The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven-Chapter 562: Too Many Questions

[Third Person].

Meredith didn’t slow until she reached her bedroom.

Draven had gone the other way—to return her things to the workstation and to summon Xamira’s nanny with strict instructions. And Meredith knew why.

Xamira, once healed, would not be trusted to remain still without watchful eyes, so Draven wasn’t wrong.

The door closed behind Meredith with a soft click, and she was met with immediate silence. Now that she was alone, she straightened—and the calm she had been holding fractured just enough for her to breathe deeply.

"Valmora." The name was not just a call. It was a summons.

Instantly, the heat stirred, coiling low in her chest, sharp and defiant. Valmora surged—not outward, not enough to seize control—but close enough that Meredith felt her fury vibrating against her bones.

"That ends now," Meredith said aloud, her voice steady and cold.

Valmora’s presence bristled. "She was a threat," she answered, unrepentant. "I did what you hesitated to do."

Meredith’s jaw tightened. "You acted without permission," she said flatly. "You took my body. You nearly killed someone while wearing my face."

A low, dangerous growl rolled through her blood. "I protected you."

"No!" Meredith snapped. "You indulged yourself."

The air in the room thickened as Valmora pushed back, her power pressing insistently, but Meredith did not yield. Instead, she stepped forward, planting her feet as if she were facing a physical opponent.

"You are my wolf," Meredith said, each word deliberately. "Not my ruler. And definitely not my executioner."

The presence recoiled slightly.

"A wolf does not overtake its host," Meredith continued. "No matter how powerful. No matter who you once were."

Valmora flared—ancient pride, wrath, and the echo of a crown that had once been hers. "I am the Wolf Queen."

Meredith didn’t blink. "And I am the woman who carries you," she replied. "Do not forget that."

Silence followed. Then Meredith spoke again, quieter, but far more dangerous.

"If you ever take control like that again," she said, "I will denounce you."

The word landed like a blade.

"I will no longer care that you are the Wolf Queen, or I’m the reincarnation of one. I will not honour you. I will not listen to you. I will cage you so deep you will never touch the surface of my mind again."

The presence stilled completely. Valmora did not apologize. She did not retreat out of shame, but she fell silent.

And that silence—heavy, restrained, absolute—was acceptance.

Meredith exhaled slowly, the tension in her shoulders easing at last. "Good," she murmured.

Then, she moved to the window and rested her forehead briefly against the cool glass, grounding herself. Outside, the estate carried on as if nothing had happened.

But inside her, a line had been drawn. And for the first time since awakening Valmora fully, Meredith knew her wolf would not cross it again.

But if it ever does happen, she would not hesitate to give up her title and her powers if that meant she got to remain in control.

---

Not long after, Draven returned to their bedroom and found Meredith standing near the window, her posture composed but distant, as if she were still listening for something beyond the glass.

The moment she sensed him, she turned away and walked toward the sitting area, lowering herself onto the sofa without a word.

Draven followed and spoke first, his tone steady and deliberate.

"The nanny is watching over Xamira," he said. "I stationed a guard outside her room, and the balcony door has been permanently sealed. Patrols have been instructed to keep watch on that balcony as well. If even a fly gets too close, they will report to me."

Meredith nodded once. That eased something tight in her chest.

Draven sat beside her. Silence stretched between them for a moment before he glanced at her, his expression serious.

"How did you know?" he asked quietly. "That Xamira was a shapeshifter. What happened before I came in?"

At the reminder of her encounter, Meredith felt goosebumps ripple down her arms. It took her some moments to stabilize herself. Finally, she inhaled deeply before speaking.

"When she went to the bathroom... I felt a pull," she said. "I don’t know how else to describe it. Something drew me to the balcony."

Draven listened without interrupting.

"I saw a green feather on the floor," Meredith continued. "And immediately, I remembered the three birds we saw earlier. The ones fighting in the sky."

His brow furrowed.

"You remember how I said the one in the middle was fierce?" she went on. "That bird flew toward the house."

Draven’s eyes sharpened.

"I also couldn’t stop thinking about Xamira’s eyes," Meredith said softly. "They always felt familiar. Too familiar. Then I remembered... back in Duskmoor. A green bird with green eyes visited my balcony. I fed it. Talked to it."

She swallowed a lump before revealing, "It was her. That was when I realized it."

Draven’s breath stilled.

"Everything clicked as she came back from the bathroom," Meredith said. "And that’s when Valmora took over."

Draven’s jaw tightened.

"Xamira also stopped pretending," Meredith continued. "She turned into the green bird and tried to escape through the balcony. But Valmora sealed the doors with fae magic. After that..."

Meredith closed her eyes briefly. "She kept changing. She transformed into a butterfly, a rat, a coloured pencil. Then a cat."

Draven shuddered—actually shuddered. "In all my years, I’ve never heard of anything like this," he said quietly. "It’s my fault for adopting her without knowing what she was."

Meredith turned to him. "This isn’t your fault. No one could have known. She disguised herself perfectly."

Draven leaned back slightly, releasing a slow breath. "Now I understand why Valmora hated her."

"Yes," Meredith agreed. "Valmora sensed her long before I did."

A small silence fell again. Then—

"I can’t wait for her to wake up," Draven said finally. "I have too many questions. Especially about her parents’ death. Because now, nothing makes sense again."

Meredith nodded. "I want answers too. And I want to know her true form."

"But we will have to wait until tomorrow," Draven added grimly.

Meredith accepted that.

Then Draven stared at her for a moment before lowering his voice. "Meredith, there is something important you should know. Valmora taking control like that makes you vulnerable. And it’s dangerous for you, and for everyone."

"She won’t do it again," Meredith said immediately.

Draven searched her face. "How are you so sure?"

"Because I’ve warned her," Meredith replied calmly. "If she ever takes over my body, mind, or soul again without my permission, I will denounce her. I will cage her completely. I won’t care that she’s the reincarnation of the Wolf Queen."

Draven held her gaze for a long moment, then he nodded slowly. "Good," he said. "Because I won’t lose you to your own power."