The Alpha's Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna

Chapter 157: Chapter 157 Facing A Parent’s Wrath

How could the Alpha King not beat the hell out of Zion? He had just learned that his beloved daughter had been treated like dirt because of the immature fool standing in front of him. Zion had not only failed to protect Addison but had also led his pack to treat her with cold indifference, stripping her of even the most basic respect and courtesy.

And why? Simply because he was the son of the Alpha King’s old friend? That friendship didn’t excuse this kind of failure.

The Alpha King was livid. The more he pieced things together, the more everything made sense, why Addison returned broken, why she hadn’t even told Zion about the children. She didn’t trust him.

And who could blame her? Despite all the chances she had given him, Zion had remained blind, arrogant, and willfully ignorant. So yes, maybe beating some sense into him was the only option left, maybe a good thrashing would finally rewire that foolish brain of his.

Blood splattered across the ground, making it clear the Alpha King had every intention of killing Zion. His fist was raised once more, poised to strike again, when Addison suddenly raced to his side.

”Father, please—calm down...” she said urgently, grasping his arm to stop him.

Now that she knew Zion was her fated mate, she could feel the powerful pull of the mate bond between them. And while part of her did feel a grim satisfaction watching the man who once treated her with cold indifference now beaten and bruised, the bond tugged at her fiercely, so fiercely that she had moved before her mind even caught up.

Seeing Zion like this hurt her in a way she didn’t expect, a mix of lingering resentment and undeniable connection battling inside her.

’Damn it,’ Addison cursed inwardly as she struggled to stop her father from beating Zion half to death. As much as she resented the fact that Zion was one of her fated mates, especially after everything he had done, she knew the consequences of his death could be catastrophic.

The mate bond wasn’t something that could be severed without cost. If he died now, there was a chance her soul would be affected, her heart broken beyond repair. She could end up like Zion’s mother, lifeless in all but name.

That thought alone was enough to give the Alpha King pause.

His fists trembled mid-air before he dropped them, panting with uncontained rage. He bit down on his lower lip, doing everything he could to keep his fury from exploding again. Slowly, he began to pull back his oppressive aura. As he did, the Royal Beta, who had been enduring the crushing pressure through sheer willpower, collapsed to his knees, coughing violently.

Addison pressed her lips together tightly.

She had only told them the surface, the verbal cruelty, the cold indifference, the emotional torment. She hadn’t yet spoken about the night she heard Zion fucking Claire in her room while she was heavily pregnant.

Nor had she mentioned how Claire, his mistress, had tried to kill her, how she pushed her down the stairs and tried to frame her for the fall, which led to Addison being whipped and left at death’s door.

But for those who truly understood the situation, Zion and Levi had already pieced most of it together. Especially Levi, he had always been close to Addison and knew far more about her than Zion ever did. He had seen the signs, and now everything made perfect sense. Claire had orchestrated everything: the bullying, the isolation, the manipulation. She had one goal: to eliminate Addison and take her place as Luna of the pack.

Claire had coveted that position for a long time. Levi didn’t know exactly when her obsession started, but it was clear she saw Addison as the only obstacle in her path. And because most people underestimated Addison, mistaking her quiet strength for weakness, they thought they could break her without consequences.

If the Alpha King found out the full extent of what had happened... if he learned that Claire had tried to kill his daughter and Zion had let it happen, he would kill Zion without hesitation.

Addison knew that, too. That’s why she stopped herself from speaking further.

And the Alpha King, in his fury, began to realize something himself: Addison hadn’t yet revealed why she returned home nearly dead. He could guess. He suspected Claire. He suspected Zion. But suspicion and truth were two very different things. And as long as he didn’t have confirmation, he could still hold himself back, barely.

But once the truth came out, he would lose it.

After all, he had protected Addison all her life, cherished her, loved her so fiercely that he had kept her identity hidden from the world since birth. She had only been revealed when she was about to claim her rightful place as heir. And someone dared to treat her like this?

They wouldn’t live to regret it.

”Father, let me handle this, okay?” Addison said gently, patting her father’s back with a quiet strength.

The Queen staggered forward, her composure breaking as she reached her mate and clung to him, tears streaming down her face. She couldn’t even begin to imagine the pain Addison had endured over the years. Now that they finally knew the truth, that Addison had been living as the Luna of the Midnight River Pack all this time, they were both stunned.

They had heard rumors about the so-called Iron-Fisted Luna, a woman who had single-handedly rebuilt the pack after its Alpha’s death. She had restored order, laid strong foundations, and ensured the pack would never again fall into ruin. They had admired her from afar, never realizing that this mysterious and powerful Luna was their missing, amnesiac daughter.

The Queen’s heart ached with guilt. She remembered the moment they found Addison, she had looked like a ghost of herself: skin and bones, hollow-eyed, worn down by years of hardship and responsibility. She had aged far beyond her years from the burden she carried alone.

As she lifted her face from the Alpha King’s chest, the Queen turned to Zion and shot him a look filled with raw fury and pain. It was a glare that said: ’How dare you?’

Zion, barely managing to stand with the help of the Royal Beta, felt the weight of the Queen’s glare and lowered his eyes. Blood dripped from his lips, his brow was split open, and his face bore the raw aftermath of the Alpha King’s fury.

”I’m... sorry,” he rasped, voice hoarse. ”I know an apology won’t undo anything. But I’ll do whatever it takes to redeem myself. Even if I hadn’t turned out to be her fated mate, I still planned to make things right. I owe her that much. I know I went too far...”

Before he could say more, the Queen cut him off sharply, her voice trembling with rage.”The hell you did!” she snapped, her eyes burning. The fury of a mother watching her child suffer was far greater than any royal wrath.

The Royal Beta, unaware of the full story but sensitive to the atmosphere, hesitated. The room felt suffocating with tension. He glanced at Zion, bloodied, swaying on his feet, barely conscious. His face was unrecognizable, battered so thoroughly that the Beta feared there might be a fracture in his skull. Zion’s legs wobbled as though he could collapse at any moment.