The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven novel Chapter 508

Chapter 508: What Am I Sorry For?

[Meredith].

How long had he stood there? What had he felt? Pride? Shock? Betrayal?

I swallowed hard.

I tried to imagine it from his side—the mate bond humming with excitement that wasn’t his, the scent of adrenaline, the unmistakable truth that something monumental had changed, and that I had chosen silence instead of him.

Just as I was still wallowing in my sorrows, footsteps crunched softly nearby.

I stiffened, half-expecting to turn and find Draven standing there already. Instead—

"By the moons," Dennis groaned, staggering slightly as he came into view. One hand pressed to his temple, the other hanging uselessly at his side. "If the moon ever invites me to drink again, remind me to insult it and walk away."

I blinked. "Dennis?"

He froze, too, his eyes widening. "Meredith?"

We stared at each other for a second, equally surprised.

"What are you doing out here?" we asked at the same time.

He squinted at me, then winced. "Don’t talk so loudly. My head feels like someone’s using it as a drum."

Despite myself, a small smile tugged at my lips. "You’re still hungover?"

"Still?" he scoffed weakly. "I think I’ve crossed into punishment territory. Plum wine is a liar. Sweet on the tongue, murderous afterwards."

He shuffled closer and dropped onto a rock opposite me with a dramatic sigh. "I came out here to walk it off, to feel the fresh air and watch the trees. They are at least less judgmental than people."

My smile faded as quickly as it came.

Dennis tilted his head, studying me through half-lidded eyes. "Okay," he said slowly, "now that I’m closer, you don’t look like someone enjoying a peaceful morning stroll."

I looked away, focusing on the leaves trembling lightly above us. "I got tired."

"Of walking," he guessed.

"Of thinking," I corrected quietly.

He hummed. "Yeah. That will do it."

For once, he didn’t tease or try to push. He just sat there, rubbing his temple, letting the silence stretch comfortably between us.

After a moment, he added, "You know, for what it’s worth, I don’t usually wake up with headaches unless something went terribly or very interestingly wrong."

I let out a soft breath that was almost a laugh.

Dennis glanced at me again, more carefully this time. "You don’t have to tell me anything," he said, unexpectedly gentle. "But if you wanted to complain about my brother, I’m legally obligated as his sibling to listen."

That did make me smile a little, though crooked, but real. "I might take you up on that," I said.

He nodded solemnly. "When my head stops pounding, I will be fully operational."

I looked back at the path, my chest tightening again. I wondered if Draven was still with my grandma.

After a few seconds, I felt a pair of eyes on me, and tilted my head. Dennis was still staring at me, watching silently.

His gaze lingered on my face a second longer than necessary, the teasing edge dulling. "Alright," he said slowly. "That’s not a usual ’lost-in-the-trees’ look."

I hesitated.

Dennis sighed, clearly deciding whether to pry or not. Then he rubbed the back of his neck and asked more gently, "I can sense something is seriously wrong between you and my brother. Right?"

The question landed softly, but it still landed.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify