Chapter 2: Chapter 2 Rejected By Everyone
Hearing it straight from his mouth, Addison felt her world crash down, but she couldn’t even let out a whimper as pain consumed her body.
After being away from each other for a long time, their mate bond was weaker, but even then, she could still feel the pain in her heart as a lone tear fell from her eyes.
However, no one was paying her any attention; even her mate had already turned around in his wolf form as he made his way up.
To make matters worse, the former Luna, who hated her as much as Alpha Zion did, strutted toward the pregnant woman with open arms and a welcoming, gentle smile plastered on her face.
“Hello, are you my son’s fated mate? Come in! Let Mom escort you inside,” the former Luna said excitedly as she gently pulled the woman toward the banquet hall. Everyone surrounded her, and the woman kept gently stroking her belly while smiling beautifully at everyone.
Her golden locks matched her honey-brown eyes, which seemed to glow in the sun, and everyone adored her even more because of this.
As everyone wanted to be near the woman, they didn’t even care if they pushed and shoved Addison out of the way. Because of this, Addison fell to the ground, and the gravel embedded itself under her skin, making her wince in pain.
Everyone smelled the metallic scent of blood and momentarily stopped to look at her, but instead of concern, their expressions turned mocking.
“What a weak werewolf.”
“How can a weakling like her be a werewolf, let alone a Luna?”
“Do you think she’s doing that on purpose to get our attention?”
“Ha! Dream on!”
After a moment, everyone returned, catering to the pregnant woman as the festivities resumed around them. The pregnant woman’s gaze lingered on Addison’s face for a moment before she smiled brightly, a glint of triumph passing through her eyes before she allowed everyone else to guide her, ignoring Addison, who was still on the ground.
Addison winced; her knees and palms were scraped, and she could feel the gravel lodged in her skin.
“L-Luna!” Gamma Levi’s heart nearly leaped from his chest as he saw Addison lying pitifully on the ground, her wounds healing far too slowly. His expression darkened as he extended his index finger, his nail sharpening into a claw. With slow, deliberate care, he picked out the gravel embedded in her skin, causing fresh blood to seep from the wounds.
Addison suddenly felt a heavy gaze pressing down on her. Instinctively, she looked up toward the fourth floor of the packhouse—only to meet the cold, indifferent eyes of her mate.
For a brief moment, he stared at her, emotionless. Then, without hesitation, he turned away and drew the curtains shut.
‘He must have thought that the one who got hurt was the woman he brought,’ Addison thought, but just the idea of it made her heart constrict with pain. It felt like torture, and her whole body trembled as she sensed pain crawling through her as the mate bond slowly deteriorated.
It didn’t have to take physical cheating for the mate bond to decay; without enough emotional and physical connection, their mate bond would gradually rot and become their torment.
Let alone when their partner physically cheated, it would be severely painful enough to drive someone insane, not to mention possibly causing death, especially if they marked someone while still having a mate bond connection with another person.
For three long years, Addison was plagued by this pain, and unlike Alpha Zion, who could endure it because of his Alpha blood, Addison wasn’t as fortunate. Her body was only slightly stronger than that of a human, so this torment almost took her life more than once.
The only person aware of her struggle was Gamma Levi, and it was only thanks to him that she managed to get through those nights, as it was a Gamma’s specialty to heal their Luna.
“L-Luna, don’t cry…” Gamma Levi’s gentle voice resonated in her ear. Unbeknownst to her, Addison was already shedding tears as she recalled all the suffering she had endured.
Just when she thought she might finally have a chance to start anew upon her mate’s return, it turned out that her mate would bring back a pregnant woman instead.
“Levi…” Even before she could say anything, a whimper escaped her lips as she felt her heart constricting again, the familiar torture she experienced almost every day for the last three years she had been mated to Alpha Zion.
Gamma Levi stroked Addison’s back to comfort her, but it did little to alleviate her pain. Only after some time did the pain subside, and Levi finished removing the gravel from under Addison’s skin.
As they made their way to the lively banquet hall, everyone was already toasting the pregnant woman, who was only sipping orange juice. Beta Greg served her with respect and attention while the former Luna chatted with her, holding her hand.
Addison felt weak from the pain, and with her reddened eyes, she wanted to sit down quickly.
However, the Luna’s place beside the Alpha had been given to the pregnant woman. Addison bit her lower lip, trying to hold back tears as she made her way to the end of the table. Only Gamma Levi sat with her while the others ignored her.
