The Alpha's Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna

Chapter 426: Chapter 426 A Sudden Decision

She didn’t rush him.

She simply waited, patiently and calmly.

”Hm? What is it?” she asked softly.

”Let’s... formally reject each other.”

The words hit her like a blade to the chest.

For a second, Addison couldn’t breathe. Her head rang, her vision dimmed at the edges as if a bomb had just exploded in her mind, and deep inside her, she felt her wolf stir violently as if it was on the verge of waking up out of anger.

But Addison couldn’t focus on any of that. All she could hear was the shattering of her own heart.

Of all the possibilities, of all the fears she carried, this was the one she never thought would come from Levi.

Among the three of her fated mates, she might even think or expect Zion of wanting to reject this mate bond because of their past, or Maxwell wanting to reject her as his mate because he didn’t know her, or for some other reasons.

But Levi?

Levi, who had been her friend long before the mate bond... her confidant... the one constant presence she trusted?

The idea didn’t make sense. Couldn’t make sense.

Her entire body went still.

Her blood turned cold, sinking to her feet as if she had fallen at the bottom of the cold lake. She stared at him, unable to speak, unable to even form a thought as the weight of his words pressed down on her like a crushing tide.

”W–What?” Addison’s voice broke, barely more than a whisper. Her eyes burned, her nose stung, and her chest tightened painfully, as if an invisible hand had wrapped around her heart and squeezed it without mercy. ”Why?” she managed to choke out, the word trembling on her lips.

She looked down at Levi, searching his face for anything, regret, hesitation, a sign that he didn’t truly mean what he’d said. But Levi only inhaled deeply, drawing in her pheromones as if they were the last bit of warmth he would ever feel. Then, slowly... almost reluctantly... he pulled himself out of her arms.

He sat up in front of her, his back straight but his shoulders heavy, as though the decision was weighing him down even as he made it.

”I wanted to let you go. I just... I don’t think this will work between us.” His voice came out hoarse as he stared at the ground, unable to meet Addison’s eyes. He could practically feel the pain his words carved into her, and it made his chest tighten.

He hadn’t meant to say it now. He planned to wait, maybe until Zion or Maxwell left, maybe after the mission, maybe whenever he finally found the courage to do it.

But feeling Addison’s gentleness, her quiet warmth...it made his conscience twist. He couldn’t keep her for himself when he believed she deserved so much more than what he could give.

Maybe, if fate was truly guiding her toward having three mates, she would find her third, someone better than him, someone who could love and protect her the way she deserved.

And he... he could stay in the background. Be her support. The one who watched her shine from afar. The one who protected her from the shadows, even if she never knew.

Just the thought of her life being tied to his, of her being in danger because something happened to him, was unbearable. It felt as if he was the one bringing harm to her. Instead of helping her, he feared he would become her Achilles’ heel, the source of her pain.

If anyone discovered the strange connection of their mate bond, enemies would surely exploit it to control or even kill Addison. And the first target would be him, the weakest link among the four of them.

He didn’t care if he died protecting her. But being the reason she was hurt... that was something he could never live with.

Was he being a coward?

He didn’t think so.

He just couldn’t bear the thought of Addison dying because of him. Maybe they assumed he didn’t understand, but the real reason he was sinking deeper into despair was this: if any one of them got hurt, or worse, was on the verge of death, Addison would suffer too.

It wasn’t just his pride or confidence taking a hit.

It was fear.

Fear that he might be the cause of her death, fear that he might never see her again.

So, was it wrong for him to want to run away, to hide? He didn’t think so. Maybe his wolf was right, hard work pays off, and if he pushed himself harder, he could become stronger again. But would their enemies wait for him to gain strength before launching their next attack?

No. They would strike at the first opportunity, targeting him to get to Addison.

After thinking it through, he felt this might be the only way to handle things. Even though Addison possessed the light fairy’s divine power, a trump card that could save her in moments of danger, he still wanted her safety to come first.

No matter how much effort he put in, he knew he would never be as strong as her other mates.

And if he tried hiding behind the frontlines while Zion and Maxwell fought as her sword and shield, should he, her third mate, just stand back and be protected? Wouldn’t that only torture his confidence, his self-worth? The self-pity would eat him alive.

Rejecting each other, for now, seemed like the best solution for both of them.

What he didn’t know was that the Royal Family, of which Addison was a part, couldn’t truly reject their fated mates. As direct descendants and believers of the Moon Goddess, they knew that the goddess’s arrangements were never random.

To defy them would invite her ire, and perhaps a curse that could prevent their descendants from ever finding their fated mates, generation after generation.

And since fated mates could enhance each other’s strength, a Royal Family member who failed to find their fated mate would leave their descendants far weaker. Over time, their bloodline would dwindle, becoming no stronger than ordinary werewolves.

Eventually, they would lose their position, forsaken by the Moon Goddess, her favor withdrawn from their lineage.

And for Levi to want to reject this arrangement, wouldn’t that be tantamount to asking Addison to forsake her descendants, or it might even cost her her life? He didn’t know the full truth, but Addison was reminded by her father, the Alpha King.

That’s why, even though they were dissatisfied with Zion, especially after hearing about her past with him in the Midnight River Pack, and even at the peak of their anger, they never suggested that she and Zion reject each other or break the mate bond. She still had two other fated mates, so in theory, her descendants wouldn’t be at risk.

But it wasn’t that simple.

And would it really be easy for Addison to agree to reject Levi? Right now, all she could feel was the hollow pain in her heart. She couldn’t find the right words to change his mind, knowing that if he was resolute, there was no way to stop him. But... was this truly the best way to handle things?