The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven

Chapter 187: Confronting Brackham

Draven.

I sat behind my wide oak desk, the polished surface catching threads of pale morning light that crept in through tall windows.

The air in my study smelled faintly of old parchment, leather bindings, and the sharp tang of ink.

But beneath it, there was something else: the simmer of rage I’d been forcing myself to keep contained. noveldrama

I didn’t even have the appetite to eat properly earlier, as I usually did in my mornings—all because of this fucking hell hole called Duskmoor.

Jeffery stood across from me, holding out a thin sheaf of papers. A list of our people—wolves I had sworn to protect—who had nearly vanished off the face of this cursed city because of humans who thought they could hunt us like cattle.

I took the pages from him, the weight of the thin stack feeling far heavier than it looked. Each line told a story: an alley, a public restroom, a cab ride that nearly ended in chains.

My thumb pressed into the paper as I scanned the familiar names, jaw clenching tighter with every testimony.

"Scan them," I ordered, voice low and controlled despite the burn in my chest. "And send the file to Brackham."

"Yes, Alpha," Jeffery said without hesitation.

He moved to the side of the room where the scanner sat. The quiet hum filled the silence—a small, mechanical noise against the heavy quiet of the study. fre ewebnove l.com

Through the tall windows, I caught sight of the courtyard below: stone, shadow, and the faint silhouettes of our guards changing shifts.

Part of me wished the written testimonies were videos instead: faces, voices, raw pain captured in moving images.

But video meant exposure. It meant risking the lives of those already marked once.

No—I wouldn’t gamble them again, not for Brackham’s benefit.

Jeffery finished, stepped back to my side, and tapped keys on my laptop. "It’s sent," he announced.

"Good." My voice was flat, cold steel. "You may leave."

Jeffery gave a small nod, his gaze steady as always, and slipped out, closing the heavy study door behind him.

For a few moments, I simply stared at the closed door, letting the silence stretch.

Then I reached for the landline, the receiver cold against my palm. My thumb hovered over the familiar sequence of numbers, carved into memory from too many nights like this.

I dialled.

The line clicked. Once. Twice. And then:

"Alpha Draven!" Brackham’s voice burst through, honeyed and eager, slick with false respect. "Always an honour to hear from you. To what do I owe—"

"Check your email, Brackham," I cut him off, my tone leaving no room for pleasantries. "Now."

A pause followed, then the rustle of papers. And finally, a mouse click.

"Oh? What precious information has the Alpha sent me this morning?" he asked, still trying to keep his voice light.

I stayed silent, letting my own stillness crush his forced cheer.

Seconds ticked by, slow as dripping wax. Then came the change. His breath caught.

The mask cracked.

"What is this?" Brackham demanded, the charm bleeding out of his voice.

"That," I replied, voice quiet but carrying every ounce of my anger, "is the testimony of my people—werewolves who your people nearly abducted. Nearly drugged. Nearly dragged away like animals from your streets."

He sputtered at once, defensive. "Alpha, I assure you—my people wouldn’t dare—"

My fist came down on the oak desk with a loud crack. The force shook the inkwell beside me, droplets spotting the paper. "So my people are liars, then?" I snarled. "You are saying my people made this up?"

The silence that followed felt sharp and dangerous. My heart pounded hard in my chest, every muscle coiled tight.

"I-I didn’t mean that, Alpha," Brackham stammered at last. "I didn’t mean to imply—"

"Do you take me for a fool?" My words cut through the phone like a blade.

Rhovan stirred inside, a low, restless growl pressing against my ribs. "Those bloody liars! They are the real monsters!"

"No! No, of course not," he said quickly, voice trembling now. "Please, Alpha, understand—if this happened, it must be the work of a criminal few trying to—"

"Save it," I hissed.

I didn’t want to hear his stupid excuses anymore. I bet he was planning to pin this on the stupid black market figure just like he did with his people.

He fell silent again, the weight of it crackling down the line.

"With all due respect," I went on, leaning back in my chair, "you’ve proven incompetent in recent times. And I can no longer trust you."

"Alpha, please—" he tried, voice cracking.

"I’m not interested," I cut him off coldly. "Now listen real good because I will only say this once."

His breathing turned ragged and quick. I pictured him on the other end, pale and sweating, or even furious.

"If any human dares attack or abduct any of my people again," I said, voice low but unshakable, "they will meet their death. After this call, I will give the order myself."

I heard him swallow, the rasp of his throat caught by the phone.

"I have kept them on a leash," I continued, my gaze drifting to the old map of Duskmoor pinned on the wall, red pins marking every heartless corpse we had found.

"Held them back despite everything. Do not mistake patience for weakness. You know how much we’ve endured: hearts ripped out, our people vanishing without a trace."

The silence continued. He didn’t try to breathe a word this time.

"I’m done tolerating," I said. "And when the leash breaks, you will see what real power looks like."

His reply came out like gravel. "Alpha... let us find them together—"

"Find who exactly?" I asked, my voice like closing iron gates. "This conversation is over."

I set the receiver back onto its cradle. The click felt final, echoing in the quiet study.

For a long moment, I sat there, listening to the rush of blood in my ears, the quiet creak of old wood under my desk.

My anger and patience had reached their peak, and I was no longer going to tolerate any nonsense from the Humans.

I no longer cared if the war would happen right now, or come later as speculated.

And for all I cared, I had just told Brackham exactly what would happen when this war arrived.