Addison choked back the lump forming in her throat as she could clearly feel like the outsider at the main table who was unwelcome there.
When Zion returned, now in his human form and dressed all in black, he entered the hall and noticed Addison sitting alone. His expression darkened in disapproval, but he merely walked to his seat without a word.
It wasn’t clear whether Zion’s displeasure was because Addison was seated at the main table, still near him, or simply because he had to see her there.
‘What is she trying to pull now? Acting pitiful for sympathy?’ Zion scoffed internally, his gaze narrowing. But his wolf, Shura, growled in defiance, unsettling him further.
‘What do you want now, Shura?’ Zion demanded, frustrated as his wolf’s mood rippled through him, intensifying his irritation.
But Shura, his wolf, remained silent, only growling in defiance before retreating into the deepest corners of Zion’s mind.
Zion’s eyes briefly met Addison’s, and in that fleeting moment, his cold, unfeeling gaze pierced through her, leaving her breathless. Addison felt a wave of weakness flood her body as if every ounce of strength had been drained away. Her heart clenched painfully. It had been years, yet Zion still treated her with such coldness, filled with hatred and indifference.
That single, heart-wrenching glance didn’t last long, but its impact was enough. His eyes quickly shifted elsewhere, turning to the woman beside his chair.
Zion’s eyes softened with warmth as he acknowledged her, a stark contrast to the coldness and indifference he had shown Addison.
The sharp sting of pain struck again, and Addison’s eyes blurred with unshed tears, but she refused to let them fall, holding them back with all her will.
She lowered her head to hide the pain in her eyes as she pretended to eat, but her hands were trembling as she clenched her jaw to hold the sob that was about to escape her lips.
Zion sank lazily into his chair, his posture relaxed. No sooner had he settled that a fork laden with meat was pushed in his direction.
His eyebrows arched in mild amusement, and for a fleeting moment, his indifferent expression softened. A rare gentleness flickered in his eyes, a warmth that was almost doting.
Addison caught a glimpse of it from the corner of her eye as she hesitantly lifted her gaze. It was a look she had never seen from Zion, one she had only heard about from others.
Gamma Levi, in particular, often spoke of Zion’s warmth—how the Alpha had been loved by the pack, his charisma and leadership drawing people to him. He was always kind and caring to those around him, but to Addison, that gentleness had always seemed distant, something she could never quite imagine.
But now, watching the way Zion interacted with the woman beside him, there was no mistaking it—the tenderness he showed her was so evident, so natural.
His eyes sparkled with amusement and affection, and Addison’s heart twisted with pain. It felt as if she were invisible in that moment, the Luna who had been overlooked and dismissed.
She, who should be sitting beside her mate, was now left in the background, while Zion openly showered the woman with attention. The cruel contrast felt like a slap to her face in front of everyone.
A tight knot formed in Addison’s stomach, a heavy, painful sensation that felt like a punch to the gut, uncomfortable and suffocating. Her heart ached with every passing second.
Even Gamma Levi seemed to hold his breath, his eyes flickering nervously toward the head seat as the scene unfolded before them.
It was clear that everyone around Zion was unfazed by the sight, as though they had grown used to it. Laughter filled the air, accompanied by playful teasing directed at the Alpha for being so attentive to the woman.
“Stop just feeding me. How about giving the pup more?” Zion teased the woman.
“Are you tired? Would you like to rest in the alpha’s suite?” he added, his gentle gaze never leaving her face. However, Addison, who overheard Zion’s offer, paled and looked up at them.
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS
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Chapter 3: Chapter 3 The Future Heir
It was as though they were making no effort to hide their actions, openly flaunting their connection in front of everyone, intentionally deepening Addison’s hurt.
The mockery in their voices was unmistakable, and it stung sharply in the silence that followed.
Zion’s subordinates seemed to take pleasure in the way he doted on the woman, and the woman herself eagerly fed Zion, her gestures almost too eager, as if they were both trying to show off for everyone to see.
Every word and action felt like a deliberate jab at Addison, making the truth painfully clear.
The woman’s voice, soft yet filled with playful reproach, rang out, “Zion, you should eat. You’ve been carrying me all the way from the frontlines to your pack, and I know you’re exhausted.”
“You even gave up more than half of your rations to make sure I and the pup were well-fed.” Her words, laced with a subtle yet unmistakable meaning, hung in the air. Every syllable seemed to speak volumes, unsaid thoughts making it clear to everyone present.
