The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven novel Chapter 539

Chapter 539: Moonstone Market

[Meredith].

In the days that followed, reality finally settled in.

No matter how carefully I had sorted, preserved, and prepared the herbs we had gathered, it became painfully clear that they were not enough—not for what I wanted to do.

The teas for headaches needed to be fresh to retain their potency. The healing balms required quality herbs, the kind that carried strength in their scent alone. And that strength did not live here.

By the seventh morning, after inspecting another batch and feeling that quiet dissatisfaction coil in my chest, I finally admitted the truth to myself.

I had no choice. I would have to return to Moonstone.

The realization sat heavy, unwelcome, but unavoidable. So, I pushed aside my unease and focused on what I could control.

I delegated the morning work at the workstation—washing jars, monitoring the drying fruits, and reorganizing the shelves- to my maidservants, giving clear instructions before stepping away.

They listened attentively, efficient and steady as always. Then I took out my phone and dialled.

Dennis answered on the third ring.

"Yes?" he said, sounding far too awake. "Tell me this isn’t another list."

"I need to go to the Moonstone local market," I said plainly. "Today. Are you free to drive me?"

There was a brief pause on the line, just long enough for my shoulders to tense. Then he exhaled.

"Give me five minutes."

Relief washed through me so quickly that I had to close my eyes. "You’re serious?"

"Dead serious," he replied. "Come outside. I will wait."

I let out a breath I was holding and thanked him before ending the call.

As I slipped my phone away, I felt the familiar mix of resolve and unease settle into my bones. Moonstone was not just a market. It was memories. Faces. Questions I wasn’t ready to answer. Still, the work mattered.

Straightening my shoulders, I left the workstation and headed for the front of the house—toward the part of my past I had been avoiding for far too long.

---

By the time I stepped outside, Dennis was already there.

He leaned lazily against the car, one ankle crossed over the other, keys spinning around his finger like he had nowhere else to be.

When he saw me, his mouth tilted into a grin. "Careful," he said. "You look like you’re heading to a tribunal, not a market."

I rolled my eyes as I approached. "I’m buying herbs, Dennis. Not declaring war."

"Same thing, depending on the herbs," he replied lightly, opening the door for me.

The drive to Moonstone was quieter than I expected. Then, Dennis filled the silence with idle chatter at first—about a new stall that had opened near the south ridge, about how he heard the Moonstone market had expanded since the last time he passed through.

I listened, nodded where appropriate, but the closer we got, the tighter my chest felt.

Moonstone wasn’t just a pack. It was a memory. It was history. It was everything I had survived.

When we arrived, the scent hit me first. Fresh earth. Crushed leaves. Old magic woven into bark and root.

I was not here to hide. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

As for Mabel, since the day Draven had ’respectfully’ sent her and Gary out of Duskmoor and back home, I hadn’t heard a word from her. No message. No apology. No concern.

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