The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven-Chapter 491: He Will Hear About It

[Meredith].

"Listen to me," I said, slow and. "You belong here. Anyone who says otherwise is wrong."

She searched my face as if trying to decide whether to believe me.

Draven spoke from beside us, his voice low and controlled. "You are my daughter. No one gets to question that."

Xamira nodded, but the fear didn’t leave her eyes. So I did the only thing I could think of.

I picked up her fork, cut a small piece of pancake, dipped it lightly in honey, and held it out to her.

"Eat," I said gently. "You will feel better after."

She hesitated for a second then opened her mouth and took the bite.

I stayed like that, feeding her slowly, keeping my arm around her shoulders, murmuring little things—how good the food tasted, how she could tell me more about her knitting later, how we could go see the garden after breakfast.

Gradually, her breathing slowed.

Dennis watched from across the table, his expression was unreadable And I think it was because he had so many things on his mind.

On the other hand, Jeffery looked away with a tight jaw, while Oscar stared down at his plate as if the table were suddenly very interesting.

No one spoke, and I was glad for that.

When Xamira finally finished eating, she leaned fully into me, exhaustion replacing her fear.

"I want to go to my room," she whispered.

"Of course," I said immediately.

I stood, lifting her into my arms before anyone could object. She wrapped her arms around my neck instinctively, her face tucking into my shoulder.

Though she was a little heavy, it wasn’t something I couldn’t bear.

Draven rose at the same time. "I will walk you up," he said.

I nodded.

As we left the dining room, I didn’t look back. All I could think about was the way Randall had looked at Xamira, and how no child should ever be made to feel like an intruder in her own home.

---

By the time we reached Xamira’s bedroom, her weight was already melting against me.

Sleep clung to her the way fear had earlier—quiet, and insistent.

Lucy hurried ahead to pull back the covers, her movements gentle and practiced. Together, we laid Xamira down. The moment her head touched the pillow, her eyes fluttered open again, panic flashing through them.

"No," she murmured, fingers clutching at my sleeve. "Stay with me."

"I’m here," I said immediately, sitting on the edge of the bed. I brushed her hair back, smoothing it away from her forehead. "I’m not going anywhere."

She shifted closer, turning onto her side, one hand still gripping my sleeve as if I might disappear if she loosened her hold.

Lucy hesitated, then quietly withdrew, closing the door behind her.

I felt Draven’s gaze on me, and I looked up.

"She’s clingy today," I said softly, though there was no complaint in my voice.

"She has had a reason to be," he replied just as quietly. "You can stay with her until she sleeps."

Relief loosened something in my chest. Then I turned back to Xamira, humming under my breath, tracing slow, soothing patterns on her arm. Her breathing gradually evened out, her lashes resting against her cheeks.

Then Draven spoke again. "Tomorrow," he said, "we leave to visit your grandmother."

The words landed harder than I expected.

Tomorrow? It had arrived so fast though it did initially look like a long time.

I blinked, momentarily stunned. With everything that had happened—the visit underground, Lady Oatrun, and Randall’s outburst, I had almost forgotten.

"I—" My lips parted. "Right. Tomorrow." Then I glanced up at him again. "Have you told your father?"

"There’s no need to make a formal report," he said calmly. "He will hear about it from the others."

Something about Draven’s response made me feel he was still unhappy with his father, and it made my lips part again, but this time with questions pressing against my tongue.

Has he told the others?

But before I could ask, he added, "I’m going to tell the others about our trip tomorrow, now."

I nodded slowly. "Alright. I will... I will join you in the bedroom later."

His gaze lingered on me for a moment longer than necessary, searching my face, as if trying to read what I wasn’t saying. Then he nodded.

Next, he leaned down, brushed two fingers lightly over Xamira’s hair, and murmured, "Good night, little one."

She stirred but didn’t wake.

Draven straightened, gave me one last look, and left the room. The door closed softly behind him.

I stayed where I was, my hand still resting on Xamira’s arm, listening to the quiet rhythm of her breathing.

Tomorrow, we would leave the pack.

And I couldn’t tell whether I was relieved or afraid of what truths might follow me beyond its walls.

Meanwhile, I thought Xamira had already fallen asleep.

Her breathing was slow, even, her fingers were no longer gripping my sleeve, so when her voice surfaced out of the quiet, it startled me.

"Can I come with you?"

It was barely louder than a whisper.

I looked down at her. Her eyes were still closed, and that was when I realized she hadn’t fallen into a deep sleep at all—only hovering at the edge of it.

My chest tightened.

"No, sweetheart," I said gently, lowering my voice even further. "The journey is long and tiring. You will be more comfortable staying here."

She didn’t respond.

For a moment, silence stretched between us, and guilt pricked at me. So, I brushed my thumb lightly over her knuckles, thinking she was disappointed.

"I will be back before you know it," I added softly. "And while I’m gone, I want you to knit something for me."

Her lips twitched faintly.

"A face napkin," I continued, smiling despite myself. "So when I return, I can say you made it just for me."

She hummed, a small, sleepy sound, still with her eyes closed, and that was all. Her breathing deepened again, finally slipping into real sleep.

I stayed a little longer, just to be sure, before carefully pulling my hand away so I wouldn’t wake her.