“Regarding resting in the alpha suite, I should avoid that. It’s situated on the top floor of your packhouse, and being there would be inconvenient since I am heavily pregnant.”
The woman then paused as if she was thinking hard about something before she continued. “But I would love it if you could put me on a floor that was not too high or too low for me to be able to see the land where you grew up.”
All the pack members looked at each other with knowing glances before smiles spread across their faces.
If they were just speculating earlier, now that the words came from Claire’s lips and with Zion never disagreeing, it truly meant that the pup inside Claire’s belly was the future heir of their Midnight River Pack. Everyone’s mood turned joyous as they continued to toast to Zion and Claire.
As a werewolf, Addison, like everyone else in the hall has a sharp hearing, she could hear every word the woman spoke.
Each sentence felt like a blade to her chest, and the tightness in her throat grew unbearable. Her heart twisted in agony, a heavy weight settling in her chest as the truth hit her with painful clarity.
She can’t even pretend to be stupid now and not understand what was being said at the table. She also couldn’t turn a blind eye; her whole body trembled as she struggled to breathe while trying to process all this bombshell revelation thrown her way.
She gripped the hem of her clothes, her knuckles turning white, but the pain in her palm was nothing compared to the decaying pain coming from her mate bond that was attacking her whole being.
“Claire, don’t worry about me,” Zion said, his voice soft but firm. He speared another piece of roasted chicken, slicing it with precision before placing it gently on Claire’s plate. “Just eat and take care of the pup.”
He continued to lean on his chair as he added, “I’ll have your room prepared. Later, someone will take you there to relax, and tomorrow, I’ll take you out to play.” Zion’s eyes sparkled with warmth.
“Alright, I’ll listen to Zion then,” Claire replied, her voice light with affection. “I’ll eat more too, so the pup will be born healthy and strong.” She giggled softly, the sound melodious and warm.
To everyone watching, Claire was glowing like the sun due to her love for the pup in her belly and for Zion. She wasn’t even trying to hide it; she enjoyed Zion’s care for her, and her intention to be with him was clear.
She even openly declared her sovereignty over Zion to Addison. Although no one mentioned Addison to her, she could tell that Addison was Zion’s chosen mate. After all, she could see Zion’s mark on Addison’s neck, which almost covered her entire neck.
Even though the pack held great respect for the mate bond and the werewolf rules, the knowledge that an heir would be born soon overtook any lingering thoughts they had about these rules and the mate bond.
After all, Zion was the last heir to the Midnight River Pack after his father’s death, and his absence for three years made everyone on edge, knowing that his life would always be in danger while he was fighting on the front lines.
Everyone in the pack knew that Addison and Zion had never mated after their marking ceremony. Zion had left for the battlefield almost immediately after, not even staying for Addison’s Luna inauguration.
His haste to leave had been a clear signal of his intentions. Now, hearing that Zion would be a father brought a sense of relief and even happiness to the pack, but it also overshadowed Addison’s feelings and the mate bond that still lingered between them.
From their perspective, Addison’s sacrifices were just a natural part of her role within the pack, yet the pack’s future remained their top priority. They started to consider the possibility that Zion could dissolve the mate bond and officially reject Addison.
And they believe that this would only benefit their pack, as they viewed Addison as too weak to be their Luna.
Moreover, it had become painfully obvious that Zion had no intention of mating with Addison. He refused to touch Addison, and the distance between them had only grown over time.
Zion’s mother, the former Luna, cast a brief glance at her son after hearing Claire’s words. She observed him silently, but Zion made no response. He remained slouched in his chair, his posture lazy as Claire continued eating without interruption.
Zion closed his eyes, the exhaustion evident on his face. He wasn’t fully tuned into Claire’s words; he caught only fragments of what she said.
His responses were based on the pieces he’d heard, but his mind was elsewhere. The weariness of battle weighed heavily on him.
“Alpha, you okay?” Beta Greg mind-linked with Zion as he noticed his eyes were a bit unfocused.
“Yeah, just the old issue,” Zion replied through the link, his voice sounding weary.
After months of nonstop fighting, he had little time to rest. The nights were particularly challenging, with ambushes from the vampires; their attacks were brutal and often occurred just as he was beginning to catch a few moments of sleep.
Some vampires even toyed with the warriors, playing cruel games before launching their deadly strikes.
Just recalling those traumatic events caused Zion’s mood to drop instantly.
