Chapter 179

She’s MINE

Addison couldn’t remember. Her circumstances were different now. And no matter how much emotion was in Lance’s eyes, she couldn’t answer the plea he laid bare before her.

She opened her mouth, trying to find the words—

But before she could speak, a shadow flashed past her.

Something lunged at Lance.

In the blink of an eye, it tackled him to the ground, pinning him as fists flew in a blur.

Addison was stunned for a split second, but instinct took over, and she immediately rushed to help Lance, thinking they were under attack.

But as she got closer, her eyes widened in shock.

It was Zion.

He looked murderous, feral even.

“Don’t touch my mate!” he growled, his voice warped with Shura’s, deep, beastly, and raw with primal rage. His golden eyes gleamed dangerously, a clear sign that Shura was close to breaking through.

Addison quickly grabbed Zion’s raised arm, stopping him before he could land another brutal punch.

Lance, though momentarily caught off guard by the surprise attack, wasn’t weak, far from it. After the first blow landed squarely, he recovered fast, catching Zion’s fist mid-swing and locking it in place just as Addison intervened.

Neither of them had sensed Zion approaching. His scent had been completely masked, making his ambush all the more unexpected.

“She’s mine! Mine!” Zion roared, his voice a thunderous blend of rage and possessiveness.

The sight of Lance touching Addison, his Addison, and the mere idea that another man would dare lay claim to her shattered the last remnants of Zion’s control. His vision blurred with fury, and before he even realized it, he had already lunged at Lance.

Shura was fully in offensive mode now, flooding Zion’s mind with primal instinct and rage, determined to eliminate the threat standing between them and their mate.

“Zion! Stop!” Addison shouted, her voice sharp with authority and her eyes burning with anger.

The moment Zion met her gaze, his aggressive expression faltered. He winced, lips pressed tightly together, clearly reluctant to get off Lance. With one last petty jab to Lance’s side, he finally let go, only because he heard Addison click her tongue in annoyance. He knew if he pushed any further, she’d only grow more upset with him.

“What are you even doing here?” Addison demanded, narrowing her eyes. “Don’t tell me… you’re stalking me?”

She didn’t want to sound self-important, but she genuinely couldn’t come up with another reason why he’d appear at that exact moment.

“I… No… I was just taking a walk and got lost,” Zion stammered, scrambling for an excuse. Of course, he couldn’t exactly admit he had been sneaking around the Main Palace. That would only make things worse.

But before Addison could respond, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed behind Zion.

The Alpha King and Queen appeared, concern etched on their faces, and they weren’t alone. Maxwell was with them, having arrived for a visit. He’d heard the commotion too, and when Addison’s angry voice rang through the garden, they rushed over to see what was happening. Maxwell’s eyes immediately locked onto Addison, clearly worried. It was obvious he’d come not just for a casual visit, but to get closer to his mate.

“Alpha Zion!” another voice called out.

Levi jogged into view, finally catching up to the chaos. He’d been looking for Zion since the conference meeting ended, and knowing him well, Levi had guessed he would head straight for Addison. Unfortunately, he’d been right.

Seeing the scene unfold, Addison upset, Lance rumpled, and Zion looking guilty, Levi dragged a hand down his face in exasperation. ’Why is it always something with him?’ he thought. Zion’s impulsiveness was one thing, but when Shura was triggered, things often spiraled out of control faster than anyone could manage.

But Zion felt wronged.

His reaction had been instinctive, territorial, and possessive. It was natural for a mate to feel that way, wasn’t it? He wanted to defend himself, to explain why he’d snapped. He even considered repeating what Lance had said to Addison, right there in front of everyone.

After all, the other two were her mates too, and he figured once they heard what Lance had suggested, they’d feel the same primal urge to pound him into the ground until even his parents wouldn’t recognize him.

But then… Zion’s gaze shifted to Addison.

If he said anything now, he’d only put her on the spot and make things even more awkward for her. So, he swallowed his frustration and stopped himself just in time. He pressed his lips into a tight line, keeping quiet as he accepted the reprimand, especially from his Beta, who looked like he’d turned the entire Royal Grounds upside down trying to track him down before he did anything reckless.

Too bad he was a minute too late.

Still, Zion couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. He knew he had to work twice as hard now to redeem himself. That meant seizing opportunities, even creating them if he had to. But as always, his timing couldn’t have been worse.

“Your Majesty!”

Archmage Elric appeared out of thin air with a gasp, stumbling forward as a portal closed behind him. Right on his heels came the Royal Advisor, equally breathless, as if they had been running for their lives. Their sudden arrival effectively saved Zion from being thoroughly scolded by the Alpha King, the Queen, and Addison.

But the alarm in Elric’s expression quickly shifted everyone’s attention.

Some of them knew the Alpha King had sent Elric and the advisor to negotiate with the Gypsy Chieftain regarding the biochemical agent. The fact that they had returned so soon, and in such a state, could only mean one thing: something had gone wrong.

The Alpha King stepped forward, ready to usher Elric and the advisor into a private chamber to debrief them, but before he could say a word, Elric, still flustered and in a rush, spoke up.

“Your Majesty, the Chieftain refuses to negotiate with us,” he said urgently. “He insists on speaking directly with the Princess.”

Elric then turned to Addison, his expression a mix of hesitation, curiosity, and something else, something complicated.

…

Two Hours Earlier

“Old bones, hurry up and walk faster!” Elric barked, casting an impatient glance at the royal advisor hobbling beside him.

They had just exited the portal and stepped onto a vast stretch of open grassland. In the distance, a cluster of tents rose like small mountains across the field. Made from tough animal hides and supported by massive bones of slain monsters, the tents weren’t just shelters, they were a statement. A warning. A show of strength to any outsider who dared approach.

“This place always gives me the creeps,” the advisor muttered under his breath.

Elric ignored him, eyes narrowing as they drew closer to the Gypsy camp. Though nomadic, the tribe was anything but primitive. These people were the ’Tigren’, not werewolves, but another kind of shifter altogether. With skin kissed by the sun and bodies built like warriors, they possessed the strength of mountain tigers and the ferocity of lions.

War-driven and prideful, the Tigren took great honor in their power. But they were also free spirits, wild and untamed. They roamed where the wind took them, never settling, always chasing freedom in the open wilds.

Elric exhaled slowly. Negotiating with them was never easy.