Chapter 234
And now that she was outside the protection of the Royal Palace, beyond the reach of her Alpha King father, there would be no shortage of people waiting for an excuse to strike her down.
Maxwell’s jaw clenched at the thought. Zion wasn’t wrong. If they wanted to protect Addison, they needed answers. And they needed them fast.
An accusation of possession could be used against Addison, too, something that could easily lead to her execution if the wrong people found out. They needed to find a solution, and fast.
But the questions kept piling up: how long had that thing been inside her? Was it part of the curse? Had the dark witches sealed a demon within her when she was abducted six years ago? And if so, for what purpose?
Were they planning to set her up, make it look like she was possessed, so others would turn on her and have her killed?
But if that was the goal… then why abduct her at all?
Why not frame her from a distance?
None of it made sense. Not yet.
“I guess I’m the only one who can answer your questions properly.”
Addison’s soft voice cut through their silence, snapping all three men out of their thoughts. Their heads whipped around to look at Addison. She was still in the same spot, unmoving, but her eyes were wide open and clear.
None of them knew exactly when she had woken up. Maybe she’d been awake the moment they started whispering. After all, she was a werewolf too, with keen hearing. And in the tight space they shared, there was no way she hadn’t heard everything.
A heavy guilt settled in their chests, as if they’d just been caught red-handed. Zion, especially, felt the weight of it. He was the one who brought it up. Now, it felt like he had betrayed her trust—spoken behind her back only for her to hear it firsthand.
His hand trembled slightly as his Adam’s apple bobbed nervously.
“Addie…” Zion called out, his voice barely above a whisper, lashes fluttering as he met her gaze.
Addison shook her head softly. She knew this was the best time to be honest with her three mates. Keeping secrets would only cause more misunderstandings, and she could already sense their confusion turning into quiet suspicion. Left unchecked, their speculations might spiral into something far worse.
To be honest, if this hadn’t been happening to her own body, she might have believed the same thing, that she was possessed by a succubus. What happened the other night mirrored the exact behavior described in dark folklore: seductive, uncontrollable, and draining.
And if others found out, she’d have no way of defending herself. It was only a matter of time before rumors turned dangerous.
That’s why she had to pull her mates to her side. They needed to know the truth, not just for her own sake, but because having them as allies was far better than fighting this alone. Refusing the help of people willing to protect her would be foolish.
And if she didn’t come clean now, someone else might use this secret to drive a wedge between them. Left in the dark, misunderstandings could fester, and from there, everything could fall apart.
Besides, just like what Maxwell had been thinking, Addison also understood, deep down, that no matter how much she tried to deny it, she was already bound to the three of them. She couldn’t reject any of them outright, not when fate had already tied them together.
That bond meant their destinies were now intertwined; if something were to happen to her, if she died, her fated mates could suffer unbearable heartbreak, one that might even lead to their own death. Because of that, she wasn’t afraid of betrayal from any of them.
Considering all the possibilities, it truly was wiser to let them in on what was happening. Perhaps they could help her make sense of the changes in her body, or even assist in uncovering the truth.
More importantly, they could help protect her secret, at least until she confirmed whether her suspicions were right. In a world where one wrong rumor could cost her everything, having them on her side was no longer just an option—it was necessary.
After making up her mind, Addison let out a heavy, resigned sigh before slowly crawling closer to her three mates. Although they had yet to seal their bond through marking, the connection between them had already deepened—enough that they could sense one another’s emotions.
They could feel her nervousness, the way her breath trembled slightly, and how her heart seemed to beat faster.
Sensing her unease, Zion, Maxwell, and Levi remained quiet, each of them pursing their lips as they watched her intently. They didn’t want to interrupt; whatever she had to say, they wanted to hear it all. If there was even the slightest chance they could help her, they would take it without hesitation.
“Honestly, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared,” Addison began, her voice quiet but steady. A hollow chuckle escaped her lips, and instantly, the expressions on her three mates darkened, tinged with concern and the unspoken promise of protection.
It was as if their wolves were silently howling for her not to fear, silently vowing that they were here, and she wasn’t alone.
Seeing the seriousness etched on their faces grounded her, giving her the courage to continue. “I’m not even sure what’s happening to me, not really. Aside from the curse that’s been sealing my wolf all these years, I haven’t felt anything unusual… or maybe I just didn’t notice. But now, after everything that’s happened, I can’t help but suspect that all of it might be tied to my wolf somehow.”
Her voice grew quieter near the end. She hadn’t realized when she’d dropped her gaze to the wooden floor, too afraid to meet their eyes. A part of her feared what she might see in their eyes, doubt, suspicion, or worse, fear.
And if she saw that, she knew it might shatter the fragile clarity and courage she’d mustered to speak at all. So she kept her eyes down, determined to finish before she lost her nerve completely.
“Your wolf?” Zion echoed, blinking in surprise as he looked at Addison. He hadn’t expected that answer, not at all. It wasn’t that he wanted to believe she was possessed by a succubus, but somehow, the idea that her own wolf could be responsible was even harder to accept. No wolf they knew of had such abilities… nothing close.
But then again, nothing about Addison had ever followed the norm. From the moment they discovered she had three fated mates, all the rules they knew were already broken. So maybe… just maybe, her wolf was different too.
“Can you explain it in more detail?” Maxwell asked gently, reaching out to take one of Addison’s hands in his. His grasp was steady, warm, offering silent strength and reassurance.
Addison looked up, surprised by the touch, only to meet Maxwell’s gaze. There was no fear or suspicion in his eyes, only trust, understanding, and a quiet plea for honesty. In that moment, all the anxiety she had been holding onto began to loosen its grip.