The Alpha's Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna

Chapter 429: Chapter 429 Eavesdropping

But over time, when she recognized her own strength, those insecurities transformed into a drive, not to prove herself to anyone else, but to become better for herself.

Now that she’d thought it through, Addison knew she just had to wait for Levi to reach that realization on his own, little by little. His voice suddenly broke the silence, pulling her back to the moment. She met his eyes, seeing how desperately he was searching for the truth in her words.

”Do you... believe in me that much?” he asked. She could hear the tremor in his voice, fearful, fragile, like he was terrified that he was only imagining her reassurance out of sheer desperation.

Addison didn’t speak, but she nodded. Right now, Levi looked like a pitiful puppy in her arms, full of insecurities and fear, and the sight reminded her painfully of her past self. It felt as if their roles had reversed, and he was the one who needed her this time.

Even though he seemed somewhat enlightened, she could tell he still wasn’t fully settled. There were still lingering doubts in his heart; she couldn’t say he had truly let go of the idea of rejecting each other.

Maybe he simply didn’t know which path to take from here. Either way, Addison had the patience to wait, for him, and for whatever their future was going to become.

Wordlessly, Levi pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face in the crook of her neck as if he feared she would slip away at any moment. Addison wrapped her arms around him in return, gently patting his back to soothe him.

While holding him, she noticed movement near the door, shadows shifting beneath the narrow gap. She breathed in, catching the faint scents seeping through the rich aroma of chocolate and coffee, mingled with lemon, honey, and a soft hint of lavender.

It was Maxwell and Zion. Their combined scents were unmistakable.

They seemed to hesitate outside, unsure whether to knock or enter. It dawned on her then, they must have gone to her room first, only to find it empty. They had followed the trail of her lingering scent to Levi’s room. But realizing she was here with him, and probably overhearing bits of their conversation through the door, and so they chose not to intrude.

A moment later, their shadows shifted away as the two quietly left without entering.

After leaving the packhouse, Maxwell and Zion exchanged a complicated look. They had both heard the conversation from inside. Originally, they planned to leave earlier with Alpha Hue and rendezvous with the rest of the convoy, but they wanted to inform Addison first so she wouldn’t worry if she suddenly came looking for them.

Their meeting and planning lasted the entire night until morning, because they were sorting out logistics, confirming arrangements, and relaying every detail to the nearby packs they had contacted the night before. The procedure took longer than expected, and only now had they stepped out of Zion’s room, realizing it was already late morning.

Naturally, they assumed Addison would be awake by now, so they went to check on her. But when they reached her room, she wasn’t there. Concerned, they started searching for her until they passed Levi’s door and picked up Addison’s lingering scent.

That alone was enough for them to understand she had likely come to check on Levi during the night and ended up falling asleep beside him. They didn’t jump to any inappropriate conclusions either; they hadn’t sensed a surge of Addison’s pheromones, nor any mixed scents or unusual disturbances that would suggest intimacy.

So they simply accepted the situation for what it was and stood there quietly, not wanting to interrupt.

After all, they were very close to her. If she and Levi had done something intimate, they would have heard it or sensed it from where they were, so neither of them felt jealous. But just before they could knock on the door to check if she was awake, they caught fragments of a conversation from inside.

The honorable and prideful Alphas would never want to act like eavesdropping rogues... yet curiosity got the better of them. Almost unwillingly, they stepped closer, leaning toward the door to catch what was being said.

And in doing so, both of them ended up pressing their ears to the door, only to come face-to-face with each other, caught in the same guilty act.

Zion’s brows twitched as he and Maxwell found themselves practically shoulder-to-shoulder, both trying to catch the conversation inside. Neither of them wanted to back away. They had already sensed that something was off with Levi’s mood, and naturally, they assumed it had something to do with Greg. But who would have expected the conversation to take such a sharp turn?

Instead of discussing Greg, Levi was talking about rejecting Addison, wanting to cut their bond just so he wouldn’t drag her down.

For a moment, both Maxwell and Zion didn’t know how to react. Should they admire Levi for his selflessness and willingness to sacrifice himself for Addison? Or should they call him a fool for even thinking of such a thing when there were still so many ways to fix this?

But either way, it wasn’t their place to speak for him. And logically, if Levi stepped back, it meant one less rival for Addison’s affection.

Yet despite that, neither Maxwell nor Zion felt even a hint of victory. Instead, a strange bitterness settled in their chests, an emotion they couldn’t quite explain.

Was it because Levi’s words revealed just how deeply he loved Addison, and how much he thought of her before himself? After all, no matter how misguided his decision was, his reason was simple: to protect her.

Now that they understood they shared the danger they face with Addison, neither Maxwell nor Zion ever thought Levi was weak or unworthy of her. But hearing Levi say those things himself... it forced them to confront something uncomfortable.

It made them reflect on themselves.

Were they worthy of Addison, with how they were right now? Could they guarantee they wouldn’t fall into their enemy’s schemes the same way Levi had? They honestly didn’t know. Today, it was Levi. But who could say that tomorrow it wouldn’t be Zion or Maxwell, getting caught off-guard, manipulated, and putting Addison’s life on the line?

Did this mean they had to give up as well?

The thought alone made both Maxwell’s and Zion’s hearts pound as a dull buzzing filled their minds. As they stepped out of the building, a swirl of emotions churned inside them, leaving them heavier with every step. After thinking it through, they found themselves understanding why Levi made that choice, why he reached such a painful decision.

It wasn’t because Levi was weak-willed or lacking strength. In fact, they realized he was strong in his own way. Because if it were them... they couldn’t even imagine making that kind of sacrifice.

Zion pressed his lips into a thin line before speaking. ”Let’s go. We’ll be late for the rendezvous...” His voice carried a quiet heaviness, and Maxwell, equally subdued, simply nodded and followed. Side by side, they walked toward the row of carriages and made their way to the front, where Alpha Hue waited.