The Alpha's Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna

Chapter 463: Chapter 463 Deeper Scheme Unfolded

If that’s the case... could the vampires have been used the same way? After all, it was far too convenient that the moment the border’s Guardian, the sword of the kingdom, fell, the vampires launched a full-scale attack against us...”

Addison’s voice faltered slightly as memories of Zion’s father helping her flashed through her mind, and her chest ached at the thought.

Levi frowned as well. ”Now that you mention it... that actually sounds plausible. If so, it means the mastermind has been hiding in the shadows all along, using other races to act on their behalf. That alone suggests how afraid they are of being exposed.”

He paused, then narrowed his eyes. ”But the vampires are proud, high and mighty. They wouldn’t willingly let themselves be used as pawns. Which means a deal must have been struck first. As for what that deal was... we don’t know yet.”

”We’ll put that thought in the parking lot for now,” Addison said, steering the conversation back on track. ”What matters most is the locust swarm. From the way things are unfolding, it feels like we’ve been caught in a massive trap from the very beginning, and we’ve been dancing in the palm of their hand this whole time.”

Levi’s expression turned solemn as he fixed his gaze on her. ”Then what are you thinking, Addie?” he asked quietly. ”Tell us.”

”If we follow Chase’s hint, which was the locust swarm itself, then the problem isn’t just their presence,” Addison said slowly. ”It’s their species. Something about them is wrong. And the more I think about it, the more it leads me back to the biochemical agent...”

Her voice trailed off. She frowned, pressing a hand lightly against her chest as if trying to steady the restless itch spreading there. It felt as though the answer was already at the tip of her tongue, so close she could almost grasp it, yet it remained maddeningly elusive. Too much had happened in too short a time, scattering her thoughts just when she needed clarity the most.

Addison lifted her gaze to Chase.

He met her eyes, silent but attentive, his expression subtly urging her to keep going, to stay on that line of thought. Chase didn’t say a word, yet the encouragement was unmistakable. His lips twitched into what could barely be called a smile, which was awkward and stiff; he clearly wasn’t used to expressing his emotions in his face, especially for someone who normally wore nothing but a cold, unreadable expression.

Levi fell into a thoughtful silence as he tried to follow Addison’s line of reasoning. After a moment, he spoke, his brows knitting together.

”But the biochemical agent was already examined and tested by Royal Alchemist Malveric...” Levi said slowly. He wanted to believe that meant everything was fine, that a biochemical agent personally verified by Royal Alchemist Malveric couldn’t possibly be flawed.

Yet even as the thought formed, hesitation crept in. After all, Levi didn’t truly understand the biochemical agent’s full composition, nor could he be certain what had, or hadn’t, been overlooked.

But Addison did know.

After all, she had discussed it in detail with her parents, Royal Alchemist Malveric, and the head of the research department. Levi’s words were the final trigger, the missing spark. The moment he spoke, that long-forgotten conversation surged back into her mind, as if a lightbulb had suddenly flicked on.

Her eyes widened for a brief second, then darkened, sinking like the bottom of a deep pot. She swallowed hard. ”As far as I remember,” Addison said slowly, her voice turning grim, ”after Royal Alchemist Malveric finished inspecting and testing the biochemical agent, we discovered that its main component was demonic energy. Not only could it wipe out pests... it could also kill the soil itself.”

She drew in a sharp breath. ”That’s why I always believed it was part of our enemy’s plan to send us this biochemical agent and force us to use it against the locust swarm. I thought their goal was simple, and that is to make us poison our most fertile land and starve our people using our own hands after forcing us this far.”

Her fingers curled slightly as realization settled in, making her heart feel heavy and cold.

”But now... it feels like I was being naïve.”

And it seemed their enemy was far more sinister than she had ever imagined.

”I once thought we might still have a chance to develop our own pesticide,” Addison continued quietly, ”one that would target only the insects, something that wouldn’t harm the soil or the people living on it. But that kind of solution would have taken months, maybe even years, of trial and error. Royal Alchemist Malveric would’ve had to test every single component to ensure it wasn’t harmful.”

She exhaled slowly.

”So in the end, we were pushed toward using the biochemical agent instead. And because we already knew how destructive it was, we shifted our focus to creating a treatment agent, something that could repair the damage it would inflict on the land.”

Her voice dropped further, tinged with exhaustion. ”I even requested help from the Saintess, Silas, to help purify the soil of the demonic energy. I handed over all the holy water I possessed to Royal Alchemist Malveric so it could be incorporated into the treatment agent, just enough to hold the land together until Saintess Silas arrived.”

Anger and fear twisted tightly in her chest. ”But it seems they were trying to use our own hands to drag our kingdom into hell,” she said, bitterness seeping into her tone. ”They didn’t care what methods they used, only that the Werewolf Kingdom would be destroyed.”

She fell silent for a moment, the question burning in her mind, unspoken yet heavy.

But why?

”Addie...” Levi’s voice was taut with alarm, as if he already knew where her thoughts were heading. Still, he didn’t interrupt.

He rose from his seat and crossed the room, gently placing one warm palm atop her head and the other on her trembling shoulder, grounding her with his presence, offering silent comfort, strength, and reassurance when words would only fall short.

”But it seems the treatment agent may not be enough,” Addison continued, her voice low and strained. ”If there truly is something abnormal about the locust swarm, and if the biochemical agent contains demonic energy, then the most likely explanation is that the swarm itself originated from the Demon Realm.”

Her fingers tightened slightly. ”For insects like that to travel from the North all the way to the western edge of our territory, they couldn’t have come naturally. They must have been smuggled in. And since the Northern Guardian of the Demon Realm’s gate detected nothing... it can only mean one thing.”

Her voice wavered. ”There’s an insider. One we’ve suspected for a long time.”

Addison’s expression dimmed, heartbreak flickering across her face. All werewolves were bound by loyalty to the Alpha King, an oath enforced by their very blood. Any intent to betray or harm the Alpha King, the royal family, or their kin should have triggered punishment through that bond. Betrayal should have been impossible.

And yet...

They had already discovered evidence of werewolves colluding with other races, especially Dark Witches. If those forces were involved, then tampering with the loyalty bond itself was no longer unthinkable.

And suddenly, everything made sense.

It explained the growing unrest in the Royal Capital, the subtle but unmistakable shift in the atmosphere. People had begun forming cliques, weighing alliances, and prioritizing profit over loyalty. They spoke as if support could be chosen, as if they were free to decide whether to stand behind her or Mila.

That alone was wrong.

In the Werewolf Kingdom, the Alpha King’s authority was absolute. There should have been no hesitation, no divided loyalties, no room for comparison. The fact that such choices even existed meant only one thing, and that is the Royal Capital had long been tainted, quietly infiltrated by those people and their unseen enemy.

Her jaw tightened.

Either the corruption had taken root far earlier than anyone realized, or... her father and mother had failed to notice the changing winds altogether. And if that was the case, then perhaps it wasn’t negligence, but distraction.

Her abduction.

They had been so consumed with fear for her safety that their judgment dulled, their grip on the court loosened just enough for rot to spread beneath their feet.

And now, the consequences were surfacing.

So it wasn’t far-fetched at all to think that her abduction had been part of a much larger scheme from the very beginning.

They needed the Alpha King to loosen his grip on his people.

And so, they used the vampires to abduct her.

While her father was drowning in grief and fear, his attention consumed by her disappearance, they moved in the shadows. Corruption spread quietly, like a disease. Those with even the slightest greed in their hearts were tempted, coaxed, and slowly turned. Loyalty fractured, and defectors emerged under the guise of ambition and self-interest, following a cause they believed would benefit them more.