A persistent ringing echoed in his ears, drowning out much of the world around him. It was why he hadn’t truly absorbed everything Claire had said; instead, he merely pretended to listen, offering the same responses as always.
Yet, despite the turmoil within him, there was a strange sense of calm whenever he looked at Claire. Perhaps it was the life growing inside her that brought him peace, a symbol of hope for the future, for both him and the pack.
While the other side of the table was filled with laughter and light-hearted teasing, Addison’s side remained heavy with gloom and isolation. No one dared to sit with her, except for Gamma Levi, and that’s when the painful truth settled in: people’s hearts were fickle.
Yet maybe she was wrong; she hadn’t been accepted by this pack from the very beginning, and they all believed she was undeserving of this position.
To say that Addison wasn’t hurt by this would be a lie. She did everything she could to help this pack through the hard times.
She didn’t expect them to revere her, but the little respect was all she wanted, yet even that wasn’t given to her. Everything happening at the table now was filled with disrespect.
“This is something I owe their pack,” Addison repeated to herself, trying to hold onto the last shred of resolve she had left. The pain in her chest was unbearable, but she couldn’t just walk away, not now, not when she owed so much to Zion and the pack.
At that moment, Addison felt more alone than ever.
Even the connection to her wolf was gone.
She couldn’t shift, and worst of all, she couldn’t speak to her wolf.
She had no one to turn to, no one who could understand the agonizing ache that was slowly pulling her into a suffocating darkness. Every breath felt heavier, each heartbeat a reminder of the isolation she was trapped in.
“Luna Addison, please don’t overthink it. There must be more to this than we know. Let me find out what’s really going on…” Gamma Levi said softly, offering a reassuring pat on Addison’s back.
But as he spoke, a sudden, menacing presence pointed at him, and he stiffened. He instinctively looked around but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Yet, the unease gnawing at him didn’t go away. Cold sweat began to form along his spine, a deep, invisible threat pressing down on him.
He shook it off, determined to do what he could to help Addison, even if it meant standing in the middle of the widening rift between his Alpha and Luna.
Addison’s heart could no longer endure the pain of seeing her mate so close to someone else while ignoring her, pretending she did not exist. She bit her lips and excused herself. “Please excuse me, I have work to do.” Yet even then, no one responded, as if no one had heard her.
Zion continued to care for the woman he brought over, gently caressing her head while throwing a smug glance at Addison.
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS
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Chapter 4: Chapter 4 Betrayal
Addison immersed herself in her work, hoping it would help numb the pain slowly consuming her heart. As night descended, no one reached out to her or even sent a mindlink, leaving her feeling utterly isolated, as if she had been cut off from everyone.
But she pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the tasks at hand, continuing her work in the office with quiet determination.
Addison didn’t return to her sleeping quarters on the fourth floor until the dead of night, as it was her usual routine.
But tonight, she hesitated outside the door, a nervous flutter in her chest. This room was no longer just hers, it was also shared with the Alpha. She had no idea how to interact with him now, especially since this would be the first time that they’d be sharing a space.
Addison stood in the hallway for nearly half an hour, wrestling with her uncertainty. When her resolve finally peaked, she pushed open the door, only to be met with the sight of their grand, empty room.
It was silent, cold, and devoid of the scent of her mate. The absence was stark, a painful reminder that Zion hadn’t even bothered to grace their marital bed since his return.
“What did I even expect?” Addison whispered softly to herself, her voice trembling slightly as she lowered her head.
Even though she has lived in this empty room for years, tonight, it feels colder and more desolate than ever before.
With her heart heavy, she wandered aimlessly, hoping that a simple walk would calm her racing thoughts and tire her out enough to sleep without the weight of it all pressing down on her.
As Addison reached the second floor, a woman’s coquettish moan reached her ears.
“Ah! Zion, slow down! You’ll hurt the pup! Ah! Hmmm…” Her body froze at the sound, her breath catching in her throat.
The room was close to the stairs, and the door was slightly ajar, amplifying the intimate sounds. Addison’s heart pounded painfully in her chest, and a wave of icy dread washed over her, making her feel numb and lightheaded, as if she had been drenched in cold water.
“I… I…” Addison muttered softly to herself, but the words felt hollow. She could no longer deceive herself, and she lacked the courage to confront them.
The thought of facing them, knowing she’d likely lose control and lash out, terrified her.
