The Alpha's Regret: Return Of The Betrayed Luna

Chapter 526: Chapter 526 Carrot After The Stick

”Alright, leave it to me. Rest for a bit while I prepare your bath,” Maxwell said in a low voice before turning away and stepping out of the tent.

Keeping himself busy was the only way he could suppress the lingering heat and restless desire still gnawing at him. If he stayed inside and kept looking at Addison in her weakened, disheveled state, his self-control would only be tested further.

Before leaving, he first reached into his magic bag and took out a large wooden tub, sturdy and wide enough for a proper bath. Carefully, he set it down in the corner of the tent, deliberately choosing not to carry Addison outside.

The faint pheromones still clinging to her body, along with the lingering scent of intimacy left behind, would be far too noticeable to the surrounding wolves if she stepped out now. He had no intention of letting others catch even a hint of it.

Once the tub was in place, he left the tent and headed straight toward the riverbank to fetch fresh water. He then borrowed two large wooden buckets from the group assigned to communal water duties, filled them to the brim, and carried them back to Addison’s tent with steady, unhurried steps.

He repeated the trip again and again, five times in total, until the wooden tub was finally half-filled with cool, clean water.

After that, he returned to the riverbank once more, filled two more buckets, and headed toward the campfire where the elders were boiling water in large pots. He waited patiently for one of the pots to finish boiling and be transferred into the water jugs before placing the river water he brought over the fire to heat.

One of the elders even offered to let him take the already boiled hot water back first so Addison could use it immediately while they waited for the new batch to heat up.

But Maxwell calmly declined.

He knew many people in the camp were waiting for drinking water and warm water for their own needs. Taking what the elders had already prepared for communal use would be unfair, and he had no intention of taking advantage of their effort just for his own convenience.

Instead, he chose to wait, silently tending to the pot himself, letting the water heat properly before bringing it back.

After the water finally came to a boil, Maxwell carefully transferred the hot water into the two wooden buckets before carrying them back to Addison’s tent. His steps were steady and controlled, making sure not to spill even a drop along the way.

Once inside, he poured the steaming water into the wooden tub, watching as the cooler water inside gradually warmed and released faint wisps of steam into the air. Still, he could tell the temperature was slightly too hot for someone as exhausted and sensitive as Addison.

So instead of calling her immediately, he stepped out of the tent once more.

He suddenly recalled the patch of fresh flowers he had seen growing near the riverbanks earlier. Considering how drained Addison looked, both physically and mentally, he felt she needed more than just a simple bath; she needed something that could truly help her relax and soothe her frayed nerves.

He had once heard that many women liked adding flower petals to their bath, both for the gentle fragrance and the calming effect.

Given everything she had been through, especially the immense pressure and exhaustion she had endured in this trip, he thought that a quiet, warm bath with a soft, natural scent might help ease her body and mind, even if only a little.

With that in mind, Maxwell headed back toward the riverbank without hesitation. He moved through the flower patches, carefully selecting the most fragrant blooms he could find.

Rather than picking just one kind, he chose a variety of flowers, some with soft, soothing scents and others with lighter, fresher notes, so the petals would create a more pleasant and balanced fragrance when mixed together.

By the time he returned, his hands were filled with colorful petals. He gently scattered them across the surface of the warm bath, letting them float and spread naturally, the soft colors and subtle floral scent slowly blending into the steam rising from the tub, creating a calmer and more comforting atmosphere for Addison to rest in.

After finishing with the petals, Maxwell took out Addison’s body oil, hair oil, shampoo, and body wash, arranging them neatly within her reach beside the tub. He placed a clean, soft towel close by as well, making sure everything she might need was prepared before he called her over.

When he turned around, he noticed that Addison had adjusted Levi’s sleeping position. She had carefully shifted him onto his side and even covered him with a blanket.

Maxwell’s eyebrow twitched slightly at the sight. The look he gave her was subtle but unmistakable, part jealousy, part a little resentful, as if he had just been quietly betrayed.

Addison immediately felt it.

”I—I just made sure he’s resting properly,” she explained in a small, slightly flustered voice. ”After all, the entity inside me fed on his vitality. He’s at his weakest right now... he might catch a cold...”

Even she knew the latter excuse sounded a little far-fetched. They were werewolves; catching a cold wasn’t exactly common. But the guilt she felt wasn’t fake. While Maxwell had been outside preparing the bath, she’d had enough quiet time to think clearly.

That was when she realized something unsettling.

The entity inside her had subtly manipulated the situation. It had amplified her pheromones more than necessary, pushing Levi to keep going while steadily siphoning his vitality. The longer he continued, the more it fed.

If it had gone on much further, the damage to Levi’s body might have become serious. Fortunately, the entity had reached its fill before things became irreversible.

Still... the drain had been real.

So it wasn’t impossible that Levi would feel unwell afterward. Weakness, exhaustion, perhaps even temporary sickness. And that realization weighed on her conscience.

At the same time, she couldn’t ignore what she felt within herself. Though her stamina had been utterly depleted, there was a new strength humming quietly beneath her skin. When she flexed her fingers slightly, she could feel the solid, steady, and powerful strength within her.

It felt comparable to a werewolf with an awakened wolf, as if she could freely borrow strength that wasn’t entirely her own. The sensation was exhilarating. It meant she could fight better, defend herself, and protect the people she cared about.

But there was a darker truth beneath that realization.

The power didn’t feel permanent. It felt stored, like energy in a battery. And batteries eventually ran out.

If she wanted to access that strength again... she would have to replenish it.

And replenishing it meant siphoning more vitality from her fated mates, just like she had done with Levi.

Realizing all of this only made the guilt inside her grow heavier.

It felt as though the entity within her had struck a calculated bargain, offering her strength in exchange for the vitality she siphoned from her fated mates.

A reward after the drain. A carrot dangled after the stick.