The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven

Chapter 194: Abduction Sounds Like A Plan

Draven.

I stepped closer until we were face to face. "You were never close," I said bluntly, ignoring whatever emotions that would come next from her.

Shock and anger flared in her expression.

"You keep fighting to hit me once. You forgot your defence. You forgot everything I taught you. You left yourself open every time," I said, my voice cold and measured.

She swallowed, but didn’t look away.

"If I were your real enemy, you’d already be dead. Over and over. A blade to the gut, a claw to your neck—you leave too many openings."

Her shoulders sagged slightly, but she kept her chin up.

"You can’t fight to prove something," I continued. "That’s how you die. And worse—how you get others killed."

Silence stretched between us. I watched her carefully: Her pride was wounded, her breath shaky, but she was still holding my gaze.

I let out a short breath, my decision firm in my mind.

"Enough for today," I said.

Meredith’s eyes widened. "But—"

"Enough," I repeated, tone final. "Go inside. Rest."

She hesitated, then turned and walked away, her fists clenched at her sides.

I watched until she disappeared into the house and kept my arms crossed, having concluded that she wasn’t ready.

"She actually needs to face someone who wants to hurt her," I said to Rhovan.

Rhovan’s low voice answered back. "It will indeed force her to see what real danger feels like. But we are not prepared for her reaction after that."

I hardened my gaze. I didn’t care about Meredith’s feelings at the moment. It was a secondary matter.

Tomorrow, Wanda would train her.

She needed to feel real fear and real pain—needed to see that an enemy wouldn’t give her time to think.

If she hated me for it, so be it.

I turned and left the yard, my mind already on tomorrow’s plan, with my jaw clenched in cold resolve.

---

Dinner felt longer than usual.

I barely tasted the food on my plate; my gaze kept drifting to Meredith, who sat stiff as stone at my right. She didn’t speak. Didn’t look at me, either.

She moved her spoon in slow, deliberate motions, and though her face betrayed nothing, I could read the resentment in the set of her jaw.

She was angry about earlier—about the harshness in my words and how easily I’d pointed out her flaws.

I didn’t blame her.

But I had no apology to give.

One day, she would see it: that every word, every decision, even the hardest ones, were for her sake.

For her survival.

When dinner ended, I rose without glancing at her.

Dennis and Jeffery fell in behind me as I left the room boots echoing softly on the marble floor.

In the quiet of the hallway, I finally spoke.

"Earlier today, I called Brackham," I began, voice low, measured. "Told him directly that if another human lays a hand on one of ours, they will meet death. And I will personally order it."

Dennis chuckled under his breath, the sound sharp and dark. "I wish I could’ve seen his face drain of color."

Jeffery only inclined his head, eyes narrowed slightly. "And his response?"

"He tried to grovel, of course," I said, a trace of contempt curling at the edge of my voice. "Then pretended he’d look into it. But we all know what that means."

Empty words. Like water slipping through clenched fists.

We turned down a narrower hall, light flickering above us.

"Which brings me to this," I continued. "I want our people to start gathering evidence. Names, dates, faces, clips. Anything that ties the humans to these abductions and experiments. And if any of our people are attacked, they defend themselves. Kill, if necessary. Better a corpse than a witness who might ruin our plans."

Dennis’s grin widened. "Finally, some real orders."

Jeffery’s voice cut in, calm but firm. "But even then, we can’t act blindly. We can’t let fury cloud judgment."

"Exactly," I agreed. "They will expect us to lash out recklessly. That’s why we use our heads, not just our claws. We act when it serves us, not when it merely feels good."

"And the lab?" I drew a breath, jaw tight. "Still nothing?"

Dennis shook his head. "We haven’t found anything yet."

He hesitated, then said, "What if we kidnap one of their senators? Torture him until he gives us what we need. They all know something."

The suggestion hung in the air, sharp as a drawn blade.

Kidnapping a senator... it had merit. But it was also foolish, too risky.

"Their security isn’t like before," I said. "After my threats, they are expecting something. They will be prepared. And if they suspect we’ve taken one of them, it’ll bring down a hammer we can’t afford yet."

"And trailing them?" Jeffery pressed.

"They will expect that too," I said. "They might even stage it—lead us into a trap, and then claim we were the aggressors. Give Brackham the excuse he wants to move openly against us. And remember, we are unprepared."

They both nodded, silent acceptance in their eyes. But I saw the frustration there too.

My own jaw tightened. noveldrama

Even so... the idea Dennis proposed wouldn’t leave my mind entirely.

The humans were clever—clever enough to play both sides, to pretend innocence while bleeding us dry.

Perhaps it was time to show them that wolves had teeth.

"After we catch the vampire," I said finally, my voice low and cold, "and after I take it home to Stormveil and meet with the council of elders... and I return, we plan the abduction."

Dennis’s eyes lit up with vicious anticipation. "And when we have the senator?"

"Then," I said, "we do what they’ve done to us. And worse."

Dennis gave a short, savage laugh. "I can’t wait to rip the truth out of them. Piece by bloody piece."

Jeffery’s gaze was steady, but the edge in it spoke volumes. "It will have to be quick. Silent. No traces."

"And it will be," I said.

Because when wolves hunt, they do it cleanly. And they do it together.

We reached the doors leading toward the stairs, the night pressing dark and heavy beyond the tall windows.

I stopped and turned to face them fully.

"Remember," I told them, "no matter how much rage you feel, keep your minds sharp. A blade swung blindly only cuts the wrong throat."

Dennis nodded, some of his grin fading into grim resolve, and Jeffery inclined his head.