‘So, this is why he wasn’t in the room… he’s with someone else.’ A bitter laugh escaped her, low and defeated, as the weight of the realization crashed down. Helplessness seeped into her veins, and a deep sense of defeat settled in her chest.
1
She was consumed with pain, but she couldn’t confront them, ‘she didn’t have the right.’
The fear that she might lose control, that she might hurt the woman or worse, take her life and add to the weight of her debt to Zion, paralyzed her.
She felt torn, a storm of conflicting emotions swirling inside her. All she could do was run. Without thinking, she bolted from the packhouse, her steps carrying her toward the woods as her tears began to fall.
She hated this vulnerability, hated how her tears betrayed her, how she couldn’t stop them even if she tried. The ache in her chest felt unbearable. She had worked so damn hard, sacrificed so much for the pack and for Zion, only to find him in the arms of someone else.
‘While I fought for this pack, he’s out there fucking her, and he can’t even touch me.’
1
‘What better way to humiliate me than this?’
With blurred vision, Addison sprinted through the woods, her heart racing.
Though she couldn’t fully shift, she still had some access to her wolf’s strength and healing abilities, just enough to keep herself safe. It was a small comfort, a reminder that her wolf wasn’t entirely gone, only… disconnected.
The bond felt frayed, distant, but still there—like a faint whisper in the back of her mind, begging to be heard.
“When are you coming back? I miss you so much…” Addison sobbed as she ran, her voice trembling with desperation.
1
She reached out to her wolf, trying to connect, but the silence was deafening.
She couldn’t even remember her wolf’s name, the name of the companion she had once known so well. It didn’t matter. What mattered was that now, she was completely alone, adrift without her.
Addison only stopped when her legs could carry her no more, her body trembling with exhaustion as she collapsed to the ground. She found herself in a small clearing, the full moon casting its pale light above her. There, she broke down completely, her cries echoing into the stillness of the night as the weight of her loneliness crashed down on her.
But even then, she couldn’t bring herself to question the Moon Goddess. Deep down, she knew this wasn’t her doing. Yet, that didn’t ease the crushing pain or the injustice she felt. For a werewolf, their mate and pack meant everything—everything, except their own life.
But now, Addison found herself without a pack to truly call her own, and even her mate, Zion, had turned away from her.
‘Is this the price I must pay to settle my debt?‘ she asked herself again, though she couldn’t feel the full sting of betrayal that other mated wolves endured when their bond was shattered by infidelity. Even so, knowing that Zion was fucking someone else was painful in its own right.
1
Her bond with Zion felt fractured from the moment they had marked each other incomplete; she couldn’t fully feel him as a mate, as though some part of their connection had been severed.
She didn’t know if she should be thanking this incomplete bond or not, for protecting her and not allowing her to feel the violent backlash of a mate bond’s betrayal when their mate slept with another.
The excruciating pain would course through their bodies, as if their stomachs were being ripped apart and every nerve felt as though it were being pierced with needles. For those who managed to survive, the torment often drove them to madness.
But even when her body and mind were spared from this pain, her heart wasn’t. She felt her heart being pierced by a knife, knotting violently as if it were being tugged and pulled.
However, even without the searing pain of his infidelity, their mate bond continued to wither and decay, leaving her in constant agony. Yet this time, as he lay entwined with another woman, she felt nothing but heartache.
“Why?! Just why?! Haven’t I done enough?”
“Aren’t my sacrifices enough?”
Through her sobs, she could only weakly question, expressing feelings that had long been suppressed. She always thought that once she did her best, she might, at the very least, receive a thank you from Zion.
Even if he did not forgive her, she hoped that he would at least try to understand her and that they could live normally like others.
1
“Have I not suffered enough?” She weakly murmured through her sobs, choking on her own helplessness.
She could feel her wolf stir inside her; it was faint, but it was there. ‘Are you comforting me?’ Addison asked, pursing her lips and holding back her tears. However, since the dam had broken, a flood of thoughts and emotions overwhelmed her, and she continued to cry for as long as she could, until she had released every tear she could.
‘It’s time to let go.’
A sudden thought hung in her mind, trailing like a heavy wind. Her cries abruptly stopped, but she also remembered Zion’s words before he left for the battlefield.
Just remembering it like it was just yesterday, made Addison shuddered uncontrollably in fear as she could still vividly remember how ferocious Zion looked when he said it.
“I’ll let you live a life of loneliness, I will make sure that you are tormented and feel the pain of having a mate who was disgusted by you and rather fuck someone else than your sorry ass, until the day you die, you’ll suffer such. I will make you suffer and beg that you should have been the one who should have died that day.”
