CHAPTER 251: THEIR FOCUS FOR DUSKMOOR

(Third Person).

Margaret pressed her lips together, swallowing whatever protest had risen to her tongue. Instead, she shifted the topic.

"So... when is Draven returning to Duskmoor?"

"Tomorrow morning."

Her eyes widened. "That’s too soon."

Gabriel’s stare hardened, his voice dropping. "Are you suggesting Gary and Mabel shouldn’t leave with him tomorrow?"

"No," she replied quickly.

"Good," he snapped. "Because I went to see Draven today because you and your children were the ones begging me yesterday to let them go to Duskmmor, so why do you seem like you’re regretting it?"

Margaret didn’t deny the request she made. She kept her voice even. "I was only saying the journey feels sudden—Gary and Mabel may not be prepared."

"Then if they are not ready now, then, they will never go," Gabriel cut in coldly. "We will wait for the war to start, and if Meredith survives it and comes back to Stormveil, you can see her then."

The air between them thickened. Margaret lowered her gaze, unwilling to spark his temper further.

"Where are they?" he asked abruptly.

"Out, getting a few things," she answered.

"When they return, tell them to see me at once."

She nodded silently. Gabriel stood, the leather of his chair creaking under his weight, and strode from the room.

The echo of his boots down the corridor lingered long after he had gone, leaving Margaret staring at the cup of tea cooling beside her.

---

The sound of the front door opening echoed faintly through the Carter estate’s spacious halls.

Moments later, Gary, Monique, and Mabel stepped into the living room, the late afternoon sun at their backs.

Gary carried two sleek black shopping bags, Mabel had a few pastel-colored ones swinging from her hands, and Monique, impeccably dressed as always, had a designer tote resting on her arm.

Margaret’s was posture stiff, hands resting neatly on her lap. The cool, faint scent of the rose tea still lingered from earlier, but her expression was taut.

"Mother," Gary greeted as they approached. "You look... unhappy. Did something happen?"

Margaret’s eyes flicked between Gary and Mabel, her voice calm but carrying a weight. "Your father is inside. He wants to see you."

Gary exchanged a puzzled look with Mabel.

"Do you know why?" Mabel asked, shifting her shopping bags to one hand as she glanced back to their mother.

"Yes," Margaret replied evenly. "You and Gary will be leaving for Duskmoor tomorrow morning with Alpha Draven."

The three siblings froze for a moment.

"What?" Mabel breathed, her surprise giving way to a growing smile.

Monique moved first, lowering her shopping bags onto the coffee table and slipping gracefully into one of the armchairs.

"So Father actually went to see Draven? To convince him? That is surprising."

Margaret gave a single nod.

"I didn’t think he’d really do it," Mabel admitted, her grin widening. "But he did... and now, finally, I will set foot in Duskmoor."

She spoke the name with a mixture of awe and excitement, as though it were a distant jewel she had always wanted to see.

Then, she and her brother set their bags down beside the sofa and turned toward the corridor.

"We will go see Father now," Gary said to their mother.

Margaret gave a faint nod of dismissal, and the two left the room. Their footsteps faded until the only sound left was the faint rustle of fabric as Margaret smoothed her skirt.

Monique, still seated, fixed her gaze on her mother. "You’re worried about Meredith, aren’t you?"

Margaret’s brow furrowed slightly. "Where is that question coming from?"

"From observation," Monique replied without hesitation. "I, Mabel, and Gary have noticed—you’ve been very unsettled whenever her name comes up. It’s like your heart is softening toward her."

Margaret was silent for a moment, her face unreadable, as though weighing her words. Then she let her features return to their usual composed mask.

"I have no reason to worry about someone who has a mate to take care of her."

Monique smirked faintly, leaning back in her chair. "So, if she didn’t have Draven, would you still be worried?"

Margaret didn’t bristle at the question—her calm was almost unnerving. She neither confirmed nor denied it.

"That isn’t important," she said smoothly. "What is important is repositioning ourselves in Meredith’s life. There is a high chance she will be Queen one day."

Monique crossed one leg over the other with slow elegance, the heel of her shoe tapping once against the carpet. She tilted her head just enough to meet her mother’s gaze, a shadow of a smile curling her lips.

"Only if she lives long enough to attain that role," she said, her voice soft—too soft—like a blade sliding from its sheath.

The room seemed to still.

Margaret inhaled sharply, the air catching in her chest. Her fingers tightened slightly over the folds of her skirt before she willed them to relax.

But even as she held her composed expression, something flickered in her eyes—a faint awareness that her daughter’s words carried more than idle scoffing.

---

Gary and Mabel stepped into their father’s study, the faint scent of polished wood and old parchment filling the air.

The large desk between them and their father felt more like a barrier than furniture, stacked neatly with documents save for one sheet placed conspicuously in the center.

Gabriel didn’t waste time on pleasantries.

"You both will be leaving with Draven to Duskmoor tomorrow," he said, his deep voice calm but edged with finality.

Gary exchanged a quick glance with his Mabel before replying, "We just heard about it from Mother."

Gabriel nodded and leaned back in his seat. "Draven was reluctant at first. He didn’t want you going, and he set a condition before agreeing."

Then his hand slid the paper across the desk toward Gary. "This is the undertaking he made me sign."

Gary picked up the document, his eyes scanning the lines. His brows drew together, and by the time he reached the end, a scoff escaped him.

"What’s this supposed to mean? Is Alpha Draven trying to make it clear that we are on our own once we get there?"

Before Gabriel could answer, Mabel reached out and took the paper from Gary. Her earlier enthusiasm dimmed with every sentence she read.

By the time she lowered the sheet, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Father... is he openly saying he won’t protect us in Duskmoor?"

Gabriel’s gaze was steady, unflinching. "He’s saying you will be responsible for yourselves if you follow his instructions to the letter and behave accordingly. If you do that, you won’t have anything to worry about."

Mabel’s jaw tightened, and Gary’s expression darkened slightly, but neither of them spoke.

Gabriel tapped the desk, his tone growing sharper. "Remember why you’re going to Duskmoor. It’s not for pleasure. You’re going to observe the relationship between your sister and Draven—and to find out whether they are truly mates. That’s your focus. Don’t lose sight of it."

The room fell silent, the weight of his words settling between them.

Gary gave a curt nod, Mabel a quieter one, and both siblings knew that in Duskmoor, every step they took would be watched—not just by Draven, but by their father’s expectations.