The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven-Chapter 599: Proving Herself (III)

[Third Person].

Soon, the council chamber transformed. What was once a room of deliberation was now an arena.

Chairs had been cleared. The centre space stood open beneath the high ceiling. Elders sat in a half-circle. Behind them, nobles, warriors, and invited spectators filled every available space. The air buzzed with expectation.

At the centre stood Meredith and Wanda. Then, Reginald stepped forward, his voice carrying across the chamber.

"This duel will last fifteen minutes," he announced. "It is not a fight to the death. The objective is dominance and submission. Excessive lethal force is prohibited. When the time is up, or if one party yields or is rendered unable to continue, the duel ends."

He turned to Wanda, then Meredith, hiding his smugness. "Do you understand?"

Meredith inclined her head. "I do."

"I do." Wanda’s lips curved faintly.

The guards stepped back, and silence fell.

Then, Wanda shifted. Her wolf burst forward in a ripple of muscle and dark-brown fur, strong and battle-trained. Gasps rose from parts of the audience.

Meredith did not rush as she stepped forward calmly. "Valmora," she spoke inwardly, "You must remember that no matter how excited you are, you must not show any aura."

A low, annoyed hum answered her. "As much as I’m pissed, I will try."

Meredith shifted into her white wolf. And immediately, small whispers rippled through the chamber.

"The Luna is a white wolf?"

"White wolves are rare."

"The Luna’s wolf looks... lighter."

Draven remained still, arms crossed, eyes locked on the arena.

Wanda lunged first, fast and sharply, with a direct shoulder strike meant to test strength. Meredith moved just enough, and the impact missed by a few inches.

Wanda spun and swiped, her claws slicing through the air. But Meredith bent low, pivoted, and retreated two steps. She did not counter.

Another attack from Wanda followed. And another. And each time, Meredith either deflected, slipped aside, or redirected.

To the untrained eye, it looked like she was being pressed back.

Reginald leaned forward slightly. "Yes," he muttered under his breath.

But among the older warriors in the crowd, expressions changed.

"She’s not retreating," one murmured quietly. "She’s measuring."

Wanda attacked again, this time with a feint before a rear-leg sweep. Meredith blocked, letting herself slide across the floor.

A shallow claw grazed her side, and immediately, gasps erupted. On the other hand, Draven did not panic while watching his mate deliberately take that scratch.

Meredith rose calmly as Wanda’s confidence grew. She now circled Meredith aggressively, hackles raised, breathing more heavily.

Meredith’s movements remained light and precise. She allowed Wanda to strike again, but at the last moment, she quickly deflected it. She redirected another lunge, then proceeded to sidestep another.

The pattern became obvious.

Wanda’s breathing grew uneven as her attacks lost calculation. She snarled in frustration.

The elders began whispering.

"The Luna is baiting her."

"Exactly. She is letting Miss Fellowes exhaust herself."

Randall’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully, while Reginald’s jaw tightened. ’Don’t tell me I was wrong again this time.’

Meanwhile, Wanda roared and launched forward in blind rage. And that was the moment Meredith had been waiting for.

Meredith advanced. Her body slipped beneath Wanda’s charge with frightening accuracy. A swift twist of her torso—her shoulder slammed with Wanda’s exposed joint.

Instantly, a sickening crack echoed.

Wanda yelped. But before she could recover, Meredith pivoted and struck her hind leg, her teeth sinking just enough to tear a tendon.

Wanda collapsed on one side. At the same time, shock rippled through the chamber.

Meredith did not stop. She deliberately, and unhurriedly, circled her once. Then she swiped across Wanda’s ribs with controlled force.

Another crack followed.

Wanda tried to rise, but Meredith pressed her paw against Wanda’s shoulder and pushed her back down.

The image was unmistakable. Meredith was indeed treating Wanda like her plaything, just as Draven told her.

Wanda snarled weakly, trying to snap back, but Meredith moved faster, pinning her throat to the stone floor, just enough pressure to remind her who could.

The chamber fell utterly silent. Even the whispers died.

For a fraction of a second, Valmora stirred—a small, ancient, predatory pulse. And instantly, the air thickened.

Several elders stiffened. "What was that—?"

But the sensation vanished almost immediately because Meredith was quick to suppress it. Though no one could define what they had felt, they felt it.

Draven’s lips curved faintly, while Randall’s eyes gleamed with quiet pride.

On the other hand, Wanda’s body trembled beneath Meredith’s paw. She struggled weakly, but unfortunately, she could neither rise nor retaliate.

The fifteen-minute mark had not yet been reached, but the outcome was undeniable.

Meredith leaned closer, her voice low enough that only Wanda could hear. "You should have calculated better. But then again, if there is a next time, I will take your life."

Then she stepped back and released her. Almost immediately, Wanda tried to stand, but her injured leg gave out, and she collapsed again she sheer hatred and humiliation sparking in her heart.

Just then, the timekeeper’s voice rang out shakily. "The duel... is concluded."

No one cheered. Everyone was too stunned to react.

Meanwhile, Reginald’s face had gone pale. His pride has been publicly dismantled. Even several elders avoided looking at him.

At the same time, Daven stepped forward at last with a steady voice. "My mate has proven her wolf. Proven her strength. Proven her control."

Then, his gaze swept the chamber. "You lot signed your names."

The elders who had signed shifted uneasily. One by one, some of them rose and offered a deep bow.

"I... swear loyalty to the reign of King Draven and Queen Meredith."

Others reluctantly followed, but audibly.

Randall remained seated, but his expression carried unmistakable approval.

Reginald did not speak. He simply could not. He was dealing with several negative emotions at the same time.

Meanwhile, Wanda was being helped up by attendants. She was completely unable to walk without support. Her breath was ragged, and her mind was completely in disarray.

Meredith hadn’t spared her at all. Her humiliation was complete.