The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven-Chapter 527: White Fur Against Black Fur

[Meredith].

~One Day Later~

I woke to soft, insistent lips everywhere—and unapologetically thorough.

"Draven," I groaned, turning my face away as his mouth traced my cheek, my jaw, the corner of my lips. "It’s still night."

"That’s the point," he murmured against my skin with a warm and smug voice. "Wake up."

I tried to roll away, but his arm slid over me, heavy and sure, pinning me back to the mattress.

He hovered above me, all heat and familiar weight, his breath fanning my face as he pressed another kiss to my forehead—slower this time, but more deliberately sweet.

"We are going for a run," he said. "An early one."

I cracked one eye open. The room was still wrapped in darkness, the kind that made you want to burrow deeper under the covers and forget the world existed.

"You’re cruel," I muttered, even as my lips betrayed me by curving into a smile.

His mouth found mine again, brief and teasing. "You love me."

I sighed defeatedly and was not even upset about it. "Unfortunately."

He laughed softly and finally released me, rolling off the bed and offering me his hand. I took it, letting him pull me up.

We dressed quickly, the quiet kind of coordination that came from familiarity—no words, just shared movements and half-smiles in the dim light.

Hand in hand, we left the bedroom and stepped into the elevator. The doors slid shut with a soft hum, sealing us in our own little world as it descended.

I stifled a yawn and leaned slightly into him, mentally preparing myself. This would be my first run with him. In my wolf form.

The thought alone sent a ripple of excitement through me, chasing away the last of my sleepiness. I kept my expression neutral, but inside, everything else was buzzing.

At the ground floor, the elevator doors opened. We stepped out and moved quietly through the hallway, our footsteps muted against the stone. The estate was still asleep, the air cool and expectant, as if the world itself hadn’t quite woken up yet.

We exited through the back of the house and continued, the path stretching ahead into shadow and trees.

"We will walk a bit first," Draven said quietly, his thumb brushing over the back of my hand. "Far enough that no one sees you change."

I nodded, my pulse quickening with anticipation.

We walked farther into the woods, the ground soft beneath our boots, the trees thick enough now that even the Estate felt like a distant thought.

Somewhere ahead, the forest opened into a wide stretch of land.

Draven slowed first. "This should be far enough," he said softly. Then, he stepped back, giving me space.

Draven shifted first. It was always breathtaking, watching him become Rhovan—muscle rolling beneath skin, and bones realigning with a fluidity that still felt unreal no matter how many times I had seen it.

Where he stood moments ago, a massive dark wolf now stretched and shook himself, eyes sharp, alive, already watching me, and waiting.

I didn’t hesitate. The shift came even easier this time. My senses expanded, my body folding inward and outward all at once until my paws hit the earth, and the world sharpened into clarity.

My silver fur caught the early light, and I felt him still. I felt the pause in his breath through the bond.

"Don’t stare," I teased silently.

His response came warm and amused. "Try to keep up."

I didn’t answer him. I just chuckled inwardly. But the next second, I bolted without warning.

The forest blurred as I surged forward, my paws flying over roots and leaves, and laughter rippling through the bond as wind tore past my ears. I could hear him behind me—powerful, steady, and giving chase.

I pushed harder and faster. The thrill was intoxicating. My body responded without effort. My movements were precise and instinctive. I leapt over a fallen trunk, veered sharply left, and for one glorious moment, I pulled ahead.

"Meredith," his voice snapped through the bond, half warning, half disbelief. And that was when the chase became real.

Draven accelerated, no longer holding back, the ground trembling beneath his strength. I felt the shift in his intent, the competitive edge flaring alive, and it only made me laugh harder as I twisted through the trees, agile where he was force.

We ran like that—challenging, taunting, chasing—not predator and prey, but equals testing each other.

Draven finally caught me when I misjudged a turn. His weight collided with mine, controlled but undeniable, sending us tumbling into a bed of leaves and moss.

I rolled onto my side, breathlessly and exhilarated, my tail flicking as I glared up at him.

"I almost had you," he said smugly.

"Almost?" I shot back, looking like I wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off his face. He acted so much like Dennis right now.

Draven huffed, unmistakably amused.

We lay there for a moment, panting side by side, the forest settling around us again. The competition drained away, replaced by something quieter and deeper.

Without speaking, we rose and ran again, this time, together, with no chase or challenge. Just rhythm.

Our strides matched naturally, our bodies syncing as if they had always known how to move like this.

I felt Draven beside me through the bond, steady and protective without slowing me down, adjusting when I surged, trusting when I pulled ahead.

We slowed near a ridge where the trees thinned, and dawn finally broke through, pale gold filtering through leaves. I stopped first, my chest rising, the world humming beneath my paws.

Then Draven came to my side. "You were always meant to run like this," he said quietly through the bond.

Emotion tightened my chest in a way no sprint ever could. I leaned into him, shoulder brushing shoulder, silver fur against dark, and for the first time since everything changed, I felt full freedom and joy.

A few moments later, Draven held my hand and tightened his fingers slightly around mine, as if he were anchoring a decision.

"There is something I want to show you," he said with a low voice.

I looked up at him, still riding the high of the run with a warm body and sharp senses. "Show me what?"