45 Chapter 45 What He Missed
Zion marched down the stairs with purpose, his expression hard and unreadable. Levi followed closely behind, silently observing the sudden shift in his Alpha’s demeanor. Zion moved like a man on a mission -determined, focused, as if clinging to some unspoken resolve.
After a few moments, Levi finally broke the silence. “Alpha Zion, the Royal Convoy has arrived. They’re resting in their suites now. If you wish to speak with them, I can arrange a meeting.”
Zion didn’t slow his pace. “No need,” he replied curtly, his voice flat and dismissive, leaving no room for discussion.
wish
“Then what about Miss Claire’s condition? Do you to check on her? Or should I inform the Royal Convoy of the situation instead?” Levi asked, his tone calm on the surface–but laced with a sharp, mocking edge.
The unspoken message rang loud and clear, ‘Isn’t she
45 Chapter 45 What He Missed
the mistress you chose over your Luna? Why the sudden silence now? Why aren’t you checking on her and your pup?‘
Zion caught the barb instantly, but he said nothing. He inhaled deeply, steadying himself as his wolf, Shura, growled restlessly beneath his skin. The provocation was direct–blatant–and Shura, proud and volatile, wasn’t one to take insults lightly.
It scraped at Zion’s already bruised ego, but he clenched his jaw and restrained the urge to respond.
He couldn’t afford to lose control–not now. Not against Levi.
Because deep down, Zion knew: if there was anyone who had earned the right to sneer at him, it was Levi. He was the one who stayed by Addison’s side through it all.
The one who endured ridicule for standing by their Luna, even when the pack turned against her. It was Levi’s presence—his unwavering loyalty—that helped Addison survive those cruel, lonely years.
2/9
45 Chapter 45 What He Missed
And Zion knew it.
And for that, Zion swallowed his fury.
But it was exactly those shared moments between them that made Zion so deeply jealous of Levi. He envied the bond they built–the quiet loyalty, the trust, the time spent together. Yet, no matter how bitter the feeling, Zion knew he had no one to blame but himself.
It was his choices that drove Addison away. His actions that carved the distance. And now, all he had left was
regret.
“That’s why I told you to go back to our mate!” Shura roared, steam practically billowing from its nostrils as it huffed and paced furiously within Zion’s mind. The wolf was like a bristling hedgehog now–easily agitated, ready to lash out at anyone who so much as breathed wrong. “Why did our mate even fall down the stairs?! She was injured then, wasn’t she? Where did
that injury come from?!” Shura’s tone was sharp, accusatory.
Zion froze in place.
3/2
45 Chapter 45 What He Missed
His mind had been in overdrive that day–panic, guilt, and worry clouding every rational thought. Back then, he was so consumed by the sight of Claire, hurt, and Addison nearby that he jumped to the worst possible conclusion.
He never stopped to consider the details… never questioned the actual cause of Addison’s fall. His fear for Claire’s condition and the pressure of potential consequences blinded him, and in that moment, he failed Addison again.
Hell, he had even ignored his own mate lying at the bottom of the stairs.
Blinded by heartbreak and rage, he failed to piece together the sequence of events. But now–now that Shura had brought it up—he realized something crucial was missing. A truth he had overlooked.
Lost in thought, Zion stood at the top of the stairs, staring down at the spot where it all happened. In his mind’s eye, he could almost see Addison tumbling down again, her body crumpling at the bottom.
‘What must she have felt in that moment?”
<
45 Chapter 45 What He Missed
Instead of rushing to her aid, he had turned on her-
thrown her aside in anger–and helped another
woman.
It must have cut her deeply.
Maybe that was the final straw.
Maybe that was the moment she decided to leave him for good.
Or… was it the time she was imprisoned in the dungeon, tortured while he never came to save her?
A broken whimper escaped his throat. Zion’s proud shoulders slumped, his body trembling as if he might collapse right there–just like she had.
He felt like the lowest kind of scumbag–for what he did, and more so for what he failed to do. He hadn’t been there for his Luna when she needed him most.
Not once.
In the three years they were mated, there wasn’t a single day he truly stood by her side. He had taken all her hard work for granted, treated her sacrifices 1. some kind of debt she owed him.
5/9
45 Chapter 45 What He Missed
But… was she ever really at fault?
Zion felt the weight of it all crashing down. He wanted to cry, but his eyes remained dry. All he could do was whimper, the pain in his chest so raw it felt like his heart was being torn apart. Even Shura, his proud and powerful wolf, let out a soft, broken whine, curling up into a ball in the darkest corner of his mind, quietly suffering with him.
And worse, there had been a cruel misunderstanding between them–one he himself created. He even claimed that the pup in Claire’s belly was his the moment he returned to the territory, just to hurt Addison further intentionally.
That deliberate lie… it must have shattered her far more deeply than the pain he was feeling now. Thinking back, Zion didn’t even knów where to begin with his regrets. The list of his sins was long—endless, really. And each memory added to the weight crushing his chest. He felt like absolute filth.
As he stood at the top of the stairs, Zion’s shoulde trembled, his breath coming out in uneven bursts. Levi
45 Chapter 45 What Ho Missed
watched him with a calm, indifferent gaze, saying nothing–just observing. Then he heard it: Zion’s voice, low and shaky, thick with restrained pain.
“Levi,” he began, his voice cracking as he fought to steady his breathing, “conduct an investigation. I want to know exactly what happened that day. How did Addison and Claire fall down the stairs? I need a clear
answer.”
At the end of his sentence, Levi clearly heard Zion gnash his teeth. The Alpha reached out to the wooden railing for support, only to crush it with one hand, splinters raining down the steps. Levi couldn’t tell if Zion was suppressing his rage or simply unraveling.
Still, he couldn’t resist. This was the perfect moment to drive the blade in deeper.
“Of course, Alpha Zion,” Levi said smoothly, a note of mockery in his tone. “Shall I frame the report for the Royal Convoy too? You know–explain why the pack house is in chaos and why the scent of blood lingers everywhere?”
Zion froze for a moment as the weight of Levi’s words
7/9
45 Chapter 45 What He Missed
sank in. He suddenly realized that his Gamma, despite being so close to him and to the pack, was completely in the dark about the real reasons behind his
protectiveness toward Claire–or the presence of the Royal Convoy.
Levi, just like Addison, had been kept in the shadows. His relationship with Claire had likely been misunderstood, and it made sense now why Levi seemed so prickly whenever Claire’s name came up.
Zion took a deep breath, steadying himself. He couldn’t let his frustrations show, not now. He cleared his mind and, with an effort, reclaimed his usual
authoritative composure.