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS
GoddessKMPlease ADD <THE ALPHA’S REGRET: RETURN OF THE BETRAYED LUNA> to your LIBRARY to be notified when the update is posted. Thank you!!!
Please don’t forget to cheer me up by voting with Powerstone and Golden Ticket!
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Also, I might get delayed in the update as I am also updating my new novel < THE RETURN OF THE CANNON FODDER TRILLION HEIRESS> and <MY 100TH REBIRTH A DAY BEFORE THE APOCALYPSE>
Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Being Invited To Dinner
The next day, the sun glaringly pierced through the curtains. She couldn’t remember when she had fallen asleep the night before, but as far as she recalled, she dozed off in the woods after crying the entire night.
But now…
She looked around and saw that she was back in the Alpha suite, she was baffled but she picked up a familiar scent.
Lemon and honey, she instantly knew who had brought her back. “Gamma Levi.”
A smile spread on her lips, but her eyes looked dull and lifeless, it wasn’t the first time Gamma Levi brought her back to her room, she often fell asleep in her Luna office when she was too busy to come back to her room to rest and would sometimes pass out, out of exhaustion.
Although she knew that Gamma Levi was looking out for her, she felt more pain in her heart, because it shouldn’t be his responsibility to care for her, it should be her mate’s…
Sadness spread to her heart.
Giggles-
A distinct giggle coming out from outside the ajar window caught her attention as she slowly stood up from her bed.
“Zion! This place is amazingly beautiful!” Claire giggled as she held onto Zion’s arms playfully, Zion too looked worried but indulgent as he guided her to walk slowly on the stone path, coming from the side where Addison’s flower garden was built, the garden she built and shaped with her own hands throughout the years.
“As long as you are happy, I’ll always accompany you as much as you like.” Zion’s magnetic and deep chuckle tickled Addison’s ears, it was gentle and warm.
Addison stared blankly out the window at Zion and Claire, one was looking dashingly handsome, tall and strong with his healthy honey-colored skin, midnight black hair, and striking emerald eyes, his chiseled features made his handsome face look rugged yet regal.
Beside him, Claire was like a breath of spring—full of life, radiant and captivating. Her golden locks fluttered in the gentle breeze, and her honey-brown eyes sparkled as she smiled under the sun. Together, they looked effortlessly perfect.
She didn’t know how long she’d been watching them, but suddenly, Zion seemed to sense her gaze and looked up toward the fourth floor’s alpha suite. His cold, piercing eyes met hers, and the warmth he’d shown moments before was gone, replaced by a searing hatred and even disgust. He made no attempt to hide his emotions, his lips curling into a snarl as he continued to glare at her.
“Zion, is everything alright?” Claire asked gently, placing her hand on his chest in an attempt to calm him. Zion held her hand, his fingers tightening around hers, but his gaze never wavered from Addison. With one last look of disdain, his voice slipped menacingly into Addison’s mind through their mind link, dripping with contempt.
“Don’t even think about trying anything while I’m here. Just stay silent and act like you don’t exist,” Zion’s voice growled menacingly through the mind link, his tone laced with warning.
With a final glare, he snapped his head away, the dark aura that had seeped out of him at the sight of Addison vanishing as quickly as it came. Turning back to Claire, his expression softened, his gaze now filled with an apologetic whimper.
“I’m sorry, Claire. I lost my temper—I didn’t mean to scare you or the pup,” Zion said gently, still holding Claire’s hand as his fingers brushed soothingly over her hair. His touch softened her startled expression, his focus entirely on her, unbothered by Addison’s lingering gaze from the window above.
Addison only realized her cheeks were wet when tears dripped onto her hand resting on the window sill. The sharp contrast in Zion’s treatment of her compared to Claire stung too deeply to hide; it felt as if her heart had been ripped from her chest and torn apart before her eyes. She kept her sobs silent, forcing herself to remain quiet, afraid to further provoke her mate’s anger.
Just as Zion had demanded, Addison stayed silent, immersing herself in her work, too afraid to leave her office, fearing she’d overhear or see something that would break her even further.
The pain of her heart being shattered repeatedly by her own mate was nearly unbearable. She considered leaving, but even though their bond felt incomplete, the mate pull was still there, a powerful force she couldn’t simply ignore or turn off.
