The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven-Chapter 73: An Opportunity for Wanda’s Revenge

Meredith.

How dare he say he would stop pampering me?

He is moments away from consuming me with his controlling arrogance and wounded pride and he says it’s pampering?

I stormed into my quarters, fists clenched, my heart still pounding from the argument.

I hated him. I hated Draven.

The way he pulled me back like I was nothing. Like he had the right to touch me in anger. My wrist still throbbed from the weight of his fingers.

But all of that rage dissolved the moment I opened the door to find Azul, Kira, Deidra, Arya, and Cora standing in the sitting room.

Their eyes flew to me.

"My lady!" Azul cried first and rushed forward.

"Where have you been?" Kira asked, her voice trembling.

"We’ve been searching for you everywhere," Deidra added. Her eyes were red, rimmed with unshed tears.

I froze, blinking, trying to process the situation.

Azul held my arm gently as Kira stood beside me, eyes wide. Arya and Cora hovered near the corner, their faces pale with fear.

"I—I... Um..." My voice faltered. "I went to Duskmoor’s town. With Dennis."

Azul sniffed, visibly relieved. "You are safe. That’s all that matters."

"She must be tired," Kira said quickly, motioning toward the couch. "Let’s take her lady to sit."

They didn’t wait for my reply. They guided me to the sofa and helped me ease down like I might shatter.

I looked at each of them—the panic in their expressions, the way they clustered around me like anxious birds. It struck me then. I hadn’t told them. I hadn’t informed anyone about my whereabouts.

It made me realize why Draven was so mad at me earlier, but that wasn’t enough reason to justify his actions.

"I’m sorry," I whispered. "For making you all worry. I wasn’t thinking clearly, and I should have told someone before leaving. I will do better next time."

Their eyes softened, but they didn’t say much.

Just then, Azul took my hand, and I felt her pause.

She turned it over gently, and her eyes widened at the angry red ring blooming around my wrist.

"My lady," she breathed. "What happened?"

The others looked. Kira gasped. Deidra covered her mouth. Cora took a step closer.

I pulled my hand back.

"It’s nothing."

I almost told them. Almost said it aloud: Your Alpha did this to me. But something in me clamped the words down. Shame? Rage? Confusion? I didn’t know.

I forced a smile and looked at them instead. "You’ve all really been looking for me?"

They nodded solemnly.

"The whole house was worried," Kira said. "The Alpha deployed all the warriors to search the estate. Everyone thought something terrible had happened."

"Oh..." I said quietly. That part I hadn’t expected. He was that worried?

Then why confront me like I was the criminal?

I shook the thought away. I didn’t want to think about Draven. Not tonight. Not anymore.

Cora and Arya went to prepare my bath. Kira and Deidra stayed and helped me undress.

The moment I sank into the tub, the peppermint bath oil wrapped around me in a warm haze, seeping into my muscles, tugging at my exhaustion. My eyelids drifted closed.

But Kira tapped my shoulder softly. "My lady, please don’t sleep off. You still need to eat."

I opened my eyes with a sigh.

The thought of sitting at the dining table—with him—made my stomach twist.

"I’m not hungry," I said. "Just let me rest tonight."

Deidra and Kira exchanged a look, but neither argued.

Deidra smiled gently. "At least have some bananas. It’s not good to sleep on an empty stomach."

I nodded slowly. "Alright."

After the bath, Azul dried and dressed me in one of the soft night robes. Then she pulled out the balm.

She rubbed it carefully around my bruised wrist, her fingers gentle. The cooling touch stung and soothed at once.

When she reached for my cheek, I leaned away.

"I don’t want it there, Azul."

She froze. But to her credit, she didn’t ask questions. She simply nodded and closed the jar.

I sat quietly on the bed as Deidra brought me three peeled bananas and a glass of water. I ate them one by one, the bland sweetness sitting gently in my stomach.

When I finished the last bite, I yawned.

Azul and Kira tucked me in with quiet care. One by one, the maids excused themselves and left me alone in the dark.

---

The next morning, the peace didn’t last.

I had barely stepped out of my bedroom and into my sitting room when the door opened again—without knocking.

Wanda.

She walked in like she owned the place, her smirk already in place.

"I must say," she drawled, arms crossed, "you were very immature yesterday. Running off and turning this whole house upside down looking for you?"

I stiffened. "I didn’t ask you to look for me."

"No," Wanda said, eyes gleaming. "But now, you must pay for it."

I frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

Wanda tilted her head, almost mockingly. "You will see in a moment." Then, she raised her voice. "Boys, come in."

The door opened again—and this time, three warriors stepped in.

My stomach dropped.

The atmosphere shifted immediately. Cora and Arya were behind me. Kira, Azul, and Deidra turned, frozen in place.

Wanda’s voice hardened. "Seize them."

"No—!" I started, but the guards were already moving.

Azul cried out. Kira was dragged back. Cora whimpered. Arya tried to resist, but one of the warriors caught her arm.

"What do you think you are doing?!" I shouted, stepping forward.

Wanda turned to me, expression smug. "Punishing your servants for letting you out of their sight. You went missing. This is their punishment."

"I wasn’t missing!" I hissed.

Wanda shrugged. "Well, we thought you were. That was enough for all of us to spend nearly an hour searching for you. The entire estate was on alert. So yes, you were ’missing’ enough."

I looked to my maids. Their faces were pale with fear. Fury coiled in my gut, rising fast, sharp and bright.

"You think you can just walk in here and take them from me?" I growled. "How dare you?"

Wanda leaned closer, her smile sharp. "Oh, I dare. You are guilty one, Meredith. Your recklessness caused this. Maybe when your servants suffer for you, you will think twice next time before acting."

My nails dug into my palms.

Wanda wasn’t punishing them. She was punishing me—because I had embarrassed her, and because she couldn’t touch me directly.

This was her way of getting back at me for speaking her words back to her at the mall.

"You are nothing but an entitled outsider," she added coldly. "And not even worth the Alpha’s headache."

Wanda was deliberately provoking me, knowing that it would hurt me to se my maidservants being maltreated.

I wanted to slap her.

I wanted to tear into her.

Instead, I forced the words out through my teeth. "Does the Alpha know about this? Did Draven give this order?"

Wanda chuckled. Her voice grated like gravel.

"The Alpha doesn’t need to micromanage every rule enforcement. And trust me, he and I both care about order. Something someone like you wouldn’t understand."

Her arrogance burned hotter than the bath water from last night.

She was proud. Gleeful. Drunk on the little power she was allowed to wield.

Then she raised her hand. "What are you waiting for? Take them away."

And just like that, my maidservants were dragged from my quarters under the weight of helplessness.