The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven-Chapter 581: A Need for Xamira

[Meredith].

I stayed close to Draven as we stepped out of the tub, the steam still clinging to our skin.

We drained the water together, then moved under the shower, where the world narrowed to warm spray and quiet touches.

We lathered each other without hurry—my hands smoothing soap over his arms and back, his palms steady at my waist—then rinsed the foam away beneath the showerhead until our skin was clean and warm again.

Afterwards, we dressed in silence and returned to the bedroom. But Draven had another unspoken request.

He sat down and looked up at me. And I smiled softly and moved behind him, guiding him to sit comfortably. Then, my fingers slid into his long, damp hair, and I began the massage slowly—circling his scalp, easing the tension at his temples.

A low sound escaped him.

I worked patiently, letting my fingers do what words couldn’t. His shoulders dropped little by little. When I shifted to the base of his skull and down his neck, he leaned forward instinctively, offering me more access.

Then he caught my wrists gently and guided my hands lower. "My shoulders," he murmured.

I didn’t refuse him. I kneaded the tight muscles there, thumbs pressing, palms warming, until the rigidity finally gave way.

Time blurred. My hands grew tired, my palms tingling, but I kept going until he exhaled deeply and leaned back in satisfaction.

Then, he reached up, took my hands, and pressed a kiss to each palm. When he looked at me, his eyes were clear—still burdened, still wounded, but calmer.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

Something softened in my chest. I nodded, not trusting my voice, and stepped away.

There was a small bunch of bananas in a bowl sitting on the table in our sitting area, so I grabbed them and went to wash them.

When I returned to the room, I told Draven to eat two or three of them. He gave a faint hum in response.

"I will go get our breakfast," I added, already turning toward the door.

As I left the room, I glanced back once more. He was still sitting there, calmer than he had been all morning—hair loose around his shoulders, a banana in hand, watching me with an expression that told me he would be fine.

---

When I arrived at the dining room, everyone was already seated.

Dennis, Jeffery, and Oscar immediately stood up, chairs scraping softly against the floor. I lifted my hand at once, shaking my head slightly.

"Please, sit," I said. "There’s no need for formalities."

They obeyed without protest. Then, I turned toward the head of the table and bowed respectfully. "Good morning, father."

Randall acknowledged me with a nod, his sharp eyes flicking briefly to the empty chair beside him.

"Where is Draven?" 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

I kept my tone even. "He has a severe migraine this morning. He won’t be attending meetings or breakfast today."

Randall frowned. "A headache?" he repeated coolly. "Since when does a simple ailment keep an Alpha from the dining room, or from important meetings?"

I didn’t respond. In fact, I hadn’t planned to. Instead, I kept my gaze steady, my expression neutral, as if his words hadn’t been directed at me at all.

But on the other hand, Dennis leaned back in his chair, one arm draped over the backrest, his voice light but edged.

"If my brother says he’s unwell, then he’s unwell. Migraines aren’t exactly something you can bark away."

Randall glanced at him silently, but in the end, he said nothing.

The silence that followed was heavy, but I broke it calmly. "I will be tending to Draven today." I inclined my head slightly. "Excuse me, father."

I turned and left the dining room without waiting for a response.

As I walked away, a thought crossed my mind, sharp and unpleasant. ’What kind of father measures worth only by endurance?’

I sighed quietly and pushed the thought aside.

Instead of allowing the servants to bring breakfast upstairs, I went straight into the kitchen myself. Several of them rushed toward me immediately, voices overlapping as they offered to help.

"I will handle it," I said gently but firmly. "Thank you."

I carried the tray back upstairs myself.

In the bedroom, I set the food down and turned to Draven. "Come eat."

He listened, though he only managed to eat one banana. Still, he sat beside me on the sofa, and we ate together from one plate, close enough that our shoulders brushed.

Afterwards, he moved out to the balcony and sat down, gazing over the estate grounds, quiet and distant but calmer than before.

I returned the tray to the kitchen. Then I turned down the corridor leading to the other wing of the house.

Xamira’s room.

My steps were steady now. Whatever I needed to do next would require answers, and the help of the very weapon I had chosen to keep alive.

This time, I wasn’t going to ask. I was going to use what I had claimed.

---

Xamira was sitting on the edge of her bed, a book open in her hands, when I stepped into her bedroom.

Her nanny was there, standing near the window. The moment she noticed me, she bowed deeply. "Good morning, Luna."

Xamira reacted a second later. She closed the book at once, slid off the bed, and curtsied properly, her movements careful and practised. "Luna."

I inclined my head slightly. "You may both rise."

They did.

I let my gaze rest on Xamira first. She looked healthier than the last time I saw her, but there was a tightness in her posture that hadn’t been there before. Her shoulders were stiff. Her fingers kept curling against the spine of the book she still held.

I turned to her nanny. "You won’t need to watch over her for the next few days. Xamira will be under my personal care."

The words landed softly but firmly.

The nanny blinked once, then nodded without hesitation. "As you wish, Luna."

Xamira’s head snapped up. Her eyes widened just a fraction before she quickly lowered her gaze again.

The nervousness rolled off her in waves—sharp, unmistakable. If she had been human, I might have thought she was simply anxious about a change in routine. But I knew better.

To spare her the tension of speaking in front of her nanny, I added calmly, "Please inform the kitchen to prepare some light, easy-to-eat pastries. Have them packaged and sent to my room."

"Yes, Luna." The nanny bowed again, then turned and left the room without another word. The door closed softly behind her.

I shifted my attention fully back to Xamira. She was standing very still now, her hands clasped in front of her, eyes lowered, breath measured, as if bracing herself for something unseen.

I took a slow step forward. "There’s no need to be nervous," I said evenly.