Chapter 199
Addison’s Real Reason
If she pushed him too hard, there was no telling what he might do.
He could snap and act out of desperation, resorting to something drastic. He might try to kidnap her, attack her mates, or even forcefully mate with her… and that would harm not just her, but her mates too, physically, emotionally, and even spiritually.
Right now, Addison could weaponize Leon’s regret, turn it into leverage, and bend him to her will. The false mate bond, though originally intended to force her hand, could now serve her purpose instead. It might not be a bond of love, but it was still a connection, one she could manipulate.
In hindsight, Leon had just cornered himself into a far more disadvantageous position.
Addison was never one to be used or backed into a corner. She had always been the type to find loopholes, to twist the game until the power was back in her hands. And now that Leon was temporarily bound to her by this false mate bond, she was certain he would begin to feel the instincts tied to it, protectiveness, possessiveness, even the urge to pamper her like a true mate.
She’d accept all of that, not out of need, but as retribution.
Let him serve, let him dote, let him stew in the consequences of his own actions. That would be his repayment for conspiring against her.
As for mating?
He could wait all he wanted.
Let that be his punishment. And if he ever dared to take another woman while still tied to her, he would quickly learn what it truly meant to be bonded to a werewolf. He dug this grave with his own hands; now he could lie in it.
As for any other schemes the Tigrens might attempt, Addison wasn’t particularly worried. They weren’t as cunning as vampires or as vile as dark witches, but that didn’t make them useless. In fact, they were perfect pawns, practically delivering themselves to her doorstep. And it would be a shame to waste such convenient tools.
Her kingdom was already facing multiple crises and a growing shortage of manpower. These warriors could be put to use. As long as she could keep Leon in check, controlling the Tigren Clan would be more than feasible.
Better this than letting tensions fester and their relationship sour, only to have a hidden enemy use that division to turn the Tigrens against her people. A full-blown conflict between their two forces would only end in mutual destruction.
No, Addison didn’t like this arrangement, but sometimes, survival demanded compromise. As the old saying goes, ’keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.’
And so, she would keep the Tigrens very close, close enough to prevent them from being turned into a blade aimed at her back.
To prevent the Tigrens from turning against the werewolves while residing in their territory, Addison knew they had to sign a formal pack treaty, one bound by life and death. Anyone who broke it would face dire consequences. Alongside this, a set of strict rules would need to be established to maintain order.
As Addison’s mind raced with contingencies and strategies, Leon’s eyes remained fixed on her. His expression was a conflicted mix of guilt and determination. She ignored him entirely.
But Zion, Maxwell, and Levi didn’t. They couldn’t. The way Leon looked at Addison—like a lost, remorseful pup—made their instincts flare. It enraged them.
What infuriated them most wasn’t just his gaze; it was the fact that he had used deceitful, underhanded tactics to force a bond with the woman they were all fated with. They hadn’t even had the chance to hold an official marking ceremony with Addison, let alone consummate their bond, and yet this man had cut in line and tried to claim her.
The fury simmering within them was barely contained. If they could, they would’ve challenged Leon to a duel and ended it with blood.
But they knew they couldn’t, not without consequence.
Because the longer they remained close to Addison, the stronger their connection became. Even without the marking ceremony or the mating ritual, the mate bond between them had begun to solidify. And if any of them were to get hurt… Addison might feel it too.
That was a risk none of them were willing to take.
Earlier, when Addison was fighting, the three of them could feel her fury burning in her chest, so intense that it surged through their own veins, making them want to unleash havoc themselves. It took everything they had to keep their rage in check. And now, as Addison calmly made a proposition, asking Leon to move into their werewolf territory, it only made their blood boil with jealousy.
Sure, Leon had just pulled a fast one on them. It was an underhanded move, no doubt. But they couldn’t deny the truth: Leon was a formidable warrior, possibly even stronger than them. In their world where power reigned supreme, they couldn’t openly oppose what Addison wanted, not yet. After all, she hadn’t fully accepted them as her mates. They didn’t feel like they had the right to stop her.
But that didn’t stop the storm inside them. Their wolves howled in jealousy and pain, their possessiveness clawing at their sanity, roaring to the surface.
As if Addison could read their thoughts, or perhaps feel their emotions through the thread that connected them, she spoke, her voice cold and resolute.
“But don’t mistake this proposition as acceptance. You said you’re being targeted. So are we. It’s only natural for us to band together against a common enemy, to survive and thrive despite the odds. But as for your problem with producing an heir, don’t even think about it.”
Her golden eyes hardened. “And don’t try pulling the same underhanded tactics on me again. If you push me too far, I won’t hesitate to sever our bond. I don’t take kindly to being forced into corners. The more you try to control me, the more I’ll resist.”
Though her words were directed at Leon, her message was also meant for her mates. She wanted to make one thing perfectly clear: none of them were to manipulate her the way Leon had just tried.
Why? Because she had realized something dangerous, this Obsidian Black wolf inside her wasn’t something she could control easily. It had taken every ounce of willpower she had just to keep it from killing Leon.
She didn’t know when or how her wolf would appear again. Earlier, it felt like the creature had a will of its own, acting independently of her thoughts and commands. Even if she wanted to summon it now, she doubted it would respond. That’s why she hadn’t shifted back to her human form right away. Her wolf had refused to relinquish control of her body, and she’d been forced to drain her energy just to take it back.
And when she finally did regain her human form, she attempted to call her wolf again, only to be met with silence. The connection felt severed, as if the beast had retreated somewhere unreachable. That alone was baffling.
She had theories, of course, but now wasn’t the time to explore them. She had already expended too much energy during the shift, and her priority now was to finish this negotiation quickly, before her strength ran out completely.