She couldn’t understand how Zion seemed unaffected by her, while she herself struggled to resist the pull of their bond. It was like a bee drawn irresistibly to a flower. If she let her guard down, she feared she’d find herself gazing at Zion like a love-struck fool, only to annoy him further.
It had been a week since Zion and the warriors returned, but not once had he come to find her. Not a single day had he left Claire’s side, tending to her with unwavering care.
Every attempt Addison made to approach Zion was met with harsh criticism, even in front of the pack, no mercy was given. To prevent herself from succumbing to the pull of the mate bond, she retreated into her office, hiding like a coward, trying to protect herself from the pain.
‘Maybe his hatred for me, his disgust, is strong enough to make him override his feelings. Even the mate bond… can’t reach him.’ Addison thought, a weak whimper escaping her lips as a sharp pang of sadness pierced her heart at the very thought of it.
A knock interrupted her thoughts.
“Come in.”
“Luna Addison, the Alpha invites you to join him for dinner in the dining hall.” The omega who entered bowed respectfully, though she kept her gaze averted. Addison barely noticed, too caught up in the fact that her mate had actually invited her to eat with him.
“Did he say anything else?”
“H-he said… you should wear something nice.”
Addison’s heart skipped a beat, almost bursting out of her chest at the implication. She had heard that no matter how much mates tried to stay apart, they would always be drawn together.
‘Is this his way of making peace with me?’ she wondered, a glimmer of hope rising in her chest. But as the evening wore on, she would come to wish that she had paid closer attention to the way she was informed.
If only she had, she thought, maybe she wouldn’t have suffered as much.
The Alpha’s Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna
Author: GoddessKM© WebNovel
Chapter 1: Chapter 1 The Hero’s Return: My Alpha
“Luna! Luna! We’ve just received a report from the frontlines—the war is over!!!”
Gamma Levi’s heavy footsteps rang through the hallway as he hurried toward the Luna’s office, where Addison was buried in the grain production report from their farm. Her Gamma’s excited voice echoed from down the hall, even before he reached the door.
Her hand trembled, and her heart seemed to stop in an instant as the news sank in.
‘The war is over?’
At that moment, a face flashed across her mind, causing her heart to skip a beat as a wave of happiness and disbelief washed over her. She sprang up from her chair, the heavy wooden seat crashing to the floor with a resounding thud behind her. Yet all she could hear was a ringing in her ears, her Gamma’s words echoing in her thoughts.
A wide, unguarded smile spread across her face—one that hadn’t appeared in months, revealing a youthful gleam beneath her tired, gaunt face. Though still in her early twenties, the trials of war had aged her beyond her years, making her look much older than she actually was.
“Is it true?!” Addison’s face lit up with an excited, warm smile as she eagerly awaited her Gamma to reach her, holding a sealed letter—one that had come from the frontlines via their messenger birds.
Gamma Levi didn’t speak. Instead, he handed the letter to Addison, allowing her to read the news herself. His eyes softened as he watched her—the woman he had worked with this entire three years to keep the pack afloat while their Alpha and most of their warriors were fighting in the frontlines.
Although it sounded glamorous to hear that Luna Addison became the rock of their pack, in reality, none of the pack members actually respected her.
After all, aside from her managerial skills, her wolf is weak; she can’t even shift into her wolf form and is labeled as an omega. However, her status is actually lower than an omega since she can’t even shift, which nearly makes her wolfless.
And what’s worse is that their Alpha leaves immediately after the marking ceremony is completed; he didn’t even stay to mate with her, which only shows how much he detested her.
But Addison can’t do anything about it; this is a marriage of convenience. For the entire three years, she stayed in the pack, picking up the broken pieces and slowly supporting everyone while being ridiculed and looked down upon.
She didn’t have anyone to turn to; the only person who treated her fairly well was her Gamma, who kept her sane through all the hard work and pain she had to endure.
Not once did her mate, her alpha, send her a message to inquire about what she was up to. Every message he sent was directed to Gamma Levi, asking for provisions to support the war against the vampires who were terrorizing the borders and killing the werewolves like livestock.
As she read the letter confirming their victory in the war and the retreat of the vampires to their lands, her eyes lingered on the words that sent a rush of emotions through her, Zion, her mate and alpha, was returning.
She ran her fingers over the words that read ‘Returning’ and felt her heart beat faster, happiness surging within her like a wave crashing down before she returned her gaze to her Gamma.
“My mate is coming back,” she murmured softly, her voice breaking as tears welled up in her eyes.
