Chapter 418 Who Would Stay?

She didn’t expect to wipe out all their enemies in one move, but even thinning their numbers, even dealing them a significant blow, would be a victory. And right now, even a little breathing space was a precious thing.

Hearing Addison’s deduction, even Zion and Maxwell were stunned. Neither of them had examined the situation this deeply, but now that she had laid everything out, her reasoning made perfect sense. It was as if she had stepped into the perspective of someone as vile and cunning as Greg.

And the more they considered it, the more they realized she was right. If they shifted their perspective to match the people backing Greg, individuals who clearly had no honor or bottom line and would use any method necessary to achieve their goals, then this was exactly the kind of scheme they would orchestrate.

But that realization only fueled their rage. If Addison was correct, then the forces behind Greg had been preparing this plan for a very long time. Since when, they had no idea, but one thing was certain: her deduction was not only thorough, it was frighteningly plausible.

While Maxwell and Zion were looking at Addison in a new light, their eyes practically shining with admiration, Levi simply watched her with the same quiet fondness he’d always had. He had long since recognized this sharp, analytical brilliance of hers.

For a moment, a soft, doting smile touched his lips… but then his gaze dimmed slightly, and he fell silent. No one noticed his shift; however, everyone was too absorbed in the gravity of their current situation.

Their discussion continued without interruption. Everyone in the medical ward understood, without needing to be told, that these people were not to be disturbed while they recuperated.

Outside, the rest of the pack was scrambling to rebuild and reorganize. Most of the houses had burned down, and several smaller storage units were lost to the flames as well. If Maxwell hadn’t arrived in time to deal with the rogues who breached their defenses, the remaining food supplies and granary would have been reduced to ashes, too.

Now, Alpha Hue was busy directing the pack to move what supplies remained into the carriages so they could transport them to the settlement. Thankfully, the majority of the stock had already been evacuated earlier with Addison’s group.

What was left were the unharvested crops and the rations meant for those who had stayed behind. The loss wasn’t catastrophic, but in times like these, even a small loss felt like a blow they couldn’t afford.

“If that’s the case, then instead of Lance, one of us should stay with you to protect you. And you must not leave Archmage Elric’s side while you investigate,” Zion said after thinking it through. “We’ll pull Lance to help us run to the nearby packs and evacuate them along with the rest of the Golden Hue Pack. That way, things can be settled faster…”

As Zion spoke, his reasoning was clear. By having one of the three of them stay close to Addison, they could finally calm their hearts and stop overthinking. All three knew that any one of them would willingly put their life on the line to protect her. Only with that assurance could they focus fully on their own tasks.

But the question is, who would stay—

That was something all three of them desperately wanted for themselves.

“I’ll stay,” Levi said quietly. “Right now, I’m the weakest among the three of us, and helping with the evacuation might not be the best choice. There could be another ambush waiting, and… since Addison will be staying close to Archmage Elric, I’ll be well-protected too. This way, I can keep an eye on her.”

His tone carried a faint edge of self-deprecation. The confrontation with Greg had shaken him deeply; the fact that he had almost died at Greg’s hands, so helpless and humiliated, had dealt a blow straight to his confidence. For the first time, Levi felt small and so weak.

He thought he had grown stronger, that he was finally capable of protecting Addison. But it became painfully clear that his belief was only his own illusion; reality was far harsher than he expected.

And beneath his reasoning was a truth he didn’t dare voice: he was starting to wonder if he was truly worthy of being Addison’s mate.

The real reason he wanted to stay was because he needed to talk to her. His mind was nowhere near steady; self-doubt was gnawing at him from the inside out.

Addison felt the turbulence of Levi’s emotions through the mate bond, and her brows knitted slightly before she gave a small nod. Whatever Levi was struggling with, it was clear he needed her more than anything at that moment.

Zion and Maxwell, however, initially felt differently. If Levi himself admitted he wasn’t as strong as them, then logically, one of them should stay by Addison’s side to protect her. But when they saw Addison quietly agreeing with Levi, sensing how unsettled he was, they both swallowed their objections. Neither wanted to worsen Levi’s state of mind nor burden Addison further.

So they simply nodded.

They continued discussing how to proceed with the plan, but from that point on, Levi fell completely silent. His spirit seemed dimmed, his presence subdued. Zion and Maxwell did most of the talking, focusing on the logistics of the evacuation, since Addison had already stated what she intended to do.

“Alright then,” Zion began, “Alpha Hue and I will escort the rest of the Golden Hue Pack to the temporary shelter. You should take a team of Golden Hue Pack’s warriors and head to the nearby pack, escort them, along with their supplies, to the designated location.”

He paused, thinking deeper.

“But before that, we need to send word to all the nearby Alphas. Tell them to be prepared for evacuation at any moment. That way, when we arrive, they’ll already be packed and ready to move. It saves us time, and no one won’t have to wait around.”

After a brief silence, he added, “Actually… better yet, instead of picking them up one by one, let’s give them a specific time to leave their own territories. We can all meet at a single rendezvous point and travel to the temporary shelter together.”

“Moving as one big group will be harder to protect, especially with so many non-combatants, but our numbers will also make us harder to attack. With warriors from several packs and so many Alphas traveling together, I doubt anyone will dare to make a move against us.”

“I think that’s the best option for now,” Maxwell agreed. “If we all travel together, we can shorten the evacuation time and strike back against the locust swarm much faster. And even if Greg brings reinforcements, they’ll be too late by then.” He nodded in approval of the revised plan before turning to Addison.

“But that also means you’ll have much less time to search for clues and gather evidence of any magic residue left in the area. You and the other mages will need to evacuate before we give the signal to release the biochemical agents…” Maxwell’s voice carried clear worry as he spoke.