The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven
Chapter 147: Disappointing Draven

Chapter 147: Disappointing Draven

Meredith.

The water was colder than yesterday.

It nipped at my skin as I stepped in, rising over my knees, then my waist. A hiss escaped between my teeth. I didn’t complain out loud. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

Draven stood on the side of the pool, his shadow long across the surface, arms crossed over his bare chest. He didn’t speak immediately. Just stared.

I dipped under quickly and came back up with a gasp, pushing my wet hair back. His eyes didn’t follow my movement so much as track it—silent, calculating.

"What are you waiting for?" I asked, wiping water from my face.

"Silence," he replied flatly.

I blinked at him.

"Ten minutes," he added. "Float. Still. Don’t speak. Don’t sink."

"That’s all?"

He raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching like he almost wanted to smile—but didn’t.

"Unless you plan to drown," he said. "Yes. That’s all."

I moved to the centre, arms out, spine straightening.

I tilted backwards slowly until my ears sank beneath the surface and the sounds of the world dulled to a low murmur.

My eyes stayed open, watching the overcast sky stretch endlessly above me. The water cradled my body like it was deciding whether or not to trust me.

One breath in. One breath out. Hold.

Somewhere nearby, I heard a drop of water hit the tile. His foot shifting, maybe. Or him adjusting his stance.

I didn’t dare look. He was watching me though.

I could feel it like heat against my skin, even with the water stealing most of my warmth. He was looking for a twitch. A jerk. Any indication that I hadn’t mastered control.

But I didn’t give it to him.

The only thing I gave him was stillness.

By the seventh minute, my arms began to burn. By the eighth, my thighs twitched under the surface. My back protested, my breath quickened. I forced everything still again. No twitching. No panic. Only breath.

The ninth minute stretched long and slow like it wanted to punish me for trying.

Then—

"Time."

His voice was low, firm. Absolute.

I sat up in the water, shivering as it rolled off my body. My legs felt like lead beneath me.

Draven’s expression didn’t change. No nod. No smirk. No faint tilt of approval.

Just that same impassive face. Eyes like stone.

"You will do it again. Same time tomorrow," he said. "With weights."

I swallowed, but nodded. "Fine."

"And your breathing still stutters on the third count. Fix that."

I climbed out without another word, the towel already slung where I left it. I grabbed it and wrapped it over my shoulders.

He followed me with his eyes, but said nothing else. Not even a single word of praise or a hint of acknowledgement.

Which meant one thing.

He’d been hoping I’d fail.

But I didn’t.

---

The walk back to my room was long enough for the towel to start losing its chill.

Water dripped from the ends of my hair and dampened the marble floors in my wake. Servants I passed gave polite nods, but no one spoke.

Draven’s silence clung to me like wet fabric until I walked faster and lost him.

Arriving at my bedroom, I pushed the door open and stepped into the soft warmth of my chambers.

Deidra looked up from the wardrobe, arms full of folded linens. "My Lady," she greeted with a bright smile, immediately crossing the room.

"Here, let me take that—" she gently tugged the towel from my shoulders and began to dry the ends of my hair with motherly precision.

Azul was plumping the pillows. Kira was by the window, untying the drapes to let in more light. Cora stood by the vanity, dusting the surface. Arya emerged from the closet with a new robe over one arm.

They all paused when they saw me. Five pairs of eyes waited.

Deidra glanced down at the now-damp towel in her hands. "How was your swimming session this morning?"

I dropped onto the sofa with a soft exhale, leaned back into the cushions, and crossed one leg over the other.

"Today," I said lightly, "I disappointed your Alpha."

Deidra’s hands stilled. "Huh?"

Azul’s lips thinned. Kira stepped forward slightly, her brows drawing together.

"My lady," she asked carefully, "did you anger the Alpha by failing your lessons today?"

They looked genuinely concerned. I blinked, surprised by their expressions—tight-lipped worry and something else... disappointment.

Not in him, I realized. In me.

I let the silence hang for another heartbeat, then allowed a smirk to slide across my lips.

"It’s not in the way you think," I said, drawing it out.

Azul narrowed her eyes. "Then how did you disappoint the Alpha?"

"I scaled my lesson today." I paused, waited. "Perfectly."

There was a flicker of confusion before understanding lit in their eyes.

I leaned back deeper into the cushions and folded my arms across my damp robe. "He tried to find fault and didn’t. So now he’s all grumpy."

For a moment, nothing. Then Arya burst out laughing, her high-pitched giggle breaking the tension in the room. Deidra covered her mouth and let out a soft laugh of her own.

Cora chuckled quietly behind her sleeve. Kira’s laughter was more refined, but no less sincere. Azul shook her head and smiled like someone who’d known exactly how it would all unfold.

"Poor Alpha," Arya sighed dramatically. "It must be exhausting being right all the time—until you come along and ruin it for him."

Deidra nudged me gently with her elbow. "You really gave him nothing?"

"Not a twitch."

"Not even a cough?" Kira teased.

"I think he was counting the seconds, hoping I’d sink," I said with mock solemnity.

They laughed again. The sound of it filled the room, light and warm, and for once, I didn’t feel like I was walking on the edge of a blade.

I’d passed Draven’s test.

And maybe—just maybe—this was my first real victory since I woke up this morning.

And I planned on scoring a few more points that would make Draven know for a fact that today was my day.

Maybe I could finally prank him. Today sounded just like the perfect day.