Addison can’t really hate her mate despite all the neglect she endured. After all, he’s her mate, and the mate bond will bind them together, making their hearts long for each other and love them.
She believes that once they meet again, she’ll have a chance to melt his cold heart, and they can slowly resolve their differences and the misunderstandings between them.
“Gamma, Levi, let’s prepare for a banquet to welcome back our Alpha, our hero!” Addison excitedly said as she made her way out of her office.
Her strides were almost turning into a sprint; she calculated that since the letter was arriving now, the Alpha and his entourage weren’t far off and would be arriving any minute too.
She wanted to be the first to welcome them back with a smile and the most glamorous, heartwarming welcome she could offer for her mate and her pack.
After receiving his order, Gamma Levi left almost immediately to help the omega prepare the banquet hall for the alpha’s arrival. Meanwhile, Addison was heading to the entrance of their pack border, where people had already gathered, waiting for the alpha. Everyone was excited and hopeful to see their loved ones.
Addison pushed her way to the very front of the group. Not far from them, she saw the silhouette of the werewolves running toward them, dust swirling behind them. Addison felt her heart tremble as she sensed her connection to her alpha.
‘He’s there!’ she thought, her eyes sparkling with hope and anticipation, feeling her heart hanging by a thread.
As the entourage drew closer, she raised her hand in the air to wave at her mate, but then she stiffened, halting her action midway. She noticed long golden locks swaying in the wind behind her mate’s wolf form and delicate legs.
‘W-Who’s that woman?’
Addison felt her heart constrict as her eyes widened. “That should be my place,” she muttered softly. A werewolf’s back is meant to be reserved for their mate, and allowing someone of the opposite gender to sit on their back signifies that they acknowledge them as their mate.
Addison thought that she wouldn’t feel more pain, but when the entourage came a little closer, she noticed that the woman sitting behind her mate was actually pregnant, and her belly was already bulging.
This meant that she had been pregnant for quite some time and would be giving birth in a few months. Addison felt her heart shatter, even more so when she heard her pack member whisper excitedly after seeing this.
“Our Alpha must have found his fated mate! Soon, we’ll witness the first heir of the Midnight River Pack!”
“Ha ha ha! She must be our future Luna, not some omega who only knows how to exploit the situation!”
“It will only be a matter of time before the alpha dissolves his mate bond with the omega and rejects her. After all, the woman riding behind him must be his fated mate, his true mate!” The people around Addison sneered, not even trying to hide their mocking glares as they openly talked about their alpha in front of her.
Addison felt her whole body tremble as her calm facade cracked bit by bit while she listened to their words.
Her heart was shattering into a million pieces, but she needed to be a gracious host. As a Luna, it was her responsibility and her job.
Soon, Alpha Zion reached them, and Addison stepped forward with a smile that was uglier than her crying.
“Welcome back, Alpha Zion!” However, as she greeted them, Alpha Zion just walked past her as if he didn’t even see her. The warrior behind him mirrored his attitude toward their Luna, and they all ignored her as they made their way to the packhouse.
When they reached the front door of the hall, Alpha Zion stopped, and with the help of his Beta, they gently lowered the pregnant woman from behind him.
“I’ll just take a quick wash before I return. Please look after her for me; she’s heavily pregnant with a pup. If anything happens to her, you’ll face serious consequences!” Zion’s voice that came through the mind link was menacingly threatening, as only a mate would sound.
With his cold, indifferent eyes, he looked at Addison for the first time. Addison’s breath caught in her throat with anticipation, but the words she heard shattered her heart even more as he sent a private mind link.
“Look after her and my pup.” Zion’s tone was laced with a mocking sneer as he casually mentioned that the pup inside the woman’s belly was his, only to watch Addison break.
And he indeed succeeded in breaking her heart into a million pieces as Addison tried to hold herself together, but everyone ignored her as they welcomed the woman; even Zion didn’t look at her a second time after turning his back to leave.
In that moment, Addison felt more alone and lonelier than in the three years she had worked for this pack.
‘Is it really that hard to melt their cold hearts? Is it truly impossible for them to accept me? Is it because I am weak? Or is it simply hatred, still blaming me?’ Addison wanted to cry as she felt this heavy stone pressing on her chest; she couldn’t even breathe, but no tears were coming out of her eyes.
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PS: Hello everyone, welcome to Alpha’s Regret: Return of the Betrayed Luna! I hope you find this novel worthwhile!
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