168 Chapter 168 Bumping With…
168 Chapter 168 Bumping With…
And more than that… Addison couldn’t, for a second, believe that nothing happened between Zion and Claire. Weren’t they already entangled while she was still there?
Fear and heartbreak.
‘A leopard doesn’t change its spots. And neither does a cheater.‘
Did it require letting her torment the real Luna, his then–mate?
Addison never liked assuming the worst in people. But when it came to Zion, she didn’t want to see the good in him.
The use of his title and the cold formality in her voice hit Lance like a hammer to the chest. The corner of his mouth twitched, his expression faltering for a moment before he composed himself. He swallowed hard, blinking back the emotion that threatened to surface.
The familiar voice made Addison blink and look up. There stood Lance, smiling at her with a wide, goofy grin that tugged at her memory. But his smile didn’t last long, his nose twitched, and a frown quickly furrowed his brow. The look he gave her was a complicated swirl of emotions: hurt, confusion, and something else she couldn’t quite place.
They collided hard.
She gave him a small, polite smile. “Vice Captain Lance. Hello.”
And then what?
“Ugh!” Addison winced as she took two steps back, instinctively closing her eyes the impact.
from
Because she was afraid, afraid that the moment she let her guard down, the moment she believed he’d changed… she’d forgive him too easily. Accept him too quickly. “I’ll let you live a life of loneliness. I’ll make sure you’re tormented, feel the pain of having a mate who’s disgusted by you, who would rather fuck someone else than touch your sorry ass. Until the day you die, you’ll suffer. I’ll make you wish you had died that day.”
1/5
<
168 Chapter 168 Bumping With…
She hated that while she was breaking apart, struggling, suffering, doing everything in
her
power to be both mother and father to their twins, her ex–mate, now, her fated mate, had been out there screwing someone else.
That’s what made it so hard to let herself draw closer to him again, let alone let her children know the man who helped create them.
But as she walked, one bitter thought echoed in her mind like a mantra:
Thank you, Lumpkin_Jasmine, 906yooper, J_C_R_, joanne_landazuri, Angelia_Jerome, DaoistQBFjZg, Maya_Taylor_3648, Lauralee1015, Trina_Holder, Autum_Sweet_Girl, Louise_Kealaher, Glenda_Mccoy, Kathy_Gurganus, Ceira_S, AstoriaSky, Sarah_Brennan_6131, LotusLin, Patricia_Simmons_5900, Susan_Cerullo,
all gave CowgirlMafia88, FShelou, and KittyCov, for all the Golden Tickets and gifts you me as a show of support!!! Thank you!!!!
In short, she hated it.
Addison remembered that she had been close to Lance before her abduction. Since her return, she’d grown used to seeing that same pained expression in others, people from her past who still hadn’t fully adjusted to the distance she now carried.
But her voice, sharp and trembling, cut through the room like a blade.
Addison quickened her steps toward her palace. She needed a shower and a fresh change of clothes. Her uniform was creased, her skin flushed, and worst of all, she reeked of him. Zion’s scent clung to her like an invisible brand, masculine, warm, and maddening. Even her own skin carried the memory of his touch, and it made her insides tremble in ways she hated to admit.
She ended the link with a sigh. There was no way she could go meet her father like this. One look at her disheveled state and he’d instantly know where she’d been, and who she’d been with.
And what made it worse… were his words. Words that never stopped echoing in her mind, poisoning her every memory of him:
Addison clenched her jaw. No, she couldn’t forget. And more than that, she didn’t want to keep thinking about it. It would only sour her mood further.
168 Chapter 168 Bumping With….
There was fear in her eyes.
By now, the conference room was empty. Everyone had already gone. And so, she strode away with her head held high, her steps steady, her presence commanding, like nothing had ever happened.
It gripped him with guilt so deep he could barely breathe. He cursed himself inwardly. He didn’t even know what had triggered her, because there were just too many possibilities. Too many wrongs. Too many scars he might’ve left on her heart without even realizing it.
“Meeting with my father?” Addison tilted her head slightly, curiosity flickering in her golden eyes. “Is something happening at the borders? Are there increased rogue attacks, or issues with the other races?”
Yes, Zion had made it clear to her and to her family that he saved Claire, protected her, pretended she was his fated mate… all to shield the girl he thought was the missing Royal Princess.
“Don’t come closer.”
Because just imagining someone else exploring Zion’s body, touching him where only she once did… it felt like a storm tearing through her chest, like crashing waves churning violently in her stomach.
There was a trace of concern in her voice. After all, the Alpha King wouldn’t summon the Vice Captain of the border patrol without good reason. The thought instantly set her on edge.
“I… I was just on my way to meet with the Alpha King,” he said, forcing a lightness into his tone.. “Were you out somewhere?”
Her uniform had come undone just enough to reveal a glimpse of her toned, supple skin and tight abdominal muscles. She looked breathtaking, stunningly alluring, like a battle–worn goddess.
At this point, she’d fallen too deep into her thoughts, spiraling with overthinking. With a sudden push, stronger this time, Addison shoved Zion off of her, and this time he relented, stepping back. She immediately found her footing, though she staggered slightly as she stood upright.
But did protecting her require sleeping with her?
168 Chapter 168 Bumping With….
Lost in her thoughts, ranting silently in her head and boiling in restrained anger, she didn’t notice someone darting out from behind one of the palace’s columns, right in her blind spot.
He stepped forward.
“Are you alright-?” the man began, but paused mid–sentence. His voice suddenly shifted, tinged with disbelief and barely contained excitement. “Addie?!”
Her tone was formal, her eyes guarded.
“Alright, Father. Just give me a little time, I’ll be there.”
She was shaking, but only for a second. Then, like someone waking from a trance, she straightened. Her fingers moved quickly, fixing her uniform with precision, restoring the image of the composed and unshakable woman she was known to be.
She frowned, her expression darkening. She didn’t want him to affect her like this, not her body, and especially not her decisions.
Those words carved scars too deep to forget. They were why it was so hard for Addison to accept Zion now. Why, even with his remorse and tenderness, she couldn’t help but question his motives. Was he truly sorry for what he’d done? Or was he only acting this way now because he’d discovered she was the princess?
With one final glance at him, eyes now cool and unreadable, Addison turned and walked out.
Just in time, her father’s mindlink reached her.
Those teary golden eyes of hers, glowing like the sun, could melt even the coldest heart with a single glance. And Zion… his heart clenched painfully at the sight.
“Sweetheart, where have you been? I’ve been looking for you. Join me for lunch, I have something I need to discuss with you.” The Alpha King’s voice was warm but carried a subtle seriousness that made Addison straighten instinctively.
