Chapter 31

Spotting two patrolling warriors in the distance, Shura lunged. His massive frame crashed into them like a storm. With terrifying strength, he slashed through flesh and bone with his razor-sharp claws.

In seconds, the warriors were reduced to mangled, unrecognizable remains, as if they’d been caught in a whirlwind of death.

Blood-soaked Shura’s fur, and the stench of it—thick, iron-heavy—mixed with his uncontrollable bloodlust. The pressure of his presence alone was enough to make anyone in his path drop to their knees in terror.

Roar!

“WHERE IS MY MATE?!!!”

The Alpha had lost control.

And now, nothing could stop him.

…

Alpha Zion’s POV

Addison, where the hell are you?! You have yet to pay off your debt; shouldn’t you be staying by my side until death do us part?

I really can’t understand how our mate bond has been severed just like that without needing for me to accept the rejection, this was something that never happened in the past, no records and no events, so I can’t understand.

Right now, all I could think about was to see Addison, and asked her, but before that, I wanted to sooth her pain, being whipped by silver as a werewolf was as painful as hell and more than that, she’s a wolfless one, she’s so fucking weak that I always worry that a gust of wind might even carry her away, but to think that my fucking Beta had the guts to punish my mate, my Luna to such extent.

I will not forgive him, nor would I give him a fast end.

I still remember the day I first saw her in my father’s arms. She was unconscious, lying weak and fragile in his arms.

Her beautiful brown, wavy hair shimmered, long and lustrous, while her long, curly lashes framed her pale, smooth face like fine porcelain. Her skin was like jade, flawless and delicate, and her plump, red lips were moist with life.

But there was blood splattered across her body, staining her pristine appearance. She seemed so small, so fragile, that I hadn’t even noticed my father was gravely injured, nor that the guards who always accompanied him had disappeared.

It wasn’t until my father collapsed and my mother screamed in horror that I snapped back to reality, only to find him lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

It was only then that I realized the full extent of my father’s injuries. His wounds weren’t healing quickly enough, and even the healers and doctors couldn’t make a difference.

Their efforts were futile, for the wolfsbane in his blood was severely hampering his wolf’s ability to heal. As I stood there, I looked down at Addison, forgotten by everyone else, her small form lying lifeless on the ground.

I was the only one who crouched down to gather her into my arms. She felt so soft, so perfectly right in my embrace, and her scent — intoxicating and familiar — stirred something deep within me, even making Shura stir restlessly.

But my mind was too clouded with worry over my father’s condition to fully appreciate it. My stomach churned and my heart fluttered, but there was no time to focus on that now.

When I brought her to my room to rest, it didn’t even occur to me that I had allowed a woman into my private space — a place I usually kept guarded, unwilling to let anyone in. But with her, it felt like an exception.

I didn’t understand it then, whether I was treating her differently because my father had nearly sacrificed himself to save her, or if it was simply because she was special to me.

When I left to check on my father, I found him awake. But instead of the relief I expected, I saw my mother crying even harder, and everyone else was so solemn, a thick, heavy sadness filling the air.

With each step I took toward them, I felt as though my feet were dragging, weighed down by a growing dread.

Was I afraid?

I couldn’t say, but the grief in the room was palpable. And then, my father’s eyes met mine. He smiled, the same gentle, confident smile he always wore — the smile of our Alpha, righteous and strong, the unshakable pillar of our Midnight River Pack.

But then, I noticed his smile shift to something apologetic.

He didn’t utter a word, but it felt like he was conveying a thousand unspoken thoughts, each one weighing down on me.

I was overwhelmed, and before I realized it, tears were streaming down my face.

Did he even need to say anything?

No.

I could already tell.

My father was dying. His body had endured so much damage that even the doctors and healers could do little. I barely managed to hear him recount the events leading to this moment.

He had gone out to drive off the vampires that had breached our territory, only to find them attempting to force a young woman into their grasp. She fought with everything she had, but she couldn’t shift, and she had no power to resist.

She was lucky that my father arrived when he did, or she would’ve been taken by those monsters. She passed out just as she saw him and his men approach.

When she regained consciousness, my father managed to ask her name, but she couldn’t remember anything. All she knew was that her name was Addison.

I didn’t even understand why my father risked his life to save that young woman. It wasn’t like she was anyone special, not in the way that would justify such a sacrifice.

How could it make sense, letting dozens of warriors die and the Alpha of the pack nearly losing his life to save one single woman?

Was it because the vampires were on our land? No, that didn’t seem to be the reason either.

I couldn’t wrap my head around what my father was thinking. The young woman didn’t wake up until days later, but by then, my father had already passed.

Before he died, he left a few letters for my mother, and he entrusted me with his final wish: that I make this young woman my chosen mate, no matter the cost.

What the fucking hell was wrong with my father? Did he even have a conversation with that woman when he saved her?

Did she promise him something, or was she somehow manipulating everything behind our backs?

There are so many things I just don’t understand, and before I could even process any of it, my father was gone. All my questions were left unanswered, and before I could even begin to grieve, the weight of leading the entire pack, the pressure, and everything else was thrust upon me.

I had no choice but to search for that girl, staring at her with a whirlwind of emotions.

Who do I even hate?

Why did everything unfold so quickly? Why did my father have to die? The weight of all these emotions, bottled up inside, was almost too much to bear, threatening to drive me mad.

So maybe, in the end, I chose the only way I knew how to cope – to direct all my anger toward the one I saw as the root of it all. Addison.

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Thank you so much, Mich34, FormerlyBlonde, and Jennifer_Toney_9894, for the Golden Ticket and the support! It’s very much appreciated!