your wolf. It also loosened some of the restraints placed on you. That is why certain abilities have already begun to surface."

My breath felt shallow. "And when the mark completely disappears?"

She turned her face fully toward me. "Then you will have no restrictions."

I echoed the words under my breath. "No restrictions."

Her grip tightened just a little, grounding me before panic could fully take hold.

"There is much more I will reveal to you tonight," she said gently. "The curse is only one thread. There are truths tied to it—truths you are not yet aware of."

My chest tightened. Fear crept in despite myself, and she seemed to sense it immediately.

"Do not worry," she said, firm and reassuring. "Everything will end tonight."

I looked at her, my pulse loud in my ears.

"Tonight," she went on, "you will learn what you are truly capable of." A pause. "And you will learn what truly happened in the past."

I said nothing. I only nodded, my thoughts spinning, knowing deep down that whatever waited for me under the full moon, I would not leave this place the same.

I wanted to ask more, as there are so many more questions crowded in my mind, but my grandmother lifted a finger slightly, stopping me before the words could leave my mouth.

"When the time comes," she said gently, "I will call you."

I understood at once what she meant. When it was time to help me break the curse—when the full moon reached its peak, she would call me out.

Then, she patted my hands once more and said, "Go back to your mate. Keep him company until dinner."

I hesitated, a new worry slipped in, sharp and unwelcome. Draven wasn’t the type to sit idle. He might want to take a stroll, look around, and ask questions.

And if he did, he might notice. The land. The people. The things that didn’t quite fit. I didn’t know how he would react if he discovered that faes lived here, hidden in plain sight.

Before I could voice any of it, my grandmother spoke again, as if she had reached into my thoughts and plucked them out one by one.

"Your mate is free to walk wherever he wishes," she said calmly. Then she added, "Since I knew you weren’t coming alone, preparations were made ahead."

I looked at her, my breath caught halfway.

"He won’t find out who we are," she continued. "There is no need to worry."

I exhaled softly, the tension easing from my chest.

She smiled, warm and knowing, and reached up to gently adjust my dress, pulling the fabric back into place so it covered my shoulder completely.

"Go," she said.

I nodded. Then I stood, gave her one last look, and quietly left the room.

---

I pushed open the door to our room, and warm lamplight spilt across the wooden floors and woven rugs.

The bedroom wasn’t large like the ones at the Oatrun estate, but it felt softer—hand-carved shelves, dried flowers hanging to scent the air, and a thick quilt on the bed that looked hand-stitched.

It felt like a place built for breathing, not impressing anyone.

I didn’t see Draven, but I heard water sounds, and immediately I knew where he was and what he was doing.

I stepped quietly toward the sound. The ’bathroom’ wasn’t modern. It was more like an enclosed spring. Smooth stone lined the walls, steam rising from a sunken pool, candles floating in clay bowls.

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